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Practice Makes Perfect
The first documented use of the term “Dry Run” appeared in a Salem Daily News article in 1896. Dry runs, pilots, and dress rehearsals are still widely accepted today as a way to practice and prepare for important events. A practice run allows us to catch issues that could not have been predicted and, to the best extent possible, maximize the results.While there may not be a true state of perfection when implementing an effective prevention education strategy, good planning, observation, and adjustments to your policies and procedures work to maximize process outcomes and, ultimately, student outcomes. Because student outcomes are directly tied to fidelity of implementation, it is essential to build a system of preparation and quality assurance at the core of your implementation. The Too Good Implementation Center illustrates the five phases of implementation including Program Exploration, Installation, Initial Implementation, Full Implementation, and Sustainability. Any underlying problems which may not have been foreseen in the installation phase will reveal themselves The Initial Implementation Phase of program implementation is a critical step in the process. It is at this point when your teams’ planning and organization efforts are put to the test for the first time. Any underlying problems which may not have been foreseen in the installation phase will reveal themselves as all members of your team, whether at the administrative level, delivery level, or the assessment level, are activated. In this third chapter of the Implementation Blog Series, we’ll look at the effects of running a pilot delivery of your prevention program implementation. The Initial Program Implementation Phase serves as your test run of the plans and procedures established by your Implementation Team during the Installation Phase. During the pilot delivery, Implementation staff should monitor the pilot lesson delivery for gaps in instruction, program drift, and other unanticipated barriers to lesson delivery. The Implementation Team will collect and process outcomes data to test policies and procedures. While it is not recommended that outcomes data from your pilot delivery be submitted to funders, practicing your data collection protocols will reveal potential inconsistencies or gaps in your procedures or systems. Then you can make adjustments to procedures, enhance or revisit training protocols for instructors, and adjust scheduling or other environmental factors that could be impeding your fidelity of implementation. Following these corrections, it may be necessary to run a second pilot delivery to test your changes. When you are confident in the integrity of your implementation plan you will be ready for the next Full Implementation Phase. Just as costumes are worn in a production’s dress rehearsal, all components of a high-fidelity implementation should be included in the pilot lesson delivery. Over the course of your first lesson deliveries, the team will uncover obstacles specific to your location, population, and program. By planning for a pilot delivery of your program, you will be poised for a high fidelity of implementation in the Full Implementation Phase. In the next chapter of our five-part series, we’ll examine the goals of the Full Implementation Phase to inform the planning and execution of your outcomes-driven prevention education strategy.
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Planning Effective Program Implementation
Implementing an effective prevention education strategy requires planning, coordination, and a commitment to excellence among all involved. We’ve developed the Too Good Implementation Center to provide step-by-step guidance as you plan your efforts to prevent substance use and promote the development of a resilient student body in your school community. Presented as a comprehensive five-part guide, each phase introduces the process of implementing your prevention strategy with fidelity to the program model. In the first chapter of this blog series, we reviewed the Exploration Phase of Implementation. The purpose of the Exploration Phase is to define program goals and document desired outcomes as well as identify an effective Evidence-Based Program to produce the targeted outcomes. The steps taken at this point are particularly critical in the pursuit of a high fidelity implementation as it is in this phase that the staff, protocols, and delivery locations will be readied Following the Exploration Phase, including the completion of a needs assessment, selecting a program to implement, and acquiring program materials, the work begins to ready the Installation Phase of the implementation process. It is at this second phase that preparations are made for the launch of your prevention education program and the process of building the system and staff capacity to support a high fidelity installation is established. In an intervention delivered with high fidelity, the facilitators remain faithful to the program design, adhering closely to the program’s model for delivery methods and activities, intensity and dosage, and core components throughout the implementation. The steps taken at this point are particularly critical in the