What’s best for kids? District 58 2018 Teacher of the Year Patti Cepeda reflects on this question often. For the majority of her 29-year District 58 career, Cepeda worked as a special education teacher. However, in 2013, she accepted a new opportunity: to serve as the District’s first behavior specialist. In this role, Cepeda worked with teachers to address individual and class-wide student behavioral issues.
“Patti’s specialized skillset and natural abilities as a collaborator make her an asset to any team digging into student behavior and looking for creative and out-of-the-box solutions,” said Jessica Stewart, assistant superintendent for special services.
Creating a districtwide behavior specialist position was one of several goals District 58 established as part of its Student Well-Being/Social-Emotional Learning Strategic Plan priority area in 2011. The priority area instructs District 58 to:
“District 58 will teach social-emotional learning skills in a safe, comfortable, child-focused environment. The ultimate goal is to develop self-disciplined, self-knowing, empathetic students who have the strong interpersonal and communication skills needed to be contributing members of a global society.”
In addition to creating the behavior specialist position, District 58 has:
- Integrated the Responsive Classroom model for elementary students. This framework helps schools promote academic, social and emotional growth. For example, all elementary classrooms start their day with a morning meeting to set the tone for respectful learning. Many elementary schools also lead a School Families program, which creates groups, or “families,” of children representing all grade levels. The families meet regularly and discuss positive social-emotional themes.
- Implemented the Second Step curriculum resource for all students, including preschoolers. This resource provides all teachers with age-appropriate curricular lessons related to bullying prevention, digital citizenship, empathy, communication, respect and more.
- Began analyzing School Environment Survey and 5Essentials Survey results to guide district and school improvement efforts, particularly in the social-emotional learning areas. According to the results, 97 percent of surveyed students said their teacher cares about them and 94 percent of parents said their child’s school environment is supportive and inviting.
- Added growth mindset lessons into the social-emotional learning curriculum. A growth mindset helps students see mistakes not as impenetrable roadblocks, but rather as a natural part of the learning process.