Chapter 5: What are some ways you currently teach responsibility? How do you know they are working?
Chapter 4 (only if you missed the meeting): Identify, in your mind, three of your current students who are relationally driven. What are you doing to help meet that need? What could you do to support this need?
Chapter 3: Think about a recent negative interaction you had with someone you care about. What would have helped that situation turn out differently? Upon reflection, do you think you both got lost in the behavior versus the need? How can you revisit that with this person and repair?
Chapter 2: What are some factors in your environment that contribute to the problem? What are some proactive things you can do to help reshape some of those systems of meanings in the environment?
Chapter 1: What would you like to see change in your setting? What would make you move even closer to a trauma-invested practice? Look at Figure 1.2.
I feel like making the change to trauma-invested practices is challenging because as I was reading through the descriptors along the spectrum, I immediately thought of colleagues that would fit in many of the different levels. I know that some are completely opposed to change and complain about anything new that we try to implement, and on the other hand, I also know of colleagues that understand that changes need to be made to better serve the students that we teach. I know that making changes forces people out of their comfort zone and that perhaps some educators resist change because it means more work or induces a fear of failure, maybe speaking to the idea of adults needing safety in their jobs just like students need safety in their lives. Because of varying opinions on what needs to change in our schools to help our students, moving to be completely trauma-invested schools would be challenging and would need to happen over a period of time. I definitely think the change would be well-worth the work, though.
ReplyDeleteAs a classroom teacher with unleveled classes, it can be so overwhelming to meet the need of students academically and emotionally. I think just being introduced to strategies to start introducing into classrooms would help in moving toward a trauma-invested classroom. I'm hoping this book will provide us with some!
Having been a middle school teacher also, it is difficult to be on the same page with all the different teachers a child sees during the day. Are there some ways you could building that "nest" in your classroom and then some small ways your team could work on building that community as a whole group? I am also hopeful everyone walks away from the book club with new strategies!
DeleteI think that you bring up a great point about comfort zones. Sometimes it is very hard to look at what you are doing to better support your students and it can be really uncomfortable, then adding having to share that with team members during problem solving can make it even worse. I am wondering what we can do as teachers to make our team members feel safe to do that or what we need to do that with our teams.
ReplyDeleteI feel that I try to inform teachers of different trauma-informed practices and strategies as I am working with them. I talk to them about relationships and forming relationships with students first and the importance of it. Students are more willing to work for you when they have a relationship with you. I talk about creating an environment that students feel safe, wanted and heard. When they feel that way, they are ok making mistakes, and are more willing to try when things get tough for them. I came from a school that started to use use a lot of different trauma informed practices and could see a big difference in student behavior.
ReplyDeleteI will continue to talk about and help teachers implement trauma-informed strategies and practices into their classroom. I will also continue to model different practices for teachers as well.
I definitely need to talk to you about this! Something I know I can do better is being more patient with students who can be really frustrating--having more conversations with them rather than just being annoyed with them. In the moment that can be difficult to do.
DeleteI would be more than happy to come and chat with you and observe in your class. Let me know what works best for you.
DeleteI have a strong belief in teaching the whole child. I like to build relationships with my students and I try to balance teaching them academically with teaching them how to be good human beings. I know the importance of teaching the whole child, but I do not always feel well-equipped. As of right now, I don’t feel like I have enough tools in my toolbox to support my students fully. For example, as a SS teacher I have the unique opportunity to have regular class meetings with my students. I can see how much the students crave this time and space to talk about issues or important topics. Overall, I’m glad that we have created an environment where the students are willing to share, but I always feel nervous during these meetings. I don’t know if I’m facilitating the discussions in the best way or if I’m responding to their trauma in the best way. Our students have so much going on in their lives and I want to meet their needs. I’m missing out on the SEL training this year, so this book club is my first step in moving closer to a trauma-invested practice. I want our students to feel good about themselves and I want them to feel supported.
ReplyDeleteGo you for joining this book study to balance out your time on the SS committee. I'd also be happy to come into your room and track a discussion for questions posed/student responses and then sit down with you to look at what was said and try to see where/how we can push to a deeper conversation.
DeleteI relate to a lot of what you said here, Loren. I feel like when students feel safe, they are willing to share a lot, even traumatic experiences that they've dealt with. I struggle with what the correct way to respond is as well.
