Fishing Cove Elementary School (North Kingstown, RI). At Fishing Cove, professional development addresses student behavior, both inside and outside of school. Two years ago, the school dedicated a large amount of professional development funds to train every teacher, teacher assistant, and all specialist educators in Open Circle. This training increased the school’s capacity to support students’ regulation of their behavior and solve problems. Teachers attended multiple days of training, incorporated the strategies into their classrooms, and received one-on-one mentoring from Open Circle in their classrooms to solidify their instructional practices.

When this training yielded positive results throughout the school, teachers requested more. The Center for Resilience visited the school to coach teachers on how to use mindfulness techniques in the classrooms. Grades 1 and 2 teachers found the training so helpful that their professional growth goals now center on this topic. Each month, they share new mindfulness strategies at the monthly staff meetings. The Rhode Island Healthy Schools Initiative funded a comprehensive Playworks training focused on positive student activities and interactions during recess. The Fishing Cove Playworks Team continues to attend training sessions to increase student engagement on the playground.