pursuit of a high fidelity implementation as it is in this phase that the staff, protocols, and delivery locations will be readied for successful program delivery.To achieve these high quality implementation goals, the structural components of program delivery including site and staff readiness, communication and training protocols, and data collection and quality assurance strategies must be established early and communicated to all stakeholders. Primary objectives of implementation teams formed in the Installation Phase include determining school priorities, assessing and addressing the readiness and engagement of stakeholders, and making plans for data collection at the delivery site level. Additional planning at this phase includes assessing potential barriers and establishing methods to overcome challenges as they arise. Soliciting “buy in” at this stage also supports readiness and an ongoing commitment among stakeholders to ensure seamless program delivery and positive student outcomes. Doing so will ensure that each person involved in program implementation is equipped with the support and resources to deliver the program effectively and with the needs of stakeholders in mind. It will also establish supportive implementation norms and a culture of commitment to the established procedures in the implementation plan.At this phase of implementation, delivery teams are trained, support systems are put in place for a smooth and successful implementation, and delivery sites are equipped with program delivery materials. With the implementation team communicating effectively and structural components in effect, you’ll be ready for your initial program implementation. Next in our series, we’ll explore the Initial Implementation Phase, the next chapter in our five-part series, to inform the planning and execution of your outcomes-driven prevention education strategy.
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Measure Twice, Cut Once
Choosing an Evidence-Based Program (EBP) to prevent substance use and promote the development of a resilient student body in your school community is an exciting enterprise. A successful implementation requires organization, planning, and commitment from all stakeholders within the community and the implementation sites. To guide you in facilitating a seamless implementation and achieving positive pro-social outcomes in your student body, we developed the Too Good Implementation Center in partnership with the University of South Florida's Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Drug Abuse (ITRE). The Too Good Implementation Center is a comprehensive guide to the five phases of effective program implementation. Each phase in the Implementation Center illustrates the implementation processes, goals, and best practices to achieve to maximize student outcomes in your prevention strategy. To assist you in planning and executing a high-fidelity implementation, we’ve developed a five-part blog series. This week, we’ll dive into the Exploration Phase and provide guidance on where to begin your journey towards establishing an effective prevention strategy in your community. Successful implementations depend on thorough planning and capacity building. Exploration Phase The primary goal of the Exploration Phase of implementation is to identify and articulate a need for change and to select the right Evidence Based Program (EBP) to meet that need. Successful implementations depend on thorough planning and capacity building. Working through what you want to change, how you wish to change it, and the ability of your organization to effect that change should be done as early in the process as possible to best prepare your efforts for success. Begin by completing a needs assessment to measure the substance use and school climate factors which need to be addressed in your school community. Define the target population you will serve, identify the settings for program delivery, and document the expected short-and long-term outcomes of implementing a prevention-based approach to meet your needs. Develop a logic model and framework for achieving outcomes, and define strategies for affecting change. Once you have determined the need and desired outcomes, the next step is to evaluate programs based on several criteria: the program’s theoretical framework, logic model, strategies, prescribed outcomes, and compatibility with your target population, capacity, and setting. Prevention Framework An effective prevention framework aims to prevent risky and unhealthy behavior by first targeting the development of key skills and the education of youth about the effects and consequences of those behaviors. Education on the negative consequences of violence and substance use alone is not an effective prevention strategy and rarely changes behavior. Other “informative” or “emotional appeal” strategies like didactic lectures, scare tactics, alarming statistics, or infrequent or one-off presentations have proven to be ineffective in reducing or deterring substance use and violence in children and youth. Effective prevention programs use a strengths-based approach that builds self-efficacy and develops character as part of a strategy to address risk. Protective factors and resiliency increase in this model, equipping