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• Celebrate students’ uniqueness. Create positive ways for students to express themselves and demonstrate talents and expertise. • Maintain a non-negotiable norm of mutual respect to affirm and value the individuality of each student in the classroom community.
• Reflect on your own implicit biases. Use cultural knowledge and frames of reference to make learning more effective and relevant for all your diverse students. • Discuss with students in middle school and high school the phenomenon of stereotype threat, and acknowledge circumstances where it may manifest in classroom instruction.
Challenging Academics Brain-friendly classrooms reduce the amount of unhealthy stressors and maintain a healthy amount of beneficial stress. Endocrinologist Hans Selye (1974) coined the term eustress, or good stress. We experience eustress when a goal is not too far out of reach but is still slightly more than what we think we can handle. When we perceive that a goal is challenging, yet possibly attainable, we become motivated. This kind of stress can keep students engaged in difficult tasks as they work hard to solve a problem or complete a project. However, when we perceive a big gap between what we know and can do and what is actually expected, we can become overwhelmed. When students lack prior experiences and knowledge, they may not see a new assignment or task as within their realm of capabilities. This awareness of a perceived gap in their learning can be very frightening causing distress. When a student’s workload becomes overwhelming, he, she, or they can also become frustrated, disengaged, and hopeless. Excessive amounts of homework can trigger the stress response in some students. Distress from a lack of prior knowledge and a heavy workload can manifest when taking high-stakes tests. Many students become stressed when they encounter test questions that are beyond what they know. When tests are lengthy with few breaks allowed, the workload may become unbearable, and students often become defeated. Preparing students in advance on ways to navigate these two issues with challenging academics can help get them ready for the test.
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• Immediately address put-downs and bullying of any kind. Orchestrate opportunities for restorative justice practices such as mediation and sharing circles.
