DOING IT RESILIENTLY

MODULE 2: RESILIENT RELATIONSHIPS

2.1 BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENTKEY LEARNINGS AITSL Standards: 1.1, 3.5, 4.3, 6.4 Understand ‘emotional competence’ and ‘emotional awareness’ in relation to own and others behaviour Identify relationship between affect and cognition and impact on behaviour Use ACT model to manage emotions

ENGAGING

When you think about the challenges of managing student behaviour in your classes? Which cartoon above resonates with you the most? What feelings do you have when thinking about managing student behaviour?

EXPLORING

Behaviour Management, Resilience and Emotions Much of your learning about managing behaviour involves THINKING rather than FEELING, and thinking about students’ behaviour rather than your own.

What areas of knowledge do you currently have about managing behaviour (from university or placement)?

Some Examples of Behaviour Management Knowledge Areas Understanding student behaviour, using Dreikurs’ goal-centred theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Kolb’s

learning styles; Choosing from a range of models and approaches to planning and intervention, such as assertive discipline,

positive reinforcement, intrinsic rewards, engagement, pacing, i-messages, tactical ignoring, collaborative rules ; and

Building your personalised behaviour plan, using perhaps Rogers’ ‘discipline planning’ approach or Richmond’s model of consistent expectations, acknowledgement and correction.

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What’s missing? “Good teaching is charged with positive emotions. It is not just a matter of knowing one’s subject, being efficient, having the correct competences, or learning all the right techniques. Good teachers are not just well-oiled machines. They are emotional, passionate beings who connect with their students and fill their work and their classes with please, creativity, challenge and joy.” (Hargreaves, 1998, p. 835).

An emotional visualisation-representation exercise: your own school experience: Walking, back into past, towards the school. Go through doors, along corridor . . . Go into class (a dreaded one): what do you see, what’s teacher doing, notice self in each class and others: what

doing, what thinking, how do you fee Now go into a class you enjoyed: what do you see, what’s teacher doing, notice self in each class and others:

what doing, what thinking, how do you feel. Then lunchtime in playground. Reacquaint self with events that spring to mind and associated feelings. Now walk back into present. How feeling? Any bodily sensations

Pick up a pen, pencil, or coloured markers and express some of the emotions you recalled during this experience. Either focus on one area in detail or skim across the whole experience, making representations of the range of emotions you encountered.

Consider sharing part or some of what you’ve created for interpretation and collaborative meaning-making

How do you think these emotions might have influenced your school experience? What are the implications of this ‘emotional awareness’ when you think about managing

the behaviour of your students?

Emotional Awareness: the foundation of the emotionally competent teacher Emotional competence is important for teachers as emotionally skilled teachers are more likely than others to create effective learning environments where students feel safe and valued (Brackett, Katulak, Kremenitzer, Alster & Caruso, 2008) and are more likely to develop the emotional skills of their students (Corcoran & Tormey, 2012). Teachers who have higher skills in emotional competence also report less burnout and higher job satisfaction (Brackett, Palomera, Mojsa-Kaja, Reyes & Salovey, 2010).

Which of these three outcomes of emotionally competent teachers ranks highest for you at the moment?

Common Characteristics of emotional competence: reflect on your own current status: where are you strong, where would you like to improve, where are you really not sure where you stand: (tick, X ?)□ I can usually find a positive solution to a problem□ I am comfortable talking about emotions□ I can see the funny side in many situations□ I can recognise when my emotions are impacting

on my judgement□ I can regulate any potentially emotional outbursts□ I smile a lot during the day□ I’m a ‘glass half full’ person

□ I can sense when others are feeling down or upset□ I am aware of the reaction my body has to my

emotions□ I can consider all criticism non-defensively□ I can identify when I am starting to feel under

pressure□ I allow myself to feel my emotions without being

judgemental

Theory in Overview

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As above: Dreikurs’ goal-centred theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Kolb’s learning styles

Unpacking behaviour using Ecological Theory

What types of factors impact on the way students/people/you behave? How might these factors have influenced the experience you visualised earlier?

Having an understanding of the cycle of behaviour can help support you to identify where and when students may present challenging actions. You can learn to recognise their triggers, what you can do to delay or hold acceleration so that peak behaviours are less frequent, not as intense or short lived.

