S TA R TI N G W I TH A PAU S E
“
Empower them to restore themselves with
you as an ally. Often students simply need
help finding solutions. “Is there anything I
can do, or the school can do, to help you
get to class on time?” or “Is there a way to
resolve or put aside the issue playing out on
your phone so you can rejoin class?”
Conclusion
P.A.I.R is not meant to be followed lock step.
It is a guide to remind you of the essential
pieces of the process. Often, when dis-
ruption occurred during a lesson, I could
only do the pause and acknowledge in
the moment and had to follow up after
class with the inquiry and repair. What is
equally important to this P.A.I.R approach
is building the community and culture
that allows for mistakes, is uncondition-
ally willing to look for our shared human-
ity, and is resilient in the face of challeng-
ing interactions. To me, the four pillars of
this culture are: respect, safety, belong-
ing, and equal voice. The more we work
to build these qualities in our classrooms
and schools, the less it matters whether
we get P.A.I.R right.
•
What is equally im-
portant to this P.A.I.R
approach is building
the community and
culture that allows for
mistakes, is uncondi-
tionally willing to look
for our shared human-
ity, and is resilient in
the face of challenging
interactions.
”
Cultural Competence, Gender Identity,
Mindfulness (www.mindfulschools.org).
Respect: Do I routinely drop my as-
sumptions about students and invite
in different views? Do I build these
opportunities into our curriculum and
classroom routines? Do I let others
know that I have faith in our shared
humanity? Strengthen your skills with
training in Equity (www.tolerance.org),
• Belonging: Have I recognized for my-
self and shown students that they have
a place in the community—that their
presence matters (in how I speak, teach,
assess, etc.)? Strengthen your skills with
relational play (www.howardmoody.
com) and circle training (www.truena-
tureteaching.com).
• Voice: Have I given the students equal
opportunities to speak? Do I listen
with open, nonjudgmental presence?
Do I offer multiple ways of “speaking”?
Strengthen your skills with student
Continues on page 34
CSEE Connections
Winter 2019
Page 33