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The Trauma-Informed School!!A new safety-net approach to ending serious discipline issues!

!Jim Sporleder!

JJ

©2017

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Teens just “Flip us off, and wallk out of the classroom.!

We keep doing the same thing over and over… with the same outcomes!

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!“If the only tool you have is a hammer,

you tend to see every problem as a

nail.”!

Abraham Maslow!

The “caregiver” is responsible for their child’s brain development!

Healthy Brain!!

Survival Brain!“Students who are loved at home,

come to school to learn, and students who aren’t, come to school to be loved.”!

!Nicholas A. Ferroni!

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The brain drives behavior!

There is a story behind the student’s behavior!

We don’t know that the behavior could be a result of being physically beaten the night before…!

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Window of “Stress Tolerance”…!Healthy Brain Development!

Unhealthy Brain!Development!

HeatherT.Forbes,HelpforBilly

Breaking point!

Breaking poBreaking

point!int!

Baseline of stress!

Baseline of stress!

Students’ beliefs that inhibit academic performance…!

Avoids embarrassment!Shame!

Self talk…70,000 self thoughts each day!Stupid!

Survival!Defiance!

Accept…to avoid failing!Consequence

Judged !Label Heather T. Forbes “Helping Billy”

Fear of Failure!Fight!

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Am I Safe

Am I Loved

What Can I Learn

www.consiousdiscipline.com/

The Challenge We Face Today Is…!

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Adult Regulation!Finding our “triggers” and understanding their impact!

Conscious Discipline, Dr Becky Baily!

Conscious Discipline, Dr Becky Baily!

5 Step Regulation Process!

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Key Points for Regulation!•  We have to be SELF-REGULATED if we are going to help our

students regulate.!

•  A student’s behavior is a reaction to FEAR of FAILURE, and not

feeling SAFE.!

•  If we move towards calm, we look at the behavior as a teachable

moment.!

•  We then approach the student with POSITIVE INTENT, and look for

win/win solutions.!Conscious Discipline, Dr Becky Baily!

Why a Trauma Informed Approach?!

Trauma research tells us that students who survive trauma and grow to be successful identify one single variable in their success. They were connected

to a caring adult who believed in them and cared about them.!

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The Five Critical Steps to a Trauma-Informed School!Concept! Mantra! Strategy!

The stress is coming!from outside of !

the school !It’s not about me.! Drop your personal mirror!

Allow the student to !de-escalate and regulate!before solving the issue!

at hand.!

1.!

2.

3.!

Problem solving and !solutions can’t be worked!

through while !“in the moment”!

Designate a quiet place(s)!where students can!

feel safe to !de-escalate!

It’s never about the!issue at hand. It goes!

much deeper!What’s really driving this !

student’s behavior!

Be the one who listens and!values the student’s voice…!

ask how you can help. !Explore the underlying issue!

behind the behavior!

The Five Critical Steps to Implementing a Trauma-Informed School!Concept! Mantra! Strategy!

4.!

5.!

It’s a brain issue!not a behavior issue!

My job is to help this !student regulate, not!

simply behave!

Incorporate regulatory!activities into the culture!

of the school that support students in their !

ability to learn!how to regulate!

Discipline is to teach,!not to punish.!

Discipline should happen!through the context!

of positive relationships!

Use consequences that !keep students in school! and foster the building !

of trust and safety !with caring adults.!

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It requires a personal paradigm shift on how we approach our students!

Discipline - Accountability - Punishment!

To teach…builds!connection,!

“me with you”!

Drives disconnection…!“me against you!

platform!

We fail our students!

if we don’t hold them!

accountable.!

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Trauma Lens!New Approach! !

“We went from reacting and telling”!

to!“Asking and responding?”!

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Teach students about stress, self-regulation, and

hold them accountable!

Students need time to de-escalate!

Y0U… need time to self-regulate!

Identify triggers and provide options!

Comfort Zone!

I can manage my stress

High Stress Zone

Principal’s office becomes a classroom…!

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How to use In School Suspension Room Effectively!•  ISS should be flexible with several options available besides disciplinary

consequences !

•  ISS holds kids accountable to do their school work… they don’t fall behind!•  ISS holds kids accountable to attend school… no free days out!

•  Students are being supervised by a caring adult in a safe environment… relationships are developed!

•  Teachers or students may request a timeout if they are escalating or feel that they are about to escalate… teaches students an option for self-regulation!

Students not able to regulate in ISS, are referred to the office.!

The “Calm Room”… what is the purpose?!

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Student’s healing will be found in the

moments student’s voices are being heard

and validated!

Allowing students to express their feelings is

the beginning… to changing their belief

system!

A trauma-informed model builds positive caring adult relationships through holding kids… ACCOUNTABLE!

This becomes the platform in which trust and relationship can

begin !

Trauma impacted students have no concept of unconditional love…we have to teach and model what it looks like.!

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High Accountability…!!

•  Student responsible to attend school!•  Student is responsible for keeping up on their

school work.!•  Students are supervised in a safe nurturing climate!•  Able to process their behavior infraction and teach

them other options of handling their stress.!

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Creating a Relationship-Based Culture!

“The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships”!!

Tony Robbins!

Copyright:<ahref='h>p://www.123rf.com/profile_stockbroker'>stockbroker/123RFStockPhoto</a>

School Resource Officier…high visibility and focused on developing positive relationships.!

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The administrator …. highly visible and having positive interactions with students.!

Lincoln High School!

Discipline Data… 2009 - 2013!!State Assessment Performance…2009-2013!!Graduation Rates - 2009 - 2014!

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Student Disciplinary Office Referrals!

600

320 280

242

0!

150!

300!

450!

600!

750!

2009-2010! 2010-2011! 2011-2012! 2012-2013!

Number of days students were out of school!

798!

135! 103! 96!50! 30! 5! 0!0

200

400

600

800

1000

2009-2010! 2010-2011! 2011-2012! 2012-2013!

Suspension Days!Expulsion Days!

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State assessment scores 2012 & 2013!

65! 67!

25!

54!

21!

81!89!

52!

72!

57!

0

22.5

45

67.5

90

112.5

Reading! Writing! Algebra! Geometry! Science!

Social and emotional regulation and development = Engagement in the Learning!

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55! 58! 55!

69!78!

0!

20!

40!

60!

80!

100!

2009! 2010! 2011! 2012! 2013! 2014!

Lincoln High School Graduation Rates!

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Be The One…!Caring Adult Relationships !

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jimsporlederconsulting.com!