Real Talk For Real Teachers with Dr. Becky Bailey

Research confirms the early years (ages 0-5) are a time for rapid brain growth and development. Research also indicates that stimulation and interaction with loving, caring adults – not toys, screens or academics – are critical to early brain development. So, how do we impact a system and a society that has grown away from what is developmentally appropriate for the sake of academics and convenience? Listen as Mindy Becker, Owner of Grow with Us Academy, shares her story of meeting the community’s needs by bringing developmentally appropriate practices back into the preschool classroom through the connection, attachment and social play cultivated with Conscious Discipline. Essential Takeaways • The brain is a social organ. A child’s connections and positive relationships with adults during the early years are a deciding factor for healthy brain development. • Adults must learn to regulate ourselves and model this self-regulation with children. Steps for Tomorrow • Put the phone down and build connections with your children through face to face interactions and social play. • Become aware of your own feelings and manage those feelings before you interact with children. • Remember, “what you focus on, you get more of.” Focus on the behaviors you want to see from children. Important Links • What is Conscious Discipline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j3gF1dh_t4 • Grow With Us Academy: www.growwithusacademy.com • I Love You Rituals: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=C3PtrlnUm4U • NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practice Position Statement: https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSDAP.pdf Products • I Love You Rituals • Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms Show Outline (time stamps) :18 What is Conscious Discipline 1:12 Challenges of today’s preschools 3:36 How we traveled off course from developmentally appropriate practices 6:35 Introduction of guest Mindy Becker, Owner of Grow With Us Academy 7:54 Seeing a need for change 13:34 Beginning to work with parents through parent/child classes 16:58 The structure for “Mommy and Me” classes 18:01 What are I Love You Rituals 20:36 “Round and Round the Garden” I Love You Ritual 22:36 Importance of social games with young children and impact of rising technology 24:30 Conscious Discipline requirement for parents of children attending Grow With Us Academy 26:25 “Arrival to School” routine at Grow With Us Academy 30:17 I Love You Ritual drop off choices for parent and child 31:14 Safekeeper ritual and teacher greeting 33:54 Summary 35:52 Steps for tomorrow 39:33 Success story of a child with challenging behavior that transferred to Grow With Us

School violence has left educators with unique challenges in providing for students’ physical and emotional safety. During lockdown drills and events, it isn’t enough to simply follow safety protocol; we must also address the social and emotional fallout from these stressful experiences. It is essential that we intentionally create lockdown procedures that revolve around safety, self-regulation and effective communication, as well as classroom procedures for restarting learning once a lockdown has ended. Listen as Dr. Becky Bailey takes on this formidable subject in the fourth and final episode in our School Lockdown series. Essential Takeaways • Teaching procedures and self-regulation strategies is essential for successful lockdowns. Steps for Tomorrow • Teach everyone to be a S.T.A.R. and wish well as a response to distress. • Use visuals to provide clear step-by-step instructions for what will happen during lockdown drills and events. • Adults must self-regulate, help students regulate and provide constant, clear communication to students about what is happening during drills. • After the lockdown or drill ends: Breathe deeply, provide the opportunity for children and teachers to reflect on the experience, end the debriefing by sharing gratitude, provide an opportunity for movement, encourage students to connect and restart classes with light review work. Important Links www.ConsciousDiscipline.com Products • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms • Feeling Buddies Self-Regulation Toolkit • Managing Emotional Mayhem Show Outline :20 What is Conscious Discipline? 2:15 Three phases to address regarding school lockdowns 4:08 Understanding our internal wiring and self-regulation 7:22 The effects of relying on fear 11:15 Essential questions to ask ourselves 12:24 Consider the effects of lockdown practices 13:39 What to do before lockdown drills 16:26 What to do during the lockdown 19:28 What to do after the lockdown 22:08 Summary 23:15 What’s Becky up to?

