HIGH-LEVERAGE PRACTICES IN Life Skills and Transition Programs

Practiced Persistence:
Fostering a Consistent Culture
that Functions for Everyone

Episode Description

In this episode, Veronica dives into High-Leverage Practice 7, exploring how educators can establish a consistent, organized, and respectful learning environment that supports both academic and social-emotional growth. She emphasizes the importance of building strong teacher-student relationships, creating predictable routines and schedules, and using positive reinforcement to motivate and engage learners. The conversation highlights practical strategies for balancing structure with flexibility, responding thoughtfully to student needs, and modeling consistency through both actions and mindset. Listeners gain insight into how clear expectations, culturally responsive practices, and proactive planning can reduce challenging behaviors and increase engagement. Veronica also offers guidance for new and experienced teachers on starting small, embedding fun and motivation, and gradually building a classroom environment that fosters trust, respect, and student success. 

Key Points and Takeaways

  • Build strong relationships first – Establishing trust and rapport with students is the foundation of a consistent and effective learning environment, allowing teachers to guide behavior and learning more successfully.
  • Use clear schedules and routines – Predictable structures, daily procedures, and visual schedules help students understand expectations, reduce frustration, and provide a sense of stability in the classroom.
  • Balance structure with responsiveness – Effective teachers combine planned routines with flexibility, adapting to students’ needs while maintaining consistency in expectations and classroom procedures.
Podcast Guest

Veroncia Monford, MEd, BCBA

Veroncia Monford is a special education instructional specialist who specializes in special education curriculum, functional communication, and daily living skills. She has been a comprehensive development classroom educator and instructional specialist in the public education sector. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys spending time with her family. Veroncia is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with her Bachelors in Speech and Language Pathology and Masters in Special Education.
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High-Leverage Practice #7:
Establish a consistent, organized, and respectful learning environment.
To build and foster positive relationships, teachers should establish age appropriate and culturally responsive expectations, routines, and procedures within their classrooms that are positively stated and explicitly taught and practiced across the school year. When students demonstrate mastery and follow established rules and routines, teachers should provide age-appropriate specific performance feedback in meaningful and caring ways. By establishing, following, and reinforcing expectations of all students within the classroom, teachers will reduce the potential for challenging behavior and increase student engagement. When establishing learning environments, teachers should build mutually respectful relationships with students and engage them in setting the classroom climate (e.g., rules and routines); be respectful; and value ethnic, cultural, contextual, and linguistic diversity to foster student engagement across learning enviornments.
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You as the adult need to have that calm demeanor, should I say, even though there may be those jitters that are flying within you.

veroncia monford

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Host: Heather Volchko

Guest: Veroncia Monford

This week, we're talking about High-Leverage Practice Number 7, establishing a consistent, organized, and responsive learning environment. And Veroncia, I know you have walked so many educators through setting up their classrooms and making it an environment that can truly check all three of these boxes. So, for you, what does this practice look like?

This practice, fostering a consistent environment, I believe, consists of three things. Not three things that have to be in sequential order, but they kind of work in tandem. And the first thing is relationships. You have to have a relationship with your learner, your clients. There has to be rapport, there has to be trust that's built. I think this is just so important when you are establishing that environment. And not just for the students, but the adults as well. There has to be that trust that needs to be built.

You, as the adult, need to have that calm demeanor. Even though there may be those jitters that are flying within you, deliver that calm demeanor that impacts the student or the learner as well. So that's one thing that needs to be established. The other thing is just the structure of your environment. The predictability, establishing those expectations, the routines, the procedures, all those things need to be in place. I believe that they need to know what's next.

And the third thing is reinforcement. It's all about the motivation, right? Why should they do what you want them to do? Those three things are, I believe, the most important. And from there, you can establish, you can have in the curriculum or instructional practices going on, but if you don't have those three things as a foundation, it will be hard to move further.

I agree with you wholeheartedly on all of this, but gosh, that doesn't happen overnight, right? Like, it sounds so easy, like, ‘just do all of these things and then you'll be able to do everything!’ Like, oh man, it is so not that way.

So how do you walk with your teachers to be able to start building those things, knowing that it's not going to pop up overnight? It is going to take some even, consistent focus from the adults to be able to lean in and start trying new things, or to even choose to be consistent when we don't always want to feel that we want to be consistent in some moments. How do you walk your teachers through really building this consistently over time?

You're absolutely right. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes time. And to start a new classroom off, what I would tell a new teacher is that the first thing you do is you're just going to build a relationship. Have fun with them, join their learning. Now you do want to have something set up, but you want to have something fun, and you can explore, you can Google things that kids do that you know are appropriate. So that's the first thing, just have fun with the student. Building trust. When they know that you are consistent or that you are responsive to them, that is what builds trust. Again, you have to have some skeleton, some outline. You're going to have to have some expectations across the day. So that needs to be established. There have to be procedures, and there has to be follow-through. But again, that's a part of learning that individual as well.

