Creating Emotional Safety

IN THE CLASSROOM

Creating Emotional Safety

Objectives

1. Understand the connection between emotional safety and the brain.

2. Understand the impact of chronic stress and complex trauma on learning.

3. Learn strategies for addressing the effects of chronic stress and trauma in the classroom.

4. Understand the principles of behavioral change.5. Understand the components needed for creating emotionally

safe classrooms.6. Learn strategies for reducing emotional reactions with

students.7. Understand strategies that promote student’s emotional

regulation.8. Understand the importance of developing positive support

and self-care.

Emotional Safety

Feeling accepted;

Feeling a sense that one is safe from emotional attack or harm;

Feeling free from being judged;

Trusting that our feelings will be responded to with sensitivity, care and respect

Feeling Emotionally Safe

Feeling emotionally safe means

accepting that you can’t control

everything and trusting in your ability to cope.

The Difference in Coping

Support Anxiety

Relaxation Physical symptoms

Spontaneity Low-self-esteem

Communication General feeling of unhappiness

Acceptance Little or no comfort

Self-respect Hypersensitivity

Emotional Climate of Schools is Complex

Physical condition and design;The neighborhood community;Mental health of the adults;Mental health of the students;Functionality of the families;The calendar;The weather;Local events;Political and economic climate of the area and

the world.

Control

The power to influence or direct people's

behavior or the course of events.

Control.

THE GREAT ILLUSION

Emotionally Safe Schools

Create environments where:

Physical and emotional safety is felt through clear boundaries and expectations.

Risk taking means that when we fail we believe that we are not failures.

The effects of stress are reduced.

Ways of coping are implemented. Pleasurable experiences are normal.

- 2001 Bluestein, Jane: Creating Emotionally Safe Schools

Emotionally Safe Schools

A sense of belonging, of being welcomed and valued occur.

Being treated with dignity and respect are expected.

An understanding and clarity about requirements and expectations exist and are reinforced.

Encouragement and success, recognition, instruction and guidance are provided.

Freedom from bias, judgment and discrimination exist.


Safety for Adults in School

School staff whose energy is distracted

by a need to self-protect for any reason just don’t have as much to offer students as those who feel secure, supported and valued in their

positions.


Emotional Regulation and School

We can no longer turn away from the emotional fabric of children’s lives or assume that learning can take place isolated from their feelings.

Linda Lantieri and Janet Patti


Safety

IT’S A BRAIN THING.

Basic Systems of the Brain

The Cortex

The Mid Brain including the Limbic System

The Brain Stem

The Brain Stem

(Reptilian Brain)

Develops between

conception and 15 months

Controls basic and essential functions such as heart rate, respiration, body temperature, digestion.

Houses the perceptual register (recticular activation system) which screens incoming data picked up by our senses.

RAS filters impulses according to strength and significance, and regulates our attention and alertness allowing us to ignore that which does not seem important or meaningful.

No formal reasoning occurs at this level.


The Mid Brain

Develops between

15 months and age 4

The midbrain: includes the limbic system Amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus,

hippocampus, etc.;

Equated with feelings and emotional responses to sensory stimulus;

Regulates immune system, autonomic nervous system, appetite, sleep;

Critical to memory and learning;

Involves hormones, social bonding and relationships, our values; our sense of meaning;

Can by-pass the rational centers of the brain when we perceive threat.


The Cortex

Begins to develop around age 4

Part of the cerebrum.

Controls speech and language, creativity, problem solving, planning and muscular movement.

This is where rational thinking, intellectual and abstract thought, visualization, reflection, innovation, and creativity take place.

Creates novelty, challenges, change and new ideas.


Thinking and Feeling Systems are Linked

Under threat the midbrain reacts faster than the more the analytical cortex.

Rational thought may not catch up to the limbic responses until long after the behaviors have been exhibited.

A threat does not have to be real to trigger a fight-or-flight response; all that matters is the perception of threat.


The Brain Creates Sensory Associations

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In Other Words

The limbic system is always scanning for trouble. In what is perceived as an emotional emergency, the amygdala proclaims a crisis, recruiting the rest of the brain to its urgent agenda without regard for the consequences.

This occurs instantaneously, moments before the thinking brain has a chance to grasp what is happening and decide on the best course of action.


Why the Amygdala Is So Important

It is the storehouse of emotional memory.This storehouse facilitates the recognition of the

personal significance of the signals we get from the environment.

