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BOLSTERING STUDENT RESILIENCE
By approaching discipline from a place of understanding, teachers can know when and how to apply the discipline structures they’ve created in their classroom (Eber et al., 2020). Further, they can create ways to develop connection with students and reinforce their use of prosocial skills (Jones et al., 2018). We offer several strategies or considerations to keep in mind as teachers work with students who have SEB needs and who may be experiencing a heightened emotional state during school. We also share the escalation cycle, which is a particular pattern that some students with SEB needs may show. Our goal in this chapter is to share flexible methods that show compassion for students as you support them in bolstering their resilience.
We’ve described several principles and strategies throughout the book that are important for students with social, emotional, and behavioral needs or ongoing mental health needs, including teaching prosocial skills, creating a predictable environment, building authentic relationships, and using reinforcement to build classroom culture. When managing day-to-day interactions, students can become upset or triggered by various factors in the environment. If that happens, they may enter fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses (Barlow, 2002; Cannon, 1927; Walker, 2013), making use of the aforementioned strategies in the previous chapter less effective (Goleman, 2005; Pickens & Tschopp, 2017). Given that the strategies mentioned in the previous chapter will be helpful with all students, students who have experienced stressful events, have mental health needs, or are just having a rough day may need some additional considerations when you engage with them. By adjusting strategies based on a student’s needs or responses, teachers can ensure they have a classroom that is compassionate. The following sections address ways to adjust strategies. •
Connect first.
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Use a neutralizing routine.
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Describe instead of direct.
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Frame things positively.
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Allow time to process.
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Be flexible.
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Use short, clear directions.
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Interrupt the heightened state.
Anticipate and offset triggers.
©️2022 by Solution Tree Press
Make Strategy Adjustments for Students With Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs
