1. Winter Climate and Culture Conference
January 21, 2017
Presenter: Royce Anne Henley, M.Ed.

2. THE BRAIN

3. Happy

4. Paper Plate Drawings!

5. Breathe

6. Today, we are going to learn about the brain. We will learn the C. D
Today, we are going to learn about the brain. We will learn the C.D. Brain State Model, and how to understand and communicate with a child in each state. We will also learn about ourselves and how our brain state dictates our response. We will then learn how to compose ourselves to communicate effectively. So

8. CD Brain State Model Executive State Emotional or Limbic State
•Choices
Goal achievement
• • What can I learn from this?
Executive State
Emotional or Limbic State
*Connection
*CD Rom
*Memory
*”Am I loved?”
Survival or ‘Brain Stem’
Safety
Fight/Flight/Freeze
“Am I safe?”

9. Brain Stem Limbic System Frontal Lobe Am I safe? Am I loved?
Physical State
Am I safe?
Needs Safety
Limbic System
Emotional State
Am I loved?
Needs Connection
Frontal Lobe
Thinking State
What and how can I deal with this?
Needs Opportunity to Problem Solve
Functions for the 3 Centers

10. How Do We Recognize the State.
Survival
State
Executive State

11. Survival State Freeze Fight or Flight Hitting Pushing Running Hiding
Screaming
Surrender
Obedient or dissociates
Turns off reward system
Day Dreaming
Spacey
Perfection
Addiction

12. Emotional State looks and sounds like
Limbic System
Functions
Emotional State looks and sounds like
Emotional Tone
Motivation
Attention
Emotional memories
Controls appetite and sleep
Unconscious
Verbal Name Calling
Social Exclusion
Social Aggression
Blame
Guilt
Attention Seeking
Emotional tone = flexible or rigod, positive or negaaative
Amygdala is like an alarm

13. Prefrontal Lobe Achieve goals Get along with others Problem solve
Executive functioning
CEO of the BRAIN
Achieve goals
Get along with others
Problem solve
Self-Regulate
Attention
Time Management
Organization
Prioritization
Working memory
Impulse control
Flexibility
Empathy, Emotional Control
Metacognition
Goal Achievement
Task initiation

14. Four Brain Smart Principles that help change our states
# 1 The brain is pattern-seeking.
7:50-8:00
Morning Routines
Pledge
Announcements
Brain Smart Start (find a friend)
8:00-9:05
Writing
9:05-9:50
Specials (P.E., Music, Computer Lab)
When the pattern is found, predictability is enhanced and safety facilitated. Visual routines create Safety. That is why the first thing interventions for a child no matter the behavior is to place a visual schedule on the desk. Use a timer to show how much time is left. Help them stay in control of their surroundings and feel safe. Knowing what comes next. Think about yourself. You know to set goals for your furture, you make a plan. This helps you know what is coming for the most part. You make a routine for yourself and your family. When the routine fluctuates. It is a little hard. Some children/adults have trouble when the pattern is disrupted. They have trouble with being flexible. Setting up routines in your classroom make the day predictiable will create safety with the children.

15. Brain Smart Principles #2
The best exercise for
the brain is exercise.

16. Brain Smart Principles #3
Connections on the outside build neural
connections on the inside.

17. Twinkle

18. Brain Smart Principles #4
The brain functions optimally when we feel safe, both physically and psychologically.
Bessel Van der Kolk is a psychiatrist that has researched and work the book on dealing with Traumatized individuals. He says that a child’s response to parents being physically or sexually abusive or neglectful – whether that abuse is directed at the child or the child’ attachment figure, is the same response a War Veteran, who has observed the violence of war. We call that PTSD. The difference is of course between that War Veteran and the child , is that child’s brain is developing. He goes on to say that the reestablishment of safety to that individual is the key to recovery of the traumatic event. Who many of us have those children. Some of them are evident, and some are silent suffers. The last thing you want to do to children with trauma in their lives is to withhold recess, music, or joyful engagement with others. That is withholding the medicine – the antidote to trauma.
So Turn and Talk,
If you were to describe your optimal learning state in a few short words, what words would you use?

