Raising Happiness In Our

Schools

• What are you Grateful for?

What do you hope to Learn today?

What are you looking Forward to?

Why Talk About Happiness

• Old School Values: Hierarchy, Obedience, Authority

• Epidemic levels of depression, suicide, and anxiety disorders affecting children

• “What is it that we most want our children to be?”

Why Is Happiness Important?

What Can Positive Emotions Do?

What about Negative Emotions?• Those happy people who are a

tad less joyful than the happiest also have positive outcomes…higher income, academic achievement, job satisfaction, and political participation.– A little dissatisfaction can

motivate us and set us in motion

Conflict is a Good Thing

• We can learn from all emotions…

– We Need Both!

Our Goal is to teach students how to cultivate and grow positive emotions and to understand and make negative emotions work for them rather than against them.

We can choose how to address conflict…First Method-• “Just stop it” – does not teach

conflict resolution or how to resolve conflicts themselves or own their own.

Second Method-• Adult acts as Mediator or Coach

to help increase self-confidence and self-esteem in students

10 Steps to Peace

• Breath• Address Situation – point out that there

is a problem to be solved• Get Everyone Calm!• Have everyone state what they want –

40% of uncoached kids fail to state what they are wanting out of the conflict

• Express their feelings – In the form of “I – statements” Ex. “I feel X when you do Y”

10 Steps to Peace

• Have them state the reasons why they want this and how they are feeling

• Have everyone communicate their understanding of the other person’s wants, feelings, and reasons (building empathy)

• Change the focus to problem-solving

• Ask them to come up with three solutions together

10 Steps to Peace

• Agree on the solution that maximizes both people’s benefits. Shake hands!

What They Think

• Children are great perceivers but poor interpreters of

emotions• Remember that kids feel deeply when

others are upset Model resolving differences

and taking charge of your on

well- being

Social Literacy

• Resilience in the face of difficulty requires social intelligence.

• Social and emotional intelligence is a skill, not an inborn trait.

• The key is to build a skill that allows them to “read” the many changing feelings and emotions of those around them.

“Happy

Gene”• Personality is not predetermined at

birth, and neither is happiness!• Happiness is a collection of habits

rather than a genetically endowed trait• Nearly half-maybe more – of the

factors that determine children’s happiness can be attributed to the environment they are raised in.

• “Its biologically impossible for a gene to operate independent of its environment”. Daniel Goleman

Ways to Raise Happiness…

Move Your Body!

Grow Your Brain?• Old research believed the brain stopped growing when we

reach full height!• We now know that the brain is a muscle

Exercise it and it will grow!!

Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask

First!• We become similar

emotionally the more we are together– It is the person with the

least power in the relationship who becomes more emotionally similar to the other.

• Emotions are Contagious!• If we want happy schools we

must create that climate from the inside out.

Two For One Special!• There are many things we

can do to increase our student’s Happiness.

• Teach your students the skills to be happy and you’ll become happier yourself!

Free Hugs and Peaceful Pounds

“High Return” Achievement Factor: “R” for Relationships (multi-level)

Relationship building skills are a top factor

correlated with student achievement.

Hamre BK, Pianta RC. (2001) Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children's school outcomes through eighth grade. Child Dev. 2001Mar-Apr;72(2):625-38.

Maldonado-Carreño C, Votruba-Drzal E.(2011) Teacher-child relationships and the development of academic and behavioral skills during elementary school: a within-and between-child analysis. Child Dev. Mar-Apr;82(2):601-16.

Malti T, Schwartz SE, Liu CH, Noam GG. (2008) Program evaluation: relationships as key to student development. New Dir Youth Dev. Winter;(120):151-77, Table of Contents. PubMed PMID: 19170118.

O'Connor E. (2010) Teacher-child relationships as dynamic systems. J Sch. Psychol. Jun;48(3):187-218.

Invest in Relationships• Teacher to Students (be caring and

teach students relationship skills and show you care about their family)

• Students to Students (teach and model collaboration, teamwork and support )

• Staff to Staff (collaborate, be honest, be fair and be kind to each other, always keeping the big picture in mind)

Investing in Families"I remember complaining about how the parents seemed to never care about their kids. Then I envisioned them as busy, high income CEOs, juggling meetings, who loved their kids like crazy. I realized it didn't matter whether the parents were a CEO or did low pay service work. Parents are busy! If I had to reschedule, make a home visit or arrive early at school, I did it. It was me that had to change. And I did."

