Youth Connections Charter School: Classroom Management Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Protocols Assume Good Intentions Ouch/Oops Make the experience work Right to Pass Others?

Best Class Ever: Facilitator Control audience sharing Variety of engaging activities We will not go past 4:30 based on the wall clock Have a break around 3:00 Provide realistic recommendations and relevant information

Best Class Ever: Everybody Relevant and realistic information Be here Be on time (make the 4:30 target) Be accepting of others’ opinions Be open minded to learning

“The world is passing through troubled times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves.” “Never has youth been exposed to such dangers of both perversion and arrest as in our own land and day.” G.S. Hall, Psychologist ( ) Peter the Hermit, French monk in the First Crusade ( )

“Today’s young people no longer respect their parents. They are rude and impatient. They have no self-control.” “Youth love luxury. They have bad manners. They are tyrants. They contradict their parents, talk too much nonsense, guzzle their food, and tyrannize their teachers.” Socrates, Greek philosopher ( BC) Hieroglyphic translated from Egyptian tomb (circa 4000BC)

NPR Story: Working with the teenage brain: a parent’s perspective See also: Frontline (2002) Inside the Teenage Brain: A Work in Progress (2002). html?s=frol02nfa8q392 html?s=frol02nfa8q392

Economic self-sufficiency: all youth should expect as adults to be able to support themselves and their families and have some discretionary resources beyond those required to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. They should have a decent job and the education or access to enough education to improve or change jobs. Healthy family and social relationships: young people should grow up to be physically and mentally healthy, be good caregivers for their children, and have positive and dependable family and friendship networks. Contributions to community could come in many forms, but we hope that our young people will aim to do more than simply be taxpayers and law abiders – to contribute at some level to their community, however they define that community. Source: Youth Development Strategies, Inc. index.html. Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in a Community Action Framework for Youth Development by Michelle Alberti Gambone, Ph.D., Adena M. Klem, Ph.D., and James P. Connell, Ph.D.

Safe and Trusting Environment Physical/Emotional Safety and Relational Trust Balancing “Me” and “We” Empowerment and Social Commitment Conditions for Creating a Sense of Community

Positivity Positivity ratio of 3:1 Nurture the positive Conditions for Creating a Sense of Community

Resiliency through Positivity Joy Gratitude Serenity Interest Hope Pride Amusement Inspiration Awe Love From: Fredrickson, B. (2009) Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive. New York, NY: Crown Archetype.

Positivity 1.Broadens our minds and our hearts 2.Transforms us for the better 3.Fuels Resilience 1.Asking questions and focusing outward (open to new ideas) 2.Connectivity and attunement of the team. More responsive to one another 3.Bouncing back from adversity rather than getting stuck in self- absorbed advocacy

Positivity Ratio The Tipping Point Flourishing = 3 to 1 “… only when positivity ratios are higher than 3 to 1 is positivity in sufficient supply to seed human flourishing.” (Fredrickson, 2009)

A Place for Negativity Specific negative emotions help us focus and take action (such as in resolving or transforming conflict). Global and unfocused negative emotions overwhelm and poison us. The difference between anger and contempt or guilt and shame

Ownership Focus (goal setting) and the 3 R’s (Routines, rituals, responsibilities) Conditions for Creating a Sense of Community

Ritual A routine is merely something we do, a ritual has emotional significance. “Rituals are powerful because they speak to a different part of the brain than we use for thinking,” says Joyn Borysenko, Ph.D., author of Inner Peace for Busy People. That’s because rituals bypass words, connecting us to what matters through symbols or gestures. A ritual is a ceremony. A rite-of-passage is a formal ceremony.

Intentionality Being intentionally inviting and making Time for relationship building Conditions for Creating a Sense of Community

“People and environments are never neutral, they are either summoning or shunning the development of human potential.” Purkey & Novak, Inviting School Success

INVITATIONAL EDUCATION INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITINGINTENTIONALLY INVITING UNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITINGINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING UNINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING

Supports Social Emotional Learning (SEL) See

Teach SEL Competencies Self-awareness Social awareness Self-management Relationship skills Responsible decision making Greater Attachment, Engagement, & Commitment to School Less Risky Behavior, More Assets, More Positive Development Better Academic Performance and Success in School and Life Safe, Caring, Challenging, Well- Managed, Participatory Learning Environments How SEL Supports Good Outcomes for Young People

PREVENTION Strength based Using learning moments to teach/practice skills rather than fix a problem Engaging Curriculum Safe Environment Protocols/Agreements Ground rules (external), community agreements (internal) Teaching of skills Lifeskills, emotional literacy, social emotional skills, conflict resolution

PROACTIVE INTERVENTION Staying Calm: Resist emotional flooding (using the prefrontal cortex) Defusing Anger De-escalating Conflict Resolving Conflict Rather than short-circuiting it

Defusing Anger Listen attentively while the other person vents his or her anger. Don’t get defensive: stay calm Keep your focus on the other person Encourage him or her to keep talking. Restate and reflect the other person’s feelings: “I can see that you’re upset because…” “I can tell you’re angry about…” “ You feel … because…” “ You sound…” “I hear you saying that…”

The Tightrope Walker Once there was a tightrope walker who performed unbelievable aerial feats. All Over Paris, he had done tightrope acts at Great heights. He followed his initial acts With succeeding ones, while pushing a Wheelbarrow. A promoter in America (sic) heard about this and Wrote to him, inviting the daredevil to perform his act over the waters and dangers of Niagara Falls. He added, “I don’t believe you can do it….

The tightrope walker accepted the challenge. After much promotion and planning, the man appeared before a huge crowd gathered to see the event. He was To start on the Canadian side and walk to The American side. Drums rolled and Everyone gasped as they watched The performer walk across the wire blindfolded with a wheelbarrow. When he stepped off on the American side, The crowd went wild. Then the tightrope walker turned to the promoter and said, “Well, now do you believe I can do it?”

“Sure I do,” the promoter answered. “I just saw you do it.” “No, no, no,” said the tightrope walker. “Do you really believe I Can do it?” “I just said I did.” “I mean do you really believe?” “Yes, I believe!”

“Good,” said the tightrope walker, “then get in the wheelbarrow and we’ll go Back to the other side.” Tim Hansel

Laurie Frank GOAL Consulting 1337 Jenifer Street Madison, Wisconsin USA You are here