Depending on previous experience and other signals in the environment, different sensory input will elicit different appraisals in different people.

Different appraisals elicit different actions and feelings.


How The Brain Double Codes

The emotional component of our memories is critical for nearly all forms of complex learning.

We use a dual code; physical and emotional to interpret what our senses pick up in the environment.

As we grow and learn, this double coding allows us to cross reference our memories using images and feelings.


Why Is Emotional Safety Important

The brain’s main job is sifting through and prioritizing incoming stimuli in the interest of survival.

When anything suggests the possibility of danger, whether it is real or imagined, it becomes a higher priority.

“Downshifting” can occur that blocks short and long term memories as well as our ability to focus, down to as low as 10%

High and emotional reaction behaviors occur when the brain senses any threat that induces feelings of helplessness.


Stress

Shuts down the system.

Releases cortisol, a hormone released by the adrenal glands to protect us from danger.

“Stress starts to take its toll when cortisol levels shoot up constantly and remain high.” - Michael Gazzinga

Stress and Anxiety

Abuse and neglect are correlated with a harmful imbalance of cortisol in the brain.

Excess cortisol can lead to hippocampal damage causing memory lapses, anxiety, and an inability to control emotional outbursts as well as difficulty regulating attention in a classroom setting.

-Teresa J.

Farney

Stress and Anxiety

Once strong emotions occur, they become powerful motivators of future behaviors and feelings from an unpleasant event can reverberate long after the event itself, causing reactivation, rehearsal or rumination in working memory that cements the event.

Making Matters Worse

When the mind dwells on feelings of anger, embarrassment and fear, it cannot focus on instruction.

The inability to focus on and process instructional content is likely to trigger or intensify any cognitive, developmental or learning problems.


Stress and Anxiety

Also have behavioral ramifications.

Students under stress are less able to “hear” what is being said to them so they can attend to important environmental cues and act on their feelings to those cues.

The resulting downshifting results in survival behaviors that may be expressed in anger and a cycle of reactions that compound the problems.

Reflection

1. Find a partner.

2. 2. Write down stressful or painful events a student might experience in school that could compromise their emotional safety.

3. What are some things that can be done to help them with their stress and pain?

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Examples

1. Being assigned to complete educational materials above ability level.

2. Inability to speak the language.3. Not having resources, guidelines or information to

complete an assignment.4. Unclear directions; directions not repeated or

available if student does not get them the first time.5. Not enough time to complete work.6. Not having enough time to think about a question or

process new information.7. Teacher’s impatience, annoyance or disgust.8. Rarely being given any choices or input in decisions.

Examples

9. Being punished for moving, squirming or touching things.

10. Witnessing a classmate being shamed, ridiculed.11. Rough physical contact – hitting, pushing,

kicking.12. Overhearing adults talk about you negatively.13. Being punished long after an incident occurs.14. Unrealistic rules and expectations.15. Not being recognized or acknowledged for

positive behavior, achievement, etc.16. Not being allowed to express problems, thoughts

or feelings openly and verbally to a teacher.

Examples

17. Being shamed or criticized for not understanding something.

18. Anticipating an activity in class that you are not good at.

19. Difficulty communicating thoughts and feelings.20. Adults who do not know how to help you21. Teacher’s reliance on someone else to handle

discipline.22. Unpredictable or inconsistent teacher behavior.23. Being bullied or harassed.24. Not being allowed to express feelings without fear

of negative reaction and consequences.

Reflection

1. Find a partner.

2. Write down stressful or painful events a teacher might experience in school that could compromise their emotional safety.

3. Be prepared to share examples with the large group.

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The Paths of Children

The first order of childhood is developing the ability:

To regulate attention and self soothe;

To relate to others with warmth and trust;

To communicate through gestures, symbols and sounds;

To eventually understand increasingly complex ideas and the connections among them.

How Is This Learned?

Interactions with a loving caregiver who provides needed safety and nurturing, especially through the first few years.

Children’s early relationships and interactions contribute to their developing belief system and sense of self.

Verbal and non-verbal responses from their caregivers shape ideas about wants, needs, feelings and their understanding of the connections between them.


So What is Critical To Healthy Development?

Early dependence on nurturing and emotionally available caregivers who have provided healthy boundaries, a positive sense of consistency and predictability so a healthy sense of self can develop.

