The "Why" Behind Classroom Behaviors

Pay attention to your facial expression, your tone of voice, your volume of voice, your posture, your body position. Pay attention to your student’s facial expression, tone of voice, volume of voice, posture, body position. These are all ways of communication. The ultimate goal here is to create a sense of safety. Oftentimes we try to jump in with talking to “fix” what is happening. The added auditory input and cognitive load associated with verbal communication can escalate a student’s dysregulation. Just BE with that student and tap into your nonverbal communication.

What assumptions do you make about your students’ behaviors? What questions do you still need to ask? What information do you still need to gather? What supports can you put into place to increase the safety, co-regulation, and relationship with the student? Start there.

When things get hard with a student, take a step back from the situation. Check in with your regulation. Find a way to co-regulate with –- truly connect to-- your student. And then move forward. Maybe this means a writing assignment doesn’t get completed. Maybe this means she doesn’t even start a math worksheet. Maybe this means he doesn’t participate in a science experiment. But it does mean that you communicate that you will be there–- you will sit in the challenges with understanding. And you will value the relationship more than the output. How do you establish shared joy with your students?

Classrooms are fully of sensory inputs, that's for sure. The good news is that sensory information can be influenced by relationships. Safe, attuned relationships can make negative sensory experiences feel less threatening, allowing a student to tolerate something that may typically result in dysregulation.

My 3-year old daughter illustrated this the other day when she said, referencing a blower outside, “That was a loud noise, Mommy. But you were there.” Normally this experience would cause her to run inside. But not on this occasion-- she stayed outside and continued to play because she felt safe even amidst a threatening noise. This may not always be the case, but in this moment her brain responded differently. And this matters.

Educators, for those students who have sensory processing differences, consider how your safe, attuned presence can positively influence their learning experiences.

Pre-order our book Creating Sensory Smart Classrooms today on Routledge.com or Amazon.com!

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I just submitted the final proofs for our new book, Creating Sensory Smart Classrooms! Pre-order your copy here: https://www.routledge.com/Creating-Sensory-Smart-Classrooms-A-Practical-Guide-for-Educators/Chaves-Taylor/p/book/9780367501013

This books gives you a chance to explore the sensory systems and how they apply to the classroom setting. There are tons of ideas for how you can make your classrooms more sensory inclusive to facilitate the relationships, regulation, and engagement of all your students (and yourself)!

Already back in the classroom? Headed back to the classroom soon? Consider some of the tips we wrote about in our latest blog.

https://corwin-connect.com/2020/12/home-sweet-classroom-5-things-to-consider-when-transitioning-back-to-in-person-teaching/

Home Sweet Classroom: 5 Things to Consider When Transitioning Back to In-Person Teaching | Corwin Connect Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin Educators, you’ve been waiting for this moment for the past four (or five, or six) months: the return to your classroom. Home away from home. This is the platform where you thrive. While most of you likely can’t wait […]

Students need to be regulated, oftentimes through relationships, in order to learn. Teachers need to be regulated, oftentimes through relationships, in order to teach. Students do well when they can. Teachers do well when they can. When students or teachers are not doing well, we need to ask "why" and provide the necessary supports. Behaviors is communication, so simply eliminating the behavior only impedes communication (and can damage the relationship or result in more dysregulation). Keep asking "why".

Educators, as you (prepare to) transition back to in-person teaching, consider that many students may experience sensory overstimulation when entering the classroom. Their nervous systems will need time to adjust. Your calm, collaborative presence will be an important part of making them feel safe...and heard.

The Center for Connection is excited to share our next online Educator Wellness Meet-up! Our next meeting will take place on November 13th, 2020, at 4:00 pm PST, and focuses on "Parenting while Teaching During a Pandemic".

Our special guest speaker will be Olivia Martinez-Hauge. Olivia is a parent, as well as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and school-based Occupational Therapist.