Episodes of school violence, including mass shootings, have left educators with unique challenges in providing for students’ physical and emotional safety. They’ve also left parents with the added challenge of explaining these events and creating a sense of safety for children who sometimes feel unsafe at school. Each day teachers and students enter their work and learning environments with a certain amount of stress and anxiety. Active shooter drills and school lockdowns are necessary safety precautions; however, they often add to this stress. As parents, we can support schools in their efforts to keep students physically and emotionally safe by attuning with our children’s social-emotional health before and after active shooter drills, lockdowns and other disturbing events. Listen as high school student Hannah Mercer and her mother, Nicole Mercer, share their experiences with active shooter situations and lockdown drills. Essential Takeaways • Communicating and practicing procedures with students before lockdown situations is essential to reducing panic and anxiety during these events. • Adults must practice self-calming first, and then support children in doing the same during lockdowns. • Once the lockdown or drill is over, make extra time for connection and for students to talk about their experiences. Steps for Tomorrow – from the student perspective • Teachers, talk with your students about lockdown procedures and walk through them before the actual drill takes place. • Teachers, practice self-calming when directing students during drills and while providing information to let know students know they are safe. • When drills are over, offer deep breathing activities and reassurance that students are safe. Utilize the day for review rather than teaching new content. Steps for Tomorrow – from the student perspective • Learn about the school’s lockdown procedures so you can reflect and talk with your children before and after these experiences happen at school. • On the same day of the event, create time at home for children to share their thoughts and feelings about lockdown situations. Important Links www.ConsciousDiscipline.com Products • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/online-courses/ • Link to trauma webinars https://consciousdiscipline.com/webinar-series-understanding-trauma/ • Feeling Buddies for Home Toolkit https://shop.consciousdiscipline.com/products/feeling-buddies-basic-toolkit-for-classrooms Show Outline :20 What is Conscious Discipline? 2:54 Introduction of student guest Hannah Mercer 3:42 Hannah’s experience of first school lockdown 8:37 Returning to school activities after lockdown 11:53 Managing subsequent lockdowns 15:34 Returning to school after an active shooter situation 17:26 What could teachers do to be helpful before, during and after a lockdown? 23:32 Introduction of parent guest Nicole Mercer 25:17 Bringing Conscious Discipline home 26:04 Story of responding from an old skillset vs. the Conscious Discipline skillset 28:48 Responding to siblings during conflict 30:40 Parent reactions during school lockdown 34:19 What happens when you reconnect with your child after a lockdown? 37:50 Reflecting on the impact of lockdowns for your child 40:30 Do you worry about your child going to school? 41:25 Recommendations for parents 46:10 What’s Becky up to

School violence leaves teachers and schools with unique challenges in providing for students’ physical and emotional safety. The goal of active shooter drills and school lockdowns is to keep schools safe, but teachers often feel under-equipped to manage the sense of danger, anxiety, uncertainty and stress that occurs during and after these events. Classroom teachers are charged with unique responsibilities, from physical protector to emotional caregiver for their students—all while experiencing their own fears and feelings. As you plan your classroom’s approach, it is helpful to consider both you and your students’ social-emotional health when practicing, enacting and recovering from lockdowns and drills. Listen as Kindergarten teacher Tiffany Taylor and 5th grade teacher Kristin Abel share helpful ways they prepare themselves and their students for active shooter and lockdown drills. Essential Takeaways • Always relate the procedures back to safety • Create and practice visuals for the drill’s steps and procedures • Practice your own composure and self-regulation in order to help students do the same • Provide time and space for students to talk about their experience after drills, but before returning to learning activities Steps for Tomorrow Practice your personal composure and rehearse helpful inner speech before, during, and after drills and lockdowns Create and strengthen connections with students Explore more about creating and implementing a Safe Place in your classroom Important Links www.ConsciousDiscipline.com How to set up a safe place https://consciousdiscipline.com/videos/how-to-set-up-a-safe-place-dr-becky-bailey-explains/ Products • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms • Link to trauma webinars • Feeling Buddies for Classroom Toolkit Show Outline :19 What is Conscious Discipline? 1:44 Definition of trauma 3:00 Introduction of Tiffany Taylor, Kindergarten teacher 4:11 Monthly lockdown drill procedures with young children 5:33 Tiffany’s experience with nearby gunshots and a lockdown during school hours 9:20 Suggestions for early childhood teachers 9:50 Three specific tips for tomorrow 13:50 Introduction of Kristin Abel, K-5 resource teacher and former 5th grade teacher 16:32 Lockdown drill procedures at Kristin’s school 18:17 Preparing students for drills through procedures and self-regulation 20:17 What about classrooms who are not practicing Conscious Discipline? 22:42 Kristen’s story of helping a child experiencing high emotions during a lockdown 24:19 Reflecting on the lockdown experiences at two different schools 27:53 Helpful suggestions for after a lockdown drill 28:25 What happens after a real lockdown situation? 31:21 Connecting with students who slip into daydream states after lockdowns 35:02 Top three things for teachers to know 38:10 What’s Becky Bailey up to now? ConsciousDiscipline.com