Maia Heyck-Merlin, 4th gr. teacher in LA

Relationship Building

Which do I use daily?a) Discover 1 new thing daily

about at least 1 kid per class (something done well, family, etc.)

b) Ask them about their personal livesc) Give them respect for itd) Build on strengths tactfullye) Let students display talents

Respectful, Caring Respectful, Caring RelationshipsRelationshipsDo I currently do any of these:

• Call all kids by name daily?• Greet kids entering and/or

leaving the room?• Ask about their hobbies,

family and interests?• Ask about, and know, their

own personal and academic challenges and dreams?

Relationship QsDo I currently do any of these:

• Always acknowledge responses in class?

• Smile at students whether they’re your favorite or not?

• Always use personal courtesies (“please, thank you, pardon me,” etc.)

• Visit the student’s neighborhood, go to a game or community event?

Relationships Establish and Maintain Your Social Status

Social status is correlated with:

• immune system strength• health and longevity

• neurogenesis• cognitionSapolsky, R., 2007

More Info On Building Relationships

• www.ehow.com/how_7849632_build-relationships-classroom.html

• www.nea.org/tools/29469.htm• http://chad-mcphail.suite101.com/

building-relationships-with-students-a121107

• www.partnership4learning.org/resources/blog/building-relationships-difficult-students

What’s Your Happy Meter Read?

Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug.

Og Mandino

Expect Effort and Enjoyment, Not

Perfection

1. Motivate Kids Using the Growth Mindset

2. Teach and Practice Gratitude

3. Build Hope and Optimism

Understanding Mind-Set

• Mind-Set…our beliefs about what makes someone successful

– This can profoundly influence how kids feel about school, how successful they are academically, athletically and even socially or artistically.

Two Basic Mind-Sets

Fixed Mind-SetPeople with a fixedmind-set believe

thattheir talents, personalities and success are inborn

and carved in stone.

Growth Mind-SetPeople with a growthmind-set believe that success is a result of effort as much as or more than aptitude.

Fixed Mind-Set

“You had a great game! You are a natural basketball player just like your Dad”.

• Research has shows profound consequences when kids believe their talents or success are innate rather than something they develop

Fixed Mind-Set

• When we praise the “gift” the student feels great and want to prove their gift over and over.– Kids want to keep this special label

and avoid learning new things– Choose activates based on weather

they will succeed or fail, look smart or dumb

– Fixed mind-set thinking undervalues the role of effort in the learning process

Fixed Mind-Set

• When in a fixed mind-set, having to make an effort is an indication that you lack natural talent, brains etc.

• When a student is told he is brilliant but can’t easily solve a math problem, he/she asks, “were they all wrong?”– This makes learning new material,

taking risk and new challenges difficult

Growth Mind-Set

“You did really well on your math test. Studying, turning in your homework and hard work paid off”.

We can create a growth mind-set by clearly sending the message that effort is more important than achievement.

**Define success as how hard kids try rather than on grades and who won.

Growth Mind-Set

• Students with growth mind –set tend to be more engaged, happier and more willing to push themselves outside their comfort zone.

Create a Growth Mind-Set

Praise the process of what the student is

doing and not the end result.– The Effort!– Ask Questions……What did you have

to do to get such great results?– Praise kids on a job well done

without pointing out what they could have done better. A good job is a good job!

Create a Growth Mind-Set cont.

• Create a culture where mistakes and failures are celebrated not feared.– Teach your students that sometimes we

make mistakes and that shows growth and pushing themselves outside their comfort area

– Kids who are free from the fear of failure don’t need the good opinions of others to get through life

– They lead lives based on higher principals and can learn from them and stay authemtic

Cohen, G. L., Garcia, J., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Apfel, N., & Brzustoski, P. (2009). Recursive processes in self-affirmation: Intervening to close the minority achievement gap. Science, 324, 400–403.

African-American students completed four writing exercises about how their values mattered to them and had helped in their lives. This thought process helped increase the GPA of these 7th/8th graders by a ¼ point!

Reflective Writing 4X/yr, Connecting Effort with Values Raises Grades

Teach and Practice Gratitude

Why Should We Teach and Practice Gratitude?• A joyful life at any age is a

function of the positive emotions we experience. Positive emotions are skills and habits we can teach our children– 40% of our happiness comes from

intentional choices about the activities we pursue.

– Gratitude is a learned skill just like kicking a ball.

An Emotion that Ties…• Gratitude must be taught in a

culture with “entitlement issues”

• We must take a deliberate approach to teach social and emotional skills in the classroomWE WANT TO INCREASE THE

VALUE OF OTHERS

Why Gratitude Is Powerful• The more we practice gratitude

the more we see the goodness around and among us.