Gather with fellow educators and parents to discuss the multitude of challenges that educators who have children of their own face, including balancing the expectations of work and home, feelings of guilt and discouragement, and the difficulty of meeting their own self-care needs.

This meet-up will benefit parents and educators without children alike, as Olivia will provide concrete take-aways and strategies for creating balance, boundaries, and sanity during the day.

Click the link below to register. The signup form takes about a minute and this is a FREE offering, but donations are welcome. We'd love to have you join us and hope you'll help us reach more teachers by sharing this post.

https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/cfcgroups/2020/4/18/educator-wellness-meet-up

Interesting insight from students across the nation.

How to improve schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to students Student experience across the country has been vastly different during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the common problems and ideas from them.

In her latest blog post, Sarah R. Moore of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting discusses sticker charts and why we encourage teachers to reconsider using them in the classroom. Instead, we want teachers to think about how to close the expectation gap for students to help them thrive at school.

https://dandelion-seeds.com/positive-parenting/sticker-chart/

Rethinking the Sticker Chart: Expert Advice - Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting In a recent interview with Drs. Ashley Taylor & Jamie Chaves, they spoke about the sticker chart, mirror neurons, & how we can best support children's learning.

Children that have been traumatized may not feel safe and may be more likely to enter a hyper-vigilant state. This can lead to distress behaviors when the child becomes overwhelmed and/or triggered. When compliance demands are placed on the child that they are unable to meet the situation may escalate. This may lead to fight, flight or freeze behavior, which may lead to punishment and and retraumatization. It's a cycle that must be broken!

We had a wonderful conversation with Sarah Moore of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting about understanding the roles of regulation and connection in the classroom (or in the at-home learning environment) between students and their teachers.

https://dandelion-seeds.com/positive-parenting/jamie-chaves-and-ashley-taylor/

Video interview w/ Jamie Chaves and Ashley Taylor - Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting Understanding the roles of regulation and connection in the classroom (or in the at-home learning environment) between students and their teachers.

In our book we explore how impacts the regulation of all students and how students with have unique needs in the classroom.

It's easy to get frustrated when we feel like there has been a setback with a particular student. We might think, "They did it yesterday, how come they can't do it today?" Remember the brain is still growing and making positive connections!

Distance learning is hard. For everyone. In our book we talk about the , which exists for everyone right now-- teachers, students, parents. Right now we need to focus on shifting expectations and building skills in order to close the expectation gap-- through relationships is a great place to start. What expectations need to be shifted for you, for parents, for students? What skills need to be bolstered for you, for parents, for students?

This excerpt taken from our book is likely something to which you can relate right now: "This gap signifies that a student cannot meet the necessary expectations set for her...not that the student is overtly refusing to meet them. Often the student's nervous system arousal is heightened to the point where she cannot perform the necessary academic demands, no matter how hard she tries."

Image credit to Hunt Dougherty

The "Why" Behind Classroom Behaviors added a Shop on Website button to their Page.

Educators: right now focusing on relationships and regulation with your students is a huge priority. Both of these serve as a precursor to learning especially during these stressful times. This can be challenging on a virtual learning platform, but there are ways that you can experience shared joy through mini moments throughout the day.

In our book, The "Why" Behind Classroom Behaviors, we discuss the Breathe-Body-Begin method to help get you and the student regulated before engaging in these moments of shared joy. 1) Stop and take 3 deep breaths together, 2) Pay attention to what your body is telling you about your feelings, 3) Begin to express your feelings and communicate your needs.

Want more? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqSBi9IVhik

Want even more? https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/the-why-behind-classroom-behaviors-prek-5/book273763

Corwin

When we experience trauma or toxic stress it often feels as though everything is out of control. Right now so many things feel out of control. Dr. Jamie Chaves and I put together this as way to help us reconnect with what we do have control over and how we can find ways to incorporate mini moments of shared joy throughout the day. The "Why" Behind Classroom Behaviors
And thanks to Hunt Dougherty for the graphics.

The "Why" Behind Classroom Behaviors updated their website address.