Resiliency at Ponsonby Primary A discussion to be had……..

Don’t tell me what I can’t do, let me show you what I can do! We need to begin by firstly examining what is already working well, from there we are able to then see what we need to work on improving. So if we are serious about putting the well being of our selfs and others to the forefront we firstly must ask? What is the current reality Consider Appreciative Inquiry What is right with you is more powerful than anything that is wrong with you.

Resilience is …… Our inborn capacity for self righting All people have the potential for resilience, we can build resilience Is a process not a programme Is dynamic and contextual A new paradigm, shift from ‘risk focused’ research

What supports the bounce back? Individual Resilience Supportive Environments

Personal Resiliency Builders Relationships - Sociability/ability to be a friend/ability to form positive relationships Humour - Has a good sense of humour Inner Direction - Bases choices/decisions on internal evaluation (internal locus of control) Perceptiveness - Insightful understanding of people and situations Independence - "Adaptive" distancing from unhealthy people and situations/autonomy Positive View of Personal Future - Optimism, expects a positive future Flexibility - Can adjust to change; can bend as necessary to positively cope with situations Love of Learning - Capacity for and connection to learning Self-motivation - Internal initiative and positive motivation from within Competence - Is "good at something"/personal competence Self-Worth - Feelings of self-worth and self-confidence Spirituality - Personal faith, sense of mission in life Perseverance - Keeps on despite difficulty; doesn't give up Creativity - Expresses self through artistic endeavour Richardson et al.,Benard, 1991, Werner and Smith, 1992, Hawkins et al., Wolin and Wolin, 1993

Internal Protective Factors – characteristics of individuals that promote resiliency Gives of self in service to others or a cause or both Uses life skills, including good decision making, assertiveness, impulse control, and problem solving Has a sense of humour Exhibits internal locus of control (i.e. belief in self, ability to influence one’s environment) Has a positive view of personal future Is flexible- can adjust to change, can bend as necessary to positively cope with situations Physically active and having physical talents Is “good at something” has personal competence Has feelings of self worth and self confidence Problem solving and coping skills Ability to connect and feel a sense of belonging (spirituality) Appraise one’s environment realistically (rational/irrational self talk) Interpersonal awareness and capacity for understanding and empathy (perceptiveness) Is sociable and has ability to be a friend and form positive relationships Good social skills (interpersonal communication) Capacity to self monitor and learn from mistakes Love of learning - has a capacity for connection to learning Having a hobby, creative interest or talent that is valued by others, expresses self through artistic endeavour Is self motivated and can manage tasks independently, is autonomous Able to self reflect and critique their own actions, able to show initiative Willingness and capacity to plan Spiritual beliefs or understanding eg sense of mission in life, having hope and faith

Uses high warmth, low criticism style of interaction Environmental Protective Factors – characteristics modelled by Families, Schools, Communities, and Peer Groups that promote resiliency Promotes close bonds Uses high warmth, low criticism style of interaction Encourages supportive relationships with many caring others Promotes sharing of responsibilities, service to others, “requires helpfulness’ Provides access to resources for meeting basic needs of housing, employment, health care, and recreation Expresses high and realistic expectations for success Encourages goal setting and mastery Encourages pro-social development of values (such as altruism) and life skills (such as co-operation) Provides leadership, decision making, and other opportunities for meaningful participation Appreciates the unique talents of each individual Warm, positive relationship with at least one colleague Caring and supportive school environment and educational experience Family traditions and rituals Support from significant other person Positive community norms and a sense of caring, commitment and mutual protection Forming close relationships within and across gender Opportunities for involvement Access to resources – people and things

Some Barriers to resilience Loss and grief Search for self identity Drug and alcohol misuse A history of victimisation or witnessing violence Low sense of self-worth Perceived prejudice – discrimination, racism etc Fear and uncertainty about the future

Damage versus the Challenge Mindset Damage Model - Risk Traditional research Disorders of the body & mind that pathologise and label people with “problems” focusing on vulnerability Challenge Model -Resiliency Credits people with strength Potential to bounce back Considers protective factors Honours people’s power to help themselves Risk versus damage mindset - this is what we all strength based approaches - looking at prevention!!! A rare thing in education as we often fall into the trap of focusing on the risks and deficits - the gaps

Walking the resilience talk How can we provide a safe and supportive environment in which all staff, students and community can maximise their learning? How can we assist staff to develop their ability and skills to cope with challenge and stress? How can we identify staff, in particular need of assistance and support? How can we support staffwho are dealing with experiences of trauma or dislocation?

How can we help each other to be resilient? What factors hinder our resilience? What do we do that helps us? How can we transfer our resilience to our students?