As a teacher How mihgt you help students be resilient?

Question

As a teacher what would be some good ideas to help students be resilient?

Answer 1

I attended a workshop in 2005 by Dr. Robert Brooks about how to do this (www.drrobertbrooks.com). A lot has to do with your mindset: how effective you feel is how effective you will be, and your students will know how you feel about yourself and about them. Their behavior can be affected by your mindest. The mindset of a teacher who truely touches the hearts and minds of children believe in the capacity for the children to be resilent. In order for them to become resilient, they need at least one 'charasmatic adult' in their life. A 'charasmatic adult' is defined as an adult that a child can gather strength from. So what do you do to become a 'charasmatic adult'?
~never write anyone off
~do not use forms of punishment that increase negative behavior
~realize that some things happen that are out of our control
~if something is not working, ask yourself "What can I do differently to change the situation?" rather than "What can everyone do to make this situation better for me?". Give the students a sense of empowerment, rather than a sense of blame.
~be empathetic: truely see the world through the eyes of others.
~be aware of what you say and how you say it. Think of the words you would like people to use to describe yourself. What have you done for your students to make them use those words? Think about what you hope to accomplish by saying things a certain way or with a certain vocabulary, and ask yourself if you are saying it in a way that is most effective.

How can you nurture resilency?

~Believe that others are available to help. Teach the students the most effective ways to reach out to others.
~Give them a sense of ownership and control for their problems. This reinforces problem solving, decision making skills, and coping strategies.
~Define and reinforce one's ''islands of competence''. Don't focus on pathology, but rather on strengths.
~Believe that one can contribute to make a positive difference in the world.
~Develop self discipline and self control: what rules do we need? how do you want to be reminded? what should the consequences be?
~Deal effectively with mistakes: the fear of humiliation is greater than the fear of failure. Openly discuss fears.

I took this directly from my notes on the workshop, and I'm sure you can find much more information on his website. Good luck!

Answer 2

Resilient; adj. :
Marked by the ability to recover readily, as from misfortune.
Capable of returning to an original shape or position, as after having been compressed.

One could infer some "misfortune" has occurred for you to ask this question, and with this said, my advice would be to seek professional help--talk with a school guidance counselor, or a crisis intervention counselor.

Otherwise, be supportive of your students. Talk to them and listen to them. Emphasize with them, but realize that you are the teacher--not a peer-friend.

Good Luck....

Answer 3

The previous response was great! Here is a website with some specific advice on how to create a classroom culture that builds resiliency.

responsiveclassrooms.org