School violence leaves administrators and schools with unique challenges in providing for students’ physical and emotional safety. Active shooter drills and school lockdowns are common, mandated events. The goal of these drills is to keep schools safe, but their emotional side-effects include increased anxiety, uncertainty and stress (on top of the “normal” levels of stress teachers and students already experience every day). The effects of school shootings can be seen and felt in all schools, at all age levels. It is important to consider social-emotional health when creating, practicing and enacting lockdown procedures, and preparing your staff to manage both their own and their students’ needs before, during and after these drills. Listen in as Diane Phelan, Principal of Keller Middle School, shares how she and her staff prepare for active shooter situations and lockdown drills. Essential Takeaways • Communication with students before, during and after lockdown drills is crucial. • Teachers managing their inner states during drills enables them to help students manage their inner states. • Know what triggers fear, anxiety and other difficult emotions for teachers and students so you can coach healthy responses for all. • Students will respond to how teachers manage themselves during drills. Steps for Tomorrow • Embed social-emotional learning deeply into the practices of your emergency drills • Learn to regulate emotional states during times of distress. • Have a plan for helping teachers and students transition back to teaching and learning after emergency drills. Important Links www.ConsciousDiscipline.com http://keller.pasadenaisd.org (Keller Middle School) Products • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms Show Outline :19 What is Conscious Discipline? 1:15 Today’s topic: School Shootings 3:55 Active shooter drills compared to emergency drills of the past 6:29 Introduction of guest Diane Phelan 8:40 How Keller Middle School prepares teachers and students for lockdown drills 10:20 Keller Middle School lockdown procedures 12:45 Diane’s story about triggered teachers and students during tornado event 15:02 Discussing lockdowns with faculty 17:56 Diane’s essential take-aways 19:58 Transitioning teachers and students back to teaching and learning after drills 21:30 Summary of helpful strategies during lockdown and emergency drills 23:50 What is Becky up to these days?

Family privilege is a collection of strengths and supports children gain through healthy, caring primary relationships (Seita, J, 2014 - https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1038836 ). Many children lack the full benefit of these strengths and supports due to factors like insecure attachment, homelessness, uncertain home life, substance abuse, trauma and neglect. The School Family in Conscious Discipline is based on a healthy family model, and builds resilience in children who have experienced trauma and/or lack of family privilege. In this episode, Abbi Kruse shares her story of creating an early childhood program that builds resilience and School Family-based family privilege for both paying, middle-class families and non-paying families experiencing homelessness. Listen as she describes the impact of her program as it closes the social-emotional gap often embedded in the socio-economic divide. Learn how creating a School Family and shifting your perceptions about challenging children creates an environment of success for all children. Essential Takeaways Building a School Family is essential for the success of all children. Seeing behavior as a call for help and connecting with children who struggle helps build resiliency. Steps for Tomorrow Remember that children’s distress and misbehavior is happening in front of you, not to you. Shift your focus from “How do I make this child stop,” to “How do I help this child succeed.” Focus on the child’s need for safety and connection and don’t give up! Important Links: The Playing Field https://www.playingfieldmadison.org Connecting home to the School Family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LoPISIGAJw Growing Up Without Family Privilege: http://reclaimingjournal.com/sites/default/files/journal-article-pdfs/10_3_Seita.pdf Products: Creating the School Family
I Love You Rituals Creating the School Family Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Schools and Homes e-Course Show Outline: :45 What is Conscious Discipline 3:26 Challenges of working with children experiencing homelessness 4:59 Strategies for success when working with children experiencing homelessness 5:38 Resiliency 6:09 Family privilege 8:36 Introduction of guest Abbi Kruse 10:11 Creation and mission of the Playing Field 12:36 Would Conscious Discipline help in a program that serves children experiencing homelessness? 13:30 Finding and training staff willing to take on challenging work with preschool children 14:41 Success story, child of trauma 17:12 Involving the parents of children experiencing homelessness 20:36 Bringing in families of privilege to join the program 23:15 Child developmental outcomes 24:01 Procedures for enrolling children in the Playing Field 25:50 Training staff 26:52 Suggestions to get started with children who experience homelessness 28:09 Getting through the hardest moments when working in a program serving the homeless 30:02 Final suggestion for helping a critical problem facing young children 31:50 Immediate steps for teachers to take with students who struggle www.ConsciousDiscipline.com

