Professional Development: What I Learned at DIR Floortime Training

What I Learned at DIR Floortime Training

BY: ALLY LOEWEN

In Winter 2023, Westview PreKindergarten teacher Ally Loewen completed a fourteen-week DIR Floortime training course. DIR® is the Developmental, Individual-differences, and Relationship-based model (pronounced by saying each letter as an initialism: D.I.R.). DIR provides a foundational framework for understanding human development and how each person individually perceives and interacts with the world differently This training is something Ally has wanted to do for years, and it did not disappoint Ally came away with many important lessons that have already started to pay dividends in the classroom In her own words, Ally shares with us her top takeaways from this recent professional development course.

Affect Is Everything

The first thing I learned is that affect is everything! The American Psychological Association dictionary defines affect as "any experience of feeling or emotion, ranging from suffering to elation, from the simplest to the most complex sensations of feeling…".

Essentially affect is what drives connection, and connection is our main goal. The affect that we use with our children is incredibly important and especially significant as a classroom teacher. We might think that our kids do not pick up on our tone of voice or how we feel; I can guarantee that they do It may not always be conscious or evident to us I learned that some students respond better to a low affect or low tone of voice This helped my relationship with my students and helped me become more regulated.

DIR Floortime training is something I have wanted to do for years, and it did not disappoint. I came away with many important lessons that have already helped me in my classroom.

Regulating ourselves is the number one thing that needs to happen in order to best help our kids. If we are not regulated, then our kids feel the chaos. I learned what my individual differences are and what tools I need to use in order to keep myself calm and best help my students (low lighting, calming music, deep breaths, yoga stretches). I also model for my students, when I feel frustrated or upset, what tools I use to help me. Talking through a problem helps me stay calm and helps the students see that adults need tools as well

Compliance Is Not The Goal

When our instructor said, "compliance is not the goal," it felt obvious and also revolutionary. My master's degree is in Applied Behavior Analysis, which focuses primarily on compliance. Our students need structure and to learn how to work with a group, but compliance as the focus is not beneficial. We want our kids to be able to make good choices on their own, to think critically, and to problem-solve Giving kids a chance to be themselves and show all their wonderful qualities and different ways of thinking lends to the expansion of skills and is more joyful for the caregiver and all those involved.

Reflection Is Key

Reflection is also key to DIR Floortime. We had projects where we had to video ourselves with a child, watch it numerous times, and then reflect on what we did well and where we needed to grow. Watching a video of yourself is not always comfortable, but it was incredibly informative. I learned that I needed to be in the moment more, focus less on what the child is saying and more on their affect (especially if the child is hard to understand and you are playing with the child, not in instances where they are expressing a need) Being mindful and reflecting on interactions has helped me grow as a teacher and ultimately set my pride aside.

Our interactions will not be perfect; there will always be places where we can improve, and knowing that helps me be in the moment and find joyful connections.

Understanding Sensory Tools

My favorite part about DIR floortime is the focus on individual differences and sensory profiles I have been an advocate for sensory tools for years, but I did not fully understand why certain tools helped students Now I can better explain to parents and other professionals why a child needs a "wrap" or other tighter clothing around their midsection, why they need to chew on something, or why swinging helps certain individuals. Overall, I learned new ways to connect with my students, how to expand playful interactions, and why some students need sensory input.