DeleteI am so excited to hear you do class meetings. It is so great they have a safe environment to do that. I am also happy to come and talk SEL with you and join your class meetings. Anything I can do to help please let me know.
DeleteI agree with all that's been posted so far: change is hard, people resist it for a variety of reasons. I also think it is essential to think about the whole child. I think the key word here is "child". Students need to be taught, skills and how to process emotions need to be explained, modeled and consistent. These are children in our classrooms, and giving them voice, choice and support will help establish that partnership to enable their success.
ReplyDeleteLooking at Figure 1.2, so much of the trauma-invested practice reflects a teacher-student conversation. I would be curious to hear how many teachers say they talk to their students, know what is going on in their lives on a daily basis. I'm not knocking teachers or forgetting all that's on their plate, and the need to balance instruction, standards, etc. But when I think back to new teacher institute, when we discussed the value of building relationships with students, I wonder how many teachers truly take time to let their students share what's going on in their lives and how to deal with it. Building relationships take time. Time is limited in the classroom. However, that investment in the conversation is essential because otherwise: "It's not safe for students to show their emotions, so they may try to hide them from adults" (26).This is dangerous territory. Further, if this is where some students are, teachers need trainings and reminders on how to move toward "Students have multiple options for regulating and staff have taught them appropriate times and ways to access them" (26). This is helpful for me to consider in my role as an instructional coach. One thing I would like to work on is weaving in best instructional practices with community-building opportunities. Not sure what that will look like, but this book feels like a good place to frame my thinking about PD, lunch and learn, and think through PD priorities of the coaching program.
Another piece of information that resonated with me was that "Trauma is toxic to the brain and can affect development and learning in a multitude of ways. . . and that we, as educators, need to be prepared to support students who have experienced trauma, even if we don't know exactly who they are" (5). I personally find the neuroscience fascinating and so powerful. Chemical and neural connections are actually different in brains that experienced trauma. Students with trauma think, process and retain in different ways than their peers. We also do not always know when trauma has occurred. Therefore, we need to think about our instruction and design our lessons with the understanding that there are vast differences in our students.
I have noticed that a lot of teachers I have worked with so far are invested in figuring out how to best support their students, so that feels encouraging to me. Back to the beginning, change is hard. One step at a time to complete the marathon.
I agree that change is hard. I see some educators who are stuck in practices that are not working. The pencil story resonated with me. We cannot expect a child to be prepared with a pencil if they are coming from a stressful home environment and we cannot expect students to know how to prepare for success if they have not been taught this. I think of people who say "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps why cant these kids?" I myself was able to navigate college even though no one in my extended family had because my parents gave me support and the skills to do that. I had a secure home environment with parents who provided me with books and puzzles and activities to challenge my brain. I had parents who supported me 100%. I didn't pull myself up, my parents gave me the skills to do this. We need to remember that children in stressful home situations don't have that.
DeleteI agree Julie, the neuroscience in this topic is so fascinating. The fact that trauma actually changes people physically and medically, and not just emotionally is amazing to me.
ReplyDeleteI think if we can teach staff to look at behavior differently we would be on a great path. Understanding that behavior has roots (trauma, bad morning, fight with dad, etc.) and also looking at behavior as a skill deficit...it's such a more healthy way of thinking about behavior than just seeing a naughty kid.
Chapter 2 Blog Discussion
ReplyDeleteWhat are some factors in your environment that contribute to the problem? What are some proactive things you can do to help reshape some of those systems of meanings in the environment?
“Our history influences how we respond to current situations, especially when we’re in stressed states or unpredictable settings—and not always in healthy and safe ways" (31). I think this is really important in determining how our systems might prompt us to react negatively or make assumptions in certain situations, but I also think it's experiences that can make us valuable educators. I talk a lot in my classroom about how our experiences shape who we are, and I think it can be both for the good and bad.
