Here is a snapshot of Billy (your most challenging student). Billy is a product of either an unwanted pregnancy, an early life of neglect or both. His brain and responses formed differently due to trauma in the parent/child relationship. Many young children experience some degree of trauma but when raised in a home with support, love and attention, it does not have a lasting effect. Billy was not settled, loved and nurtured in times of stress as a baby and toddler. Therefore, his nervous system is hardwired at an elevated level of fear, stress and overwhelm. Billy's constant state of trauma has caused his personality to be either over-reactive (explosive), or under-reactive (flat affect or even shut-down). Billy cannot settle down on his own. In school, Billy fails to improve when given disciplinary action. So how do teachers help, guide and teach a child with this type of internal programming?
Now, here is my confession. Previous to reading this life-changing book, my style of behavior management was all-business (no prizes or bribes for completing work) while providing the most creative and engaging units and lessons I could. I also spent a great deal of time on community building (year-round) and constantly wove in character education, especially respect for one-another. My motto was always, You don't have to like anybody but you have to be nice to EVERYBODY.
I did not tolerate it well when kids refuse to participate or work (it was rare but it happened). I would help anybody and differentiate based on ability level but, kids that shut down, were asked to leave the classroom. When they were ready to work, they could return. Kids that explode and run out of the room were handled by someone else in the building be it the special education teacher, student liaison, secretary or even the librarian. I cannot say I made headway with those types of students. I was there to teach and teach I did. The majority of students excelled in my classroom and we had fun learning. I made a point to laugh every day with my students. I did not know how to change a student who exploded or shut down. Perhaps I would ask them what I could do to help them but I can't say those types of kids had the words to answer that question. Help for Billy says over time teachers absolutely can be influential in helping to rewire the brain and stress responses. I believe them!
Brain research tell us that there are three main areas of the brain. Simply put, the brain stem regulates the body's breathing, heartbeat, etc. The limbic system handles mood, memory attention and hormone control and focuses on the next 15 seconds of life at one time. Self-preservation, pleasure seeking, fear, and fight or flight responses reside here. Finally there is the neocortex which makes humans different from other animals. It handles logic, planning, reasoning, imagination, conscious thought, higher order thinking, right from wrong, hindsight, insight, language and more. Most people operate with the neocortex in charge. That is why they can think through a choice before acting, let something go, work hard on a project and see the long-term rewards.
In children like Billy, however, the limbic system is in charge and their decisions are made with only the next 15 seconds and their survival in mind. Many things are perceived as a threat that others would not consider threatening at all such as school work. Even answering a question or moving their clip for talking may make them embarrassed causing a fight or flight response. Consequences do not register in the limbic system so their reactions are driven by impulse. and Billy has moments like this chronically.
Traditional behavior plans do not work on kids like Billy. Sticker charts are based on working toward a goal or reward but Billy does not have his neocortex (planning brain) in charge. Behavior tallys, moving clips, card flipping, all are based on something that happens over time even if it is chunked in short blocks. Billy operates 15 seconds at a time in an already elevated level of stress for which he does not have the skills to calm himself down. You never know when he is going to blow. He could be one sticker away from his reward, then blow it. So, what does work?
I'll be back next time for what works for kids like Billy. I commend you for reading this far!
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