Socialization is a process by which a person learns to be a member of a group or community. Families and educators have the task of socializing children into the collective in a healthy way in order to sustain ourselves as a society. “Us” and “them” socialization (racism, sexism, have vs have not, good kid vs bad kid classroom culture, etc.) impedes healthy socialization. It can prime the excluded, “lesser” children to seek inclusion in groups and relationships that are damaging or abusive, including street gangs. In this episode, DJ Baptiste shares his experiences from being a teenage gang leader through his current role as a motivational speaker and advocate for creating a healthy School Family “gang” for all children. Essential Takeaways • Any form of “us” and “them” socialization impedes the development of a healthy culture • Disconnected/marginalized children will find an alternative way to meet the need to belong • All children need predictability, consistency and a sense of belonging • Creating a sense of community in the classroom (a School Family) provides students with connection, predictability and a sense of belonging Important Links Gang Leader to Graduate Success Story (insert/connect link) How to Make a (Bully from Scratch) (insert/connect link) Bully Road Signs series of videos (insert/connect link) Products Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms Creating the School Family Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Schools and Homes e-Course Show Outline (time stamps) :24 What is Conscious Discipline 1:42 Prevalence of gangs in our society 2:50 What is socialization 5:01 Introduction of guest speaker DJ Baptiste, former gang leader 6:23 DJ’s story of his path towards being in a gang 9:55 DJ expelled from preschool 12:56 DJ created his own gang 15:15 A sense of belonging draws children toward gangs 17:40 How gangs provide consistency and predictability 19:18 Codes of conduct in DJ’s gang 20:42 Was there ever a sense of fear being in the gang 23:00 DJ’s life-changing moment 26:10 Mrs. Porter connects, gives DJ a class job and creates a School Family 29:46 DJ’s current employment 31:35 Summary of what the gang provided Transcript can be found here: https://consciousdiscipline.com/podcast-episode014/