students with the ability to face and overcome challenges, rather than turn to negative behaviors. Research also indicates that an effective prevention framework provides lesson content through interactive and collaborative activities to engage diverse learning modalities and support prosocial norms in the school community. Your prevention strategy should include outlines of how you plan to reach beyond school walls to garner support and involvement from parents Setting and Target Population Effectiveness To determine if a program will be effective in your target setting and student population, consider the demographics and targeted risk factors within your school population. Your comprehensive prevention strategy should take into consideration the unique community challenges present in your area. If your community struggles with gaining parental involvement, for instance, your prevention strategy should include outlines of how you plan to reach beyond school walls to garner support and involvement from parents. Include budget in your plans for community speakers and parent education nights to strengthen and amplify your on-campus prevention efforts. Intended Outcomes Choosing an EBP that will meet the needs of your community includes comparing your desired outcomes with the research-backed outcomes shown in the programs you are evaluating. An effective prevention strategy should target the following protective factors for increase: Social and emotional competency skills Personal efficacy Exposure to school, community, and cultural norms that reject substance use or antisocial behaviors Increased knowledge and perception of harm of the negative effects of problem behaviors Positive school connectedness As well as targeting the following factors for decrease: Poor social and emotional skills Favorable attitudes toward substance use or antisocial behavior Norms favorable toward substance use or antisocial behavior Peer rewards for substance use or antisocial behaviors Early initiation of substance use Physical violence Bullying behavior In this five-part blog series, we will publish additional chapters based on the phases in the Too Good Implementation Center to provide guidance on how to effectively frame and support an outcomes-based EBP and prevention strategy. Tune in as we explore the phases of Program Installation, Initial Implementation, Full Implementation, and Program Sustainability.
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An Ounce of Prevention
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) have designated October National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. A cornerstone of this annual campaign is the Dose of Prevention Challenge, an initiative designed to raise awareness of the effectiveness of prevention education among parents and others. The Campaign encourages families and their communities to hold community events to bring the substance-free message to the fore and to support environmental strategies to promote no-use norms. As the opioid crisis has deepened over the past several years, it’s critical that schools and community organizations participate in prevention efforts in October as well as throughout the year. This week, we’ll explore the effects of prevention education and other strategies in mitigating the risk factors for opioid misuse. When used correctly under the direction of a healthcare provider, prescription pain medicines are a valuable part of the administration of health services providing relief to those recovering from surgeries, managing chronic conditions, and addressing other ailments. However, the misuse of prescription opioids carries a significant risk of dependence and addiction. An inferred impression that prescription opioids are less harmful than street drugs because they have legitimate medical uses reduces the perception of the harm these drugs can inflict. Indeed, it is because these drugs are so powerful that they are made available only by prescription. prevention strategies that begin early in childhood to delay or stop problem behaviors provide some of the most effective defenses we have against opioid misuse The Center for Disease Control reports that overdose deaths involving prescription opioids were more than four times higher in 2018 than in 1999. Additionally, one in five young adults has abused a prescription drug. Statistically, medication abuse increases with age, so the earlier we equip children with the necessary skills to resist substance abuse and prepare them with healthy attitudes and norms regarding substance use, the more likely they will refuse and avoid substance use. Prevention education is a proactive process that builds protective factors including social and emotional capacity, perception of harm, and healthy coping strategies to equip children to manage and recover from stressful events. Common risk factors for substance use can be mitigated when children have developed the ability to use skills to manage challenges and adverse conditions. Thus, effective prevention strategies that begin early in childhood to delay or stop problem behaviors provide some of the most effective defenses we have against opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose. Skills development coupled with information