Authors

This book helps teachers create a positive classroom learning environment by establishing clearer expectations, enhancing instruction and assessment, and fostering quality relationships with students.

Designed to be extremely practical for K–12 administrators, teachers, and students, the book equips educators with the knowledge and skills needed to implement responsive circles effectively. It explores how student behavior serves as communication, how traditional discipline fails to address underlying issues, and the next steps educators can take.

Students do not put up walls to avoid relationships, but to see who cares enough to break the walls down. Research shows that building relationships with students increases engagement, motivation, test scores, and grade point averages while decreasing absenteeism, dropout rates, and discipline issues.

Schools have long tied student behavior to academic grades. This book will help you separate achievement from behavior and learn how to teach students positive behaviors, social-emotional intelligence, and skills for navigating their place as learners.

Learn how using a pyramid of behavior supports can create a school culture in which learning is primed to occur.

Learn a range of easy-to-implement instructions and activities to defuse and prevent disruptive classroom behaviors.

Using validated strategies and practical actions, K–12 educators can use this book to ensure that all students possess the four positive mindsets foundational to student achievement: (1) “I belong in this academic community,” (2) “I can succeed at this,” (3) “This work has value for me,” and (4) “My ability and competence grow with effort.”

With its conversational style, Owning It prepares teachers both new and experienced to take command of their many roles in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Learn to embrace the struggles teachers face daily and implement effective teaching strategies to ensure all students succeed and close the achievement gap for youth at risk.

In the second edition of this valuable resource, Allen Mendler offers specific, practical strategies on how to reignite enthusiasm in even the most unmotivated students. Learn classroom and behavior management strategies that will help support struggling students and build positive teacher-student relationships.