Conscious Discipline

Conscious Discipline

08/01/2023

This is year 2 of our 3 year Conscious Discipline roll out!

Today we are going to review the brain states, talk about how we plan to implement Brain Smart Starts, discuss classroom routines to build community and connection, practice the Power of Attention, and learn how to implement a safe place.

Open Ended

Describe what this means to you:

Behavior is a temporary reflection of the state a child is in. It can become a trait, but it is NOT who they are.

Greeting students at the door sets a positive tone and can increase engagement and reduce disruptive behavior.

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Brain Smart Start

Each of the four activities is based on scientific research about optimal brain function and mind-body states. Together, these activities prime the brain for a day of optimal learning.

Multiple Choice

The Conscious Discipline Brain Smart Start consists of these four activities:

• Align, Meditate, Connect, Comment

• Unite, Disengage the Stress, Connect, Commit

• Unify, Break, High Five, Connect

• Calm, Think, Talk, Share

Unite

The activity to unite as a School Family involves everyone doing something together. It builds connection, fosters a sense of safety and releases endorphins.

Unite

Create a chant with your group.

Disengage the Stress

The activity to disengage stress involves deep breathing and stretching. It prepares the brain for learning and turns off the stress response.

Disengage the Stress

Create a breathing activity with your group.

Connect

Eye contact - Touch - Playfulness - Presence

The activity to connect helps to maintain focused attention and the motivation to learn. It also releases oxytocin, which promotes bonding and reduces aggression.

Connect

Remember our Can't Stop the Feeling activity? That was

an activity to connect!

Stay tuned for more connection activities throughout the week!

Commit

The activity to commit oneself to learning involves affirmations and positive thinking. It produces serotonin, teaches responsibility, promotes mindful attention and develops the prefrontal lobes.

Commit

During 1st quarter we will have a weekly school commitment. Make sure to tune into ENN to see what it is.

Brain States

Time for a brain break!

Please get two chopsticks and stand behind your chair.

Classroom Routines for Community Building and Connection

Tie these routines into classroom meetings or after your Brain Smart Start.

Used to honor kind and helpful acts. Helps adults and children shift from focusing on what is wrong to what is going well.

​​Kindness Tree

​Used to acknowledge positive things happening in the classroom and school.

​​Celebrations

Allows adults and children to help others when there is no physically tangible way to offer their help.

Wish Well

Share exciting things happening in your classroom, the school, or community.

Community News

Kindness Tree

Be conscious of your intention when using the kindness tree; it is a way to notice innate kindness, not catch students being good.

• Think about when students and staff will add to the tree.

• When/how often will you acknowledge kindness? (daily, weekly?)

Celebrations

Consider what celebrations you could add to this poster.

• Student level-ups

• Birthdays

• Student success outside of school (new job, joining a team, etc.)

• Student success on a school assignment

Wish Well

Consider who you and your students might wish well.

• Absent students

• Friends and family who are sick/experiencing difficulties

When absent students return to school, give them their wish well post-it and let them know you were thinking about them.

Community News

• PBIS events

• Community activities

• Sports events

Open Ended

How do you feel about implementing these 4 classroom routines (kindness tree, celebrations, wish well, community news)?

The Safe Place

In a safe place (or self-regulation center), children use developmentally appropriate tools and strategies to change their inner state from upset to composed. Only in this composed state can children access the higher brain functions needed to problem-solve and learn.

​Each classroom will be receiving a 5 Steps to Regulation poster!

• Shame or judge students for using it

• Allow sleeping

• Allow it to be used to escape or avoid assignments

• Allow student to complete assignments or use laptops in the space

Don't

• Allow students to go there any time they need it

• Support their use of the space

• Note it on their point sheet (Used S.P.)

• Check in with them after 10 minutes

Do

Safe Place Dos and Don'ts

Let's have some fun!

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LEGO Activity

Component 1: Figurine Build

Goal: Build as many of the 5 figurines as possible.

• Up to two members of your team can come to the table that has the lego figurines assembled.

• Those members can touch and look at the figurines.

• They then go back to the team and give VERBAL directions as to how to assemble.

• Team members who look at the figurines CANNOT physically assemble them.

• Once a team member looks at the figurines, they cannot help assemble figurines.

  **For each figurine assembled, teams can earn 20 points.

Component 2: Tower Build

Goal: Build the tallest free standing tower as possible

• Using the lego bricks at your table, build the tallest/highest tower you can. Tower must be able to stand without assistance.

• The highest tower will receive 100 points, second highest 95, third highest 90, etc.

Component 3: Figurines on top of the tower build

For each completed figure that can sit, unassisted on top of the tower, 10 points will be awarded to your team.

STRATEGIZE

Take the next three minutes to come up with your team strategy.

BUILD

Listen, work together and make it happen! 20 minutes.

Multiple Select

Agree or disagree?

Discipline is not something we do to children. It's something we develop within them.

• Agree

• Disagree

The Power of Attention

BIG IDEA: Whatever we focus on, we get more of.

GOAL: To create images of expected behavior in a child’s brain.

"You know you're not supposed to say that."

Children use the tools they have to meet their needs. Misbehavior indicates that a skill is missing. When we use the phrases above, we aren’t teaching children a better way. We aren’t providing them with any new skills or tools.

"Stop doing that!"

"Don't run!"

Tool #1: Pivoting

Shift your attention from what you don’t want to what you do want. This shift is crucial to effectively teach children and create positive change.

Example: “Stop grabbing!” to, “When you want a marker, say, ‘May I borrow the marker please?’”

Pivoting Practice:

1. With a partner choose a scenario that is likely to trigger you in the classroom or around the school.

2. Share your typical response (it might be negative!)

3. Take a deep breath and transform your negative statement into a positive statement that clearly tells the child what to do.

Tool #2: Noticing

Noticing requires us to describe what is happening without judging it. When you notice a child, you describe what the child is doing without judging their actions as either positive or negative. It’s also helpful to include physical modeling of the action.

Example: "Lauren, you pushed your chair in just like this (demonstrate), so our classroom is safe." vs. "Thank you for pushing in your chair."

Noticing Practice:

Read the following examples and decide if the statement is judging or noticing.

Multiple Choice

Look how clean your table is! I wish everyone cleaned up like Jonah does!

• Noticing

• Judging

Multiple Choice

Jonah, you picked up your supplies and put them back in the bin just like this (demonstrate). That was helpful!

• Noticing

• Judging

Multiple Choice

Derrick, you worked hard on number four and kept trying until you figured it out. That took persistence.

• Noticing

• Judging

Multiple Choice

Great job, Derrick! You’re so smart!

• Noticing

• Judging

Tool #3: Visual Expectations

When you create a clear picture of what you want, your day is less stressful, and children are more successful. You can accomplish a clear picture through descriptive language, physical modeling and visual expectations.

Open Ended

Share a space in your classroom or in the school that could benefit from a visual expectation.

OR

Share an activity that could benefit from a visual expectation.

Open Ended

Any questions or concerns?

(Please add your name if you would like a response)