LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

There are ten steps Ms. Grogg-Green follows to create a positive classroom environment:

1. Build Relationships First - She learns her students' names quickly, greets them warmly each day, and shows a genuine interest in their lives, strengths, and challenges.

2. Establish Clear Expectations - She creates a short list of clear, consistent rules with student input. She models and reinforces positive behavior. She is firm, fair, and consistent.

3. Foster a Safe and Inclusive Environment - She celebrates diversity and differences, ensures all students feel heard and respected, and addresses bullying and exclusion immediately.

4. Be Positive and Encouraging - She praises effort and improvement, not just results. She uses encouraging language, even when correcting behavior. She celebrates small wins and growth.

5. Set the Tone with Classroom Routines - She has predictable, structured routines to reduce anxiety and increase engagement. She also teaches procedures for everyday tasks like transitioning, asking for help, or turning in work.

6. Engage Students in Meaningful Learning - She offers choice and voice in activities when possible, makes lessons relevant to real life, and uses hands-on, interactive methods to meet different learning styles.

7. Practice Social-Emotional Learning - She teaches empathy, self-awareness, and conflict resolution. She includes morning check-ins or classroom circles. She uses reflection activities to build emotional intelligence.

8. Be a Positive Role Model - She shows kindness, patience, and integrity. She handles stress and mistakes in front of students calmly and constructively.

9. Use Positive Reinforcement and Recognition - She recognizes good behavior publicly and privately. She implements reward systems or student shout-outs, and she encourages peer praise and support.

10. Make Learning Fun and Collaborative - She uses games, music, and humor when appropriate. She uses group work to build teamwork and belonging, and she lets students help decorate or design parts of the classroom.