Invitational Education: Supporting Student Success Experiential Educators’ Conclave 2014

What makes a place welcoming and inviting? What benefits are there to intentionally focusing on making a place welcoming and inviting?

Foundations Democratic Ethos: People work together to construct character, practices, and institutions that promote democratic life. The Perceptual Tradition: There is no such thing as illogical behavior…. What seems illogical makes sense to the behaving person.

Foundations Self Concept Theory: Self-concept alone does not cause misbehavior. As an example, a disruptive student has learned to see him/herself as a troublemaker and behaves accordingly. Motivation: Every person has motivation. If not, they would do nothing.Rather than trying to “motivate” people, inviting educators cordially summon them to see themselves as able, valuable, and responsible, and to behave accordingly.

Basic Assumptions Invitational Education ® is a metaphor for an emerging model of the education process consisting of five value-based assumptions about the nature of people and their potential. These are: Trust Intentionality Respect Care Optimism

OPTIMISM: Invitational educators are optimistic about, and committed to, the continuous appreciation and growth of all involved in the educative process. TRUST: Trust is derived from recognition of the fundamental interdependence of human beings. Basic Assumptions

RESPECT: Invitational educators believe people are able, valuable, and responsible and should be treated accordingly. CARE: Care is the ongoing desire to link significant personal means with worthwhile societal ends. INTENTIONALITY: Intentionality is at the very heart of Invitational Education ®. Basic Assumptions

Levels of Professional Functioning INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITINGINTENTIONALLY INVITING UNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITINGINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING UNINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING

Levels of Professional Functioning INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITINGINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING In this lowest level of functioning, behaviors, policies, programs, and places are deliberately meant to demean, diminish, shun, or devalue the human spirit. The message sent by intentionally disinviting people is that others are incapable, worthless, or irresponsible. There is no justification for being intentionally disinviting.

Levels of Professional Functioning INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITINGUNINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING Professionals who function at this level are typically well-meaning, but may not reflect upon their actions. Often condescending, obsessed with policies and procedures, and unaware of people’s feelings. In frustration, professionals at this level may resort to intentionally disinviting behaviors.

Levels of Professional Functioning INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITINGUNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITING Reasonably effective, but cannot explain why. Lack dependable guidance systems. Thus, they may be uncertain and unpredictable. If whatever accounts for their success fails them, they don’t know what to do to next and may resort to lower levels of functioning.

Levels of Professional Functioning INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITINGINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITING Know why they are doing what they are doing, so they examine and modify their practices to continuously grow. They are persistent, imaginative, resourceful, and courageous, even when things get tough. Focus on what is most important in education and relationships: an appreciation of people and the value of their development.

Theory into Practice—The 5 Ps The 5 Ps provide a framework to collaboratively address, evaluate, modify, and sustain a positive total school environment. People Places Policies Processes Programs People Places Policies Processes Programs

People: Invitational Education ® begins and ends with people. People create a respectful, optimistic, trusting, and intentional society within inviting schools.

Places: Because they are so visible, places are a good starting point to introduce the practice If classrooms, offices, hallways, common rooms, cafeteria, library, playgrounds, and restrooms are clean, neat, attractive and well-maintained, they show that people care about the entire school. of invitational theory.

Policies: Including mission statements, directives, codes, rules—written and unwritten—regulating the school. Policies should pass the litmus test of Invitational Education®: Do they reflect trust, optimism, respect, care, and intentionality for everyone in the school?

Programs: Programs should encourage active engagement with significant content. Programs, whether formal or informal, curricular or extracurricular, should benefit everyone.

Processes: Simply defined as “the way we do things in this school.” Processes are characterized by a democratic ethos, collaborative and cooperative procedures, and continuous networking among teachers, students, parents, staff, and the community.

Invitational Education® in Action Being Personally Inviting with Oneself: To be a long-term beneficial presence in the lives of others, it is vital for professionals to care for themselves. Being Personally Inviting with Others: Most human activities involve interdependence.

Invitational Education® in Action Being Professionally Inviting with Oneself : Educators, as intellectual workers, have a special responsibility to study the ideas they teach. Being Professionally Inviting with Others: Being professionally inviting with others involves interactions with the school, agency, and larger community.

Being Personally Inviting with Oneself Being Personally Inviting with Others Being Professionally Inviting with Oneself Being Professionally Inviting with Others

Between Teacher and Child I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized. Haim Ginott, Clinical psychologist, Child therapist, Parent educator, and author

Laurie Frank GOAL Consulting To download this PowerPoint, please go to my website:

Much information contained in this PowerPoint came from: What is Invitational Education ® ? by Melissa Cain