Facing History and Ourselves has a great lesson for teachers to use during October, which is LGBTQ History Month. GLSEN also has incredible resources for educators to use all year. 

Succeed Boston colleagues created this amazing Restorative Toolkit for Re-Entry, which includes a guide to the following four steps (each on one page): 

1) Before a student leaves school; 

2) Before a student returns to school; 

3) The day a student returns to school; 

4) Following up after a student returns to school. 

This re-entry toolkit can be used any time a student is absent for a significant reason. I love how the Succeed Boston folks define a significant absence - not by length - but as an absence "due to a loss, illness, a restorative alternative to suspension, or any other significant life event." 

Workshops are offered by Succeed Boston teachers and clinicians as a progressive measure without a suspension. These workshops are offered for students in grades 1-12. Elementary students attend workshops virtually from their school and students in grades 6-12 can attend virtually from their school or in-person at Succeed Boston. Workshops can focus on any of the following topics:

• Substance use prevention
• Anger management
• Stress management
• Decision making
• Bias-based speech and behavior
• Bullying & cyberbullying
• Healthy relationships
• Internet safety

For more information visit Succeed's website, email Succeed to refer a student, or call them at 617-635-8123.

Knowing ourselves and others is the foundation of change. How can we really grow if we don’t know ourselves? And how can we do deep team work if we don’t build trust, relationships, and understanding among the members of our teams? In this video, I share six of my favorite tools and activities for getting to know ourselves and others. You can use these to learn about yourself and use them with your team. Leave me a comment below to share what you learn about yourself! I’m a plunger, an east, a questioner, a challenger, and an ESTJ. My core values are growth, justice, and presence.