masters of (positive) manipulation
DESCRIPTION
How to help and work with "at-risk" studentsTRANSCRIPT
Masters of (positive) Manipulation
@asktapestry
Ma·nip·u·late
•to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner
•to adapt or change (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one's purpose or advantage.
Project TAPESTRY
A Student-centered approach to mentoring, advocacy, and increased school engagement facilitating increased high-school graduation rates and decreased drop-out rates.
Program Objectives
• Increase high school graduation rates at participating high schools
• Develop articulated support for students returning to school after separation (suspension, expulsion, alternative placement, etc.)
• Assist students in creating educational pathways for career and life-long learning
• Implement a strength-based model developing youth social-emotional competencies
Student-Centered Approach• The “student-centered” approach
provides students a voice in how they are supported and facilitates their ownership in the process
• Student advocates provide a variety of supports for students relative to the alterable indicators of risk
• Data provided by schools and students drive the decision making process throughout program participation
TAPESTRY Advocate
Individual Student
Success Plan
Student-Centered ApproachParent
Involvement & Collaboration
Mental / Physical Health Service
Referrals
Site-based school
support and advocacy
Credit Recovery
Post-Secondary
Career support & guidance
Transition support for students
At-Risk Studen
t
BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS
How do Project TAPESTRY teams identify which students are at risk?
• The distinction must be made between status (unalterable) and alterable risk factors.
• The following are alterable risk factors:• Behavioral Indicators: absenteeism, truancy,
referrals, detentions, in or out-of-school suspensions, limited extracurricular engagement
• Academic Indicators: credit deficiency, class failures, poor task completion, incomplete daily work, below proficiency scores on standardized assessments
• Cognitive Indicators: minimal interest in school, resistance to learning, low sense of self-efficacy, perceived lack of competence
• Affective Indicators: low expectations of graduation, social isolation, sense of not belonging in school community
• TAPESTRY advocates work closely with school support staff and administrators to identify students exhibiting some or all of the above risk factors
What Makes Tapestry Run…
•Teacher•Counselor•Social worker•Truancy officer
THE INTERFACE BETWEENPROGRAM AND SCHOOL
OR WHAT TO DO WITH THE“ GROWN-UPS”
Challenges
•Who is the “hammer” in your district? Program?
•What causes a “tornado” in your district? Program?
•Do you feel like you are constantly jumping through hoops?
•Do you feel like a puppet?•“Captain, oh, Captain” – Who’s in charge
of your raft, boat, yacht, ship….?
Opportunities
•Opening a new door…..•Walking a tightrope……•Feeling like Sisyphus…….•One door leads to another and another
and another…..
Relationship Building
Positive Role Model
Expectations
• Email the students teachers, often.
• (ask permission) Go sit in classes and watch how your students interact in the classroom (this will take a few times, because you are the new object in the room for a while).
• Email updates (good and bad) to counselors, teachers, deans…anyone you think would benefit from the info.
• Call home for the good, not just the bad
What to do:
Positive Modeling
•Be consistent!
•Hold yourself and the student accountable
•Value what you say
Expectations• We look different to the
students, we are more accessible and we play a different role than others in the building.
• We still maintain high expectations of the students, and sometimes that is difficult, as we have such a close relationship.
• Our students can sometimes see us as friends, more so than what we really are.
Behavior Modification and Decision Making
“The definition of insanity is to do the exact same thing over and over again, but expect different results.”
B. F. Skinner and Operant Conditioning
What happens right before (antecedents) and what happens right after (consequences) a behavior affects the likelihood of that behavior happening again.
In Tapestry:
*Positive Reinforcements*Small Goal Setting *Behavior Interventions
*Listen to students*What is their story?*What could they have said
or done differently?
Positive Reinforcement vs. Negative Consequences
*If a behavior is positively reinforced, it is more likely to be repeated.
*If a behavior has a consequence or punisher, it is much less likely to be repeated.
Examples:Homework completion (positive)- if we gave our students $5 every time they completed an assignment, they are much more likely to complete more homework assignments.
Being late to class (negative)- if our students are late to our class, we have them write a paragraph on why they were late and how they can get to class in a more timely manner. They then need to read the paragraph out loud to the class or at least to the teacher.
How does the need for recognition play a role?Do they get enough recognition at home from their family?
Are they seeking peer approval or acceptance?
The more trouble they get into, the more recognition they get, both positive and negative.
Example: if we are working with a student who assumes the role of leader among his friends and enjoys a little thrill seeking, we are going to encourage that the student uses the positive qualities of being a leader correctly, not negatively. We will encourage that he/she gets involved in student council, sports or clubs in school, or volunteers at a place of interest. We will also work with the student to discover ways they can get the same rush from these thrill seeking behaviors without compromising their self or others. We would encourage intramural sports for healthy competition, workout, listen to music, learn a new hobby such as skateboarding, face their fears, go to a rock climbing gym, etc...
Our Students
• A Work in Progress
• Almost to the Finish Line
• One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Contacts:
[email protected] – Ben
[email protected] – Marilyn
[email protected] – Emily
[email protected] – Jackie
@asktapestry