• Graduation – Sound Discipline’s Identity and Values

      What is the story of the 2021/2022 school year? Heads nod when I sum it up this way – this was a year like no other. The return to in-person learning as the pandemic raged on meant doing the best we could under constant stress, strain, and uncertainty. Teachers and administrators worked harder than […]

  • Student-centered Ideas for Wrapping Up the School Year

    As this school year comes to an end, you are probably feeling a range of emotions! Your students are certainly also feeling a range of emotions, from excitement to anxiety. You and your students worked hard all year building community, getting to know one another’s strengths and areas of growth, and centering student voice and […]

  • Staff Interviews – Aaron Norikane, Facilitator

    May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month and we asked our Sound Discipline colleagues to share the stories of their family heritage and the people who have inspired them in their lives and careers. Thank you to our Facilitator, Aaron Norikane, for sharing this inspiring story of your family!   What is your […]

  • It’s Teacher Appreciation Month and We See You

    What a school year this has been! By many accounts, this year proved even more challenging than the previous two years, leaving many educators exhausted and discouraged. And yet, you keep showing up. You continue to be present and attentive to the needs of your students. Even though you may feel depleted, you keep dipping […]

  • 5 Simple Ways to Show Appreciation for Teachers (Anytime, Not Just the First Week of May!)

    The first week of May is Teacher Appreciation week. It’s a great reminder to take a moment and show support for educators. They have such a profound impact on our kids and our world! Ask any teacher and they will tell you that simple, heartfelt gestures go a long way. Here are several ways to […]

  • Staff Interviews – Alan Wong, Facilitator

    May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month and we asked several of our Sound Discipline colleagues to share the stories of their family heritage and the people who have inspired them. Thank you Alan for sharing this inspiring story of your family!   What is your heritage? I am a mixed-race person of […]

  • Orcas in the C’s at Lakeridge Elementary

    For so many schools, it has been a tumultuous two years from school-on-a-screen to in-person learning. This is definitely the case for Lakeridge Elementary in the Renton (Washington) School District. For new 1st graders, school was in constant transition. Starting kindergarten on Zoom, they learned what it meant to be part of a classroom community through […]

  • An Easy Way to Reduce Stress and Strengthen Relationships in Your Family

    Want to play? What? Too busy doing important things to play? It turns out (check out this research), play is extremely important – for just about everyone and everything, but especially for learning and developing children. But why? Stress: It turns out play reduces stress (and therefore) facilitates learning. We know stress lowers the amount […]

  • The Surprising Benefits of Play in the Classroom

    “Play is a strategy for learning at any age. While older students and their teachers might have more curricular demands than younger students, playful learning still has an important role to play…” – Project Zero Researcher Mara Krechevsky, Harvard Graduate School of Education After years of pandemic disruption, are we feeling pressure to catch students […]

  • Developing Firmness Tools for Educators

    When we can respond to students in ways that are both connected and firm, both adults and students benefit. But how do we do that? Children need compassion and boundaries, connection and high expectations – at the same time. But many of us did not grow up with this model, or learn it in our […]