So when you're talking about having some structure and some routines built in, but you're also having fun and engaging with them, being responsive to how they're showing up, how do you juggle both of those at the same time?

It can be difficult. Not gonna lie, it can be difficult, especially when you have different personalities. But you have to be flexible too. You have to be flexible. You have to try to reel them in with the motivating things. And that kind of leads into the motivation and the reinforcement part. Having preference assessments come in handy for those non-verbal kids or those non-vocal kids, you can send those things home.

However, just having that back-and-forth communication, “What do you like to do? Come on, let's show me!” Again, that's joining their world. “Show me what you like.” We're in a world of technology. You can always look things up, and you can informally assess things through just conversations, that back and forth conversations. But you're absolutely right, it can be difficult to juggle those things, and knowing how to group adults and students together.

But that is what you do in the first couple of weeks or the first month of school is you find out where the groupings are, you find out what students have similarities, you find out what adults kind of pair with those kiddos. But that is about again, building relationships with the students and the adults.

Yeah, I always tell people it looks a little like organized chaos. If you don't know what you're looking at, it might feel a little chaotic, but if you look at it, there are some of those consistency pieces, there are some of those structures, some of those routines are sort of tucked in there. But yeah, I don't know that I've ever worked in a special ed classroom, especially self-contained or those more intensive settings where it isn't just a little bit of organized chaos. Like the chaos is being that responsive, and it's maybe not always what we planned it to be, but it is organized because there are those consistent pieces, there are those routines, and even just understanding how different schedules are working out or meeting certain needs in certain ways. There is that foundational piece in there as well.

And you can't be afraid to make mistakes. There are times when I'll say, “Oh, well, that didn't work, let me try it again.” And when the students and the adults hear you say that, and I'll say it out loud, then they're like, “Oh, okay, she makes mistakes too.” Yes. You're just modeling that language for them, too. “Oh, I made a mistake. I'm going to try it again.” Yes. 

I love that, because then when you're modeling those things, that is consistency. So often, I'll work with adults who think consistency means like robotic perfection, and no, it just means that you're just real. You consistently show up with whatever that is for you, and you're gonna own like, ‘oh, that didn't go so great. Okay, let's try that again.’ That in and of itself is a consistency piece that, just like you were talking about, leads to that trust building. And especially with our students who struggle in their learning, or all kinds of different modalities that they may show up with deficits in. It really shows them, ‘you know, hey, we can make mistakes, we can show up a different way, we can try again.’ And that consistency of just being there and creating that opportunity is just a beautiful thing.

One of the things that I have been trying to push for teachers in years past and this year is about schedules. It's so important to have schedules. We, as adults, rely on our technology, our phones. I don't know where I'm going in the morning unless I look at this phone, which has my schedule on it. And that is, I think, one of the most important things to have within our low-incident classrooms is a schedule. It may not be an individual schedule, it may just be a whole group schedule, but something so that there is predictability, there are expectations, they'll know where I'm going next, what I'm doing next. It reduces the frustration for the student. 

Not just for the student, but the adults, too. They need to know what they're doing, how they're going. We live by schedules. Oftentimes, I tell teachers, I need you to look beyond this kindergartner and look at the 46-year-old adult, or let's not look at this fifth grader right now. I need you to think of the 21-year-old who needs to navigate going to a job. And that schedule is that key component again, just building in that structure for that learner.

Yeah, you're making me think of an example that just happened today. One of our folks was on site, and there was a schedule change coming up, I think it's tomorrow. And the student was concerned, “does that mean I'm going to miss something else? Is this instead of that? Or is this as well as that? What's going on?” And the staff was kind of dismissive of like, “it'll be fine.” And the person who was supporting that room from our team was like, “Well, let's break it down. When does this happen? When is that happening? Does that fit? Does that not? Okay, cool, you got your answer.” But it is like knowing that in that schedule, there was some consistency for that student. Like they knew on what days what happened. We're well into the school year at this point, but how did that adjustment actually fit into that day? There was that processing that needed to happen, and then even that change,  something that would seem like it's inconsistent. Oh no, it's an anomaly. It fit right in. When there is an explanation and understanding of how that really worked.

Yes, you have to teach the surprises. There are some students who have a schedule. If you put something different in that schedule, there's a meltdown. So you have to teach, ‘There's something different today,’ and they may have a meltdown. Then there's another teaching moment. How can I handle this meltdown? What can I do? What strategies do I need to put in place so that I can come back to the table and look at why my schedule is changing?

