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Our blog is dedicated to adventures in mindfulness, the power of a good night's sleep, and cultivating a healthier and happier life. We hope you enjoy your visit!

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I could not agree more with many of my colleagues, relationships matter and come first in establishing a good connection with students. I try to help them view their differences as a positive. I want them to gain confidence in themselves despite their differences. If they look at the way they learn as an opportunity to grow, they will grow!

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Great point that nearly everyone had experienced or witnessed a traumatic situation in their lifetime and now we all have this shared traumatic experience.

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Great point that nearly everyone had experienced or witnessed a traumatic situation in their lifetime and now we all have this shared traumatic experience.

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"Listening" here to all my colleagues I am amazed!  

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"Listening" here to all my colleagues I am amazed!  

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We've got this and our students are so lucky!!

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Loved the analogy of the meerkat, tiger and owl. The animals are relatable and the way the woman talked about it made sense and I can foresee myself explaining it to students this way.

We're going to have to give ourselves time and grace to make it through the fall with our kids. We all have experienced some kind of trauma through this COVID experience.

Knowing that we are human, we make mistakes, and we need to be genuine and real with out kids to show them how to problem-solve, move forward and work through whatever we are going through. This models for students for them to do the same.

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A mistake is exactly that- a missed take...an opportunity to redo-retake.  

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A mistake is exactly that- a missed take...an opportunity to redo-retake.  

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Recognizing feelings, being able to identify them, and determine safe, appropriate & comfortable ways to react to them.  Explicitly teaching this, practicing, and revisiting all the year through.

We're all human. I own up to mistakes I make and model self talk for how I can redo/retake the opportunity.

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First and foremost I work on knowing my students and connecting with them...learn about their passions and struggles/ needs and wants. I make it a point to acknowledge and celebrate my own mistakes and failures. It's important for little people to see us fail and watch us get back up again...what we model is as important as what we say. I work hard to know what type of feedback my students respond to, and they're all different. Some want praise, some loathe extra attention, some crave extra attention, some want strategies to help them improve while others just want someone to make them feel accepted as they are until they find the strength within themselves to move forward. There is no single way to build resiliency...and some of our kids are so tapped out in terms of basic needs and trauma that what they need more than anything else is someone to just accept them as they are. Making sure all the basics are taken care of is always the first step (food, shelter, safety, social/emotional well-being, etc). Maslow before Bloom! :-)

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It is so important to create personal connections and relationships with students. Get to know them as an individual, their interests, their learning and emotional needs, and  interact with them even if you aren't their primary teacher. The more adults that show an interest in the child the safer they feel in the environment. Recognize that we are all humans and we all have emotions and we all make mistakes and it's ok.  Feel the feels, own the mistakes, and forgive yourself. Help the students to identify how they feel, why they feel a certain way, and what they think they need. Sharing experiences and modeling this behavior allows children to recognize that it is ok and builds trust. When kids have trust they are more likely to ask for help than to act out. When chldren do act out it is not typically malicious but rather that a child lacks the social emotional competencies to navigate the situation. Validating their emotion, addressing the behavior, and coming to an agreement and closure so the student can move on with their day is so important.

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Building strong relationships is key! I do this by having honest conversations, being their biggest cheerleader, and getting to know each student on a deeper level.

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I try to promote a feeling of community in my classes. I emphasize mutual respect and encourage support of one another. We often work in small groups on assignments and activities.  I change the groups periodically so that all the students have the opportunity to come to know and relate to all of their classmates.  The result of this is that my students find their voice and their self confidence when they work in this way.  It is less intimidating for them and I find that they produce their best work.

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I am very open with my students about my own mistakes and faults. I also give students opportunities to express their thoughts or feelings anonymously at the end of every class. I teach them that there are lessons to be learned from every outcome...and I try to avoid calling anything a mistake, rather that there may have been an unexpected outcome, but that it's OK if it worked out that way, we just adjust. I validate feelings and differing views, and I encourage students to consider everyone's view valid because it is their truth. At the beginning of the year/semester students establish class "expectations" for how we will treat each other in a way that makes the space safe for everyone. By involving them in this process, they take ownership of these guidelines and are more apt to adhere to them.