19. Dealing with the Different Brain States
All behavior is communication

20. Name the Feeling Describe that feeling
How do you know he is angry? His eyes, his mouth, his nose, look at his neck.
Describe that feeling

21. Name the Feeling Describe that feeling
Your eyes are going like this ….
Describe that feeling

22. Name the Feeling
Scared….
Describe that feeling

23. Name the Feeling
Frustrated?
Describe that feeling

24. Conscious Discipline Based on Conscious Awareness
Notice internal state of self, the teacher
Self-regulate until optimal
Choose wisest action
Notice internal state of child
Help regulate until optimal
Help choose wisest action
Result: Life decisions based on demands of the situation
Now it is time to talk about you. To help a child regulate their own emotions, you have to be in control of your own emotions. You have to be self aware. Turn and talk to a neighbor: What triggers you? What makes you just want to scream? Describe how you start to feel. Where does that feel settle? In you chest, stomach, hands, head. Think about it and share. If you are not sure, that is your homework. Notice yourself next time a child/student does something that just goes all over you.
Now you are consciously aware of your trigger, how will you deal with that?
My STAR story.

25. Parenting/Teaching Dilemma
Most of us were punished for not having mature pre-frontal lobes (executive skills) when young
When stressed, we lose access to higher skills
We can’t lend what we don’t have
We have a choice!
We can continue punishing children who lack skills we think they should have OR
We can retool ourselves and lend our new tools to our children
Lets think of yourself. Where do you go when a child misbehaves? Do you maintain your composure and consciously discipline from that state? Or you do go to your emotional state? Do you say, “I am the boss, you obey or else.

27. Brain Break!!!!!!
STAND UP, SIT DOWN

28. Change the Brain State first……
Then, deal with the behavior.
Shift from Controlling other to learning how to control ourselves and connect with others

29. Adult Brain State Messages
Executive State
I can choose help solve the problem or teach a new skill to the student/child
Emotional State
You should feel bad.
Survival State
You need to PAY!
I can choose to self-regulate, breath, problem solve, and teach a new or missing skill.
Survival State: You need to Pay! I am spanking you! Get out of my Room!
Emotional State: You will here yourself say those things your mother said!
Executive State: Problem solve, self regulation,

30. TAKE BACK YOUR POWER Whomever you believe to be in charge of your feelings, you have placed in charge of you. No one can make you angry without your permission
Those words are a hard pill to swallow.
GO to the Office! Go to Ms. Brown’s Room!
But have you ever said:
You made me feel so bad when you …….
You make me so mad…

31. Self-Discipline
When we shift from reacting from the lower centers of our brains to responding from higher centers of our brains
The first person we have to discipline is ourselves. When a child comes to you with an upset, before you speak to them take 3 deep breaths. Remember the child will on rise to the brain state that the adult that is attending is in. Whether you are showing anger, disappointment, sadness, etc. “That makes me sad. The child will feel sad/or angry” Remember to shift ourselves, we have to recognize the emotion, we have to download calm. You can do this by breathing, turning away until you are in your executive state….the point it to ACT instead of REACT.

32. Self-Regulation is a moment by moment Conscious Decision
Perception
Emotional State
Behavior
The Power of perception says How I perceive a situation dictates my emotional state, which in turn dictates my behavior. Answer this question: “I believe__________________, therefore I feel _____________________________, so I say or do __________________________________________.
How do you perceive the behavior?
What is your emotional state?
That dictates your behavior

33. Teaching/Parenting requires we ‘lend’ our prefrontal lobes to our children
To help students be in the optimal learning state, we as the adult must maintain that state.

34. Describe, Name, Acknowledge
D: Your _________ is going like this.
Pause: As soon as the child looks, Breathe
N: You seem _________(name feeling).
A: You were hoping __________. You wanted ____. It is hard. You can handle it.

35. Every Child Needs a Champion

36. Citations https://youtu.be/snO68aJTOpM (Pinky and the Brain)
Bailey, B. A. (2015) The NEW Conscious Discipline Book - Expanded & Updated. Oviedo, FL: Loving Guidance, Inc.
Bailey, B. A. (2011) Managing Emotional Mayhem: The Five Steps for Self-Regulation. Oviedo, FL: Loving Guidance, Inc.
Bailey, B. A., (2011). Creating the School Family: Bully-Proofing Classrooms Through Emotional Intelligence. Oviedo, Florida: Loving Guidance.
Van, . K. B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma.
(Every Child Needs a Champion)
( Becky’s TedTalk)