Those are all what we call life skills. And those are just as important as learning to read. Or learning to add. Those skills are going to take you further. So yes, that schedule building is so important. That's the one thing I look for when I go into the classroom. Can I walk into the classroom and see what's going on as an outsider? Do I know what's going on when I walk into your classroom? And if I can tell you what's going on and I can say, “Oh, this is student A, and this is student B, then you're good to go.”

And I think what you're talking about is that balance between being organized and being responsive. So, as an outsider, can I walk in and do I know and understand what's going on? Because if I don't understand what's going on with kind of orienting myself, chances are you haven't necessarily caught all of your students into your schedule or your organization system either.

But we talk about being responsive typically in like academics, or are we catching where they're at on their progress monitoring, and then are we fitting that instruction to where they're at, and are we being responsive on that in a day-to-day, activity-to-activity, or month-to-month basis? But meltdowns are things that we are responding to constantly. So I love that you're bringing that into it as well because, yes, we can consistently show up to, be responsive to the reactions that we are getting from our students. And that is such a teachable opportunity if we can engage in it in that kind of way.

Yes, yes, absolutely. I love how you said to respond to things rather than react to things. And that just goes back to modeling that behavior. You can have all the nervousness inside, but that delivery is so important as well because they pick up on those things.

So before we log off this week, I would love for you to give a couple of tips to people who are hearing this conversation and thinking, ‘gosh, this sounds great, where do I even start? Do I start with a schedule? Do I start with getting to know my students? Do I start with having fun? Do I start with processes and routines? Like, where do I actually start?’ So if you were going to sit down with them and be like, it's okay, you'll get there, start with this and keep going, where would you start them?

I would say you have to start with a schedule. You have to have some sort of outline, some skeleton schedule. But within that schedule, there are going to be motivating things. They're going to be  reinforcing activities, reinforcing tasks. And within those activities and tasks, you're going to build rapport. That's where the relationship comes from. Allow it to be led by them. You may set a timer and say, “Hey, what activity would you like to do? We have from this time to this time,” it's basically them having that control within your control. So if you set that schedule, but you're providing all the motivating things, you're going to find out what they like by having that conversation, responding to them, and that's when you are building that relationship within. Again, they kind of work all hand in hand. One is not greater than the other. They work together, and that will support your organized environment.

I couldn't have said it better. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. Like I said, I know you've walked with lots of people through launching classroom starting programs, refining that development over time with new teachers and seasoned teachers. So thank you so much. There are so many moving pieces for this High-Leverage Practice, but I love how you're just like, start with that schedule and build in the opportunities to be responsive, and you'll get there.

Absolutely.

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So if you set that schedule, but you're providing all the motivating things, you're going to find out what they like by having that conversation, responding to them, and that's when you are building that relationship within again. They kind of work all hand in hand.

Veroncia Monford

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To build and foster positive relationships, teachers should establish age-appropriate and culturally responsive expectations, routines, and procedures within their classrooms that are positively stated and explicitly taught and practiced across the school year. When students demonstrate mastery and follow established rules and routines, teachers should provide age-appropriate specific performance feedback in meaningful and caring ways. By establishing, following, and reinforcing expectations for all students within the classroom, teachers will reduce the potential for challenging behavior and increase student engagement. When establishing learning environments, teachers should build mutually respectful relationships with students and engage them in setting the classroom climate (such as through rules and routines); be respectful; and value ethnic, cultural, contextual, and linguistic diversity to foster student engagement across learning environments.


Effective special education teachers are masters at creating learning environments that are consistent, organized, and deeply respectful, all of which are crucial for supporting student success. Their approach is rooted in practices that prioritize the social and emotional well-being of their students. A key part of their strategy is focusing on increasing appropriate behavior through an instructional approach that explicitly teaches social skills. This method allows students to practice these skills throughout the day, with teachers providing positive, specific feedback to reinforce appropriate behaviors.


These teachers also proactively address potential challenges by implementing evidence-based practices to prevent social, emotional, and behavioral issues before they escalate, offering early intervention as soon as any risks appear. As student challenges become more complex, these educators respond with a team-based problem-solving strategy that intensifies support in line with the needs identified through behavioral assessments. Even when addressing significant behavioral issues, these supports are delivered in a manner that is caring, respectful, and culturally relevant.


What stands out in their approach is the recognition that both academic and behavioral strategies are far more effective when they are built on a foundation of positive and caring teacher-student relationships. Teachers understand that while they can't force students to learn or behave, they can certainly create an environment that makes it much more likely for both to happen.


Central to any effective classroom is a set of clear, consistent rules, routines, and procedures that keep students engaged and focused throughout the day. These procedures are implemented in a proactive and positive way, with the teacher serving as a model of respect and care in all interactions. Rules are communicated in positive terms, focusing on what students should do, rather than what they shouldn't, and are kept simple, usually five or fewer. Behavioral expectations are taught through clear examples and non-examples and are practiced regularly until students achieve mastery.