on the risks and negative effects of the misuse of medicine provide students with a capacity for healthy social development and emotional competency and promote unity and positive norms throughout a school. The Dose of Prevention Challenge CADCA’s Dose of Prevention Challenge encourages schools and community health agencies to spotlight the effectiveness of prevention in reducing substance use incidence. The impact of early prevention efforts on later substance use disorder risk is well documented. The links between adolescent brain development and risk seeking underscore the need to begin talking with early adolescents about healthy and unhealthy risk taking. Evidence-based prevention education programs like Too Good for Drugs promote the development of character-building skills to strengthen self-efficacy and promote the mindfulness to both be self-aware and increase self-regulation, and to maintain the resolve to reject undesirable peer behavior. Coupled with age-appropriate prescription and OTC education, a knowledge and skills-based approach forms an effective strategy to build protection against future substance misuse. Prevention efforts are more effective when they reach beyond the school walls and involve parents and the community to reinforce the prevention message. CADCA’s Dose of Prevention Challenge recommends engaging the community in events to raise awareness and garner support for reinforcing no-use norms and expectations in the community. When community leaders reinforce healthy, substance free norms and support policies to address the community risk factors for substance use, school-based prevention efforts have more durable effects. Too Good programs provide resources and ideas for family and community activities reinforce prevention education efforts. You can meet this year’s Dose of Prevention Challenge by inviting parents, caregivers, and community leaders to participate in your prevention efforts whether virtually or in-person. Host a car-parade to celebrate the Dose of Prevention Challenge and involve kids in decorating cars and demonstrating support for a drug-free community. Invite community members and parents to a webinar panel featuring behavioral health specialists, where people can learn about the prevention efforts already underway in your community. Or, if you are early in your prevention strategy planning, visit our online Implementation Center to inform your plans. Invite parents and community members to join you in the planning process. For additional resources on how to rally your community around prevention education and promote positive norms around substance use, visit these sites for ideas. https://www.cadca.org https://www.redribbon.org https://drugfree.org/prevention-and-taking-action-early
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Teaching Through Stories — Tuggles Tales
The Mendez Foundation is proud to announce the release of a new series of original storybooks for young readers and emerging readers! Available in early 2021, Tuggles and his pals take young learners on a journey exploring prosocial skills through fun adventures and relatable experiences. For centuries, storytelling has been an effective way to communicate knowledge and information. When content is embedded in the context of a story, learners begin to see themselves in the story and identify with the characters. Stories also are a great way to engage multiple learning modalities like visual and auditory learning. The Tuggles Tales series is a compilation of stories designed to delight and entertain young readers, as well as reinforce key concepts taught in the Too Good programs. This week, we’ll explore the books in the Tuggles Tales series and the value in incorporating storytelling into teaching. Good stories create a sense of connection and reinforce positive norms. When we reinforce positive norms, we instill a sense of autonomy in the child, foster a sense of belonging in the community, and promote hope for the future. Teaching Through Stories In any given group, approximately 40 percent of learners will be predominantly visual learners and another 40 percent will be auditory learners, learning best through lectures and discussions. The remaining 20 percent are likely to be kinesthetic learners, who learn best by doing, feeling, and experiencing. Storytelling as a content delivery mode engages all three of these learning modalities. Visual learners appreciate that storytelling evokes mental pictures and they respond positively to illustrations. Auditory learners focus on the words and the voice of the storyteller, drawing connections to a story’s meaning. Kinesthetic learners recall emotional connections from the story. Stories may also create vivid mental images, which is a cue for recalling information. Each type of learner can connect to the content in a way that suits their inherent ability to consume and recall information. When content is delivered in a story, students are more likely to remember and feel connected to that content.Good stories create a sense of connection and reinforce positive norms. When we reinforce positive norms, we instill a sense of autonomy in the child, foster a sense of belonging in the community, and promote hope for the future. Stories featuring familiar