Cultivating Our Inner Resources:Emotional Literacy for School Staff

LIASCDOctober 16, 2009

Presented by the LI SEL Forum

Dr. Ron SmithDr. Kathleen Corbett

Joan R. FretzFor further information about SEL Initiatives on Long Island, contact Joan at

jrfretz@optonline.net or 631-673-2106

Expanding our Frame of Reference:

“Knowledge of self is as important as

knowledge of curriculum.” K. Smith

The more we understand the self, the more successful we will be in positively influencing a student’s choice of behavior

and effort in school.

NY State Education DepartmentReleases SEDL Guidelines

•Schools have a responsibility to promote social and emotional development and learning.

What is it?

•A process for helping children and adults develop fundamental skills for managing their lives.

•Schools that implement sequential SEDL in all grades improve academic achievement (11 percentile points) and decrease behavioral issues significantly.

Link to NY State Ed Dept SEDL website: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/sss/sedl/

What is SEL?

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), SEL is the process through which we learn to:

• Recognize and manage our emotions,

• Develop care and concern for others

• Establish positive relationships

• Make responsible decisions

• Handle challenging situations constructively and ethically.

• SEL teaches students skills, not just values or rules of behavior

SEL Competencies

social & emotional learning

Self-awareness

Social awareness

Relationship Skills

Responsible decision-making

Self-management

Forming positive relationships, working in teams, dealing

effectively with conflict

Making ethical, constructive

choices about personal and social behavior

Managing emotions andbehaviors to

achieve one’s goals

Showing understanding and empathy for others

Recognizing one’s emotions and values as well as one’s strengths

and limitations

SEL in National News

• Positive Behavior for Safe and Effective Schools Act Legislation Introduced in House of Rep. (5/09):

http://www.chadd.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CHADD_Public_Policy&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11109

• Congressional Testimony – Linda Lantieri, Goldie Hawn

• December Forum in D.C. with Linda Darling Hammond – focus on pre-service training for teachers.

• Fall 09: Journal of Child Development will acknowledge Meta Analysis of SEL programs achieving average of 11 Percentile Points on Standardized Achievement Tests for students who have had sequential SEL skill development. Long term studies show students who receive this training are more productive, happy adults.

SEL in National News

• Multi-Year Study Funded by National Institute for Education Sciences: Studying transforming teachers’ INNER RESOURCES and linking this to their instruction of SEL.

• There is a focus on SELF- AWARENESS in business, leadership, 21st century skills - as people realize that the current approach to academic press is not producing young adults ready for a global economy.

SEL in Action

ModelSchool adults model the social and emotional skills that

we want to teach students.

TeachSocial and Emotional skills are taught through direct instruction as well

as infusing the concepts into all areas of the curriculum.

PracticeSchools provide opportunities for students and staff to practice

these skills.

Current Trends in SEL• Developing Adult skills and mindsets

• It’s not about “fixing” the kids.

• A belief that skilled and reflective adults who are intentional in how they interact with students, are best able to create a caring and supportive learning environment and provide effective instruction in SEL for students.

Expanding our Frame of Reference:

“Knowledge of self is as important as

knowledge of curriculum.” K. Smith

The more we understand the self, the more successful we will be in positively influencing a student’s choice of behavior

and effort in school. J. Fretz

Creating an Intentional Performance Culture

Nurture a Growth Mindset through

Perception Theory

Self-Concept Theory

Democratic Practice

Apply these concepts to all words and actions:

our Messages to students

A New Point of Entry:

GROWTH MINDSETSThe research of Dr. Carol Dweck

Successful individuals are mastery-oriented:

• They love learning,

• They seek challenges,

• They value effort, and

• They persist in the face of obstacles.

Why do some people exceed our expectations

and others fail to fulfill their potential?

The answer lies in the experiences that create their SELF-THEORIES. Dweck (2000)

1. Students with high ability are more likely to display mastery-oriented qualities.

2. Success in school directly fosters mastery-oriented qualities.

3. Praise, particularly praising a students’ intelligence, encourages master-oriented qualities.

4. Students confidence in their intelligence is the key to mastery-oriented qualities. Dweck (2000)

Common Beliefs in Our Society: True or False?

The Fixed Mindset

I have a set amount of intelligence and a certain character.

I feel the need to validate myself. Success is about proving I’m smart or talented…smarter or better than others. Superior.