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I like to remind students that there is always a way to do/be good again when they are experiencing dejection through personal failure.

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I like to remind students that there is always a way to do/be good again when they are experiencing dejection through personal failure.

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We try to get to know the kids and families to gain insight on how they are experiencing our classroom and what supports might help or just what is up in their lives. Also the classroom environment is set up for student choice to facilitate independence, decision making and self regulating their feelings.  

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We try to get to know the kids and families to gain insight on how they are experiencing our classroom and what supports might help or just what is up in their lives. Also the classroom environment is set up for student choice to facilitate independence, decision making and self regulating their feelings.  

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Acknowledging feelings is so important.  "It's okay that you are feeling so angry right now."  I don't ever tell them that they shouldn't be feeling what they are feeling - even if it doesn't seem like a fitting reaction.  I might tell them I don't understand what they are feeling, but validating what they are feeling and/or expressing is an important way for them to build a trust with you.  And with trust comes the ability to take different risks in the classroom.

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Acknowledging feelings is so important.  "It's okay that you are feeling so angry right now."  I don't ever tell them that they shouldn't be feeling what they are feeling - even if it doesn't seem like a fitting reaction.  I might tell them I don't understand what they are feeling, but validating what they are feeling and/or expressing is an important way for them to build a trust with you.  And with trust comes the ability to take different risks in the classroom.

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Get to know each of my students on a personal level.  Start the year with surveys about where students see themselves and whether they feel they need support or remediation with academic expectations (or other). Accommodate different learning styles and challenges.  Provide alternate assignments. Expectations of respect and acceptance for differences in general and with learning. Everybody has a voice.  Option to opt out

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Get to know each of my students on a personal level.  Start the year with surveys about where students see themselves and whether they feel they need support or remediation with academic expectations (or other). Accommodate different learning styles and challenges.  Provide alternate assignments. Expectations of respect and acceptance for differences in general and with learning. Everybody has a voice.  Option to opt out

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I have a poster in my room that I reference and find the kids referencing too as the year moves on.  It says "Mistakes are proof that you are trying."  The language is simple enough so that the younger students understand it but poignant enough so that it holds meaning for them as well. 

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I have a poster in my room that I reference and find the kids referencing too as the year moves on.  It says "Mistakes are proof that you are trying."  The language is simple enough so that the younger students understand it but poignant enough so that it holds meaning for them as well. 

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When I make an error, I am open about it and talk with the students about how I fix errors. I make it clear that EVERYONE makes mistakes.

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I encourage students to make mistakes and have failure in their artwork. Creating a space to try and fail through art gives courage and space to do that in life

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I do my best to reach out to each student. I also try to set up peer connections that help them feel more at home in such a large classroom setting where I cannot always see and hear everything. I also keep an open door and tell them all I will listen and allow them to be heard before I react or take action. 

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I do my best to reach out to each student. I also try to set up peer connections that help them feel more at home in such a large classroom setting where I cannot always see and hear everything. I also keep an open door and tell them all I will listen and allow them to be heard before I react or take action. 

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I try to build resiliency in my students by creating a strong sense of community. I try to achieve this through regular morning meetings, sharing about our lives outside of school, making sure to find one-on-one time with each student everyday, and doing my best to let them know how much I care about them as a whole person.

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I try to build resiliency in my students by creating a strong sense of community. I try to achieve this through regular morning meetings, sharing about our lives outside of school, making sure to find one-on-one time with each student everyday, and doing my best to let them know how much I care about them as a whole person.

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I do my best to validate everything they're feeling, even if I don't necessarily agree with a reaction or opinion--it's important for them to feel heard and to be taken seriously, especially at an age where society may disregard their big feelings/thoughts.

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Encourage students to take risks in the classroom. To create a learning environment free from judgment.