characters build trust and allow the listener to enter the story where they are, opening them up to learning. Because stories provide natural connections between events and concepts, when students are reminded of one part of the story, they can often evoke the other parts of the story, as well. Stories allow students to put themselves in other people’s shoes and practice empathy. Students can relate to the familiar trip, and can connect the story to important concepts taught in the Too Good program The Tuggles Tales Series The Tuggles Tales series of original storybooks addresses important skills needed to develop resiliency in students. In Tuggles Catches a Feeling, Tuggles goes on a fishing adventure with his grandpa. The day includes a range of relatable events which provide an opportunity for Tuggles to identify the emotions he feels throughout the long day on the docks. When Tuggles is pressured and taunted by a group of friends to engage in unsafe behavior in Tuggles has a Better Idea, he resists peer pressure and offers a better idea for safe playground fun in this memorable rhyming tale. By confidently refusing to participate in unsafe activities and providing a sensible alternative, Tuggles convinces his friends they can have more fun while staying out of trouble. In Tuggles Goes to the Doctor, Tuggles wakes up feeling ill. When readers join him on a trip to the doctor’s office, a nurse explains that Tuggles’ weight and height are important information for the doctor to be able to prescribe the correct dosage of medicine. Students can relate to the familiar trip, and can connect the story to important concepts taught in the Too Good program about the safe use of medicines. Tuggles uses the “Stop and Think” decision making model to solve his problem in Tuggles Stops to Think. When his ball bounces out of the yard, Tuggles considers the potential consequences of each way he could retrieve the ball. As he considers his options, Tuggles realizes that by stopping to think, he can avoid danger and get back to playing ball with his friend Rose safely. Tuggles effectively identifies and manages a building sense of frustration when he encounters an obstacle one morning in Tuggles Keeps His Cool. Tuggles takes steps to calm himself down and realizes that he makes better decisions when he slows down to identify and manage his emotion. Tuggles is able to enjoy his favorite train made of cardboard boxes after he calms himself down. The Tuggles Tales stories provide a fun and memorable experience for students, while reinforcing resiliency building skills and positive norms, and effectively engaging students of a variety of learning modalities. The Tuggles Tales series of original storybooks ignite imaginations and will make a delightful edition to your school library or home bookshelf.
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Online Safety
These days, kids spend more time online than ever before. Present circumstances have driven increases in the average amount of time kids are logging on for distance learning and virtual socializing. A recent survey of more than 3,000 parents found that their kids’ screen time had increased by 500% during the pandemic.
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Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week is a time for parents, teachers, school counselors, and administrators to encourage children to live healthy, substance-free lives, set positive goals and make good decisions. It is also marks an opportunity to celebrate and thank those who work so hard to keep our communities drug free.
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Full Circle
When Charles E. Mendez, Sr. established the C.E Mendez Foundation in 1964, he had a mission to support children and families in need in his community. The Foundation gained a reputation for providing critical assistance to charitable education and mental health organizations supporting struggling children and families in Tampa, Florida. Under the second generation of the Foundation’s leadership, Charles E. Mendez Jr., the organization sharpened its focus and pivoted to addressing substance use in the 1970s, forming strategic partnerships, and establishing a new trajectory. The Foundation began developing skills-based prevention education programs aimed at reducing and preventing substance use and its negative effects on individuals, families, and communities. Developed and tested in Tampa schools for many years, the prevention programs gained national attention in the early 1980s and soon, school systems across the nation were eager to introduce drug prevention into their classrooms. In response, the Foundation began to make the curricula available to educators nationwide. This week, we’ll explore the Foundation’s commitment to service in Hillsborough County and the role these direct services play in supporting the development of the Too Good programs in K-12 classrooms across the country. Today, the evidence-based, skill-building Too Good programs make a positive impact on the lives of students, teachers, parents, and community leaders across the nation. In 1975, the United States was facing sharp increases in substance use. These troubling trends led Tampa native and president of the C.E. Mendez Foundation, Charles