With so many models for creating change, how do you decide which one is best for your school? Do you want lasting change or a Band-Aid approach? Do you have what it takes to create a transformational change in your classroom, school or district? Traditional change is doing the same thing you’ve been doing, but doing it better, faster, and cheaper. Transitional change makes small changes in behaviors by doing new “B” instead of old “A.” Transformational change creates a new mindset, or way of thinking. It’s the most challenging and rewarding form of change because it creates far-reaching and long-lasting results that have never existed before. Conscious Discipline is a transformational change model that asks administrators and educators to see through a new lens of knowledge. In this episode, Conscious Discipline Master Instructor Jill Molli shares challenges and tips for success when transforming school cultures with Conscious Discipline. Essential Takeaways • Administrative buy-in and participation in trainings is essential to success • Work with willing teachers and staff; allow their success to motivate others • Create model classrooms for sustainability Steps for Tomorrow • Begin with implementation of Conscious Discipline in your own life first • Principals reflect on personal leadership style • Work with teachers and students Important Links: Conscious Discipline Pay-It-Forward Implementation https://consciousdiscipline.s3.amazonaws.com/Free-Resources/Implementation-Staff-Development/FREE-Implementation-Staff-Dev-Pay_It_Forward_Transformational_Process.pdf Conscious Discipline Skills Rubrics https://consciousdiscipline.com/free-resources/type/progress-assessment-rubrics/ Products: Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Schools and Homes E-Course Show Outline (time stamps) – :23 What is Conscious Discipline 1:40 Transformational, transitional and traditional change models 6:41 Introduction of guest Jill Molli, Conscious Discipline Master Instructor 7:40 Obstacles to overcome when implementing Conscious Discipline 12:52 Who to send to Summer Institutes and trainings 14:31 School/agency 3-prong approach for successful implementation 18:15 Identifying your Conscious Discipline Action Team (CDAT) 20:30 Importance of coaching during implementation 22:24 How to achieve fidelity with Conscious Discipline 24:39 Misuse of the Conscious Discipline Safe Place Self-Regulation Center 28:00 Creating onsite model classrooms for sustainability 32:51 Steps for tomorrow

Some days, even the best parents feel at a loss for how to respond to a child’s behavior: the right words won’t come, the child won’t behave and there just has to be a better way! Dr. Becky Bailey, the creator of Conscious Discipline, says discipline is something we develop within children, not something we do to them. Much of our parenting is based on the idea that it’s our job to have the perfect words, the perfect actions or the perfect punishment that will make a child behave properly. Conscious Discipline turns this ineffective mindset on its head, helping us shift to an emotionally-intelligent, brain smart and research-based approach. Listen as Ginny Luther, owner of Peaceful Parenting and retired Conscious Discipline Master Instructor of 18+ years, shares her story of parenting with Conscious Discipline. Essential Takeaways • Start with a skill that feels easy for you so you can experience success. • Change “should” to “could.” • It’s not your job to fix it. Be calm in the midst of their upset. Breathe before you speak. Steps for Tomorrow • Connection is the key. Be present with your children when they are in your presence. • Quit Taking It Personally (QTIP)! Their behavior has nothing to do with you. • It’s not your job to “happy up” your children. • Be the calm in their storm. Important Links Conscious Discipline: www.ConsciousDiscipline.com Peaceful Parenting: http://www.peacefulparenting.net Bart’s Blue Star: http://www.bartsbluestar.org Products • There’s Got to be a Better Way • Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline • Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline audiobook • I Love You Rituals Show Outline :23 What is Conscious Discipline? 1:45 Introduction of guest Ginny Luther, owner of Peaceful Parenting 3:10 Ginny’s story of bringing Conscious Discipline to parents 6:15 Ginny’s start to her personal journey towards peaceful parenting 8:24 Ginny’s story of her son, Bart 12:42 Setting up parenting classes 14:25 Starting parenting classes through schools 17:24 Empowered parent groups 19:34 Top three questions from parents 21:17 Importance of visual routines 23:56 The Seven Powers of Conscious Discipline 26:46 “I’m not your mom anymore!” story 29:51 Little changes make a big difference 32:41 Your child’s misbehavior is a gift 38:24 Essential takeaways 41:45 Bart’s Blue Star

Asking for help is one of the most powerful tools we possess in life. It allows us to learn, think critically and problem solve, and it allows others to do the same while also being of service. “How do I…?” is a special quarterly episode that provides a forum for podcast listeners to reach out for help. In this podcast, Dr. Bailey responds with helpful Conscious Discipline-based approaches for: How do I teach respect? How do I communicate red flag behaviors to parents? How do I get parents on board? How do I stop my child from climbing in my bed in the middle of the night? How do I help coworkers use Conscious Discipline with other adults at work? Essential Takeaways • Assertiveness is the key skill in teaching respect. • In teaching respect, it’s important to reflect and ask 1. How are we modeling respect and 2. How are we responding when we perceive we’ve been disrespected. • When working with parents, it is essential to show up with the intention to be helpful and the resources to help. • The only way to encourage someone to join you in Conscious Discipline is to inspire them by being a model. • Changing an ill-suited routine or pattern you’ve unconsciously taught your child requires working through the resulting upset. Products: Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms Show Outline (time stamps) – :48 How do I teach respect? How do I teach my children to respect each other, my things, and our home? 3:38 How do I communicate red flag behaviors to parents? 6:50 From a home visitor: How do I get parents on board with Conscious Disicipline, when 1. I have trouble maintaining my composure when children are screaming in the house, 2. I forget the verbiage in the moment because the children are fighting and mom is watching, and 3. I only see children once. 9:31 How do I stop my child from coming to my bed in the middle of the night? 13:33 How do I help adults use Conscious Discipline in their adult-to-adult interactions in the workplace?

