1. Youth Connections Charter School Creating a Sense of Community Constructing Brain-Based Curriculum December 2012

2. Overview September: Introduction to Classroom Management and Curriculum Building October: Class. Management: Creating a Container for Learning Curriculum: Brain Compatible Curriculum – Concepts & Topics Dec. 7: Class. Management: Prevention: Creating Community Curriculum: Identifying Desired Results

3. Overview Jan. 18: Class. Management: Intervention Curriculum: Learning Styles and Experiential Lessons Feb. 15: Class. Management: Invention Curriculum: Instructional Tools, Strategies, & Assessments March 8: Reflections, Sharing, and Feedback

4. Ground Rules Be Here and Present Participate Make it work for you Please let me know…

5. Best Class Ever: Facilitator Allow for movement Variety of instruction Have breaks: 2 short breaks – 7 minutes Useful content (ask for feedback) Use of media to enhance learning, music, art… Use PowerPoint sparingly

6. Best Class Ever: Everybody Positivity Be considerate of each other (e.g. smelly perfumes) Be open Participate Be present – body and mind Only volunteer yourself Choices Watch our sense of humor

7. Review

8. Brain Research Most learning occurs in the Cerebrum (frontal lobe) If we feel under threat, we cannot learn – our brains won’t let us Emotions and learning are intricately tied together Absence of threat is essential for real learning to occur Our brain looks for patterns

9. National Center on Response to Intervention: http://www.rti4success.org

10. PII Prevention is anything we do to prevent conflict in our programs or to prepare for it before it happens. Intervention is responding when conflicts do happen. Invention is creating something new and constructive out of the situation.

11. PREVENTION INTERVENTION INVENTION PBIS Continuum and PII Approach* * Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports and Prevention, Intervention, Invention INVENTION INTERVENTION PREVENTION

12. What does the data show?

14. Reacting Acting without thinking Reacting Acting without thinking Responding Thinking before we act Responding Thinking before we act

15. The Container Concept

16. Creating Conditions for Community

17. 1.Times/situations in your life when you have experienced a sense of community. 2.What were the qualities of that experience? 3.Definition of “sense of community”

18. From Group to Community “In genuine community there are no sides. It is not always easy but by the time they reach community the members have learned how to give up cliques and factions. They have learned how to listen to each other and how not to reject each other. Sometimes consensus in community is reached with miraculous rapidity. But at other times it is arrived at only after lengthy struggle. Just because it is a safe place does not mean community is a place without conflict. It is, however, a place where conflict can be resolved without physical or emotional bloodshed and with wisdom as well as grace. A community is a group that can fight gracefully.” M. Scott Peck M.D. The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace

19. Thomas Sergiovanni states that “the need for community is universal. A sense of belonging, of continuity, of being connected to others and to ideas and values that make our lives meaningful and significant -- these needs are shared by all of us.”

20. “The people in one’s life are like the pillars on one’s porch you see life through. And sometimes they hold you up. And sometimes they lean on you, and sometimes it’s just enough to know they’re standing by.” Anonymous

21. Community is consciousness of connection, combining and comprising: Courtesy, communication, collaboration, cooperation, consideration, caring, compassion, curiosity, commonalities, common goals, confidence, creativity, courage, challenge, camaraderie, and conceivably chocolate. CTC Group, 2004

23. Conditions for Community to Develop Intentionality Invitational Education Time Safe and Trusting Environment Safe Environment Relational Trust Balancing “Me” and “We” Empowerment (Me) Social Commitment (We)

24. Conditions for Community to Develop Positivity Nurturing the Positive Positivity Ratio Ownership Focus (goal setting) 3 R’s: Routines, Rituals, Responsibilities Others?

25. Invitational Education – a Container Framework Making time for relationships

27. Invitational Education www.invitationaleducation.net

28. INVITATIONAL EDUCATION INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITINGINTENTIONALLY INVITING UNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITINGINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING UNINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING

29. Invitationaleducation.net

31. Reflections on the 10 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.

32. Positivity Individuals 1.Broadens our minds and our hearts 2.Transforms us for the better 3.Fuels Resilience Groups/Teams 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

33. 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)

34. Positivityration.com

35. Constructing Brain Based Curriculum The Experiential Learning Model

38. Concepts and Topics Enduring Understandings – a description of the concepts Essential Questions - the bridge connecting concepts and topics

39. Application Alone or in pairs: Using a curriculum map, choose a unit to create or amend. Identify concepts & topics for the unit Create enduring understandings: 1-2 overarching and 1-2 unit (see hand out) Create 3-5 essential questions for the chosen unit

40. “Education – true education is not a process of pouring in from without, but of calling forth what is within. It’s not a process of memorization or socialization or instillation, it’s a process of nurturing, of allowing, of evoking. It’s a process of bringing forth the person one is meant to be.” ~ Jeff White