ReplyDeleteI have heard a lot more of the negative systems statements that they listed than the productive ones. I think it becomes kind of a group mentality once someone starts making statements like that, everyone begins "venting" about that one student or problem at the school. I think part of the issue is that the students are different from the way they were when we attended school or from even 5-10 years ago, and therefore we have to change the way we teach them, but that's not always for teachers to buy into. I think it kind of comes back to training teachers about trauma-invested practices and everyone getting on board with changing the way we look at students and teaching. The reality is that we can't teach students the same exact way we might have been taught when we were in school or how we taught students years ago. If we want more students mentally present and ready to learn, something definitely needs to change about how we approach our professions. I think it starts with individual teachers changing their mindsets and modeling that change for their colleagues and teams to see. I have started community building circles in my classroom, for example, and while I got some doubtful "looks" from my team about doing them, I've so far found success and more buy-in from kids who typically don't participate. I think it might take small implementations like that to start forming environments suitable for all the different students we teach.
Back at my old district I feel that each year I was warned about certain kids and their behavior. I remember just letting those teachers talk. I wanted to give those students a fresh start. Those students always knew they were talked about. I wanted to make sure those students had somewhere they could go. I made sure they were part of the community in my classroom. I feel that those students were the ones that always came back when they left the school to visit me and tell me how things were going in high school.
ReplyDeleteNow that I am in District 56, I try to model for teachers when I am in the classroom and give suggestion as to little ways teachers can build relationships with students and get to know them. I know I said this before, students are more willing to work for you and try when you have a relationship with them and have created a safe environment for them. Every student deserves a fresh start each day.
A few proactive strategies: teach expectations, use PBIS vouchers to reinforce, build relationships with students, build community in your classroom, use the restorative justice practices we have learning about.
This was a thought-provoking chapter for me. I liked the reflection questions on page 43 and think they are very worthwhile to explore and think about. Especially when it’s one of “those days” that is more tiring/exhausting/draining than others. I think it’s also important to recognize that some of the factors can be internal (our own biases) but some may be external and systemic beyond one’s personal locus of control. Some factors contributing to these problems are institutionalized. “The reality is that many of our education systems are driven by institutional racism and implicit biases that negatively affect our students and their abilities to be successful” (40). I think there’s so much merit in thinking through who we are, how our understanding of the world impacts our decisions and that there’s another layer of social customs/pressures/issues in the mix.
ReplyDeleteA proactive strategy that appealed to me was the end of the chapter, and the three questions listed on page 46. I think that with trust and honesty, teachers and students can work to develop stronger relationships to counter some of the negative influences I mentioned in the previous paragraph. When there is time for teachers to stop to ask themselves questions: “What systems of meaning might I have accessed that influenced my decision and this outcome” (46), there is the opportunity to repair and move forward in support of a student’s needs. All school staff should be modeling how to be respectful and caring toward other fellow human beings. “Never forget that every interaction we have is with a person, an actual human being, a fellow traveler on this journey” (42). It’s important to remember that each person in the classroom has a life outside of school and is deserving of respect and positive attention. We’re people first.
As I was reading this section of the book, I started thinking about the recent spelling bee that I held in my class to see which two students would represent our homeroom in the school-wide bee. Basically what happened was when we arrived at the final four spellers, they all took turns messing up and saying strings of random letters to get out. We tried again and the students repeated the same mistakes to get out. I told the students that I was going to pause the classroom spelling bee because I wasn’t going to use class time for what was happening. I told the students that I was very confused and that I needed to reflect on what needed to be done going forward. I asked the four students to also reflect and asked them to write me a letter explaining why they did not want to be in the spelling bee.
ReplyDeleteI left the class feeling disappointed and unsettled. I didn’t understand what had occurred and many different thoughts swirled through my head: Why had they messed up on purpose? If they didn’t want to be in the school spelling bee, why did they make it to the final four in our homeroom? Why didn’t they mess up in the beginning? Why are they being disrespectful? Why are they making a mockery of the spelling bee? etc.
I circled back with the four students later in the day and we had an open and honest discussion about what had occurred during the class spelling bee. I wanted to have an in-person discussion with them rather than having them write a letter. I wanted them to know that I was coming from a place of compassion/trying to understand vs. punishment. At the time I didn’t have the vocabulary from this book, but I essentially asked myself, “What systems of meaning might I have accessed that might have influenced this outcome?” and I shared this with the students. I was also wanting to know, “what systems of meaning might the students have accessed that influenced their decisions?” We all, including myself, unpacked our behaviors and our reactions. The students had many negative systems of meaning built up that were shaping their behavior, each different and unique to themselves. Some students were putting so much pressure on themselves and others thought there was no point because they would never win. One kid shared how he is always seen as “the smart kid” and how it is completely embarrassing to loose in front of the entire school.