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults. Persistent worry has a lasting negative impact on both mind and body. In children, anxiety often looks like avoidance, clinging, aggression and other challenging behaviors. This can make it difficult for adults to recognize and support children in managing the anxiety that’s at the root of the behavior. In this episode, Jill Molli teaches us new skills as she shares her personal journey with her own anxiety and with helping her daughter manage similar feelings. Discover the powerful transformation that occurs as Jill and Meg shift from thinking about anxiety to naming the feeling, taming it and developing healthy strategies for managing it. Essential Takeaways • Anxiety in children presents itself through many different behaviors. • A child’s ability to self-regulate won’t develop without first experiencing co-regulation with a calm adult. • Naming the feeling, rather than asking a child to think about the feeling, is the first step in managing anxiety. Steps for Tomorrow • When you or a child feels anxious, name and acknowledge the feeling rather than questioning why it is there. • Practice active calming so you can become a co-regulator for children who feel anxious. Important Links: Video: Naming and Taming Anxiety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-jFv1Z5Qdg&index=17&list=PL3418E21B5FB5559C Products: Managing Emotional Mayhem https://shop.consciousdiscipline.com/products/managing-emotional-mayhem Show Outline (time stamps) – :23 What is Conscious Discipline 1:21 Effects of anxiety and types of anxiety in children 5:23 Introduction of guest Jill Molli 6:24 Jill’s story of growing up anxious 8:55 Genetics and anxiety 9:32 Story of Jill recognizing anxiety in her daughter 13:42 The progression of anxiety as Jill’s daughter got older 15:30 Effect of new experiences on people who experience anxiety 16:56 Naming the feeling to tame it 19:51 Having a “person” to help download calm 21:49 The Safe Place and its purpose 24:02 Asking the child to think about anxiety through questioning won’t help 25:05 Jill’s story of where her anxiety came from 27:25 Story of Meg’s anxiety as a teen during soccer games 30:57 How Jill’s journey has helped her support teachers and other children 32:44 Meg’s essay about anxiety

Are there people in your life you find challenging to work with or be with? Why do we find some people so irritating and how can we utilize those irritations as opportunities for growth? The way we perceive sensory input, information from others and data gathered about the outside world determines if we will react from old programming or respond in wise and helpful ways. When we take others’ upset personally, we are not able to see from their perspective or offer help. Listen in as Ali Oliver, Director of Professional Development for Conscious Discipline and former transformational Principal, shares strategies for working with the most difficult staff, parents and students in our lives. Essential Takeaways The quality of relationships shapes the function of our brain. When challenging people come to us, it’s important to QTIP (Quit Taking It Personally) and be present so they feel heard and we can better understand what they are communicating. Breathing and preparing ourselves in these moments allows us to connect during upset and respond in a helpful way rather than react. Steps for Tomorrow • Build a way to connect within the building • Prepare yourself by learning your own triggers and upset tendencies, and then practice active calming • See from the other person’s point of view and know their upset is not about you Important Links www.ConsciousDiscipline.com Wiring the Brain for Success: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVJV7G8x3s Power of Perception Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVJV7G8x3s Products • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms • Time Machine (Conflict Resolution Mat) Show Outline :20 What is Conscious Discipline 1:28 Working with those who challenge us the most 3:30 Understanding our states of consciousness 5:58 Introduction of guest Ali Oliver, former transformational Principal and current Director of Professional Development for Conscious Discipline 6:50 Working with difficult parents and teachers 11:18 Reframing and providing empathy to diffuse others’ upset moments 15:11 Working with the most difficult children 18:32 Using Conscious Discipline with adults 21:07 Working with staff members in conflict moments 23:20 Changing the language we use during adult upsets 27:06 Importance of connecting the faculty 28:14 Steps for tomorrow 30:34 What it means to see from another’s point of view