E. Mendez, Jr. to direct the Foundation’s resources to address substance abuse at its core. Recognizing that the most effective means of affecting change was through education, Mr. Mendez set out to develop strategies and courses to educate children and adolescents of the risks associated with substance use and to promote their own internal capacity for setting goals and reaching those goals. The Foundation’s programs were developed with the guiding philosophy that providing children with key skills development, such as critical decision making, goal setting, and social skills will inevitably result in stronger, happier, and more resilient children. This approach was put into action when the first prevention course, Meology, was taught in grade 6 centers throughout the Hillsborough County School District in 1979. This new partnership with the Hillsborough County School District would form the basis of a decades-long tradition of local service and prevention education in Tampa. The Foundation hired Prevention Specialists to deliver the courses in classrooms across the district, and they’ve been delivered by the Foundation’s trained prevention professionals in Hillsborough county schools for generations since. For more than 45 years, children and adolescents in Tampa have enjoyed the cooperative learning strategies and prosocial lessons presented in the Too Good programs. Over the course of the partnership, the Foundation has delivered countless lessons in K-12 classes in public, private, and charter schools throughout Hillsborough County. In time, Meology would become Too Good for Drugs, forming a comprehensive substance use prevention curriculum for K-12. Today, more than 13,000 students a year receive Too Good lessons led by the Foundation’s team of prevention specialists throughout the county. Before long, news of the Foundation’s innovative approach to substance use prevention in schools spread beyond Hillsborough County. In 1985, the programs caught the attention of the National Football League, leading to their sponsorship of Too Good program delivery in each of the NFL cities across the country. The Foundation was featured in a prominent documentary spotlighting innovative solutions at work to address the serious substance use problem in the US in the 1970’s. This national recognition prompted school systems from all over the country to implement the Foundation’s prevention programs with great success in their classrooms, after school programs, and beyond. In time, additional partnerships with the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, the City of Tampa, the City of Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County, and the University of South Florida have fostered a broad system of support to promote positive youth outcomes throughout the region.Since the beginning, the Foundation’s curriculum development team has put lesson concepts to the test in classrooms as part of its Direct Services efforts. First-hand experiences with students provide insights needed to fine tune the engagement factor and effectiveness of lessons. Activities are field tested and iterated upon until they prove to be effective, developmentally matched to the student, and relevant to the needs of children and adolescents over time. In addition to the rigorous field testing in the Hillsborough County Public schools, the team continually reaches out to educators, behavioral health specialists, and administrators across the nation to solicit feedback on the curricula and their impact, and use that feedback to advise the process. Rooted in a commitment to community service, the Foundation has sponsored and hosted events to support environmental strategies including fun-runs and community health fairs in the Tampa area to increase awareness about substance abuse and foster positive societal norms regarding substance use. These activities include the Too Good for Drugs Walk, City of Tampa Summer Parks Program, and the Too Good for Drugs Jr. Gasparilla Distance Classic to provide children and their families fun, free activities they can participate in together. In addition, the Foundation has worked with local community and government agencies to advance policy and services to support strategies to reduce substance use, reduce bullying, and reduce violence. The Foundation’s continued support for the well-being of the children and families in Hillsborough County means that generations of Tampa youth have grown up with the protective factors and resiliency developed by the Too Good programs. For nearly a half century, the C.E. Mendez Foundation has been delivering on its mission to support the children and families of the Tampa Bay area. The Foundation proudly develops and implements unparalleled K-12 prevention education programs that teach kids they are too good for drugs and violence. Rigorous third party evaluations have shown the Too Good programs to have positive effects on emotional competency skills development, decision-making ability, intentions to engage in substance use, substance use behavior, and intentions to engage in aggressive behavior. Today, the evidence-based, skill-building Too Good programs make a positive impact on the lives of students, teachers, parents, and community leaders across the nation.