A Case StoryAlfie and the Teacher Alfie is fast asleep in bed. He is cosy and warm and snuggled deep into his duvet. At 8.00am his mum shouts to him, ‘Time to get up, Alfie. I’ve got to get to work.’ Feeling tired, he just rolls over and continues to sleep. The next thing he knows his duvet is being pulled from the bed by his sister who is laughing at him, saying he will be late for school. Alfie yells back at her. When he goes downstairs his sister is just about to set off for school but before she goes she picks up his homework and taunts him, ‘This is rubbish, you’re stupid.’ Feeling tired and annoyed Alfie goes to the shed to get his bike, only to find it has a puncture. Now he will be too late to meet his friends before school.

Alfie runs to school and when he gets there he sees his friends laughing at the other side of the playground. He thinks they see him and he waves, but they continue to chat and laugh. He feels lonely and left out.

Just at that moment a child much smaller than Alfie comes running around the corner and bumps into him. Being caught by surprise, Alfie yells at the child and hits out. As this happens his teacher comes into the

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playground. He’s also had a bad start to the day, with an argument with his partner before he left home and an angry parent waiting to see him when he arrived. He is furious when he sees Alfie hitting another student. He grabs Alfie by the arm and shouts at him at the top of his voice. He then marches a sobbing Alfie up to the principal’s office……

What’s happened here with regard to emotions? Use your case-interpretation skills to respond.

After this incident Alfie’s teacher is feeling bad. His neck and back feel stiff and as he acknowledges to himself that he may have over-reacted. He is feeling sorry and regretful. He realises that yet again his emotions have escalated without him even being aware of it. He wished he was able to react calmly and think clearly more often than he did in emotional situations.

Given this information, where would you place Alfie’s teacher on the Emotion Awareness Gradient below?

Shade each box on an emotional awareness gradientNone High

Awareness of bodily sensations as the emotion occursAware of individual emotions as they occurAware of multiple emotions present at the same timeAware of own and others emotionsAware of how one would like to act as a result of an emotion

Where would you place yourself on these continua as a teacher at this stage of your career?

‘There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face’ (Hamlet)Did you know?

Facial expression can lead to emotion . . . different cultures have different levels of emotional masking . . . many smiles can be deceptive . . . there are over 10,000 facial expressions

Making emotions work for us when managing behaviour ‘The person who is angry at the right things and toward the right people and also in the right way, at the right time, and for the right length of time, is praised’ (1991, cited in Campos, Frankel & Camras, 2004, p. 392).

One way we can provide ourselves with the impetus to enhance our emotional awareness is by understanding how emotions can work for us. Can you think of times when emotions have helped you in any of the following?

Motivated you to take action Helped you to survive, thrive and avoid danger Helped you make a decision Allowed others to understand you Allow you to understand someone else

Affect, Cognition and Behaviour Affect is the physical sensations we get that we then think about as ‘feelings’ e.g. fluttering stomach, tight forehead, blushing, shallow breathing. Cognition is the thoughts we have about a situation that many psychologists believe is what determine how we ‘feel’ about it (look into Cognitive Behavioural Theory/Therapy/Coaching for more of this). In other words, our thoughts lead to our emotions and not the other way around. So if we can be aware of the physical sensations, and the thoughts we use to interpret them, we can choose to modify our thoughts and then better manage our emotions.

Alfie's teacher could start to increase his emotional awareness by being aware of the sensations in his body, and describing and then assessing the validity of his thoughts before, during and after the experience of an emotion (and

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the subsequent impact on his behavioural choices)

Responding not Reacting While it is natural to think that you are responding only to the events of your life, in fact you make interpretations or judgments of these events, and these interpretations play a key role in your emotional responses. When you stop to think about it, each event in your life could yield a variety of emotional responses; your interpretation of the event helps link a particular emotional response to that event. Allowing yourself time to think before responding (so you don’t just ‘react’), and developing your emotional awareness so you are better able to create these ‘pause for thought’ spaces will allow you to manage emotions for positive outcomes for you and your students.

How could Alfie’s teacher’s behaviour have resulted in better outcomes for all concerned? What might he have done at different places in the story?

Your Story: Using Text and/or Art Have you experienced a situation similar to Alfie’s teacher when managing student behaviour (one or a group,

in or out of the classroom), or a situation when emotions worked for rather than against you, or perhaps one where at times emotions worked for and against you?