Have you noticed some children will increase their behaviors in what seems to be an effort to gain your attention? Have you ever had a child exhibit a behavior that just seems so bizarre to you and you were at a loss for how to respond? Children with extreme behaviors and mental illness present some of the most challenging moments in the classroom. Some of these behaviors can be alarming to the adults who care for them. Seeing all behavior as a form of communication creates opportunity for acceptance of where the child is, connection, and teaching new skills. Listen in as Kim Jackson, Conscious Discipline Master Instructor and demonstration teacher in North Carolina, shares strategies for working with children during extreme behaviors. ESSENTIAL TAKEAWAYS • Seeing all behavior as communication enables adults to create teaching moments, even with them most challenging children. • Adults managing their own emotional states in times of conflict is essential. • Respecting where children are in the moment creates opportunity to connect and teaches others watching acceptance. STEPS FOR TOMORROW • Know how to access your own composure and calm yourself in the moments that seem most heated and challenging. • See all behavior, no matter what it is, as a call for help and a missing skill. • Use the QTIP method – Quit Taking It Personally • Repeatedly teach the skill that is missing in the moment and through social play IMPORTANT LINKS www.ConsciousDiscipline.com Mental health specialists decrease power struggles, holds and conflict with Conscious Discipline - https://consciousdiscipline.com/videos/mental-health-specialists-decrease-power-struggles-holds-and-conflict-with-conscious-discipline/ Connecting Parents to the School Family: https://consciousdiscipline.com/videos/how-can-you-connect-parents-into-your-school-family-a-preschool-teacher-shows-the-way/ PRODUCTS • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms SHOW OUTLINE :22 What is Conscious Discipline 1:30 Introduction of today’s topic – young children and mental illness 3:12 Causes of mental illness 3:45 Introduction of guest Kim Jackson 6:15 Types of mental illness Kim has seen in her classroom 9:35 Story of what happened when the teacher was injured by a student 11:43 Approaching children with big behaviors 14:15 All behavior is some form of communication – a story of seeing it differently 18:47 Ways children call for help 20:03 Steps for helping and reaching challenging children 21:10 Story of child who has eaten poop 23:44 Story of responding to child with multiple personalities 26:28 Modeling acceptance for other students who witness challenging moments 27:46 Reaching the family of children with mental illness 31:40 Role play parent – teacher communication regarding “Did my child have a good day?” 34:40 Steps for tomorrow THANK YOU FOR LISTENING There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with me and I am grateful. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with others via your favorite social media platforms. Also, would you consider taking 60-seconds to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes? Your feedback is extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I love to hear your feedback! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! On behalf of our Conscious Discipline family, we wish you well. ConsciousDiscipline.com