After the meeting, one of the students came up to me and asked to represent our class. A few days later, another student from the group came up and asked to represent our homeroom. Now that the barriers were down, the students felt supported and asked me to help them study during lunch/recess. This event could have gone lots of different ways, but in the end, by examine our systems of meaning, we were able to bring about positive outcomes.
Thank you for sharing, this is a great story and perfect for this chapter. I'm so glad you were able to have honest conversations about what happened. This will only help to build the relationship and connections for those four kids. Smart kids have issues they are dealing with too - I think we forget that some times.
DeleteLoren, thanks so much for sharing. I love that you took the time to talk with them and they felt comfortable to talk with you. That shows a lot about you!! Keep up the hard work with your students.
DeleteI really enjoyed this chapter. The part that really made me think was how our systems of meaning are influencing the outcome. I'm sure this happens more often than we realize. I know there are times I go into meetings with preconceived expectations and because of that how did my body language or what I said change the course of the meeting? I found this very thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteChapter 3: Think about a recent negative interaction you had with someone you care about. What would have helped that situation turn out differently? Upon reflection, do you think you both got lost in the behavior versus the need? How can you revisit that with this person and repair?
ReplyDeleteIn thinking of a past negative interaction I've had with someone I cared about, I think I did get lost in venting or doing what I needed to feel better. I think it can be resolved with a conversation and more open conversations in the future when something happens that causes me to be frustrated. In the moment, it can be hard to stop and think how to best deal with the problem (for adults and kids!)
ReplyDeleteI like how this section talked about thinking about what the child needs and how our profession is no longer just about teaching a curriculum. Frankly, it is extremely challenging to meet the needs of all students. They used the example of the young boy named Charlie in this section, and while I totally agree with how they advised to best help Charlie, I couldn't help but think that we have some classes with multiple Charlies in them. Finding out how to best help Charlie took multiple steps, resources, and some class time, so what happens when we have multiple students like Charlie in one class? And in middle school when we have multiple different classes a day? I want to be clear that I'm not opposed to their advise and suggestions, but I do have some concerns about the growing number of students who have such a variety of needs.
During this section, I was also thinking about the role that parents play in all of this. I know often in middle school that teachers blame the parents for the students behavior for various reasons: they baby the kid at home, the child is spoiled, the child gets away with murder at home, the parents don't discipline them, the parents always put the blame of their child's behavior on someone else. This obviously isn't right, but is there anything we can do besides provide that safe nest for students at school? Are parents sometimes guilty of "undoing" progress that we make with students at school by the way they are raising them? Just want to open that up for discussion!
Brianne I love your honesty and completely agree with you, it is extremely difficult when you have multiple students with different needs in your class. You are most definitely doing so many things great in your class. Your community circles and building those relationships with students is your first step. Students will trust you and feel safe, and when that happens they are more willing to try and more willing to ask for help.
DeleteI agree it is hard when you are battling against things that are going on at home. It is important to be consistent in your class and reinforce with the positives and the PBIS rewards when students are following expectations. IT doesn't hurt to ask the student as well, what do you need to be successful. They will tell you, they like when their voice is being heard. Another suggestion is at the beginning of the school year when you are doing team building and getting to know your students activities, have them answer that question along with other things you want to know about them. Keep up the hard work you are doing in your classroom!!
Thank you for the suggestions, Hollie! I wish I had known about CBC's at the beginning of this year (I haven't attended the training yet, but a teacher friend in Waukegan taught me the procedures and convinced me to try them). Definitely something I will start with next year.
DeleteI can definitely relate to having more than one Charlie in a class throughout the day. One of my classes has so many Charlies with so many needs, needs that I am unable to meet all at once. Sometimes it feels like sensory overload, with so many needs trying to be processed at the same time. When my system is overloaded, that is when I can crash. I notice a change in my tone and that can shut students out. For this particular class, I used to be their elementary teacher before I moved to middle school. We have a unique relationship and history together as a result.