Think through the different stages of your story and consider cartooning them, with stick figures, or dialogue/thought bubbles, or in more analogue drawing (abstract shapes and colours) form, either as a series of cartoon boxes, or as a single ‘holistic’ representation.

Now step back from what you’ve created and ask yourself ‘What do I see?’ Describe the experiences depicted in your image or images. What do you notice that didn’t stand out when you were thinking or drawing/writing? How does it look different to what you were thinking? How might you or others interpret different elements of this representation? Consider writing an interpretation of your creation.

What the Research SaysUnproductive Student Behaviours in Schools

What do you notice about the overall experiences of unproductive student behaviours by these teachers?

Which types of unproductive student behaviours appear to occur more frequently?

Are you surprised at this? Why/why not?

What emotions and thoughts might be contributing to some of these behavious?

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Managing Emotions The process of managing emotions is better known in the literature as emotion regulation. Research into teacher emotion regulation has found that teachers believe their capacity to relate their emotions is related to perceived effectiveness (Sutton, 2004) and that teachers tend to ‘down-regulate’ negative emotions and ‘up regulate’ positive emotions. Perhaps not surprisingly, classroom management has been associated with the need for teachers to be good at regulating emotions (Sutton, Mudrey-Camino & Knight, 2009) and in particular balance the need for ‘caring’ and ‘order’ (Woolfolk Hoy, 2013). Fried (2011) argues that pre-service teachers will benefit from a “greater understanding of the role of emotions in the teaching profession” (p. 123) and that such knowledge will have benefits for their professional and personal lives.

Emotions in the Classroom Since the beginning of this century, researchers have begun to pay more attention to the role that emotions play in classroom life and learning. In their seminal 2002 publication, Meyer and Turner argue that emotions are “intertwined in teachers’ instructional responses and students beliefs and actions” and that emotion, motivation and cognition are “equal components in the social process of learning” (p. 107). A range of positive and negative emotions experienced by teachers have been identified (see Sutton & Wheatley, 2003, for a

review) and dominant negative emotions have been associated with teacher burnout (Chang, 2009). Positive emotions on the other hand have been cited as important for teacher resilience and motivation (Morgan, Ludlow, Kitching, O’Leary & Clarke, 2010).

Research also acknowledges that early career teachers often feel unprepared for the emotional work of teaching and that teachers who regulate their emotions are healthier (Newberry, 2013; Woolfolk Hoy, 2013). Woolfolk Hoy (2013) argues that teacher education programs should assist pre-service teachers developing emotion regulation strategies as well as learning to regulate their social support networks to better prepare them for the profession.

The Big Picture

Classroom Climate An emotionally safe classroom environment is necessary for students’ cognitive learning, growth, and creative expression. The following are considered to be means through which the teacher can create an emotionally safe classroom environment. Determine the relative importance to you in your classroom, assess your own current capacity to do this, and visualise what this could look like in your context . . .

Means for a Safe Classroom Imp 1-3 Cap 1-3 What this could look likeFoster positive relationships with studentsProvide targeted positive/constructive feedback to studentsAcknowledge student capabilitiesHave high expectations of studentsLearn the names of your students . . . fast!Spend time getting to know students and their interestsModel appropriate expression of emotionFocus on cooperation rather than competition in the classroomEmploy democratic processes in the classroomFocus on developing student creative and critical thinking skillsTeach conflict resolution skillsActively listen to the students and respond appropriatelyBe aware of student emotionsUse humour in the classroomEncourage ownerships of rules through negotiationExpress rules positively rather than ‘don’t do . . .’Be clear and concise with instructions

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Check students can see and hear before startingAssign roles for group learning tasks (scribe, time-keeper etc)Acknowledge personal bests and improvements

Compile a list of ‘discipline’ strategies used by your own teaches that you liked and disliked as a student. How likely do you think you are of replicating these in your classroom?

Consider how you will address situations where more experienced teachers attempt to deride the innovative evidence-based strategies you employ.

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Strategies

Managing Emotions Managing emotions involves the ability to de-escalate or increase one’s own emotions and those of other people. It is not about suppressing negative emotions or trying to control emotions.

Which of the following strategies appeals to you?

Football player If I want to perform well at football I need to manage my emotions. I have learnt that emotions left over from other events influence my performance. I use music to change my emotional state. I use it to relax and also to fire me up before training. Sometimes I focus on my breath or use self-talk if I feel my emotions are running away from me on the field. This can happen when there is a bad call from the umpire or when I am getting a lot of ‘treatment’ from the opposition. When we are losing I narrow my focus and stick tightly with the game plan.

