All Rise! CICS Lloyd Bond Teacher Implements Peer Juries to Help Decrease Student Suspensions

Since the inception of peer juries, Brittney Taylor, a Behavior Interventionist at CICS Lloyd Bond, has identified patience as one of her many superpowers. “I like to meet students where they are and I look forward to continuing to witness my scholars become more solution-oriented and be better for the future.” 

Long gone are the days when students only have to answer to adults when they were not having a good day. Thanks to Ms. Brittney Taylor there is now a different approach to addressing student behavior. 

 Brittney Taylor is passionate about seeing her students succeed in and out of the classroom, which is why she has been a trailblazer in her own right when addressing student behavior on her campus. Since her start at CICS Lloyd Bond as a Paraprofessional, she has worked closely with students in need of more one-on-one time and quickly discovered a need in her community to develop a productive, yet innovative way to improve student behavior and decrease suspensions by fifteen percent.

 What are peer juries? Peer juries consist of students from 4th to 6th grade who must have an attendance rate of 90%, display good behavior in class, receive good grades, and are all-around ideal scholars. When peer juries take place, it affords the students the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from their fellow classmates. Brittney has noticed that students are more receptive to one another’s feedback and take accountability for their actions without it feeling so punitive.

 Brittney’s motivation for starting peer juries comes from a genuine place of wanting to see her students succeed, but also dispelling the narratives of negativity in the African-American community. Brittney mentioned that “Our students, unfortunately, experience a lot of things that other demographics don’t: violence, absent family members, and negative social media influences. That is why I teach my students to love themselves first and receive support from people that look like them”. And since the implementation of peer juries, she and her colleagues have seen a significant change in how students deal with conflict, better self-awareness practices, and improved student relationships. 

“The outpouring of support has been amazing! To see the students grow in their emotional intelligence has been a wonderful thing to witness. Since our peer juries have started, their superpower is definitely their confidence. They have the confidence to self-regulate, make better decisions, and because of this there have been zero repeat offenders”, says Brittney. 

Her dedication continues to shine throughout the Bond campus from the help and support of not only her colleagues but also Teachers Supporting Teachers (TST),  which is an organization where she receives mentorship to help her grow as an educator and strategize effectively to accomplish her student’s goals. This strong support system in place allows Brittney to exercise her ability to teach students alternative ways to deal with stress, conflict, and ill behavior. 

To learn more about the work being done at CICS Lloyd Bond, we invite you to visit their website. Interested in attending for SY 23-24? Click here to start your application now and find your superpower at CICS Lloyd Bond!