Covid 19, what has it revealed about education? Time to rethink education

 What Covid 19 revealed about schools and 4 ways to re think education 

“The pandemic created many challenges for students, teachers and parents — and it's also showed us what they truly need from their schools:.....”

“Chances are the kids mostly miss the playground more than the classroom.....that social emotional piece that forms the core of human learning.

We will need social workers, nurses and counselors in every school ......to help kids feel safe....and find their way back to school.  

We will need art class, physical education.....music more than ever

We need to rethink assessments

We need to stop making school about scoring better than the kid next to you....” 

https://www.ted.com/talks/nora_flanagan_what_covid_19_revealed_about_us_schools_and_4_ways_to_rethink_education?utm_content=2021-1-27&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=social&utm_medium=social

The Model of Engagement

 I love this post today from OT Greg Santucci.  So much of what I have learned is how OT and consideration for our kids nervous system and how they process the world around them is the KEY to supporting them.  

When the world is overwhelming, they lose the ability to maintain a sense of calm, or of themselves ( which is why you may see a child who normally doesn’t lash out when frustrated, but then starts to lose it over something). Their nervous system is beyond capacity and it is true, when a parent says, that’s not like them.  Bingo....it is not because they are not in any control over their body and being.  

It is pure survival.  

Imagine how you would respond if you were being chased down a dark ally by a bear!!   I’m pretty certain I would not be in any mindset to make a decision let alone follow a direction or a demand.   You lose your ability to hear or to think in any rational way when in fight or flight.   

So I am a huge fan of maintaining regulation through appropriately supporting ones nervous system, throughout the day, so that everything we do, is a support for his nervous system, to help it maintain a balance and when it gets out of balance, utilizing what I’ve learned through years of his OT to help bring calm regulation back.  Nothing functions well without being in a calm regulated brain state.  

Some of our kids have a very difficult time either staying regulated or being able to self regulate when becoming escalated.  And it is important to rememebr, self regulation is a developmental process.  So for kids who have developmental delay, yeah they will not necessarily be able to self regulate their emotions, self calm, self soothe.  But I recognize the frustration parents have that their 10 yo or 15 yo still struggles to be able to self regulate their body and emotions and the consequences of this.  The explosive behaviors are real.    Again, remember it is developmental, so by supporting them during these difficult moments, you are modeling and sharing your calm that over time will help them learn to on their own.  

This is where the safe trusted caregiver can improve the situation and share their own calmness.   (Which is natural for some or some of us have had to learn it ourselves).    

Here was my response to the post that is shared below.

Love this.   It is 100% .  Trust, safety and co regulation have to be the focus for everything .  It is like magic when a therapist a family works with, “gets this” and you see your child form this relationship.  It is ll about relationships!!!!  I wish teachers, educators, therapists, parents understood how important this is to supporting kids.   And seeing when a relationship has a fracture, that the only thing that should happen next, is repeating that fracture.   The child will not feel safe or connected without this occurring.  And exactly like you said, slide back until it does.   

Keep education others.....people are starting to pay attention.   The old, antiquated methods have not worked and many relationships need repair because of them (I know this personally with my son).   

It is ok to step back, and focus on this repair.  Progress cannot happen without it!!!   Love the graphic.   Thank you for all your continued advocacy!

Original post…

Trust and Safety.

I checked in with a family about how the week went.

The child comes running up to me and says "I STAYED DRY IN MY BED ONE NIGHT!" They were so proud.

I said: That's amazing! 

Our "OT goals" were for attention, sensory processing and behavior.

I love that they shared their news with me.

Typically and embarrrassing topic, this child didn't hesitate to share their success!

This child will meet every OT goal and probably a few extra, because they trust me and I'm meeting their safety needs. Because of that, we can work on their sensory processing and regulation skills so they can participate at their highest level of ability.

At any given moment during our time together, I may need to "slide" back down to either help them get regulated, or earn their trust again....and that's OK. In fact, it's necessary.

Trust and Safety

Regulation

Participation

I will shout it from the highest mountain. If you don't have their trust or their safety needs aren't met, then you can't move forward with your goals and expectations.

If you're yelling- the child doesn't feel safe.

If you are constantly changing the rules- they don't trust you.

If you say things like "you're fine" or "its no big deal"- they don't feel safe.

If you lose your patience and take things away as a "consequence"- they don't trust you.

Trust and Safety

Regulation 

Participation

#TheModelofChildEngagement

"Safety is treatment and treatment is safety" -Stephen Porges

#occupationaltherapy

Throw away behavior charts

Throw away behavior charts.    They do not support kids and can actually cause further issues for many due to anxiety of not being able to meet the expectation.  

