Increasing Student Engagement: Strategies for Developing Motivated, Resilient Learners

Two key concepts: mindsets and resilience Mindsets: A brief history of this concept in education and therapy Mindsets: The assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves and others that guide our behavior

Two key concepts: mindsets and resilience Resilience: Two shifts in perspective Broadening the concept of resilience from applying solely to youth experiencing great adversity to all youth Moving from a belief in special, inborn qualities to “ordinary magic”

Dr. George Bonnano Dr. George Bonnano “What is perhaps most intriguing about resilience is not how prevalent it is; rather, it is that we are consistently surprised by it. I have to admit that sometimes even I am amazed by how resilient humans are, and I have been working with loss and trauma survivors for years.”

Dr. Ann Masten “Resilience does not come from rare and special qualities; but from the everyday magic of ordinary, normative resources in the minds, brains, and bodies of children; in their families and relationships; and in their communities. The conclusion that resilience emerges from ordinary processes offers a far more optimistic outlook for action than the idea that rare and extraordinary processes are involved.”

Major questions to be addressed in this workshop What is the mindset of educators and other professionals who are effective in working with at-risk children and adolescents? What are some of the main characteristics of the mindset of at-risk children and adolescents? What is the mindset of resilient youth and how do we reinforce a “resilient mindset,” engagement, and motivation in at-risk youth?

Features of an adult’s positive mindset To believe in the capacity of at-risk children and adolescents to overcome adversity and become more hopeful and resilient: To believe we can serve as a “charismatic adult” “I want to be a charismatic adult. What do I do?”

Features of an adult’s positive mindset To believe that if the strategies we are using with at-risk children and adolescents are not effective then we must ask, “What is it that we can do differently to help the situation?” rather than continue to wait for the child or adolescent to change first: This should not be seen as blaming but rather as empowering ourselves

Features of an adult’s positive mindset To understand the importance of empathy: Learning to see the world through the eyes of others How would we hope children and adolescents described us? How would they actually describe us?

Empathy: To use empathic communication Would I want anyone to say or do to me what I have said or done to this other person? In anything I say or do what do I hope to accomplish? Am I saying or doing it in a way in which the other person feels respected and can truly hear what I have to say and respond constructively?

Empathy: Understanding the Mindset of At-Risk Youth Invaluable information from the stories, drawings, and metaphors of at-risk children and adolescents. What are several of the major themes that emerge, themes that capture the negative mindset that many of these youth have?

The negative mindset of many at-risk children and adolescents Helplessness: Lack of control or influence about events that happen in one’s life Hopelessness: Nothing will ever change Others don’t understand and can’t help me

The negative mindset of many at-risk children and adolescents I make little positive difference in the world General feeling that things are not fair I feel unaccepted and unloved

The mindset of resilient children and adolescents To understand the main characteristics of the mindset of resilient children and adolescents so that we can have guideposts for reinforcing this mindset as well as engagement and intrinsic motivation in all of our interactions with challenging, at-risk youth: Let’s look at several of the main features of this mindset, all of which are interrelated

The mindset of resilient children and adolescents To feel comfortable with and appreciate that others can be of support and help. We must learn how to increase engagement and motivation with those children and adolescents who may have difficulty trusting us and attempt to push us away To believe that one can solve problems and make decisions, which promotes a sense of personal control and ownership

The mindset of resilient children and adolescents To define and reinforce one’s strengths or “islands of competence” without denying or running from problematic areas To believe that one can contribute to and make a positive difference in the world

The mindset of resilient children and adolescents To possess self-discipline and self- control To believe that mistakes are experiences from which to learn rather than feel humiliated