-Stanley Greenspan


How Does It Work?

Children are born with brains wired for learning and current findings indicated that infants are capable of thinking reasoning and drawing conclusions even at birth.

The development of these skills depends on the babies’ interaction with their environment.

Children growing up in enriched, nurturing environments will have a developmental edge over those reared in impoverished, neglected or abusive settings.

The failure to develop cognitive and social skills is closely tied to the degree to which caregivers fail to meet the child’s emotional needs at each stage of development.


Stress in Children’s Lives Poverty; Inadequate housing; Poor nutrition; High mobility; Excessive rules or leniency; Verbal, physical, sexual or emotional violence; Highly enmeshed or emotionally dependent adult; Emotionally unavailable adult; Substance abuse; Criminal behavior / incarceration; Intense marital problems / domestic violence; Expressions of conditional love or care based on child’s appearance or

behavior; Disregard of personal boundaries; A lack of recognition or acknowledgment; Efforts to control with ridicule, shame, humiliation; Over demanding or perfectionistic demands.

Maslow’s Hierarchy

Consequences

If inadequate stimulation to the frontal cortex combined with overstimulation of a child’s alarm system occurs often enough -

A child develops a state of hyperarousal, hypervigilance or numbing.

These set the stage for learning and behavioral problems including fits of anger, victim behavior, a lack of tolerance for frustration, acting out from disappointment with tantrums or destructive behaviors.

Hypervigilance

Constantly on the lookout for danger;Distractibility;Attention problems;Social avoidance;Sleeping;Aggressive play;Lying;Emotional numbing;Regression;Chronic anxiety;Confusion;General state of unhappiness;Lack of problem solving skills.

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What Do We Do?Realize the impact that exposure to violence or

trauma have on a student’s physical, psychological or psychosocial development and well-being;

Recognize when student’s have been exposed to violence and trauma they are in need of support to overcome the adverse impacts and engage in learning;

Respond in ways that reflect awareness of the trauma’s adverse impacts and consistently support the student in a manner that promotes emotional regulation and skills-building.

Something to Think About

Genetics load the gun;

Environment pulls the trigger;

“Genes are merely chemicals. Without experience – with no context or environmental signals to guide their activation and deactivation, they create nothing.”

- Bruce Perry

Psychological Trauma

Overwhelming demands placed on the physiological system that result in a profound felt sense of

Loss of control;

Vulnerability;

Immobilization;

Betrayal – done by somebody that is important to them.

Psychological Trauma

Is very complicated

The perception of the event is different for each person;

Kids are missing the parent / caregiver walking them through the process of recovery / healing.

They are not shown or given an explanation for what happened to them.

Sometimes they are chastised or criticized for what happened to them.

This Means

Many children come to us complexly traumatized.

Severe Trauma, Abuse, Threat

Occurs when both internal and external resources are inadequate to cope;

Adversely effects the developing brain;

Conditions children at the neurological level that results in; Maladaptive behaviors; Underdeveloped or counterproductive skills; Developmental delays in multiple domains.

Typical Experience of Trauma

Fear;Threat;Unpredictability;Frustration;Chaos;Pain.

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The brain organization of a traumatized child is weighted towards the stress response.

The Hemispheres of the Brain

. Right Hemisphere• Develops first• Responsible for social

connection, emotion, affect management

• Needs a steady life rhythm to develop with positive socialization and eye contact for the child to learn calm

Left Hemisphere• Responsible for language; we

learn to create sentences but only if the brain is integrated

• Ask a question when the brain is overwhelmed and can’t answer or process

Kids and Survival in SchoolKids from a chronically stressed

environment make the majority of their decisions and reactions to nonverbal cues.

The brain in survival mode misinterprets facial expressions and intentions of others.

Perceived betrayal, unfairness and disrespect are huge issues.

They apply negative intent – they perceive that we are hurting them.

Kids and Survival in School

Creating an environment where kids can be safe may be unfamiliar to them.

They act out to test safety, to gain familiarity and/ or to get punished to reaffirm who they are and how they fit into the world.

They create situations to find a way out.

We need to help them learn to get out safely while helping them want to stay.

Affect Regulation is the Biggest Challenge

Children are at risk of reenacting and repeating their trauma long after abuse has stopped.

Events occur that the child nor we recognize that cause the child to become hyper-aroused. (Many come to school aroused and stay that way all day)

Depending on our reaction we can deescalate or escalate the child’s responses.