Routines are meticulously planned, from how students enter and exit the classroom to how they respond to the teacher’s attention signal and seek assistance. Each procedure is broken down into critical steps, which are explicitly taught and practiced with the students. The literature suggests a recommended ratio where for every corrective statement, teachers should make at least four acknowledgments of appropriate behavior, emphasizing mastery rather than focusing on mistakes.


Teachers also ensure that students have ample opportunities to respond to both social and academic prompts throughout the day. These prompts are tailored to the expectations at hand, whether it's a social norm like voice levels during transitions or an academic task. The frequency of these opportunities to respond varies depending on the age and severity of the student's disability but is a primary instructional strategy for building both fluency and proficiency.


In every lesson, the goal is to achieve a balance of direct instruction, ample practice opportunities, and high rates of feedback, all of which are designed to ensure that students are successful—typically aiming for at least 80% proficiency. This approach maximizes engagement and minimizes off-task behavior. As students progress, their learning is carefully monitored, and teachers adjust their instruction, practice, and feedback to meet the evolving needs of their students.


When teachers and school staff create a consistent, organized, and respectful learning environment, they set the stage for students to thrive both academically and behaviorally. In a chaotic classroom, students can't learn, and teachers can't perform at their best when constantly managing off-task behaviors. However, when teachers invest time in explicitly teaching classroom rules and expectations, approach behavioral issues as learning opportunities, and treat students with respect, they are well-equipped to build positive relationships and support student success. This practice is closely connected with other high-leverage practices, such as HLP 16, which emphasizes the use of explicit instruction, and HLP 8/22, which focuses on providing positive and constructive feedback to guide students' learning and behavior. Additionally, effective special educators collaborate with colleagues, as outlined in HLP 1 and 2, and use a range of data sources, as described in HLP 4 and 6, to evaluate the effectiveness of their classroom environment and make necessary adjustments to ensure student success.


Teachers who effectively establish a consistent, organized, and respectful learning environment begin by ensuring that expectations, rules, and procedures are clear, observable, and positively stated. This isn’t just about laying down the law—these guidelines are articulated in ways that students can easily understand and apply, no matter where they are in the school.


It’s also essential that these expectations and rules resonate with the diverse cultures, values, and beliefs of the students and families represented in the school. Effective teachers don’t just impose rules; they thoughtfully incorporate the rich cultural backgrounds of their students, making the learning environment inclusive and respectful of everyone’s identity.


These teachers know that simply stating rules isn’t enough. They establish and explicitly teach three to five core expectations, like being respectful, responsible, and safe. And it doesn’t stop there—they bring students and other stakeholders into the process, making sure that these expectations are meaningful to everyone involved.


To support these expectations, specific behaviors, or classroom rules, are clearly defined and taught. Teachers also create and teach consistent procedures for daily tasks, such as how to line up or how to seek help, giving students a structured way to navigate their day.


Throughout the year, these expectations and rules aren’t just set in stone and forgotten. Effective teachers regularly revisit and reteach them as needed, always using consistent language to reinforce what’s been established. They help students understand why these rules matter, grounding their behavior in a rationale that makes sense.


An essential part of this process is recognizing that all behavior is a form of communication. Effective teachers interpret student behavior through this lens, which allows them to respond in ways that address the underlying needs, rather than just the surface-level actions.


To encourage students to follow these expectations, teachers minimize unstructured time and ensure that the rules are visible throughout the school. They also thoughtfully arrange the physical space to maximize flow and accessibility, and they use strategies like precorrection to anticipate and prevent issues before they arise. Frequent, consistent, and positive feedback is key, reinforcing the behaviors that align with classroom expectations and maintaining a positive, supportive environment for all students.


School leaders play a crucial role in supporting teachers by ensuring they are proficient in key classroom management practices and applying them consistently across various settings. This involves providing feedback on how effectively these practices are implemented with different students, helping educators fine-tune their approach. Leaders should foster a school environment where proactive and positive classroom management is the standard, creating a supportive and productive atmosphere. Additionally, it’s important for leaders to collaborate with their staff to develop a cohesive set of response strategies for acknowledging appropriate behaviors and addressing challenges. By ensuring consistency in these strategies across all classrooms, leaders help reinforce expectations and maintain a positive learning environment for all students.


Establishing a clear, consistent, and positive learning environment is more than just a best practice—it’s the bedrock upon which all other high-leverage practices are built. Think of it as the stage on which the drama of teaching and learning unfolds. When this foundation is solid, students are more likely to succeed both academically and socially. It opens the door for educators to engage in effective instructional practices and nurtures a climate of care and respect between teachers and students. Research over the past fifty years continuously underscores the significant impact that robust classroom management and effective instruction have on students' academic achievements and social behaviors. Essentially, when the environment is right, everything else falls into place, making teaching and learning a more impactful and positive experience.

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