• It creates a positive attitude when you are in the practice of seeing the good

• In turn we increase our own self-worth

The Benefits of Gratitude…those who practice• Considered more enthusiastic,

interested, and determined• Feel 25 percent happier• Are more likely to be kind and

helpful to others• Sleep better

Try This

• Journaling a “Gratitude list” – collection of things that they are thankful for

• Classroom Compliment Charts – listing things they are thankful for from their fellow students

• School “Gratitude Box” –gives everyone the opportunity to recognize others in the building

Foster a Culture With Hope and Optimism

“High Return” Achievement Factor: Hope and Growth Mindset

Academic Optimism/Classroom Climate is top factor in nearly every

comprehensive study.

•Hoy WK, Tarter CJ, Hoy AW (2006). Academic optimism of schools: A force for student achievement . American Education Research Journal. Sept; 43(3): 425-446.

•Mangels JA, Butterfield B, Lamb J, Good C, Dweck CS. Why do beliefs about intelligence influence learning success? A social cognitive neuroscience model. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2006 Sep;1(2):75-86.

•Rand KL. Hope and optimism: latent structures and influences on grade expectancy and academic performance. J Pers. 2009 Feb;77(1):231-60.

•Zimmerman BJ (1992). Self-Motivation for Academic Attainment: The Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Personal Goal Setting. American Education Research Journal. Sep; 29(3): 663-676.

Hope is a Powerful Emotional State

• The state is one of positive expectation. It requires a positive picture or voice of a good outcome in your brain to create the feeling.

• Hope occurs when you purposefully place optimistic and compelling, believable outcomes of a better future in your head.

• Say things like, “When you graduate…” not “If you graduate.” Or, “With an extra half hour of effort, you should be able to finish that off.”

Hope Made Visible, Everyday• "That positive attitude

will get you pretty far."• "I knew you could do

that! Let's talk about your future!

• "I think you'll be ready for the next step pretty soon."

• When you go to college, or whatever awesome job you choose…"

Build Career Hope with EarlyDream Support

Grades K-12 Hobby clubs to learn basic skills, cooking, gardening, board and games. Also consider career clubs: future teacher, scientist, activist, tour guide, writers, eco-champion, tech asst., etc.

Future Writer!

Building Hope & Optimism• K-5 go to: www.adopt-a-college.org to start

building the reality of a college education• Academic enrichment programs like

SuperCamp are held on college campuses• Establish a college scholarship committee

for every single kid at the secondary level. Begin with 9th graders: 1) Link colleges to their interests, 2) help them take the coursework needed, 3) help them find scholarships, 4) get them academic help

Why are States So Critical?

Complex Learning RequiresBackground Knowledge, Working Memory, Processing Skills, Long-term Retrieval and Risk-Taking. These all Require Positive Learning States.

In May of 2013, there are 3,199 peer-reviewed scientific studies matching the keywords of "state-dependent human behaviors."

Student Behaviors are State Dependent

• To get the behavior you want, first notice what state they’re already in.

• Then ask yourself if they’re in a state that would allow them to say, “Yes.”

If not, change their state to a more receptive state before asking them for the behavior.

Open or Closed State?

In closed states, behavior is predictable; it’s usually “No way” or “Whatever.” To get a more positive response, shift the state first. Always think...“Better states get better results!”

As an Example…Before asking students to go to another table, get supplies, stretch, or create a group…first, ask them to either1) interact with a neighbor

2) take a deep breath

3) use hands or feet, lead

with action!Get them in motion before you ask them to get going!

That’s why…There’s No Such Thing as an Unmotivated Student… Only Students in Unmotivated States!

Instructional Climate is Based on Teacher's Will and Skill to Consistently Orchestrate Positive Learning States

10% of Teachers "live" Here

in Class

70% of Teachers "live" in Both of These "Zones"

20% of Teachers "live" Here Most of

the Time

MostlyBad

States

MostlyPositiveStates

Mixture of ManyStates

Top 20% Teachers Consistently Orchestrate Key Learning States

Anticipation

CuriositySuspenseInquisitiveIntrigueConfusionExpectantPuzzledChallenge

d

BoredFrustratedGiddyHungryAngryHystericalApatheticSuspiciousAnnoyedRevengefulSuspiciousDumfoundedSleepyDelirious

Focus on Where You Have the Greatest Influence Right Now

IQ CharacterPersonality States!

Focus on Getting Students in Optimal States; the Behaviors You Want Will Follow

• Can you ask a more compelling Q?• Can you get students up and moving?• Can you bring a student up front?• Can you have students stand and

stretch?• Can you switch the social conditions?• Can you let teams provide an activity?• Can you use music to shift states?(P.S. Expert teachers do these all day

long)

State Changes I Can Use to Engage Students for Better Effort in Learning

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Village Is Built on KindnessThose who bring sunshine into the

lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

-James M. Barrie

365 Project video

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu

Free Hugs!