We Have To Remember…

They are acting out in the service of their survival.

What About Staff?

We have our own histories and our own stuff that sometimes interacts with their stuff.

We have to be aware of our own instinctive / primitive reactions so we don’t get pulled in subconsciously.

If we enter their reenactment experience we experience their trauma ourselves.

ACES

ADVERSE

CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

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Reflection

1. Complete the Aces Survey, either based on your own life or that of a student you have had in class.

2. Write down at least one aha you have from completing the ACES.

3. Prepare to share with the large group.

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STRESS RESPONSE

We all interact with stress all the time.The impact of stress is dependent on

The presence of a stable support system; Feedback from others about how to

positively negotiate the stress; Self-monitoring skills and self-control; Intellectual capacity; Sense of humor.

Stress can facilitate resilience.

Resilience

“The innate human ability to rebound from adversity with even greater strength to meet future

challenges; the potential to achieve positive life outcomes in spite of

risk.”

What Fosters Resilience?

1. Emotion Regulation;

2. Impulse Control;

3. Optimism;

4. Causal Analysis;

5. Empathy;

6. Self-Efficacy;

7. Reaching out.

Reflection

1. Find a partner.

2. Write down one thing you have control over to reduce student stress and building their resilience.

3. List one thing you have control over to reduce your stress and build your resilience.

4. Share with someone near you.

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We Choose Our Emotional Response Based on Our Evaluation

Optimistic Evaluation

Confidence Anticipation Trust

Move to resolve challenge

Pessimistic Evaluation

Fear Anger Sadness

Avoidance challenge

Fight / Flight / Freeze

Resilience

People can learn to be more optimistic by setting and achieving increasingly challenging tasks. This approach:

lowers anxiety;

increases confidence, sense of personal control and competence;

improves relationships;

increases productivity.

Student, Staff, Parents

STRESS

Staff May Also Be Operating From A Paradigm of Fear

We all have the reptilian part of our brain.

We can see acting out children, not traumatized children.

When they become emotionally aroused we feel threat and become aroused ourselves.

Our brain acts to suppress our feelings of threat.

We can act to suppress the child rather than focus on what we need to do to stay calm, focused and proactive.

Change the Frame

The next time a child acts out tell yourself

That there is a reason;

That the child is not trying to drive you wild to be purposely defiant, or to act lazy;

It is a brain thing.

That there’s a feeling or need that’s fueling the behavior and he or she doesn’t know how to express it more appropriately.

Reflection

1. Find a Partner.

2. What are some feelings your students may be experiencing that they do not know how to express appropriately?

3. What are some of the needs your students may have that they do not know how to express appropriately?

4. What can you put in place to help them express their feelings and meet their needs appropriately?

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So What Do We Do?

What we want is to shape kids stress response….

So they are either able to use their words

or at least to seek our attention or avoid

a non-preferred situation or person in a

calm manner through the use of replacement skills.

Principles of Behavior

Change

Safety Wheel

Stability Cycle

Chaos CycleMulti-

Sensory Activities

Replacement Coping

Skills

Self-Care and

Support

Trauma Informe

d CPI

Youth Mental Health

First Aid

Trauma-Informed Crisis Prevention and Intervention

Strategies to prevent and to safely resolve situations when

confronted by anxious, hostile, or violent behavior; while protecting relationships with students.

Examines the influence of trauma on behavior; approaches to promote a culture of care; the function of the behavior.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Teaches staff how to help an adolescent who is experiencing mental health or addiction challenges or who is in crisis.

Teaches the common mental health challenges youth face.

Reviews typical adolescent development and teaches a 5-step plan for how to help them in both crisis and non-crisis situations.

Topics include anxiety, depression, substance abuse, disorders in which psychosis can occur, disruptive behavior disorders and eating disorders.

Principles of Behavior Change

Behavior is our attempt to cope with

Internal experience; External experience.

Behavior is a combination of

genetic predisposition; environmental learning / shaping.

Behavior can be

A purposeful choice; An automatic, subconscious act; Both, occurring in a chain or sequence.


Behavior can be an indication of

A skill deficit; A performance deficit.

Behavior occurs within interaction with the environment

People; Places; Times; Conditions.

Behavior is learned / shaped in three ways What is seen and heard; What is taught; What is reinforced / rewarded.


