Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/587184
the Early Warning System also looks at patterns in ele- mentary school, such as absenteeism and low grades, which can raise red flags. In the past, a teacher might confer with a counselor about a student not doing well, the counselor would look into the problem and get back to the teacher, and it could be well into the semester before alarm bells went off. Now interventions happen immediately, says WhyTry teacher Alyson Brauning. " We ' re l o o k i n g a t m a ny factors including social and emotional well-being, moti- vation and connectedness to school," says Brauning, Vacav- i l l e Te a c h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n . "We're looking at how well students handle stress. I think we're being progressive. We're focusing more on students. We're doing a much better job." "WhyTry helps me prepare for high school and the real world," says Richard Magana, whose grades have gone from D's to B's. "It helps my attitude." Kazandra Torres once had F's, but is now passing her classes. "It's helped me feel more motivated and set goals for myself. My short-term goal was getting my grades up. My long-term goal is graduating from high school." MEETING EMOTIONAL NEEDS "What are your triggers? What gets you upset?" Kimberly Telphy, a counselor at Arrowview Middle School in San Bernardino City Unified, poses the question to a group of middle school b oy s d u r i n g a d i s t r i c t - m a n d a t e d a n ge r m a n a ge m e n t group meeting. Royal says it's a trigger when others "talk smack" about him. Robert confides that he has a hard time accepting crit- icism from teachers. "You're not a puppet on a string, and you can't allow people to control what you do," says Telphy, San Ber- nardino Teachers Association. "So, who has control when you're angry?" "We do," the boys answer in unison. They act out scenarios of being provoked, and instead of reacting angrily, they walk away from the situation or respond calmly. Pedro says with pride that he is "mastering self-control." Helping students talk about their feelings and navigate emotional and social issues helps them succeed academically and stay in school, Technology Middle School teacher Alex Coursey with Tyker Paul and Bruno Roland. "We're being progressive. We're focusing more on students. We're doing a much better job." A LY S O N B R A U N I N G 35 V O LU M E 2 0 I S S U E 3