Making Connections
department of prevention & Intervention VOL. II
Compassionate Leadership
It's important to keep in mind that while we're all in this together, each person has unique life circumstances that may cause more or less acute concern. Leading with compassion and empathy is more critical than ever. Here are ways to practice Compassionate Leadership:
- Look - Take time to check-in with your team. Look for the unsaid. How are people's energy levels?
- Listen - Practice mindful listening. Give your team space to be open and honest about how they feel, both mentally and physically.
- Feel - Everyone is going to be feeling a range of different emotions. Taking the time to acknowledge how someone else is truly feeling empowers us to respond with kindness.
- Respond - In times of high stress, it's easy to let frustrations get in the way of skillful communication. Pause and give yourself space to respond in a skillful and kind way.
10 Ways to Engage and Instruct Students Remotely
1. Create a centralized location for communication with students and families.
2. Think *flipped classroom" model.
3. Create tutorials and short lessons.
4. Encourage student collaboration and discourse.
5. Offer office hours.
6. Provide students with individualized support and feedback.
7. Design opportunities for hands-on learning.
8. Offer enrichment opportunities.
9. Assess student learning.
10. Provide self-assessment opportunities.
Mindfulness Tips and Techniques
10 Ways Parents Can Bring Social-Emotional Learning Home
1. Take care of yourself, even when it feels like the last thing you can do right now
2. Establish routines and intentionality.
3. Presence is not the same as being present.
4. Commit acts of service or kindness for others.
5. Engage in creativity together.
6. Celebrate what you can.
7. Practice active listening.
8. Help your child express and name emotions.
9. Practice social emotional learning daily.
10. Transition mindfully.
SUPPORT FOR STRUGGLING ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
During these unprecedented times DPI knows how chaotic things can get. We understand the importance of routines and structure in the home setting. Parents and guardians are not accustomed to being educators at home, nor did they anticipate facing the current reality of our world.
Do you know a family struggling with developing routines and structures, maintaining positive motivation for online learning or in need of community resources? Look no further, our Behavior Intervention Specialists are highly trained in behavior, coaching & modeling, and connecting families with the appropriate resources.
If you know of a family requiring support for students TK to 6th grade please email jose.zavala@fresnounified.org.
The Behavior Intervention office can help with the following:
- Strategies for the parent/guardian to use at home
- Assistance in developing routines and structures
- Video Chat to coach & model interventions & strategies with parent/guardian
- 1:1 student skill building
- Emotional wellness check-ins for current and new students with intensive social emotional needs
- Link families to community resources
Talking to our littlest learners about COVID-19
April is child abuse prevention month
Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the United States each year. How do we prevent child abuse and neglect? One way is by increasing the protective factors. Protective factors are conditions in families and communities that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families. Learn more about using protective factors to prevent child abuse.