At Echo Shaw Elementary in the Forest Grove School District, our early learning team found that our system was not designed to support the differing learning, behavioral, and emotional needs of a particular student who was having difficulty following instructions and participating in classroom routines, including nap/quiet time.

We enlisted the help of instructional assistants, who supervised the other children so that these daily walks could happen, and we worked with building administration to identify a safe route for the walks, as not all school grounds are approved for children of this age.

We hoped this change would bring about an increase in flexible thinking and adaptiveness in the student, and that they would begin to feel more belonging and significance in the classroom. The end goal was a reduction of behaviors that were disruptive to group learning and the student’s own learning.

Over the first couple of weeks, the teacher felt a growing connection with the student, who started to look forward to their walks together. We saw the reduction in disruptive behaviors that we’d hoped for. The teacher also developed a better understanding of this student’s needs and could adapt the classroom to better support this student.

This experience strengthened our understanding that connection is the best form of “classroom management.” If a student feels connected to their teacher(s) and peers, this increases belonging and significance, and the student will likely display fewer disruptive behaviors (and this level of connection is important for all students).