Brain/Trauma/ACES
True or False: Fight, Flight, Freeze is part of the stress response system.
True
In your own words, define regulation and dysregulation.
Regulation: Ability to experience and maintain stress within one’s window of tolerance for the given moment. Being in our upper brain.
Dysregulation: Being stressed out. Being in our lower brain.
Change thought from looking at behaviors as being good or bad, to being regulated or dysregulated individuals.
“I can’t help you with this. I’ve got 25 other kids in this classroom.” Rephrase this statement in order to build the relationship.
“We’ll get through this together. Every single student in this class is important."
You are the key to creating calm. Therefore, your own self-care is vital. Share 3 self-care tools in your toolbox.
Endless answers!
Compare and Contrast the functions of the Upstairs and Downstairs Brain
Upstairs: Thinking, Empathy, Movement
Downstairs: Breathing, Heartrate, Fight/Flight/Freeze
Name 3 "Fight" and 3 "Flight" behaviors you might see in your classroom.
Fight: Unable to focus/sit still,Will not adhere to rules, Aggressive, resistant to directives, Argumentative, Anxious before tests, Impulsive. risk-taking
Flight: Defiant, withdraws from peers, tardy, Absent, Disassociates – shuts down, Avoids tasks, Numbs out – “I don’t care attitude, Forgetful
When seeing a dysregulated person, instead of thinking or asking....What’s wrong with you??
Think or ask.........
What happened to you?
And....
How can I help you?
Compare and contrast Restorative Practices versus Traditional Discipline Systems.
Traditional: What school rule has been violated? Who is guilty? Who has been hurt/violated? Focus on the past. A teacher/administrator decides on sentence and verdict. Justice is achieved when the school decides on guilt and the appropriate sanctions.
Restorative Practices: Violation of relations or person. Who has been hurt/violated? What needs does the hurt person have? Focus on the future, needs and emotions. Who is obligated to put things in order again? Justice is achieved by the parties involved in the conflict and the school collaborating in order to ‘repair the harm’
True or False: The 3 E's of Trauma include events, experience, effects.
True
Describe co-regulation with a reactive child and a well-regulated teacher.
Being present, patient, parallel, and persistent will calm a stressed brain and decrease explosive behaviors.
Explain the 2 x 10 strategy for building a relationship.
For 10 days, take 2 minutes a day "getting to know" the interests of an individual.
Teaching Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making fits under the ODE learning domain of ____________.
Social-Emotional Learning
Adverse Childhood Experiences are likely to lead to disrupted neurodevelopment, social/emotional/cognitive impairment, adoption of health-risk behaviors, disease/disability/social problems, and ___________.
Early death
Name 3 ways to "Regulate before you Educate".
Meet Physiological Needs, Consider Environmental Changes, Offer Movement, Use Repetition and Rhythm, Incorporate Breathing/Yoga/Mindfulness, Use Visual Supports, Establish Clear Expectations/Rules/Procedures
Name 3 strategies to create a "family" or "community" environment.
Morning meetings/circles - (Check-Ins)
Students involved in creating the culture of the classroom …ownership leads to “buy-in!”
Celebrations
Board and Card Games
No-Technology Time
Name two possible methods to teach emotional regulation.
Zones of Regulation
5 point scale
Body scan: Help students identify what the changes are inside the body and how that connects to their changes in emotions
Model, use the language
SEL curriculum
True or False and Why? Developmental Trauma strengthens functions of the upper brain instead of the lower brain.
False: With developmental trauma, more time has been spent exercising skills in survival (fight/flight/freeze). Less time has been spent forming neuroconnections to the cortex.
Why is it helpful to think about regulated and dysregulated states of an infant when attempting to achieve a regulated state in school age children?
Strategies that tend to calm the baby often tend to calm us throughout life. Babies have limited cortex development. They rely on the ability of the lower brain to self-soothe along with safe caregivers to meet their needs. This in turn, builds neural connections for self-regulation.
Explain the concept of "Connect Before you Correct".
It is important to strengthen the student-teacher relationship in order to build a sense of safety and trust. Working together strengthens reasoning and problem solving skills.
Why is it important for students to learn about the hand brain and "flipping your lid"?
Often students believe they are the cause of all the problems in their life or that everyone else is the reason they are having problems.
It’s a brain issue, not a behavioral issue. Students need to understand this to develop accountability for actions. Our job is to help students learn to regulate, not simply behave.