JOIN UP!! With Students who Dare You to Trust and Teach!
JOIN UP/ ALL BEHAVIOR IS COMMUNICATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYtTz9GtAT4&t=625s
Today I learned deeply! I am so excited to share a new part of my presentations as we sit beside students who dare us to teach them and connect with them! In this video, we see a 24 month old 1200 pound mature for his age thoroughbred ( just like our many of our students who are "young carers" in their environments having responsibilities they should never have at their age), who has never had a saddle or rider!
As I studied this documentary today, these approaches can be implemented in our classrooms with students who come in with heightened levels of stress and negative behavior. The key is staying connected through the conflict! This horse has had traditional punishment without sustainable change! Like many of our students, he is prey ( although our students can often times look and act as predators!) Our students sometimes see their teachers and administrators as predators. I will be teaching this in depth in our grad class but I want to share with everyone!
1. He looks around/ checks the environment as horses are always carrying a heightened stress response as prey do! As students, they watch all nonverbal communication from their teachers ... postures, tone of voice, and facial expression... they look to see who their audience is!
2. He then empties his gut so he weighs less than the other horses to flee a predator One pound / per 1/2 link - our students do this by posturing and preparing to shut down, fight or run and they unintentionally empty their Prefrontal Cortex moving into the amygdala ... readying for the fight or shut down! Just as horses compete for survival, so do our students with saving face in front of their peers... Peers are watching the encounters with teachers which can elevate the stress response brain state.
3. Student goes away- cussing, threatening, posturing, and exiting!! As the teacher, just like in this documentary, I want the student to leave me... meaning "I will stay with you, no matter your choices and behavior." So to join up, I have to allow my students to go away and know I accept you and am not going away... no matter your behavior or choices... not negating consequences... but allowing she or he to leave me! Once the trust and connection begins to occur, then the join up begins in small steps!
4. Licks and chews, head down, making smaller circles, and ear to the teacher... what does this look like in the classroom?
5. We create an environment where students can reset their brain state and amygdala (regulation), validate, ask the questions that model a "feeling felt" and provide a smaller circle of connection with opportunities to share their strengths, interests, passions and expertise!
More to come!!