Post on 31-Dec-2015
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The SAD Brain
Strategies that Help Distressed, Anxious or Depressed Learners
Saints Institute of Teaching & LearningWith much appreciation for all you do!
mary@maryfowler.com
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Your Role
• Witness (watch, notice, name)
• Empathize (not sympathize) & Appreciate
• Build Resource Capacity (enable, not disable)
Stop Beliefing! Start Observing.
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SAD Students NEED
• Loving support of a competent caring adult• Words to tell the stories they live by• Absence of inescapable stress• Buffers and protective shields • Talents expressed & nurtured• Sense of mastery• “Required helpfulness” (Rachman ’79)
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Phrases that Irk
• I know you can do this.• You were so well-behaved yesterday.• You don’t want to let your group down, do
you?• You should know the rules by now!• Why are you behaving that way!*?!• I’m only trying to help you.• I really care about you, so why don’t you care?
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Learners w Disturbed Emotions
• Mis-read Situations
• Mis-perceive Threat
• “One size fits all” context
• Susceptible to emotional states
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Limbic System
–PFC has no direct connectivity w emotional system
– Emotional system has lots of connectivity w thinking system
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Appraisal
• SNS—readies us for reaction• PSNS—calm in eye of storm, restorer
Threat or Challenge?Dependent on resources & perception of resources.
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Knee-jerk AppraisalsArousal > Appraisal > Reaction or Action
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From Reaction to Response
Prefrontal Cortex• Reality testing• Error monitoring• Guide thought and attention• Inhibit inappropriate actions• Regulate emotion
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To Influence Resource Appraisal
Quiet the Biology Physical, emotional, mental
Deliberately Design Positive Emotional Systems
Build Resource Capacity Structures, skills, strategies, supports
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Space Savers
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Build Capacity—3 C’s
It’s not what happens to you but how you handle it. Suzanne Kobasa
3 Stress-hardy Characteristics
• Commitment—involved, sense of belonging, purpose, can make a difference
• Challenge—opportunities not crises, possibilities not limitations
• Control—ability to take influential action
Positive Social Climate Builders
• Social Referencing—eyes• Familiar Friendly Face—connection • Ordinary Magic—mind over mess
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Small Steps
Essential Question
• If the story is not working, what is the choice or action that will shift the story?
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Meaning, Purpose, Mastery
Personal relevance & meaning
Story larger than self(philanthropy)
Sense of capability or capacity building.
Authentic Tasks
A Cause—be of service (Learningtogive.org)
Supports & Scaffolds
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Micro-size
The journey of a thousand miles begins w one small step.
• Set goals—build goal getting skills.• Break it down—seeds make trees.• Take a break—avoid meltdown.• Negotiate how much—increase w graph.• Student assessment.
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Healing Power of Relationship
I will act as though what I do makes a difference.
Wm. James
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Recommended Resources
• Capacitar.org (emergency tool kit for teachers)• Learning to Give. Org• On Playing A Poor Hand Well, Mark Katz• The Neuropsychology of Emotional Disorders:
(Feiffer, et.al.) Chapter 11, “Mindful Discipline for Distressed Learners.” Mary Fowler
• The Drama of the Gifted Child, Alice Miller• Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Robert Sapolsky