A recurring theme in concerns of teachers is how to manage escalated behaviors and students with disabilities. One resource is the Iris Center, part of the Peabody Institute at Vanderbilt University. Modules through IRIS are free to teachers through December of 2024 due to grant sponsorship, so this is a great time to take advantage of this resource about behavior management and classroom management practices.
The IRIS Center
The IRIS center is “supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and located at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, the IRIS Center develops and disseminates free, engaging online resources about evidence-based instructional and behavioral practices to support the education of all students, particularly struggling learners and those with disabilities. These resources, designed to bridge the research-to-practice gap, are intended for use in college teacher preparation programs, in professional development (PD) activities for practicing professionals, and by independent learners.” (iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu)
IRIS is laid out in modules, and each module contains a labyrinth of links that can be followed to additional resources. If you complete a module from beginning to end, you receive a PD certificate from the IRIS Center, so talk to your school leadership about how this can count toward professional development requirements.
I have completed many of the modules at this point, and found most of them to be excellent. When you go to the site, you will be asked to register and “check out”. The system is arranged this way because there will be a cost to the modules after December 2024, but for now your cart will show a $0 balance and allow you to check out without entering any payment information. The staff at my school will each be completing one module ahead of our next PD day, then peer-teaching the important take-aways to their level teams. Levels will then present a list of recommendations at our all-staff meeting.
Recommended Modules
Here are some of my favorite modules:
- Cultural and Linguistic Differences: What all teachers should know
- Classroom Behavior Management (Part 1): Key Concepts and Foundational Practices
- SOS: Helping Students Become Independent Learners
- Differentiated Instruction: Maximizing the Learning of All Students
- Family Engagement: Collaborating with Families of Students with Disabilities
- Classroom accommodations for children with disabilities
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview for Educators (Part I)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence-based Practices
- Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities
- Behavioral Principles: The Basics of Understanding Student Behavior
- Addressing Challenging Behaviors Part I (Elementary)
- Addressing Challenging Behaviors Part II (Elementary)
- Functional Behavioral Assessment: Identifying the Reasons for Problem Behavior and Developing a Behavior Plan
- Classroom Behavior Management (Part I): Key Concepts and Foundational Practices
- Classroom Behavior Management (Part II): Developing a Behavior Management Plan
- Differentiated Instruction: Maximizing the Learning of All Students
- School Improvement/Leadership Evidence-Based Practices
- IEPs: How Administrators Can Support the Development and Implementation of High-Quality IEPs
I highly recommend school leaders and teachers check out these amazing resources, since they are only FREE for a limited time. They are a great resource. While they are not directly from a Montessori resource, they align with the role of the Montessori teacher as a scientist, as they are rooted in Evidence Based Practices from modern, high-quality research.
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