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Laugh and Learn
Educators have long appreciated that students enjoy learning through games, humor, and music, but learning through songs and games isn’t just for fun. Indeed, the practice of learning through games dates back to antiquity. 2000 years ago, the game of chess was used as a simulation game to prepare soldiers for battle. Research indicates that students experience increased concentration and retention when lessons are delivered though games, music, and humor. This week, we’ll look at why teaching through music, humor, and games is effective. Games, songs, and humor focus the student’s attention and actively immerses them in a synchronized activity. Lessons applied through songs and games foster improved retention by triggering heightened function in the lower brain to focus attention. In response to enjoyable experiences, the brain releases neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and an array of endorphins to stimulate the memory centers. When the brain decides to “pay attention” to a game, joke, or song, it dedicates more processing power to the information. The prefrontal cortex processes sensory information from what we see, hear, and touch to form behavior-guiding judgments. It also oversees processing for planning complex cognitive behaviors, demonstrating personality characteristics, and moderating social behavior. The increased processing power and focus adds to our ability to absorb and retain information. Games provide practice in multiple skill areas including communication, cooperation, active listening, and considering choices and consequences. Both cooperative and competitive activities are built into the Too Good lessons to immerse the student in a practical simulation of using objective skills and knowledge sets. These student-led instruction methods present the subject matter in a format that can be readily recalled and applied. This sort of mental muscle memory translates abstract concepts into resources the students can call upon as a matter of course in their social and academic endeavors. Listening to music and singing songs promotes memory and concentration, as well. Music triggers the same stimuli in response to pleasure, increasing processing power and retention. Songs provide an opportunity for a fun review of lesson content, and act as a mnemonic for students to recall information. Musical mnemonics provide a uniquely engaging approach to verbal memory tasks. One study found that students who listened to words sung recalled an average of 20% more words than students who listened to the same words spoken. The whole class benefits when learning through fun, games, and music, as these teaching methods promote bonding through a shared positive experience. The contagious nature of humor naturally adds to our sense of community, uniting the students in the empathy of a shared emotion. When we’re having fun, we lower our defenses and experience a sense of camaraderie. Learning while having fun or experiencing joy fosters social and emotional development and promotes a sense of community. Too Good lessons deliver skills and character development content through purposeful games, puppets, and original songs. The engaging and interactive lessons provide opportunities to practice and internalize skills, as well as experience the normative effects of participating in healthy activities within a community of peers. In each Too Good volume, students have fun learning and practicing social-emotional competencies and experience a positive normative classroom environment further bolstering their resilience and self-confidence. Games, humor, and music build a positive emotional environment and increase students’ retention of knowledge and skill, so why not have a little fun while we’re learning?
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Put Resilience on the List
Looking ahead to the first day of school, consider your students’ emotional well-being. Many students face hardship at home and thus will need a boost to their confidence and peace of mind to be ready to learn. This week, we explore promoting resiliency in students so they can resume their studies with vigor and enthusiasm.
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Conscious Reflection
In our recent blog post, It’s time to Listen, we spoke about the growth opportunities afforded to us when we practice active listening. When we engage in open dialog about the issues of the day, we improve our understanding of others’ perspectives and increase compassion for our neighbors. Exchange of ideas and information is enriched when each contributor practices critical thinking. When ideas and concepts are considered with conscious reflection and critical thinking, we expand the horizons of the possible and grow stronger as a community. Information on the complex issues we face today is available in many forms, from social media to news pundits. As our minds sort through the volumes of input, it’s natural to seek perspectives that reinforce our current beliefs. However, if we don’t validate information that lacks context or emphasizes sensational details, we can be prone to misinformation or deception. A more accurate and nuanced picture develops when we challenge ourselves to question our assumptions and consider new information with a reflective mind and a critical eye. As educators, we have an opportunity to infuse learning with the expectation that reflective thinking should underlie all communication. Here are a few strategies for promoting and encouraging critical thinking and thoughtful analysis in your school culture: When constructing and delivering lessons, fold in opportunities for students to reflect and analyze information. Allot time for students to discuss and debate multiple angles of a story or assertion. Provide thought-provoking questions to prompt subject reviews and help students to consider content through the lens of reflection. Ask students if new information easily reconciles with existing knowledge, prompt them to identify gaps in current understanding, and to look for areas which warrant further investigation. In discussions, inquire about their reasoning and evidence, and walk students through the process of locating additional evidence to support their reasoning. 1. Develop scenarios to practice critical thinking where students can easily identify which information to discard and which to pursue. 2. Apply the Socratic Method to engage students beyond simply receiving information, to engaging with what they receive. Underscore the importance of seeking evidence, closely examining reasoning and assumptions, and analyzing concepts. 3. Provide a framework that can be easily incorporated into lessons and discussion, such as Goodwin and Watson’s RED model of critical thinking: Recognize Assumptions, Evaluate Arguments, and then Draw Conclusions. 4. Include reflective journaling exercises for students to practice writing out positions, giving reasons to support what they think and showing an awareness of differing points of view. 5. Facilitate peer group discussion and role play to encourage students to practice reflection and critical thinking respectfully. Exercises like these challenge students to practice thoughtful examination of content as a matter of course and provide opportunities for them to engage in collaborative discourse when learning about complex and rapidly changing issues. When we challenge ourselves to identify the nuance and veracity of what the read and see each day, we will be more informed and better equipped to reach solutions together.
