Jeffrey Benson on Best Strategies for Working with Challenging Students

In this episode of the Find Your Leadership Confidence Podcast, hosted by Vicki Noethling, renowned educator Jeffrey Benson shares invaluable insights on the best strategies for working with challenging students. With over forty years of experience in teaching and school administration, Benson delves into crucial topics such as integrating restorative discipline while holding students accountable, the role of social-emotional learning (SEL) in supporting academic success, and practical methods for incorporating SEL into existing curricula without adding extra burden. He also emphasizes the significance of striking a balance between uniformity and diversity in school reform efforts and the implementation of “think time” as a non-negotiable for fostering equity and inclusion in classrooms. Benson further explores the application of “positions and interests” in daily educational practices and highlights the importance of opening and closing rituals for building a supportive classroom culture. Tune in for expert advice on navigating the complexities of student behavior and promoting a positive learning environment.

His website has links to all his articles, categorized and free for downloading, including the well-known article, “100 Repetitions” and updates on his newest book, “Hacking School Discipline Together.” The website also provides descriptions of all his books. There are also links to his interviews, and a listing of the many services he provides to schools, both in-person and virtually. Also, you can write directly to Jeffrey through a link on the website; he finds nothing more worthwhile than being in dialogue with other passionate and curious educators.

https://jeffreyBenson.org

Connect With Our Guest

Website: https://jeffreybenson.org/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffreybenson61?lang=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybensoneducator/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffreyBensonEdServices

Jeffrey Benson has over forty years of experience as a teacher, mentor, and school administrator. His passion is supporting schools to be more successful with more students. He is an internationally known author, including the books “Hanging In-- Strategies for Working with the Students Who Challenge Us Most;” “Ten Steps for Managing Change in Schools;” “Teaching the Whole Teen: Everyday Practices that Promote Success and Resilience in School and Life;” “Improve Every Lesson Plan with SEL;” and his newest book, “Hacking School Discipline Together.” Jeffrey leads school change initiatives, facilitating interdisciplinary teams that convert long-standing dilemmas into cutting edge growth and community building, and creating more inclusive school and classroom cultures. He is a member of the ASCD faculty, is frequently published in education journals, and speaks at conference on such topics as working with challenging students, integrating SEL into everyday practices, restorative practices, decision-making skills for leaders, and the science of learning and teaching.