Consciously Dial Down Reaction
Read the first, second, third, and fourth posts in this series. "Children should be taught to use their emotions and to be aware of them rather than control them." —Mary Helen Immordino-Yang Succeeding "despite the odds" or overcoming adversity has a lot more to do with resource capacity than luck. We may have little control over what happens in our students' lives outside
Observe to Stop “Beliefing”
Read the first, second, and third posts in this series. "The basis of all good human behavior is kindness." —Eleanor Roosevelt It's a curiously human trait to cling to beliefs based on assumptions and preconceived notions. What we tell ourselves about what's going on with a student's behavior matters greatly and sometimes gravely. Negative beliefs and attributions are known drama en
Improving Motivation and Achievement Through a Growth Mindset
What turns kids off to learning? Carol Dweck, Stanford researcher and author of the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, says how students think of themselves as learners creates mental environments that nurture or stifle effort when approaching different tasks. These psychological environments, or mindsets, are shaped by messages students receive from adults, peers, and themselves. Throug
Core Stability: What I Didn’t Know About Section 8C
Read the first post in this series. I should tell you now that what happened in the end with Section 8C could be called a success story. That class turned out to be my most defining experience in education. Educators knew so little back then about the brain or stress reactions. I flew by the seat of my pants, followed my gut, and remained determined to reach and teach this group of learners. To
Dial Down Reactive Behavior—Theirs and Ours!
You might have heard the old joke about the guy who goes up to a doctor at a party. "Doc," he says as he pokes his stomach, "Whenever I touch this spot it hurts. What should I do?" "Stop touching it," the doctor replies. We laugh at the slapstick humor with its obvious simplistic solution for the suffering man's dilemma. Yet, somehow, when it comes to classroom mana
The Power of 3: ATrauma-Informed Approach to Dial Down Reaction
Read the first and second posts in this series. "The more mindful we are, the more choices we have and the less reactive we become." —Ellen Langer In my workshops, I often invite participants to draw a large circle on the back of my handouts. They listen diligently to the instructions. When complete, I ask everyone to hold their papers up so I can "check their circles." Th
ED Pulse Poll Results: What Do You Feel Should Be the Primary Goal of Improving School Climate?
ASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. Recently the ASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll asked about the important topic of school climate. A new report on school climate (PDF) discusses creating a holistic framework for education reform, with school climate as the center. The report states that "[s]chool climate—the totality of factors t
Core Stability: What I Didn’t Know About Section 8C
Read the first post in this series. I should tell you now that what happened in the end with Section 8C could be called a success story. That class turned out to be my most defining experience in education. Educators knew so little back then about the brain or stress reactions. I flew by the seat of my pants, followed my gut, and remained determined to reach and teach this group of learners. To
How We Help Students Develop Resiliency
"Resiliency is the ability to overcome challenges of all kinds—trauma, tragedy, personal crises, plain 'ole' life problems—and bounce back stronger, wiser, and more personally powerful" (Henderson, 2012). It is important for kids to develop resiliency so they can cope with the various hardships they will encounter throughout their lives. Searching around for information on this topic, I
Dial Down Reactive Behavior—Theirs and Ours!
You might have heard the old joke about the guy who goes up to a doctor at a party. "Doc," he says as he pokes his stomach, "Whenever I touch this spot it hurts. What should I do?" "Stop touching it," the doctor replies. We laugh at the slapstick humor with its obvious simplistic solution for the suffering man's dilemma. Yet, somehow, when it comes to classroom mana