Shop assistant There are often times when I have to manage my emotions at work. My boss tells us that the customer is always right so when I get a rude or impatient customer I need to be calm. To do this sometimes I step outside the situation and watch myself as if I am the audience for my own play. I always use a calm, clear voice and keep focused on the goal of making a sale. At lunch time I go for a walk and de-stress by looking at the flowers in the park or sharing stories with a work colleague.

Nurse At times during work I feel very sad and emotional, particularly when dealing with terminally ill patients. When I feel like that I try and focus on helping my patients to be as comfortable as possible. I often use humour in my work as it helps to ease the tension for me and the patients. At times we are very busy and I feel tension building in my shoulders and neck. At lunch time I usually have lunch on my own and try to physically relax. Sometimes I go and have a 30 minute massage with the Chinese masseur next to the hospital.

The ACT Strategy This can be used to manage both the highs and the lows of the day to day teacher life, much of which are generated from the relationships with and management of students.

What are some real highs in behaviour management (one off zeniths and daily encouragements)? What are some real lows (one off extreme cases and daily drains)?

A Awareness - The simple act of being aware of your emotions, accepting and labelling the emotion (not as good or bad) can begin the de-escalation of negative emotion and the recognition of positive emotion.

C Check thoughts - What are my emotions telling me about the situation I am in? Avoid the negative thought patterns which tend to involve defending yourself or blaming the other person, yourself or the situation. Ask yourself… what may the other person be feeling? How are they viewing the situation?

T Try alternatives - Ask yourself what alternative ways of behaving do I have? Emotion expression can be healthy but ask yourself … is it appropriate here to express my emotion? Can I do this calmly? If yes is the answer to both of these then use ‘I statements’ to express how you are feeling.

This sounds like a laborious process but it will become automatic once you bring awareness to the emotional experience.

Some Other Emotional Management Strategies Finding triggers (to avoid or generate) Know your calming strategies (breathe, voice, music) Teach kids strategies(and model/think-aloud) Think about it from a different perspective Write down alternative ways of thinking

Think about things you like Remove self from situation Come back later Modify the situation to suit me Don’t think too far ahead

Go for walk or run Find supportive people Baby steps

Don’t take it personally! Advice from Teachers… Managing emotions involves the ability to de-escalate or increase one’s own emotions and those of other people. I

A resilient teacher is able to take criticism from parents and teachers, and misbehaviour from students as a professional issue rather than a personal attack. - Christine, early career teacher

I know they’re angry with the world. They’re angry with other things. They’re not angry with me so I never take it personally. - Frank, experienced teacher

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They come out fighting and sometimes you have to react and think, 'that wasn’t really about me'. - Linda, experienced teacher

Phrases like “don’t take it personally” are often cited by teachers when they talk about teacher resilience. Which of the following have helped you to avoid taking it personally?

Thinking about challenges as professional issues. Using problem solving skills to quickly address issues. Believing there is always a solution. Understanding that student behaviour is influenced by a range of factors. Seeing things from another’s point of view. Avoiding rumination and negative self-talk. Being prepared to admit to a mistake and move on. Being focused on the future and professional improvement Being assertive, not aggressive Label the behaviour and not the student Not making “mountains out of molehills” Understanding they could be ‘bored’ not bad! Not having knee jerk reactions

Consider the Optimistic Thinking Turn-around . . .Is it permanent or temporary (most are temporary) Is it personal or general? Is it pervasive or an isolated thing?

Scenario An angry student is confronting you about what she considers to be unfair treatment. Flesh out the

context and then decide what strategy/ies would you use to manage your emotions and de-escalate the situation?

Take Home Message What is the one most significant thing you’ve come across in the session today?

Additional Resources and Websites A framework for developing and enacting humane behaviour policies and practices in schools

http://www.bass.edu.au/files/1914/1565/8195/Framework_for_Humane_Behaviour.pdf

Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports www.pbis.org

National Safe Schools Framework http:// www.safeschoolshub.edu.au/docs/default-source/resources/nssf_schoolwide_positive_behaviour_supp ort.pdf

Behaviour at School Study http://www.bass.edu.au/

References

https://www.brite.edu.au/

http://www.redbubble.com/people/beanoutback/collections/234320-lego

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