DeleteThe last negative interaction I had with someone I cared about was last week. It seems that all four of my boys needed something at the same time all while I was trying to cook dinner. I was trying to help one use the bathroom, one needed a snack, one needed help with homework, and the other one just wanted mommy to hold him. I was trying to juggle it all at once. I was so busy trying to do it all that I didn't ask for help and couldn't get over it that they weren't even paying attention to what was going on. I got so frustrated that others were doing what they wanted to do and not even help me out. It would have taken me one sentence to ask for help and not get frustrated and mad. Then I wouldn't feel so bad that I wasn't tending to everyones needs with short spurts of time but they could have had more time with the other person helping out. In the end, I did have a conversation and explain my frustration, which next time will hopefully help.
ReplyDeleteAfter thinking about my situation, I know this could easily happen to students as well, and I have seen it. Students don't always think in the moment to ask for help, they are stuck at that frustration point. Teachers are not mind readers, and sometimes students think the teacher should know I need help. That is where I think relationships come in, and teaching students the skills that are needed and social emotional lessons.
Forming relationships with students and knowing their signs of frustration can help keep students from getting to that shut down point. "Strategies incorporating one of the three R's can help students remain in or return to the learning mode" (pg 67) . I think that is crucial for students, they have to trust the teacher and know that teacher will help them.
I really appreciated the different examples of interventions as to what Charlie needs. I am going to discuss some of these examples with the teachers I work with so they can get a sense of the different types of needs students may have.
I totally relate to feeling like you're doing a lot for other people and that you aren't being supported in return. It's awesome that you were able to identify that you should've just asked for help in that moment. It's crazy that something so small like saying "I'm frustrated" or "I need help" isn't always our first instinct. What you pointed out in regards to our students is important too--if we, adults, don't always ask for help, imagine what it's like to be a student who needs help but doesn't know how to express that. That really stuck with me and is something I need to be more proactive about in my classroom.
DeleteI had my students watch a clip of the frustrated song from Daniel Tiger! The chorus is, "take a step back and ask for help."
DeleteI have two boys, Dylan is 5 and Jack is 2. I have found, since the start of the school year, that Dylan has been a little bit more moody than his 4-year-old self. His mood swings are not frequent, but when he does melt down, he is pretty inconsolable until he expends his energy. I am currently struggling to think about what his needs could be in the moment (emotional, relational, physical, control). He doesn't have the language to verbalize his emotions or his feelings - tears are his method of communication when things feel overwhelming to him.
ReplyDeleteIn the moment, I really try to take a deep breath, think about what he needs and respond from a place of love and concern. Going on a 45 minute tantrum can cause me to lose my patience, especially after trying a variety of strategies to calm him down. I generally do wait it out and then have that restorative conversation with him about how to catch his mood swing or let me know what he needs before it gets out of control.
Applying this experience to students at school, it makes me think about what happens when parents/guardians aren't around: work, etc? Students need to learn how to regulate, respond to emotions, interact from us. Teachers are only human and when there are so many students in a class that have Charlie's needs, it does get overwhelming. That emotional burnout is real and exhausting.
Thinking about being a parent and an educator, I have no easy solution, but I do feel like a quote resonated with me, that I try to do. "It's important to identify your 'cement shoes' - in other words, your personal ideals, integrity, vision, beliefs, and sense of self that keep you grounded no matter what is thrown at you in any setting" (58). In the moment, I stop and think about what kind of parent do I want to be - someone who yells back or someone who gives the hug?
Chapter 4 (only if you missed the meeting): Identify, in your mind, three of your current students who are relationally driven. What are you doing to help meet that need? What could you do to support this need?
ReplyDeleteChapter 5: What are some ways you currently teach responsibility? How do you know they are working?
ReplyDeleteMy 19 year old son and I are very similar and we understand each other very well. This can be awesome because he knows I can support him through his anxiety and he knows when I've had a bad day and realizes I just need space. It also means that we can push each other's buttons. We had a tiff recently about his tendency to do things last minute (this is where we differ). It meant he took some classes his second semester that I thought were silly. We both growled at each other.
ReplyDeleteLater I realized that those classes were silly to me, not to him. He was enjoying them and getting a lot of the classes. I had to realize his college experience was not my college experience and while we are alike in many ways, we both like to study different things.