Behavior is measured by

Frequency; Intensity; Duration.

Behavior serves one of four functions

Gaining something desirable; Escaping something undesirable; Communicating something; Responding to sensory stimulus.


Behavior is an attempt to meet one of four goals

Belonging / recognition; Power / control; Revenge / retaliation; Helplessness / inadequacy.

Behavior Change

Can occur at any age; Is not about fixing anyone or anything; Only occurs through patience, teaching and

reteaching; Involves changing feelings, thoughts and beliefs; Requires intervening early in the cycle; Takes time, practice, and reinforcement; Will not occur with punishment; Looks like a spiral; Requires that everyone be committed, on the same

page, and mutually supportive; Requires that everyone change something.

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AssaultVerbal Abuse

Noncompliance and Defiance / Disruptive

Arguing Questioning

Shutting down

Put Kids In A Situation That Is Positive

• What the behavior specifically looks like…

• What behaviors occur together…

• The precursors…

• The time, place, person, activity…

• The function(s)…

• The replacement skill…

• The practice…

• The feedback and reinforcement.

Implement Components of the Safety Wheel

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SafetyWheel

Safety

Calming

Connectedness

Self andCommunityEfficacy

Hope

Reflection

1. Read through the principles of the safety wheel.

2. Record your thoughts about the components.

3. Share that with someone near you.

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Stability Cycle

Consistency

Predictability

Safety

Integrated Prosocial Learning

Structure

Promoting Classroom Stability

“All social systems function exactly as they are designed.”

- Fred Jones

Integrated Components for Classroom Stability

1. Physical arrangements of the classroom.

2. Structure of the classroom.

3. Instructional Management

4. Procedures designed to increase appropriate behavior.

5. Procedures designed to decrease inappropriate behavior.

Reflection1. Find a partner.

2. Together record 5 examples in each category of things every teacher should consider in their classroom.

3. Circle any items you think could be improved in your classroom.

4. Discuss and summarize the connection between the categories and creating emotional safety in the classroom.

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Chaos

Cycle

Reactivity

Chaos

Fear

Impulsivity

Dysregulation

What We Have Learned

How we think about kids behavior will drive our reactions to them.

Understanding the perceptions and thinking of our kids is critical to our problem-solving.

We have to be neutral and understand that their fundamental self regulation skills are missing.

We have to be aware and manage our verbal and nonverbal communication.

We need to be calm and wait before we give a sanction.

We have to figure out how to come in every day and start fresh.

What Does This Mean?

Emotional Labor

Managing our emotional responses so we can influence the emotional responses of kids.

How Do We Handle the Stress of Kids Emotional Dysregulation?

Shape our ownstress response.

Emotional Labor

When kids get us into an

emotional and punitive

response they are in control

and we are in their world.

Emotional Labor

How we think about kids behavior will drive our reactions to them.

We have to be neutral and understand that their fundamentals are missing.

We have to be aware and manage our nonverbal communication.

We need to be calm and wait before we give a sanction.

We have to figure out how to come in every day and start fresh.

Emotional Labor

Look at giving offense-based (not offender-based) sanctions that are individualized and based on developmental level, gender, age and culture.

Use time-ins rather than time-outs where they are physically with you and not isolated or excluded.

.Ways You Might Feel (Adapted from “When Kids Push Your Buttons” by Bonnie

Harris)

Frustrated Exhausted Enraged Jealous

Sad Betrayed Defensive Invisible

Taken for granted Explosive Stepped on Provoked

Depressed Guilty Hopeless Placated

Used Ignored Vengeful Depleted

Drained Hostile Powerless Pathetic

Threatened Confronted Resentful Abandoned

Lost Out of Control Punished Trapped

Assumptions

My world is caring.

My world makes sense.

I have self-worth.

I belong.

Shattered Assumptions

. .

The world is

BadUnfairScary

Personal Strength.

I will respect you.

I will accept you.

I will listen without interruption.

I will not judge you.

Personal Strength.

I demand your respect.

I will show no fear.

I will not back down.

I will hurt you beforeyou hurt me.

Why Kids Are Adult Deaf.

I’m a problem. Message Child Gets

Adult’s

Intention

Adult’s

Intention

Adult’s IntentionTo Correct Behavior

THEGAP

(Adapted from “When Kids Push Your Buttons” by Bonnie Harris)

Know What Pushes Your Buttons.