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Trust is the basis for building resiliency.  If a rapport is built with your students that fosters an environment where trust is a priority, students will feel comfortable with taking risks and striving to achieve set expectations.  Students will learn to understand that within the created environment of trust, making mistakes is an important part of learning.  They will also learn that it is by overcoming adversity and working through different levels of potential failure along the way, that they will become a stronger person physically and emotionally.   

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Trust is the basis for building resiliency.  If a rapport is built with your students that fosters an environment where trust is a priority, students will feel comfortable with taking risks and striving to achieve set expectations.  Students will learn to understand that within the created environment of trust, making mistakes is an important part of learning.  They will also learn that it is by overcoming adversity and working through different levels of potential failure along the way, that they will become a stronger person physically and emotionally.   

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I try to make sure the students know that I care about how they are doing emotionally as well as academically. I point out that just because they might be struggling with a concept at the time, does not mean thay won't ever "get" it. Then I remind them of the other things in their life (academically as well as life in general) that were hard at first, but now they have mastered.

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I greet kids at the door to make sure I connect and smile face to face with each student every morning.  I feel like making that connection starts everyone off on a positive note.   Within the classroom, we do daily sharing circles, and always encourage everyone to be heard so that we can get to know each other, and support one another.

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I greet kids at the door to make sure I connect and smile face to face with each student every morning.  I feel like making that connection starts everyone off on a positive note.   Within the classroom, we do daily sharing circles, and always encourage everyone to be heard so that we can get to know each other, and support one another.

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We also focus on growth mindset.  Students work hard to believe in the power of yet, and I continue to be a role model of how it is okay to make mistakes, and we learn from our mistakes. We try to grown and learn together, yet support and care for each other along the way.

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I think doing a daily or weekly sharing circle is so helpful to get to know students personally. I also believe in sharing great read alouds to get students thinking about qualities such as compassion, empathy and resilience.

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I want to know as much about my students in their everyday life as I do in their abilty to be successful in my class.

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I want to know as much about my students in their everyday life as I do in their abilty to be successful in my class.

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First, I try to build a relationship with my students so that they know that I care about them as a person and I am here to help them succeed.
Then, I meet them where they are at and develop a plan to help them move towards where they need to be. In doing this it is important to plan activities that are meaningful to the student, include choice and allow the student to be successful. Success is like a snowball when it comes to confidence building.

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I try to be as consistent, predictable, and open with my students as possible. I think that helps them feel comfortable enough in my class to be able to learn, and it's especially helpful for the kids with whom I work one-on-one, who come to me for extra help.

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I like to spend time getting to know my students.  I ask questions like what and who are most important to you?  Letting them know I want to know them as person first, and student second makes a difference.

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I like to spend time getting to know my students.  I ask questions like what and who are most important to you?  Letting them know I want to know them as person first, and student second makes a difference.

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We study stories and memoir not only to learn tools and styles of communication but to witness conflict resolution, to learn from others' experience, and to see our own concerns in the context of a larger picture.  

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We study stories and memoir not only to learn tools and styles of communication but to witness conflict resolution, to learn from others' experience, and to see our own concerns in the context of a larger picture.  

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I try to focus on student progress, not grades.  Feedback is given to invite reflection. Students always have a choice to revise or to consider applying the suggestions in the next project.

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*Mistakes are part of the toolbox of learning.
*Acknowledge the tough parts of life as a sense of reality, but remind students of the ways they have coped in the past.
*Taking a strengths-based approach to challenges; i.e. though the student isn't accomplishing all the assignments they want to complete in a day, the other parts of their day are filled with meaningful activities that contribute to their lives as much as the academics do.
*Create a safe, compassionate, non-judgmental environment; a "backstage" of sorts where they can get it all wrong, and still be able to pick up the pieces and create a strong presence "on stage" in the regular ed classroom or out in the commuity.

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How do you build resilence in your classroom?

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How do you build resilence in your classroom?