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It’s Time to Listen
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” This observation attributed to the sage Greek philosopher Epictetus, circa 55 AD. reminds us that listening is our greatest way for us to learn from each other. We can learn a great deal by listening to our communities, listening to our students, and listening to each other. Listening is more than just hearing the words others speak and waiting for our chance to respond. Listening is about tuning in to the speaker's nonverbal cues to understand the message beyond what is presented on the surface. When we really listen to each other, we begin to understand each other’s perspectives and take the first step to finding common ground and solutions. Listening isn’t always easy. Many of us fall into the habit of framing our next contribution to a conversation rather than really hearing the messages that are being spoken. We sometimes dig our heels firmly into our own point of view rather than trying to comprehend a new perspective or gain understanding of an aspect of a topic or event we hadn’t previously considered. However, listening offers a tremendous opportunity to learn, enrich our own understanding, and develop solutions. Active listening is the cornerstone of effective communication because hearing words alone doesn't result in comprehension. Active listening is a deliberate action to take to learn and understand. It is not just waiting for our turn to speak. It is based on the desire to see another’s point of view. Active listeners show the speaker they have been heard and understood. An active listener engages in conversation to receive the speaker’s message as it is intended. Active listeners communicate respect through positive feedback and open receipt of information. Effective communication skills like active listening improve with practice. Here are some tips for engaging in active listening: Give your full attention – Show respect for the speaker by making eye contact and asking questions. Don’t engage in distracting activities like checking cell phones or scanning the room. This will demonstrate your full engagement in what the speaker is saying and encourage openness promoting a shared understanding. Seek clarity – Make a point to understand what isn’t clear in what the speaker is saying. Reflect the speaker’s words to confirm your comprehension. Take in and respond to what is being said, and paraphrase what you’ve heard to make sure you truly understand the intended message. Listen with your heart – Active listening is not just about paying attention and comprehending what’s being said. Active listeners seek to understand the sentiment and motive and open their hearts and minds to another’s perspective. Be respectful –Caring about other’s perspectives and believing that everyone has a right to speak and be listened to is a fundamental aspect of respect. To cultivate an environment of equity and growth, we must listen to and respect each other first and foremost. Active listening requires humility and a willingness to listen to ideas that conflict with our own. When we really listen to each other, we learn what matters to others, what they need to feel heard, and how to work towards solutions together. When we are prepared to challenge ourselves to consider other points of view, what we learn from others might help us feel more confident in our own perspective or find there are other avenues to take us to the solutions we seek. Together, we can build stronger relationships and communities when we listen to each other with open hearts and minds.
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Stay Connected and Engaged this Summer
With summer on the horizon, many educators are thinking about how to help their students maintain social connections and stay engaged in learning over the break. As we approach the summer months, teachers are looking for ways to bolster both self-study and peer connectedness.
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