MyChild’sBehavior

MyButtons

MyAssumptions

MyEmotions

My Reactions

(Adapted from “When Kids Push Your Buttons” by Bonnie Harris)

Reflection

1. Review “Defusing Your Buttons To Remain Emotionally Neutral.”

2. Answer questions a-e.

3. Prepare to share with the large group.

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How We Communicate

.

55% Of our emotions are communicated

nonverbally

38% Of our emotions are

communicated through voice tone

7% Of our emotions are

communicated using words

We Have to Pay Attention to Our Non-Verbals

The brain’s primary function is ensuring survival.

The child from a chronically stressed environment is making the majority of their decisions and reactions to non-verbal cues.

A significant part of our central nervous system is tied into our facial muscles.

The child from a neglectful environment is unable to accurately interpret non verbal social cues (posture, vocal tone, facial expression).

The brain in survival mode misinterprets facial expression an intention of others.

We Have To Be Solution Focused

Provide kids with strategies to meet their need for our attention by giving it for positive behavior.

Create situations for children to demonstrate positive behavior.

Teach children how to demonstrate the positive behaviors; then have them practice and reward them for doing so.

Provide kids with strategies to stop avoiding what they do not want to do by building their tolerance for managing distress.

Provide multi-sensory activities to reduce children’s dysregulation.

Use time-ins rather than time-outs where they are physically with you and not isolated or excluded.

What Kids Need

All human beings – especially those prone to aggression need…

High warmth;

Low criticism;

To be treated respectfully.

Two fundamentals…

Confidence;

Competence.

Key Factors for Affect Regulation (Stein and Kendall, 2004)

Safety and stabilization;

Multi-sensory activities to reduce dysregulation;

Developmental skill building (competency development)

Multi-Sensory Activities to Promote Emotional Regulation

Physical MovementPositive TouchTactile ManipulationWarm Verbals

Physical Movement

Stretching;

Walking to get a drink of water;

Carrying books or materials;

Running errands;

Doing chores;

Yoga Calm;

KINNECT;

Warm Verbals

Saying their names in a calm, soothing voice;

Apologizing and mean it;

Saying thank you and for what;

Letting them know what you appreciate about them.

Positive Touch

High Fives;

Shake hands;

Pats on the back;

Fist pumps;

With permission.

Core Competency Domains (Tobert & Thomas, 2005)

Pro-social skills;

Moral reasoning;

Academic Skills;

Workforce Development skills;

Independent Living skills.

Pro-social skills

Emotional;Self-Awareness;Social Awareness;Self-Management;Responsible Decision Making;Relationship;Cognitive;Behavioral.

Moral Reasoning

Empathy;Conscience;Self-Control;Respect;Kindness;Tolerance;Fairness.

We Have To Teach Replacement / Coping Skills

A fundamental rule of effective behavior support is that you should not propose to reduce a problem behavior without also

identifying the alternative, desired behaviors the student should perform instead of the

problem behavior.

- Robert Horner

Process for Replacing Behavior (Escape)

Perform Verbal

TaskPraise

GiveFour hours Difficult Talking

Escapeof sleep Academic Out

Task Task

Ask for Break

Process for Replacing Behavior (Gain)

Do work with little

Another feedback or

assignment attention

GiveNo setting Independent Whining Teacherevents Academic Refusing Attention identified Work Talking out

Ask teacher for help

The Foundation

.

RELATIONSHIPS

The Cost of Caring

Working in an increasingly stressful educational environment can come from:

Increased class sizes; Tougher, more complex students and

families; Dwindling resources; Cynicism and negativity from colleagues; Low job satisfaction; Risk of being emotionally or physically

assaulted.

Compassion Fatigue

The profound emotional and physical exhaustion that helping professionals and caregivers can develop over the course of their careers as helpers.

It is a gradual erosion of all the things that keep us connected to others in our role; our empathy, our hope, and our compassion – not only for others but also for ourselves.

Compassion Fatigue

When we are suffering from compassion fatigue, we start seeing changes in our personal and professional lives; We may: become dispirited and increasingly bitter at

work;

contribute to a toxic workplace;

become short-tempered with our loved ones;

feel resentment at the never-ending demands on our personal time.

Compassion Fatigue

CF has been described as “the cost of caring” for others in emotional pain.

It can strike the most dedicated staff who get worn down, fatigued, and traumatized.

