Pointer: The Seven Resiliencies© A Guide for Teachers

By Erika Branch, Sunny Nelson and Heather McClelland Background on the Seven Resiliencies Model… -a husband-wife team came up with model -Steven Wolin is a psychiatrist who has worked with youth and families -Sybil Wolin is a teacher, reading specialist, administrator, school consultant -both did research on resiliency and youth to come up with this model using patients and students from both their professional experiences -resilience as paradox…meaning that resilience consists of both painful experiences and the strength that can develop from these experiences -resilience means you have a tough time and you are living a full, complete and happy life regardless Wolin, S. & Wolin S. (1999). Resilience as Paradox. [www.projectresilience. com/resilience.htm] Retrieved July 15 2003. The Seven Resiliencies Model… Insight - asking tough questions and giving honest answers

Independence - distancing emotionally and physically from the sources of trouble in one's life

Relationships – making fulfilling connections to other people

Initiative - taking charge of problems

Creativity - using imagination and expressing oneself in art forms

Humor - finding the comic in the tragic

Morality - acting on the basis of an informed conscience

© Wolin, S. & Wolin S. (1999). Resilience as Paradox. [www.projectresilience.com/vocab.htm] Retrieved July 15th, 2003.

How Teachers Can Use This Model with Students…

-it is more of a personal philosophy than a set of lessons or plans

• choose to see the best in students

• maintaining the sense of self is key to resiliency, recognize individuality

-praise specific positive qualities or personality traits that foster resiliency

-look to find the strengths of each child, even the most difficult child

-when faced with a difficult student…smile (without sarcasm) and tell them you care

-use professional caution when labeling students as “at-risk” or “slow” as these eat away

the umbrella of resiliency

-pose “tough questions” through journaling, writing, buddy talks or diary…encourage

students to explore honest answers

-give leadership roles to students

-use the arts as a creative outlet in all subject areas

-laugh at yourself…it will model humor and help students see the positive

-teach specific problem solving strategies to students and let them practice them before a

real problem arises

-start class on time and structure meaningful learning experiences

How Teachers Can Use the Model for Themselves:

-look into your own teaching soul, a “resilient” teacher would…

• step back and look at why you went into teaching and why you remain

there

• keep some distance from the emotional lives of your students, don’t take

on their problems, but rather empathize with them

• reach out to staff and administration for genuine connections, build them

up, don’t put them down

• deal with the problems you can solve and let the others go

• have a creative outlet yourself…in your personal or profession life

• take time to stop and think about who you are and who you want to be

professionally