Building Bridges: Engaging Students at Risk Through the Power of Relationships (Building Trust and Positive Student-Teacher Relationships)

Research shows that discipline problems are prevalent in public schools and continue to be one of the greatest challenges in education. In Building Bridges, author Dr. Don Parker shows educators how to address this issue head-on. He shares an array of evidence-based strategies to build teacher-student relationships and create a welcoming learning environment that fosters student engagement, motivation, and achievement.

Support students at risk by creating a positive school culture and building trust:

• Consider the student behaviors, characteristics, and experiences that are typically barriers to success in school.
• Learn how and why punitive punishments and zero-tolerance policies have failed to curb poor behavior in schools or provide adequate interventions for struggling students.
• Understand the importance of teacher-student relationships in teaching students at risk and the ways in which trust and positive relationships improve student behavior.
• Develop your ability to build positive teacher-student relationships through educational techniques, classroom management strategies, and teaching methods.
• Study the research that supports the many academic and social benefits of positive teacher-student relationships when teaching students at risk.
• Examine the ways in which school culture and climate affect the behavior of students and classroom engagement.

Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Develop the Mindset
Chapter 2: Show That You Care
Chapter 3: Establish a Culture for Learning
Chapter 4: Don't Take Bad Behavior Personally
Chapter 5: Create an Effective Classroom Management Plan
Chapter 6: Connect Through Content
Chapter 7: Use the Back Door
Chapter 8: Take an Ecological Approach
Chapter 9: Develop Empathy
Chapter 10: Teach Life Skills and Give Students Hope
Chapter 11: Build Students' Self-Esteem
Chapter 12: Get to the Root of the Problem
Chapter 13: Communicate With Your Heart
Chapter 14: Open Up
Chapter 15: Seal the Bond and Provide Effective Feedback
Epilogue
References and Resources
Index

Don Parker, Phd, is the principal of Posen Intermediate School in Posen-Robbins School District 143.5 in Posen, Illinois. Previously, he was the principal of Lincoln Avenue School, a K-8 school in Dolton, Illinois, where he improved the culture, implemented a resilience program, managed the implementation of restorative justice, and increased attendance and student achievement. Dr. Parker has been an educator since 1997, with a background as a teacher, dean of students, assistant principal of student life, assistant principal for curriculum and instruction, and assistant principal for activities and athletics. His experience in education includes working in the inner-city Chicago Public Schools district and predominantly low-income, minority suburban schools. Dr. Parker was also an adjunct professor and taught graduate courses to a cohort of students seeking their master's degrees in curriculum and instruction at National Louis University in Bolingbrook, Illinois. His diverse background in education has provided him with the knowledge of how to best apply evidence-based methods and student interventions to improve student behavior and increase student achievement.

Dr. Parker has a strong belief in creating a school climate in which the entire staff goes above and beyond to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of all students. He has presented throughout the United States at the top education conferences, including the Every Student Succeeds Act Conference, Staff Development for Educators, and the National Principals Conference. Dr. Parker is a professional development provider and conducts workshops titled "The Power of Building Trusting Relationships With At-Risk Students" and "Implementing a Resilience Program for At-Risk Students."

Dr. Parker received a bachelor's degree in physical education and health from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa; a master's degree in educational administration from Governors State University in University Park, Illinois; and a doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University in Chicago, Illinois.