A Resilient JourneyA Resilient Journey

Steve SalvaSteve Salva

CASC PresidentCASC President

2011-20122011-2012

ResilienceResilience

• Our studentsOur students• Our workplaceOur workplace• Our stateOur state• OurselvesOurselves

DefinedDefined

• Resilience in psychology refers to the idea of Resilience in psychology refers to the idea of an individual’s tendency to cope with stress an individual’s tendency to cope with stress and adversity. and adversity.

• Bouncing back to a state of normal Bouncing back to a state of normal functioning or using the experience of functioning or using the experience of exposure to adversity to produce a steeling exposure to adversity to produce a steeling effect and function better than expected.effect and function better than expected.

• Resilience most commonly understood as a Resilience most commonly understood as a process not a trait.process not a trait.

-Wikipedia-Wikipedia Psychological resiliencePsychological resilience

Building Resilience in Building Resilience in ChildrenChildren

Learn to be more Learn to be more resilient by changing resilient by changing how we think about how we think about challenges and challenges and adversities.adversities.

• CompetenceCompetence• ConfidenceConfidence• ConnectionConnection• CharacterCharacter• ContributionContribution• Coping Coping • ControlControl

CompetenceCompetence

Describes the feeling of knowing that Describes the feeling of knowing that you can handle a situation effectively.you can handle a situation effectively.

• Help children focus on individual Help children focus on individual strengthsstrengths

• Empowering children to make Empowering children to make decisionsdecisions

• Recognize individual competencies Recognize individual competencies and avoid comparisonand avoid comparison

ConfidenceConfidence

A child’s belief in his/her own abilities is A child’s belief in his/her own abilities is derived from competence. Build confidence derived from competence. Build confidence by:by:

• Focusing on the best in each child so they Focusing on the best in each child so they can see it as well- recognize when they do can see it as well- recognize when they do wellwell

• Clearly express best qualities such as Clearly express best qualities such as fairness, integrity, persistence and kindnessfairness, integrity, persistence and kindness

• Not pushing the child to take on more than Not pushing the child to take on more than he or she can realistically handlehe or she can realistically handle

ConnectionConnection

Developing close ties to family and community Developing close ties to family and community creates a solid sense of security that leads creates a solid sense of security that leads to strong values and prevents alternative to strong values and prevents alternative destructive paths to love and attention.destructive paths to love and attention.

• Build a sense of physical safety and Build a sense of physical safety and emotional security at home and schoolemotional security at home and school

• Allow expression of all emotions-they will Allow expression of all emotions-they will reach out later in difficult timesreach out later in difficult times

• Address conflict openly to resolve problemsAddress conflict openly to resolve problems• Foster healthy relationships that will Foster healthy relationships that will

reinforce positive messages reinforce positive messages

CharacterCharacter

Children need to develop a solid set of Children need to develop a solid set of morals and values to determine right from morals and values to determine right from wrong and demonstrate a caring attitude wrong and demonstrate a caring attitude towards otherstowards others

• Demonstrate how behaviors affect othersDemonstrate how behaviors affect others• Demonstrate the importance of communityDemonstrate the importance of community• Encourage the development of spiritualityEncourage the development of spirituality• Avoid racist or hateful statements or Avoid racist or hateful statements or

stereotypesstereotypes

ContributionContribution

The world is a better place because we The world is a better place because we are in it. Understand that contribution are in it. Understand that contribution can serve as a source of purpose and can serve as a source of purpose and motivationmotivation

• Many people in the world do not have Many people in the world do not have what they needwhat they need

• Stress the importance of serving Stress the importance of serving others by modeling generosityothers by modeling generosity

• Create opportunities to contribute in Create opportunities to contribute in some specific waysome specific way

CopingCoping

Learning to cope effectively with stress will Learning to cope effectively with stress will make students better prepared to make students better prepared to overcome life’s challengesovercome life’s challenges

• Model positive coping strategiesModel positive coping strategies• Simply telling someone to stop negative Simply telling someone to stop negative

behaviors will not be effectivebehaviors will not be effective• Risky behaviors are attempts to alleviate Risky behaviors are attempts to alleviate

the stress and pain in kids’ daily lifethe stress and pain in kids’ daily life• Do not condemn for negative behaviors-Do not condemn for negative behaviors-

potential to increase sense of shamepotential to increase sense of shame

ControlControl

Children who realize that they can control the Children who realize that they can control the outcomes of their decisions are more likely to outcomes of their decisions are more likely to realize that they have the ability to bounce realize that they have the ability to bounce backback

• Empower them to understand life’s events are Empower them to understand life’s events are not purely random and most things happen as not purely random and most things happen as the result of another’s choices and actionsthe result of another’s choices and actions

• Understand that discipline is about teaching Understand that discipline is about teaching (not punishing or controlling) and can help (not punishing or controlling) and can help them to understand actions produce certain them to understand actions produce certain consequencesconsequences

Development of Development of ResilienceResilience

Children need to know there is an Children need to know there is an adult in their life who believes in adult in their life who believes in them and loves them unconditionallythem and loves them unconditionally

Kids will live up or down to our Kids will live up or down to our expectationsexpectations

Overview of StressOverview of Stress

• Will always be in our livesWill always be in our lives• Important tool that can aid in our survivalImportant tool that can aid in our survival• Body’s reaction mediated through a complex Body’s reaction mediated through a complex

interplay of sensory input-sights and sounds-as interplay of sensory input-sights and sounds-as well as brain, nervous system, hormones, cells well as brain, nervous system, hormones, cells and organsand organs

• Emotions play important role in experience Emotions play important role in experience because brain is the conductor. The way we think because brain is the conductor. The way we think about stress and what we choose to do about it about stress and what we choose to do about it can affect the impact of a stressful event. can affect the impact of a stressful event.