I later told him that. i had to realize he was an adult and have faith that I raised him in a way that he would make good judgments. i had to be honest though, and tell him the time management issue would continue to be my bugaboo. I asked him to be patient as I navigated this new stage of our relationship. Two adults.
I loved this chapter and plan to periodically re-read it so I can remind myself of some of these practices.
ReplyDeleteWhen I assign projects and activities, I am very good at providing descriptors and activities that allow the students to practice the skills and activities within the project. I need to teach them to envision working on the project. I believe this will allow them to see what they need to do to accomplish the task and how they need to get there. I also believe it will help them envision success.
I have several highly anxious students and one very articulate student with ADHD. The way he describes his issues with ADHD mirror some of the symptoms of a student experiencing trauma. I have small classes so I can monitor stress very well. I also believe that I'm very good at reading my students and I think they know that. When I see a student stressing, I give them a calming signal and talk to them in a very calming manner. I'm also very good at giving them a talk to remind them of their skills. I need to teach them to give themselves that self talk. Right now they know I believe in them, but I don't know if they are internalizing that.
Finally, I am good about discussing homework and ways to prepare for it and having students sign their planners. I need to teach them how to leave the classroom responsibily. I think all of us want to be successful, but we don't know how to plan for that success. So often I see my students rush out of the room, forgetting materials and just leaving that class behind. I need to stop class a bit earlier, summarize what we've done, ask them how they will prepare for the next day with me and then have them prepare for their next task.
When I am talking with staff members I try to talk about the different responsibility-developing strategies and how they can incorporate those into their classrooms. Even at the middle school level there are certain jobs students can have that give them movement breaks but also a sense of responsibility.
ReplyDeleteWhen I talk with students I try to get them to take ownership of what happened in the situation and get them to think about what responsible choices they can use next time to help them be successful;
At home I try to teach my boys responsibility with homework, chores, their toys, etc.. If I can help teach it now the more of a habit it will be for them.
I didn't know it before reading this chapter, but I teach responsibility through classroom jobs. We have class notebooks that we write in almost everyday, and students pass out and collect those. I know I need to put a system in place to rotate the notebook jobs and add some other jobs as well, but I haven't gotten around to it. I try to also ask students to help out with random tasks during classes like erasing the board or collecting items from the tables. Students always enjoy helping out, and I know I need to do more of that in a more organized way so that all students have an opportunity to participate in classroom duties. i also try to have conversations with students when it comes to discipline. Rather than just scolding them (which I admit sometimes happens out of frustration), I try to explain what it is that they did wrong and how it impacts other students, the teacher, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe section about homework really stuck out to me. Homework completion is something that has been a growing issue the past few years for the students I have. I have tried to make the work more engaging, but I feel like no matter what I do the same kids do it and the same kids don't do it. I know some schools have eliminated homework all together. Wondering what everyone's thoughts on that are. I know that many students do have other responsibilities once they leave school, but I also don't know that it's right to just never give work to be completed outside of class.
Again with this book, I like how the focus is on teaching the whole child. Children need help learning responsibility, not just for turning in their homework, but also for regulating themselves. I have been focusing on teaching responsibility this quarter with two of my classes. We have been working on mindfulness. We have had discussions about how it is their responsibility to know what they need in order to be successful. At the beginning of the class, the students enter silently, sit down, and spend 2 minutes meditating. The goal is to use the 2 minutes to mentally prepare themselves for class. Some students use the time to calm themselves down so that they can focus and other students use the time to pump themselves if they are feeling sluggish. A bell is rung at the end of 2 minutes and we immediately go over the agenda for the day.
ReplyDeleteAnother area of responsibility we have been working on is the impulse control. To help with this, the students pick up a green card at the beginning of class and their goal is to keep the card for the entire class period. If/when a student needs a PBIS reminder, they simply put the card on the floor. I am really not 100% sure why this is working, but the kids redirect themselves instantly when the card is placed on the floor. It is definitely more effective than a verbal reminder. I think the visual really helps them.
The combination of the mindfulness minutes and the colored cards has had a positive impact on our class. I know it is working because as a class, we have reflected on the new procedures each week. The students have all shared how much the new routines are helping them. I even had several students bring up the colored cards at conferences with their parents. Beyond the positive feedback from the students themselves, I know that the class has earned more incentive points since we have begun. I have been able to award the class everyday with points on our whole class incentive board.