Building Resiliency

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Building Resiliency

• A Non-Thematic Approach
• Presentation by Karen Griffith, Counselor
• Berkeley Lake Elementary School, Gwinnett County

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What to do

• Balance tradition with resiliency
• Advocate for students
• Foster positive school climate
• Build parent-school connections
• Resiliency based approaches/programs
• 40 Developmental Assets
• Proactive and Preventative

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More Emphasis on Asset-Based Programming

• Recent research focus on protective factors
• Focuses on strengths or assets that exist within
  communities, schools, and families, as well as
  within individuals
• Move from a deficit focus to a strengths approach
• Positive Psychology

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Resiliency Potpourri

• Identify childs assets
• Identify familys assets
• Role model positive behavior
• Encourage participation in extracurricular
  activities
• Encourage identification of values and beliefs
• Teach communication skills
• Teach problem solving skills
• Teach decision making skills
• Help child identify goals and resources
• Encourage child to develop positive sense of self

• Communicate resiliency attitude
• Adopt a strengths perspective
• Provide care and support
• Set high, but realistic expectations for success
• Contribute to others
• Increase positive bonds
• Set and maintain clear boundaries
• Set clear expectations
• Give it time requires patience

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What is resiliency

• Trait or ability that protects individual from
  negative effects of risk and adversity
• Dynamic process
• Adaptive process
• Fosters success

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From NASP
Resiliency Adapting to Adversity
Represents the ability to deal with lifes
challenges in a positive and productive
manner. Underlies successful learning and
healthy development. Plays a central role in a
persons recovery after exposed to trauma or
adversity. Critical to understanding a persons
reaction to trauma or adversity.
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NASP Key Concepts

• Resiliency is essential to success in school and
  life.
• Adults can help children become more resilient.
• Fostering resiliency in children improves school
  outcomes and reduces risk behaviors.

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Whats in Your Wallet?

• Pair up with someone you dont know well and sit
  knee to knee.
• Show your partner one thing you have in your
  wallet or purse that is connected to your
  personal resiliency.
• Explain how it connects.

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The Researchers

• Emmy Werner Ruth Smith
• David Hawkins Richard Catalano
• Bonnie Bernard
• Nan Henderson

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Nan Hendersons 9 Basic Characteristics of
Resiliency Building

• Communicate resiliency attitude
• Adopt a strengths perspective
• Provide care and support
• Set high, but realistic expectations

• Contribute to others
• Increase positive bonds
• Set maintain clear boundaries
• Develop needed life skills
• Give it time

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The Research

• Risk Factors
• Internal
• ADHD, Behavior
• School
• Overcrowding
• Curriculum
• Community
• Mobility
• Few adults
• Drugs, Gangs
• Disasters

• Protective Factors
• Individual
• Cognitive
• Internal Locus of Control
• Self Esteem
• Personality traits
• Family
• Caring Parent
• Parenting Style
• Role Models
• External
• Extracurricular Activities
• Caring Adult
• Positive Peers

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Discuss Who and what made me resilient? How did
they do it? Who and what keeps me resilient now?
How?
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Schedule Sample
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Who-o-o-o?

• Frequent Flyers
• Unique issues
• Something I know about the child

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Why I like it

• Random groupings
• Fits the unique
• Focuses on the child rather than the problem
• The generic brand
• Referral system

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Skills of Resiliency

• Positive Outlook
• Understand and Communicate Feelings
• Health
• Diet, Exercise, Rest
• Sense of Competency

• Social Competency
• Have a friend
• Be a friend
• Stress Management
• Identify and Handle
• Problem Solving
• Goal Setting

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1) Quiz Intro

• Something tangible
• Discussion
• Quiz
• Builders

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2) Positive Outlook

• Interpreting Events
• Stormy vs. Sunny
• Drawings
• Posters
• Quotes

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Positive Outlook for Parents

• Interpreting Events
• Watch TV together
• Talk about mistaken interpretations
• Play What if?

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3) Feelings

• Feelings Faces
• Spectrum
• Feelings Book Drawing
• Make a Poster
• Quotes

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Feelings for Parents

• Build vocabulary
• Practice reading feelings of others
• Talk about empathy
• Read books
• Talk at the dinner table
• Journaling
• Feelings arent right or wrong

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4) Health

• Information Sheets
• Exercise, Diet, Rest
• Web sites
• Plan a Meal
• Make a Plan
• Guest Speaker
• Make a Poster
• Quotes

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Health for Parents
Rest 1012 hours sleep Restful routines No
TV Not just sleep

• Diet
• mypyramid.gov
• Limit junk food
• Limit fast food
• Dinner together
• Plan together

Exercise 60 minutes a day Strength
building Aerobics Flexibility Play
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5) Skill Competency

• I Can Can
• Personal Treasure Chest
• Letter to Self
• Skills/Traits ID
• Accordion Book
• Make a Poster
• Quotes

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Skill Competency for Parents

• Focus on skills
• Celebrate successes
• Let them do it alone
• Honor attempts
• Explore skills and interests

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6) Social Competency

• Friendship Wheel
• Friendship Pledge
• Keeping Friends
• Problem Cards
• Make a Poster
• Quotes

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Social Competency for Parents

• Play dates
• Stay out of disputes
• Role play
• Listen
• Read stories
• Know your child
• Bully?

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7) Stress Management

• Identifying Stressors/Handling Stress
• Partner Poster
• Personal Plan
• Make a Poster
• Quotes

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Stress Management for Parents

• Identify Stressors
• Big ears
• Model it
• Practice
• Boundaries Discipline

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Stressors Identified by Students

• Diving off the high dive
• Spilling stuff
• Getting in trouble
• Not doing something well
• Forgetting your homework

• Talking in front of the class
• Reading a book to someone you dont know
• First day of school
• Not knowing how to spell a word
• Swimming
• Breaking News

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Ways to Handle Stress Identified by Students

• Take a deep breath
• Talk to a friend
• Practice more
• Study harder
• See yourself doing it well

• Take a walk
• Talk to a parent
• Talk to a teacher
• Pretend you can do it
• Practice with someone you trust

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8) Problem Solving

• Decision Helper
• Teach a Model
• Practice
• Make a Poster
• Quotes

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I CAN

• Identify the problem.
• Can you name solutions?
• Analyze the solutions.
• Now, pick one and use it.

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Problem Solving for Parents

• Limited choices
• Teach steps
• Practice on small stuff
• Teach specific skills
• Allow consequences
• Use TV
• Read stories

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9) Goal Setting

• The Cheshire Cat
• How to
• Goal Sheets
• Make a Poster
• Quotes

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Goal Setting for Parents

• The Cheshire Cat
• Teach it
• Short term vs. Long term
• Write it down
• Be realistic
• Make a plan
• Look for examples
• Practice

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Books to Grow WithA Guide to Using the Best
Childrens Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough
Challengesby Cheryl Coon
ISBN 0-9748025-7-3
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One ship sails East And another West By the
self-same winds that blow. Tis the set of the
sails And not the gales That tells the way we
go. Ella Wheeler Wilcox