-Healthy Children -Healthy Children MagazineMagazine

10 Tips for Teens10 Tips for Teens(American Psychological (American Psychological

Association)Association)1.1. Get together. Get together. Friends, parents, Friends, parents,

community & groups.community & groups.2.2. Cut yourself some slack. Cut yourself some slack.

Emotions are difficult coupled with Emotions are difficult coupled with hormones and physical changes.hormones and physical changes.

3.3. Create a hassle free zone.Create a hassle free zone. Room Room a haven from stress and anxieties.a haven from stress and anxieties.

4.4. Stick to the program. Stick to the program. Routines Routines provide comfort.provide comfort.

5. 5. Take care of yourself. Take care of yourself. Physically, mentally and Physically, mentally and spiritually. SLEEP.spiritually. SLEEP.

6. 6. Take ControlTake Control. Move towards goals one small step . Move towards goals one small step at a time. Take decisive actions. Regain control.at a time. Take decisive actions. Regain control.

77. Express yourself. . Express yourself. Talk, journal or create art to Talk, journal or create art to capture your emotions.capture your emotions.

8. 8. Help somebody. Help somebody. Gets your mind off your own. Gets your mind off your own. Volunteer, clean up, help with homework.Volunteer, clean up, help with homework.

9. 9. Put things in perspective. Put things in perspective. Think back, learn Think back, learn relaxation techniques, songs, deep breaths, relaxation techniques, songs, deep breaths, constants in life offer security.constants in life offer security.

10. 10. Turn it off. Turn it off. Do not focus on sensational and add Do not focus on sensational and add to the feeling that nothing is going right.to the feeling that nothing is going right.

Our WorkplaceOur WorkplaceRefers to the characteristics and Refers to the characteristics and processes of organizations which processes of organizations which help them to be resistant to help them to be resistant to disruption in the face of change and disruption in the face of change and adaptive in the face of crisis adaptive in the face of crisis situations.situations.

-adapted from McCubbin & -adapted from McCubbin &

McCubbin 1988 McCubbin 1988

Risk FactorsRisk Factors

External stressors-External stressors-

recession, uncertainty, budgetrecession, uncertainty, budget

Internal stressors-Internal stressors-

administrative & staff change, administrative & staff change, instabilityinstability

Elemental stressors-Elemental stressors-

family problems, health, crisesfamily problems, health, crises

Protective FactorsProtective FactorsSupport systems-social, between Support systems-social, between workplace and broader communityworkplace and broader community

Problem solving-ability to collaboratively Problem solving-ability to collaboratively identify and respond to range of problemsidentify and respond to range of problems

Stressor appraisal-perception of stressors Stressor appraisal-perception of stressors and challenges as comprehensible and and challenges as comprehensible and manageablemanageable

Harmony- balance between work and life, Harmony- balance between work and life, a holistic valuing of both spheresa holistic valuing of both spheres

ImplicationsImplicationsMonitor levels of pile-up (stressors)Monitor levels of pile-up (stressors)

Build supportive networksBuild supportive networks

Facilitate problem solvingFacilitate problem solving

Develop sense of coherenceDevelop sense of coherence

Develop harmonyDevelop harmony

Our State of CaliforniaOur State of California Midyear budget cuts December 15Midyear budget cuts December 15thth

CTA President Dean Vogel (counselor)CTA President Dean Vogel (counselor) Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public

Instruction Instruction Senator Darrell Steinberg and Consultant Susanna Senator Darrell Steinberg and Consultant Susanna

CooperCooper Lee Angela Reid, Principal Consultant Senate Office of Lee Angela Reid, Principal Consultant Senate Office of

ResearchResearch Pat Ainsworth, CDE Asst Superintendent Secondary, Pat Ainsworth, CDE Asst Superintendent Secondary,

Post Secondary & Adult EducationPost Secondary & Adult Education School Innovations & Advocacy lobbyistsSchool Innovations & Advocacy lobbyists State SARB Board representationState SARB Board representation

OurselvesOurselves

• Resilience is a journey

• Self care allows us to be there for others

• Our profession has existed since the Industrial Revolution

• Accountability is important for all education professionals

• Defining our work with measurable outcomes is the future for our profession

Bounce Back!!Bounce Back!!

• Be flexible (rubber band)• Keep it together (paper clip)• Bounce back (rubber ball)• Reach out (business card)• Don’t lose your marbles (marble)• Others need your help, you need theirs

(Lifesaver)• Relax, unwind (tea)

The HandThe Hand

1976 Old Bridge, New Jersey1976 Old Bridge, New JerseyCarl Sandburg MSCarl Sandburg MS

Thanks for all Thanks for all you do!you do!

Compilation ResourcesCompilation Resources

WikipediaWikipedia

Healthy Children MagazineHealthy Children Magazine

American Psychological AssociationAmerican Psychological Association

Resilience in the WorkplaceResilience in the Workplace (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1998)(McCubbin & McCubbin, 1998)

Steve Salva, CASC President 2011-Steve Salva, CASC President 2011-20122012