Inclusion Strategies and Interventions, Second Edition. Toby J. Karten

      Establishing clear expectations is essential for learning academic content, as are behavioral and social opportunities to allow all students to learn and grow in emotionally healthy classrooms. Students who are depressed or seem apathetic need the teacher’s encouragement to tune in to their lessons. Accomplish this with more teacher-student check-ins; open discussions; writing, art, and drama projects; reading choices; and personal logs. Realistic praise increases students’ time on task and their desire to keep trying, even when the topic seems a bit tough.

      Mindfulness, or being aware of the now in thoughts and actions, allows students and educators to focus their hearts, bodies, and minds on being in the present moment (Karten, 2019b). Mindful actions prevent many of the anxieties that interfere with learning. Students in the present moment are better able to participate, collaborate, learn, and move forward in school and all aspects of life. Mindfulness helps students recognize and attend to their surroundings, feelings, and thoughts with increased awareness, appreciation, and empowerment. For example, a mindful goal can help a learner who lacks executive functioning skills or has ADHD to better concentrate, organize, and develop plans to complete classroom tasks and routines within a given time. Teacher strategies and support can help a student with autism learn how to remain calm, even in overwhelming or perceived stressful situations, like an unexpected fire drill or a change in schedule. Mindfulness allows school staff to acknowledge, validate, and increase students’ competencies and capacities to learn.

      Caring and attentive educators make positive differences in students’ lives. Pay attention to a student who is depressed or who has shut down. Notice changes in clothing, self-care, and moods. Enlist the assistance of parents or caregivers at home, school psychologists, and guidance counselors, plus other school and community resources. Involve the student in his or her interests to promote healthy outlets for experiencing good feelings, whether it is through more physical activities with mini-brain stretches or through subjects and clubs such as art, chess, creative writing, comic books, computers, chorus, band, or cheerleading. School is about stimulating minds, but educators cannot ignore a student’s demeanor and emotional health. It is sometimes the quietest students who scream for help the loudest.