Ironically, these are the staff that tend to work harder and harder, and as a result, may develop serious physical and/or mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety or stress-related illness.

Isn’t It Burnout?

Burnout is a term that has been widely used to describe the physical and emotional exhaustion that workers can experience when they have low job satisfaction and feel powerless and overwhelmed at work.

Many helping professionals can be affected by burnout in addition to compassion fatigue, but like vicarious trauma, is does not necessarily mean that their world view has been damaged or that we have lost our ability to feel compassion for others.

Warning Signs of CF

Calm ZoneWe are at our very best and feel satisfied

with our work.

Warning Zone

We have signs emerging but

we often ignore them.

Danger ZoneWe are

constantly stressed,

depressed or withdrawn

Where Are We On The Continuum?

Compassion Fatigue occurs on a continuum.

This means that at various times in our careers, we may be more immune to its damaging effects and at other times feel very depleted by it.

Within any workplace, there will be, at any one time, staff who are feeling healthy and fulfilled in their work, a majority of staff who are feeling some symptoms, and a few who feel they are at the end with no answers or support.

Three Levels of Symptoms

To develop a personal warning scale, we need to develop an understanding of our signs and symptoms. These will manifest differently in all of us. Research suggests that we look at symptoms on three levels including: Physical; Behavioral; Psychological.

Contributing Factors

The main factors are:

Our personal and current life factors.

Our work situation.

Personal and Current Life Factors

Our current life circumstances.

Other life stressors.

Our childhood history.

Our way of coping with stress.

Our personality.

Work Life Factors

Volume of work.Control over workload.Level of support.Helpful supervision.Risk of personal injury.Quality training.Availability of resources.

Feelings of isolation or connection.

Dealing with Negativity at Work

Many helping professionals identify their colleagues cynicism and negativity as their biggest challenge are work.

Workplace negativity has been identified as a common consequence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout.

Reframing Negativity

“Think of it as an organizational form

of compassion fatigue or burnout

your colleagues are experiencing.”

What Color Is Your Zone?

Strategies That Help

Strong social support both at home and work.Increased self-awareness.Good self-care.Better work/life balance.Increased job satisfaction.Accessing coaching, counseling, and good supervision.Attending regular professional development / ongoing

training.

Self-Care

Improved self-care is the cornerstone for mitigating the impact of compassion fatigue and burnout.

Many staff put their needs last and feel guilty for taking personal time out of their busy schedules to exercise, enjoy non-work interests, meditate or have a massage.

Key question – “Is there a balance between nourishing and depleting activities in your life?”

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness means

Being in tune with your stress signals.

Being aware of your past influences and your current life and work choices – why we went into this field and not another.

Being aware of the ways in which we sabotage our self-care

Stress Reduction

What stress reduction strategies do you have

At work?

Transitioning from work to home?

To relax and build resiliency?

Reconnect With The Rewards of Work

“In the rush of our days at work and the many demands of our home lives, we sometimes lose touch with the reasons for which we do this work.”

What sustains you and keeps you in this work?

Self-Care And Support

Create a support system;

Set aside time;

Make it a part of your job;

Write it down;

Make is personal;

Take a risk.

Create A Support System

Find two or three colleagues and create a buddy system.

Agree to meet weekly or speak to one another via email of phone.

Get support after critical incidents.

Set Aside Time

Make this the first commitment to yourself;

Set a minimum of one hour per week when you won’t be interrupted or bogged down with work or other commitments;

Schedule time for yourself and with others.

Write It Down

Get yourself a journal, notebook, or binder.

Identify strategies for dealing with stress or compassion fatigue.

Make some goals for helping yourself and getting support.

Make It Personal

Commit to making real and lasting changes to the way you think and go about your life.

Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t happen overnight and it is unlikely to change just because you are here.

Be mindful that your inner critic might come up with lots of reasons why you won’t be able to follow your goals.

Beware of telling yourself that you already know all of this.

Take A Risk

Your resiliency strengths come from self-motivated, self-managed efforts to develop resiliency skills.

The method is not the key.

If you make your own self-care a priority, you can make real changes and mitigate the impact of stress and compassion fatigue.

Reflection

Complete the “Self-Care Inventory.”

Write three things you will do to improve your self care.

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Remember: You have to take care of yourselves first in order to take care of others.

START TODAY!

THANK YOU

Creating Emotional Safety

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Transcript of Creating Emotional Safety