I avoid challenges and risk taking.

I am reluctant to put effort into something that doesn’t come easily to me. You either have ability or you don’t. I feel smart when I don’t make mistakes or when I finish something fast and it’s perfect.

I thrive when things are safely within my grasp. If it’s too challenging, I lose interest.

Effort is for those who don’t have ability. If you have to work at something, you must not be good at it.

Dweck (2006)

“Mindset” : Carol Dweck

The Growth Mindset

I believe that my talent and aptitude can change and grow through effort and experience.

I believe I can develop my ability through learning. Success is about developing myself by learning something new.

Failure is painful, but it doesn’t define me. I have to face it, learn from it and work harder.

I feel smart when I work on something hard for a long time hard and accomplish something I couldn’t do before.

I thrive when I’m stretching myself. The more challenging something is, the more interested I am.

I admire effort more than natural talent. No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites the ability and turns it into accomplishment. Dweck, (2006)

Growth Mindset Role Models

• Who has been a Growth Mindset role model for you?

• How do you model Growth Mindset for your children?

Long term modeling has the most influence!

Praising Effort instead of Intelligence

Praising students for their performance on easy tasks conveys :

– An easy success means they are intelligent. – Errors and Effort mean they are not.

Instead of:“Wow, that’s a really good score. You must be smart

at this.”Try:“Wow, that’s a really good score. You must have

worked really hard.” Dweck, (2008)

A MEANINGFUL SUCCESS REQUIRES EFFORT.

More Growth Mindset Messages:

• “You really stuck to that until you got it. That’s wonderful.”

• “I like how you chose the tough problems to solve. You’re really going to stretch yourself and learn new things.”

• “I know that school used to be a snap for you. What a waste that was. Now you really have an opportunity to develop your abilities.”

Dweck (2008)

Growth Mindsets and Brain Research

• You Can Grow Your Brain: “The human brain can and does grow new neurons. These neurons become functional and are highly correlated with memory, and this process can be regulated.”

• Learning Environment: “The brain is highly susceptible to environmental influences- social physical, cognitive and emotional.”

• Teacher Influence: “From K through 12, students spend 13,000 of their brain development hours with teachers.”

• “A student’s brain will be altered by the experiences they have in school.

Jensen (2005)

Teaching Kids About Brain Plasticity

• Neuroplasticity: The lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experience.

• In order to learn or memorize a fact or skill, there must be persistent functional changes in the brain that represent the new knowledge.

• It’s the ability of the brain to change, or grow, with learning.

Brainology

An online, interactive multimedia instructional program for students in grades 5-8:

“Building students’ confidence, fulfillment and achievement through the understanding of

expandable intelligence.”

www.brainology.us

Children’s Theories About Goodness and Badness

• Young children identify success with goodness and setbacks with badness.

• “Mastery-oriented children have a sense that they are good, and setbacks and criticism don’t disrupt that sense of goodness.”

• “Helpless-response” children also have a sense that they are good until something happens – failure undermines this sense by telling them that they are bad or unworthy.”

• “People with contingent self-worth feel worthy only when they have succeeded. They feel worthy of love only when they behave in a certain way or meet a certain standard.”

Dweck (2000)

Transition to Middle School and Increased Expectations

Students with Fixed Mindsets:• More apprehensive and anxious about school work.• Drops in achievement.• Desire to minimize effort – school work is a chore.

Students with Growth Mindsets:

• Desire for challenge.

• Expectation that mastery takes time and prolonged effort

• Built in GRACE PERIOD: Effort continues while students struggle with increased demands. Dweck (2000)

JAI Comparison of All Students and Students w ith Disabilities

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JAI Comparison Between All Students and Students by ELA Level

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JAI Comparison beween All Students and those Receiving Free or Reduced Lunch

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Adult Mindsets:

• Belief in the potential to change intelligence

• Belief in the potential to change social skills

• Beliefs about what should happen to a wrong doer

• Judging and labeling others

• Forming Stereotypes

How Can We Foster Growth Mindsets?

1.Perceptions

2.Self-Concept Theory

3.Democratic Practice

Develop a Framework for Intentional, Positive Influence

Inviting Change

“An invitation is a purposive act.

It is intended to offer

something beneficial

for consideration.”

Purkey, W. and Novack, J. (1996)

The goal: To provide ample opportunities for students to choose a more beneficial behavior.

