Scott's Building News 1/31/16
#SESbethechange
Inspirational Quote
-- Goethe
Conscious Discipline (Brain State Reminder)
Conscious Discipline uses a multidisciplinary approach to address behavior.
It surpasses behavioral approaches that teach specific behaviors, and offers a neurodevelopmental model of the brain based on and adapted from the work of Bruce Perry, Daniel Siegel, Allan Schore, Louis Cozolino, Joseph LeDoux, Paul MacLean, and Alexander Luria.
The Conscious Discipline Brain State Model becomes a frame for us to understand the internal brain-body states that are most likely to produce certain behaviors in children and in ourselves. With this awareness, we learn to consciously manage our own thoughts and emotions so we can help children learn to do the same. The goal of this model is not to turn into neuroscientists, but to provide a simplified brain model as a means for increasing our self-awareness so we can respond consciously to the needs of the moment.
Research, as well as life experience, tells us our internal emotional states dictate behavior. When we feel grumpy, we tend to become easily frustrated and curt with others. When we feel grateful, we tend to be generous and thoughtful. When we feel upset at our children, we see ourselves behaving, disciplining and speaking much like our parents did to us when they were upset. The Conscious Discipline Brain State Model helps us understand how all this happens and how we can change it.
Our internal state allows us to draw upon certain skills. In a survival state where we feel triggered by threat, these skills are flight, fight or surrender. We can’t think clearly to add 45 plus 68 when a tiger is chasing us. In the modern world, the tiger may be a disrespectful child, but our brain’s evolutionary skill set is the same: fight, flight or surrender.
The only way to soothe the survival state is through the creation of safety.
Similarly, an upset emotional state is triggered by the world not going our way. It limits our ability to see from another’s point of view. This upset, unconscious state keeps us on autopilot so our words and tone match those of key authority figures from our childhood. We revert to disciplining the same ways we were disciplined, even if we know these behaviors to be ineffective or hurtful.
The only way to soothe an upset emotional state is through connection.
However, if we learn to regulate and integrate our internal state to be one of relaxed alertness, we are able access our own brilliance. We are empowered to change and make wise choices. An integrated executive state frees us from past conditioning, attunes us to the feelings and experiences of others, enables us to remain focused enough to set and achieve goals, and allows us to consciously respond instead of automatically react to life events.
The executive state is the optimal state for problem-solving and learning.
Conscious Discipline empowers us to be conscious of brain-body states in ourselves and children. It then provides us with the practical skills we need to manage our thoughts, feeling and actions. With this ability to self-regulate, we are then able to teach children to do the same. By doing this, we help children who are physically aggressive (survival state) or verbally aggressive (emotional state) become more integrated so they can learn and use problem-solving skills (executive state). When we understand the brain state model, we can clearly see the importance of building our homes, schools and businesses on the core principles of safety, connection and problem-solving.
Random Fun Fact about Schools
Five Themes: How Teachers Avoid Negativity and Make a Positive Difference
We expected to read more stories about brilliant educators who captivated students with their knowledge. However, actual teaching skill had little to do with the constructive actions our 367 respondents remembered. Here are the top five:
1. Encouragement (66 respondents): These teachers encouraged their students, from "Come on, you can do it...you've got this!" to "Hey, I believe you can achieve more; give it your all!" Uplifting words made the difference.
2. Support (65 respondents): The memorable teachers conveyed a belief that students could succeed. This went beyond encouraging words to crafting assignments to fit their needs, personal after-school tutoring, etc.
3. Caring (56 respondents): These respondents knew the teachers cared about them and had the students' best interests in mind. Good teachers demonstrated liking, respect, and a desire for students to do well.
4. Investment (51 respondents): These teachers went beyond the call of duty to invest in their students outside of the classroom and take an interest in their lives. They knew students personally, and this is what made the difference to the respondents.
5. Challenge (44 respondents): These teachers set high standards and pushed students to excel, calling out the best from them. They didn't just raise the bar, though--they also knew how to help their students jump over it.
Other teachers were described as kind, patient listeners and were remembered for modeling the faith, being good examples, teaching passionately, helping students discover their strengths, and encouraging a love of learning.
Important Information
2. School Wide Kindness Challenge-For the month of February we are challenging all students to do random acts of kindness. Our challenge is to document with the help of parent 1000 acts of kindness this month. You'll be receiving hearts in your rooms. When the children bring a note that they've done something kind (or done something kind at school), have them fill out the heart with their act of kindness and name. Drop the hearts off in the office in the Acts of Kindness bucket. We'll compile these on a bulletin board. Information was sent to parents about this through School Messenger.
3. All students 7 and older will participating in Google Expeditions on January 22nd. These are virtual field trips hosted by Google. More info will come soon. And, yes, you get to pick the field trip your class goes on!
4. At this point in the year, you should be considering TAT for any student who is struggling with academics, behavior, or social emotional needs. All new students for TAT should be submitted in the next 4-6 weeks.
5. Teacher Learning Walks. On February 15th, when our data team consultant is on site, we are going to take grade level PLC time to visit classrooms throughout the building. Our goal is to identify great things happening in each room throughout the building and get ideas for individual classroom implementation. Before these walks, we will use a portion of PLC time to identify 'look fors' when visiting colleagues' classrooms.
6. Funny Bunny 5K is on 4/2 and we would like to have a team sign up to run/walk. All proceeds from the event go to Paws4Autism, the organization we have partnered with for training service dogs. If interested in participating, please send Sharon Tafreshi an email. We will create a team and sign up together.
7. Be working on your goal refection in Talent Ed as these have to be completed before I can have your summative meeting. I would like all of these to be completed by 2/19/16.
Upcoming Events
2/1Positive Community Meeting 3:45
2/3 Student Learning Committee at 7:40
2/3 PTA 6:00-7:30 PM
2/10 Steering Committee 7:40
2/12 No School (PD)
2/15 School is in Session (Make up for Blue Snow Day)