Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/882783
wo students are being disruptive in English class, so teacher Diane Wilson asks them to step into the hallway. "What's going on?" she asks. e students blame each other. She listens for a few minutes, tells them to work out their differences, and after a bit everyone returns to the classroom. She shares later that the students decided to take pos- itive action and cease behavior that was putting them on the verge of failing her class. "ey decided to change where they sit, so they could take control of their work habits instead of 'playing the victim' of circumstance," Wilson says. " They are beginning to take ownership of their learning. Both stu- dents have made conscious gains in their attention to detail and in their writing." In other schools, these students might have been sent to the principal's office or detention. But at the Social Justice Humanitas Academy in the San Fernando Valley, teachers believe in treating behavior rather than pun- ishment. Wilson, for example, goes directly to the heart of the matter to figure out what is getting in the way of student learning. "It could be something as simple as boredom or as complex as hunger or instability at home. I let students know I am on their side and we can build a solution together." All-Access Pass Social justice and equal access are core values at this high-achieving community school By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Photos by Scott Buschman T At Social Justice Humanitas Academy, students are treated like young adults. 33 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 017 Feature H U M A N I T A S A C A D E M Y