What was your experience as a child during holidays? Do you find them stressful now? How do we help students prepare for extended holiday breaks? The holidays can bring stress and disruption to daily routines. These times can result in an escalation of stress and misbehaviors in the classroom. Maintaining structure and routines during this time helps create predictability. Predictability helps create and maintain a felt sense of safety. Visual routine books and pre-holiday rituals built on a healthy family model help support children in managing the stress of holiday breaks. In this episode, we will learn strategies for reaching and building relationships with children and their families transforming both the home life and the life of the classroom. Listen in as long time Kindergarten teacher and two-time Teacher of the Year Tiffany Taylor shares how to ease the pain of difficult good-byes on Friday afternoons and challenging hellos on Monday mornings. Essential Takeaways • Maintaining classroom routines pre-holiday breaks maintains a felt sense of safety in the class family. • Utilizing a healthy family model to create structure and rituals within the class family eases the stress of holiday breaks. Steps for Tomorrow • Make a routine book for things that will be out of routine before the break. Create the book together with the students and read it often in the weeks before the break. • Be aware of your own emotional state and what you are bringing to the classroom • Do something that builds classroom family that replicates your own home family • Have open conversations about feelings that arrive during the time leading up to holiday breaks Important Links Conscious Discipline website Products • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms • Feeling Buddy Toolkit for Classroom Show Outline :22 What is Conscious Discipline 1:20 Introduction of topic and stressors associated with preparing for the holidays 3:43 The executive skill of flexibility and what happens when it goes “off line” 6:40 Introduction of guest teacher Jill Beck 10:38 Creating a School Family with 5th grade students 13:36 Student behaviors approaching holidays and how to help 15:49 Creating a countdown to holiday break routine book 18:27 Pre-holiday break rituals 20:14 Talking with students about worries and excitements as holidays approach 20:53 Easing the stress of testing before holidays 23:19 Playing “Rob your neighbor” 24:53 Returning to the school family after long holiday breaks 26:57 Steps for tomorrow THANK YOU FOR LISTENING There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with me and I am grateful. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with others via your favorite social media platforms. Also, would you consider taking 60-seconds to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes? Your feedback is extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I love to hear your feedback! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! On behalf of our Conscious Discipline family, we wish you well. ConsciousDiscipline.com

Are you struggling with creating behavior intervention plans resulting in successful changes within your students? Have you wondered how PBIS and Conscious Discipline could work together in this process? Over the years working to help students change behavior has resulted in many programs and intervention strategies. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) does not state to use specific practices. PBIS provides a framework for creating intervention plans. Schools adopting Conscious Discipline can use the PBIS framework to ensure systematic decision making and schools adopting PBIS can use Conscious Discipline to meet the PBIS goal of supporting positive behavior in school culture. In this episode, we will learn how to create positive behavior intervention plans using Conscious Discipline and the RTI process. Listen in as long time teacher and Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor Fran Rubio-Katz shares step by step how to create effective behavior intervention plans for each child’s success. ESSENTIAL TAKEAWAYS • Understanding the adult role in responding to behaviors with children is key. • Assessing the child’s state and what developmental questions are unanswered begins the intervention plan process. • When creating a behavior intervention plan, begin with identifying the wanted behaviors. • In the data collection process, track the wanted behaviors. STEPS FOR TOMORROW The intervention process begins with adult regulation and seeing behaviors has a call for help. Utilize the “wanted behaviors” worksheet in the Conscious Discipline and RTI document to begin creating behavior intervention plans. IMPORTANT LINKS • Conscious Discipline website • The Learning Loft - http://learningloft.org/about-us/ • Breathing Icons Printable on the Website at ConsciousDiscipline.com • CD and RTI Document on the Website at ConsciousDiscipline.com • Safe Place explanation video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUMc3fWgLEk&index=7&list=PLC1FF90B6D998E9EE • CD Progress Assessment Rubrics on the Website at ConsciousDiscipline.com PRODUCTS • Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms • Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline SHOW OUTLINE :26 What is Conscious Discipline 1:30 Introduction to topic Academic and Behavior plans and Conscious Discipline 3:24 PBIS framework explanation 7:08 Introduction of long-time teacher and founder of the Learning Loft Fran Rubio-Katz 8:40 Struggle into stretch – what does this mean 11:44 Realizing its not them, it’s our responses 15:02 Conscious Discipline for behavior interventions with the RTI process 16:44 Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions 17:44 Example of creating a behavior intervention with Conscious Discipline 23:09 Summary of creating a behavior intervention plan 26:08 Next steps once plan is created 28:50 Collecting data to determine if interventions are working 29:53 Conscious Discipline and Social Media, connect for support THANK YOU FOR LISTENING There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with me and I am grateful. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with others via your favorite social media platforms. Also, would you consider taking 60-seconds to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes? Your feedback is extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I love to hear your feedback! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! On behalf of our Conscious Discipline family, we wish you well.