I use these spaces as a foundation to help all teachers visualize the possibilities of what it may look like within their own learning spaces. Remembering all Behaviors=Communications; the goal if you have runners or those students eloping, etc. is to better meet their emotional needs within your classroom. I’m not saying this will solve all of your problems, but just like some adults who need that cup of coffee before engaging with others, we need to provide safe spaces for our students to be able to prime and scaffold their own learning at their own speed.
My 30,000ft view: Pause and approach your observations of student behaviors with Curiosity. It generally has nothing to do about you. When you get what is behind the behavior, you can begin to empower the student to become a positive change agent. We all have a need to be seen, heard, and valued. This approach doesn’t take having a PhD behind your name; only a desire for building healthy relationships with your students. ~JiM
⬇︎How important is Co-regulation? watch this video below⬇︎
Innovation and Data-Driven are talked about a lot these days. It had me thinking how many Districts truly are innovative in terms of giving voice to all; or is it controlled from the top-down…
If Equity is a human right; it stands to reason that those most vulnerable and marginalized in our school systems could rise in this equation and create systems changes to move mountains!
👏This is where Design-Thinking meets Innovation👏
The Village
On March 1, 2019, the dedication of the Aspire Academy School-Based Health Care Clinic took place. Five years prior, a small but passionate group of individuals set out on a trauma-informed school journey. We weren’t sure what that all meant at the time, but serving in a health care ‘desert’ community we knew that our school would need to embrace the concept of the ‘village’. In other words, '“You need to Maslow before you Bloom”
The Mayor of St. Louis honored us with a Proclamation! Shout out to Dr. Bates for making this vision a reality!
It's easy to SAY you don't suspend K-3 students in public forums. The Design-Thinking process ensures that you can fulfill those promises in action!
It's all about Systems-Design! Or in Systems RE-Design!
Now that you have introduced yoga/mindfulness/restorative practices/PBIS/trauma-responsive practices/fill in the blank, into your daily work; how will you put it all together that will lead to strength-based learning?
The graphic and Video represents a sample of our work.
This video is a quick introduction in how you can design a trauma-informed school using the design-thinking process:
Key(s): Re-defining systems to create levels of support which include the ISS/OSS process. The critical component is a restorative "village" mindset. Your process will be different.
“The child who is not embraced by the Village will burn it down to feel it’s warmth.”
👇Turning FBA’s into Trauma-Informed👇
This is a ‘Prototype’ of an effort that I helped lead with a district that wanted to factor in a student's 'setting events' as it pertained to traumatic past experiences within their FBA process. Originally created around 2015, at the time the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACEs) became prevalent in schools. Our survey became centered around those original 10 questions. today, we have a much deeper understanding and widening of that original ACEs mindset to know our lens should encompass so much more; bringing into the conversation: equity, Race, LQBTQ+, etc.
How I would recommend the reader to use this prototype: As a PLC (professional learning community) conversational starter to greater understanding within team members.
A few points that we learned along the way: No adult (in this case; our school team) is ‘privilege’ to another person’s trauma (both the child or the parent). That power should originate with the child/parent should they feel both safe & that your team has earned their trust to receive their pain. Keep that in mind when talking surveys or gathering data in the process. Plus, very few schools have the professional resources during team meetings to even “handle the truth” as a famous movie with Tom Cruise once said…just be careful, or more importantly, empathetic.
The real power was not in this document; rather in how it led to the development of a dream team of passionate educators wanting to disrupt our status quo when we knew our present system was not only damaging to students but also frustrating at best to the educators it impacted. Our Movement was Led by social workers, counselors, school psychiatrists, and few others with ‘lived’ Experiences. These were and should be in every school the ‘experts.’ However, in the past, these roles have not typically served as the leaders. We made sure that all changed!
Last note: In The process we empower the student as a driving force (restorative practices) in what we call ‘Empowerment Plans.’ More about that critical aspect will come around December 2019.
“Without a Design-Thinking & Systems Approach, you are wasting your PD on the Practices.
Professional Learning Communities want to know how it all fits within the strategic planning process.
The Design-Thinking Process makes the magic happen!
~Jim Walters”
In this video you will hear from a trauma-informed district-level leader that re-defined his role and meetings to better meet the needs of his trauma-informed team using the design-thinking process.
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Trauma-Informed Approach
Keep in mind that this is not a "program" or about "those kids." Creating trauma-informed or sensitive schools embraces empathy as it's roadmap, acknowledges individuals as each having unique experiences, and those experiences if properly cultivated can strengthen the village. ~Jim Walters
“My Adversity has given me a whole new definition of Leadership. I now define Leadership through the depth of which that leader has endured to get where they are today. If you are seeking a leader to do the impossible, look for someone that has persevered through the unthinkable!
~Jim Walters”