Consider Perceptions

Human behavior is based on the way that individuals view the world.

“Every person is behaving in the way that makes the most sense to her or him at that particular instant.”

• What may seem illogical from an external point of view, is only an inadequate understanding of what the world looks like from the internal viewpoint of the behaving person, at the moment of action.”

Purkey and Novak (1996)

Self Concept Is:

•What a person thinks to be true about him or herself.

•A very complex organization of the many characteristics and attributes that make up who you think you are.

•Hard to change: The more you identify with a trait, the harder it is to let go of it.

Messages and Mindsets: An “M & M” Analogy

What is the

function of the M&M shell?

All Behaviors Serve a Function

• All behaviors are to help us gain something or avoid something.

• We select a behavior based on how we perceive our world at that moment.

• The behavior is chosen to protect, maintain or enhance our self concept.

• We are all striving for personal adequacy.

Self Concept Influences Effort

“For struggling students, to study hard and still fail provides unbearable proof of their inadequacy.

It is better, from the students’ viewpoint, not to try than to try and be embarrassed or humiliated.

A person with a negative self-concept defends himself or herself against further loss.” Zimmerman and Allebrand (1965)

Self-Concept Guides Behavior

A disruptive student may be choosing that action in order to

maintain, protect or enhance his or her self-concept.

Educators “who are not aware of the conservative nature of self-concept are likely to expect quick or miraculous changes in others.”

Purkey and Novak(1996)

Establish a Democratic Environment

“Democratic practice is a continuous dialogue and mutual respect among people, regarding shared aspects of their lives.”

“People close to the issues have something important to offer. The ideal of democracy is a “doing-with” approach to people at all levels.” Purkey and

Novak (1996)

Genuine Dialogue

Genuine dialogue is open-ended and “neither party knows at the outset what the outcome or decision will be.”

If we enter into a conversation when we know that our decision is already made, it’s not a dialogue and will be very frustrating for the student.

Noddings (2005)

“The Challenge to Care” : Nell Noddings

Putting Theory into Practice:

The Invitational Teaching Stance

Respect

Trust

Optimism

Care

Intentionality

Positive Mindsets and Messages to Students

The Mindset: The Message:

I am optimistic I see you as able, valuable and responsible.

I see your talents, strengths and potential.

I believe you can make responsible choices

I am respectful I respect your unique individuality.

I will not embarrass, insult or humiliate you.

My respect for you is unconditional.

Positive Mindsets and Messages to Students

The Mindset: The Message:

I am trustworthy

I am consistent in my behavior.

I am truthful and genuine.

The intent of my actions is for your benefit.

You can depend on me.

I am caring. I care about you as a person, not just as a student.

I wish to be a beneficial presence in your life.

I strive to help you to realize your potential

Positive Mindsets and Messages to Students

The Mindset: The Message:

I am intentional.

I intentionally choose words and actions that are:

•Optimistic,

•Respectful,

•Trustworthy and

•Caring.

Final Thoughts

•“Students will do things for people they like and trust.”

•“They listen to people who matter to them and to whom they matter.”

•“Subject matter cannot carry itself. Relation precedes any engagement with subject matter.”

Nel Noddings, 2005

Suggested Reading

Dweck, Carol S. (2008) “Brainology: Transforming Students’ Motivation to Learn”. National Assoc. of Independent Schools. www.nais.org/ismagazinearticlePrint.cfm?print=Y&ItemNumber=150509

Dweck, Carol S. (2006) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York, NY: Random House, Inc

Dweck, Carol S. (2000) Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development. New York, NY: Psychology Press

Greene, Ross (Nov 2008) “Kids Do Well if They Can.” Phi Delta Kappan

Jensen, Eric (2005) Teaching with the Brain in Mind.” 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Suggested Reading

Noddings, N., (2005). The Challenge to Care, 2nd edition. New York, NY: Teachers College Press

Purkey, W. and Novak, J. (1996). Inviting School Success, 3rd Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing

Purkey, W. and Siegel, B. (2003). Becoming an Invitational Leader. Atlanta, GA: Humanics Trade

Purkey, W. and Strahan, D. (2002). Inviting Positive Classroom Discipline. Westerville, OH: Nat Mid Sch Assoc.

Brainology website: www.brainology.us

CASEL website: www.casel.org

Invitational Education website: www.invitationaleducation.net