Increasing Student Increasing Student Engagement: Strategies Engagement: Strategies

for Developing Motivated, for Developing Motivated, Resilient LearnersResilient Learners

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Two key concepts: mindsets Two key concepts: mindsets and resilienceand resilience

Mindsets: A brief history of this concept Mindsets: A brief history of this concept in education and therapyin education and therapy

Mindsets: The assumptions and Mindsets: The assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves expectations we have for ourselves and others that guide our behaviorand others that guide our behavior

Two key concepts: mindsets Two key concepts: mindsets and resilienceand resilience

Resilience: Two shifts in perspectiveResilience: Two shifts in perspective

Broadening the concept of resilience from Broadening the concept of resilience from applying solely to youth experiencing great applying solely to youth experiencing great adversity to all youthadversity to all youth

Moving from a belief in special, inborn Moving from a belief in special, inborn qualities to qualities to ““ordinary magicordinary magic””

Dr. George Bonnano Dr. George Bonnano

““What is perhaps most intriguing about What is perhaps most intriguing about resilience is not how prevalent it is; rather, resilience is not how prevalent it is; rather, it is that we are consistently surprised by it is that we are consistently surprised by it. I have to admit that sometimes even I it. I have to admit that sometimes even I am amazed by how resilient humans are, am amazed by how resilient humans are, and I have been working with loss and and I have been working with loss and trauma survivors for years.trauma survivors for years.””

Dr. Ann MastenDr. Ann Masten““Resilience does not come from rare and special Resilience does not come from rare and special

qualities; but from the everyday magic of qualities; but from the everyday magic of ordinary, normative resources in the minds, ordinary, normative resources in the minds, brains, and bodies of children; in their families brains, and bodies of children; in their families and relationships; and in their communities. and relationships; and in their communities. The conclusion that resilience emerges from The conclusion that resilience emerges from ordinary processes offers a far more optimistic ordinary processes offers a far more optimistic outlook for action than the idea that rare and outlook for action than the idea that rare and extraordinary processes are involved.extraordinary processes are involved.””

Major questions to be Major questions to be addressed in this workshopaddressed in this workshop

What is the mindset of educators and other What is the mindset of educators and other professionals who are effective in working with professionals who are effective in working with at-risk children and adolescents?at-risk children and adolescents?

What are some of the main characteristics of the What are some of the main characteristics of the mindset of at-risk children and adolescents?mindset of at-risk children and adolescents?

What is the mindset of resilient youth and how do What is the mindset of resilient youth and how do we reinforce a we reinforce a ““resilient mindset,resilient mindset,”” engagement, engagement, and motivation in at-risk youth?and motivation in at-risk youth?

Features of an adult’sFeatures of an adult’s positive mindset positive mindset

To believe in the capacity of at-risk children To believe in the capacity of at-risk children and adolescents to overcome adversity and adolescents to overcome adversity and become more hopeful and resilient: and become more hopeful and resilient: To believe we can serve as a To believe we can serve as a ““charismatic charismatic adultadult””

““I want to be a charismatic adult. What do I I want to be a charismatic adult. What do I do?do?””

Features of an adultFeatures of an adult’’s positive s positive mindsetmindset

To believe that if the strategies we are using To believe that if the strategies we are using with at-risk children and adolescents are with at-risk children and adolescents are not effective then we must ask, not effective then we must ask, ““What is it What is it that we can do differently to help the that we can do differently to help the situation?situation?”” rather than continue to wait for rather than continue to wait for the child or adolescent to change first: the child or adolescent to change first: This should not be seen as blaming but This should not be seen as blaming but rather as empowering ourselvesrather as empowering ourselves

Features of an adultFeatures of an adult’’s positive s positive mindsetmindset

To understand the importance of To understand the importance of empathy: Learning to see the world empathy: Learning to see the world through the eyes of othersthrough the eyes of others

How would we hope children and How would we hope children and adolescents described us? How would adolescents described us? How would they actually describe us? they actually describe us?

Empathy: To use empathic Empathy: To use empathic communication communication

Would I want anyone to say or do to me what I Would I want anyone to say or do to me what I have said or done to this other person?have said or done to this other person?

In anything I say or do what do I hope to In anything I say or do what do I hope to accomplish?accomplish?

Am I saying or doing it in a way in which the other Am I saying or doing it in a way in which the other person feels respected and can truly hear what I person feels respected and can truly hear what I have to say and respond constructively? have to say and respond constructively?

Empathy: Understanding the Empathy: Understanding the Mindset of At-Risk YouthMindset of At-Risk Youth

Invaluable information from the stories, Invaluable information from the stories, drawings, and metaphors of at-risk drawings, and metaphors of at-risk children and adolescents. What are children and adolescents. What are several of the major themes that several of the major themes that emerge, themes that capture the emerge, themes that capture the negative mindset that many of these negative mindset that many of these youth have?youth have?

The negative mindset of many The negative mindset of many at-risk children and at-risk children and

adolescents adolescents

Helplessness: Lack of control or influence Helplessness: Lack of control or influence about events that happen in oneabout events that happen in one’’s life s life

Hopelessness: Nothing will ever changeHopelessness: Nothing will ever change

Others donOthers don’’t understand and cant understand and can’’t help met help me

The negative mindset of many The negative mindset of many at-risk children and at-risk children and

adolescents adolescents

I make little positive difference in the I make little positive difference in the worldworld

General feeling that things are not fairGeneral feeling that things are not fair

I feel unaccepted and unlovedI feel unaccepted and unloved

The mindset of resilient The mindset of resilient children and adolescentschildren and adolescents

To understand the main characteristics of To understand the main characteristics of the mindset of resilient children and the mindset of resilient children and adolescents so that we can have adolescents so that we can have guideposts for reinforcing this mindset as guideposts for reinforcing this mindset as well as engagement and intrinsic well as engagement and intrinsic motivation in all of our interactions with motivation in all of our interactions with challenging, at-risk youth: Letchallenging, at-risk youth: Let’’s look at s look at several of the main features of this several of the main features of this mindset, all of which are interrelatedmindset, all of which are interrelated

The mindset of resilient The mindset of resilient children and adolescentschildren and adolescents

To feel comfortable with and appreciate that others To feel comfortable with and appreciate that others can be of support and help. We must learn how can be of support and help. We must learn how to increase engagement and motivation with to increase engagement and motivation with those children and adolescents who may have those children and adolescents who may have difficulty trusting us and attempt to push us awaydifficulty trusting us and attempt to push us away

To believe that one can solve problems and make To believe that one can solve problems and make decisions, which promotes a sense of personal decisions, which promotes a sense of personal control and ownershipcontrol and ownership

The mindset of resilient The mindset of resilient children and adolescents children and adolescents

To define and reinforce oneTo define and reinforce one’’s strengths s strengths or or ““islands of competenceislands of competence”” without without denying or running from problematic denying or running from problematic areasareas

To believe that one can contribute to To believe that one can contribute to and make a positive difference in the and make a positive difference in the worldworld

The mindset of resilient The mindset of resilient children and adolescentschildren and adolescents

To possess self-discipline and self-To possess self-discipline and self-controlcontrol

To believe that mistakes are To believe that mistakes are experiences from which to learn experiences from which to learn rather than feel humiliatedrather than feel humiliated