Kids meet the expectation when they CAN.  Kids do well if they CAN.  If they can’t, it is up to us to find out WHY and support the child.  It isn’t about motivation.  It is about lagging skills and the child’s physiological brain state at that moment.

This is a perfect example of how behavior charts will do nothing to solve the child’s problem ; which it is the unsolved problem that is the underlying cause of why the child isn’t meeting an expectation.  If we change our lenses to see the child as struggling and needing support, rather than being difficult and purposely not following directions (or any other demand), it changes our tone to a more compassionate and supportive, how I can help this child?  Rather than , what’s wrong with this child?  It matters.

From Greg Santucci, Occupational Therapist:

Charlie was in red.

I asked another student...why is Charlie in red?

The response: "He wasn't sitting right".

I'll bump up my previous post on "sitting right".

Red? For not sitting right? He went above yellow for that? Even the chart loyalists should admit that "red" is harsh! Geez!

So now what? A call home so he can get grounded later that night for "not sitting right" during the day? 

Did the teacher take away recess? Because recess would give Charlie the input he needs so he can....wait for it......"sit right". No behavior chart needed.

Charlie was having a hard time sitting in his chair.

Charlie may not need to sit like the teacher expects their students to sit in order to pay attention.

Charlie may need a movement break.

Charlie may benefit from some flexible seating options.

Charlie may have difficulty sitting up (poor trunk control, seat too high so his feet can't support him, etc). I'm quite certain Charlie is not willfully sitting "wrong" to get attention or aggravate his teacher.

 Kids "sit right" if they can. 😉

Charlie had to stare at his name in red. All his friends knew that Charlie got in trouble. Charlie was "bad" today. Charlie may feel embarrassed for getting in trouble, but feeling embarassed doesn't help him sit up. Or, Charlie may feel defeated, or not even care anymore about the punishment, because he's unable to meet the teacher's unrealistic expectation.

This chart is SO CLOSE to the garbage can...which is where is belongs.

Charlie needs support. This chart solves no problems.

Tear Down Your Behavior Chart!

 http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept18/vol76/num01/Tear-Down-Your-Behavior-Chart!.aspx

#occupationaltherapy

#sensoryprocessing

#sensoryprocessingdisorder

#betterwaysthanaba

#justsaynotoaba

#knowbetterdobetterbebetter

#teacher

#teacherlife

#teacherproblems

“Our response can change the dynamic of distress”

 This is a great tweet thread.    

It makes an excellent point about our adult responsibilities to not escalate a child.  Our response absolutely can make things so much worse or can help support and co regulate the child.  Reframe and problem solving can only occur once everyone is calm, regulated and back to feeling safe.  Not one professional ever said this to us.  They said to hold child accountable in the moment.  There was no understanding about brain state stress response, regulation and co regulation and nothing matters until the child and adult are both calm, regulated and feeling safe.  Behaviors are communication.  Figuring out the WHY that lies beneath the behaviors is how we support our kids who struggle.  Not through punishment, consequences, seclusion or restraint.  If our kids can , they do.  If they can’t, figure out why!   Lack of skill to do better is always part of the “ why “ when we see our kids struggling, misbehaving, having a meltdown.  A dysregulated child cannot problem solve or learn the skill that would help them meet the demand that is being placed on them.  Adults must understand their role in helping co regulate the child through their own calmness, feelings of safety and connection.  

When we escalate the child, that is when things can really progress to even dangerous states, which can look like the autistic meltdown.  Literally it is the inability for the child to cope with the overwhelming stress response their brain and body is experiencing and their survival brain takes over and everything becomes about surviving.  This is why we say, there is no rationalizing with them, no talking with them, no problem solving or any other “solution” an adult thinks they have or presents to the child.  Only a calm, connected, present adult/caregiver that can help bring feelings of safety to the child and share their own calm can support a child to move out of the brain survival mode.  Dropping all demands and expectations that may have elevated the child to this point must be priority.  Adults have a hard time with this.  But when we understand that behavior is communication, then we see a child as needing our support and compassion.  

Kids do well if they can.  If they can’t, why not and why now!!!  

Tweet from Anne Martin

“Why escalate a student by reactivating their stress response systems when, as teachers, we have this powerful opportunity to co-regulate a child’s growing agitation and anxiety?” @desautels_phd , Connections Over Compliance

“Our response can change the dynamic of distress. It’s an opportunity - and I believe it’s an obligation. The first task is to help the child re-regulate. We will get to solving the problem once the S is physically, emotionally and cognitively settled.

At that point we can focus on the issue, reframe, validate, and problem-solve, all within the encompassing circle of relationships. - Anne Martin