A highly effective method of classroom management is Conscious Discipline (CD). Getting to attend a training in Florida with founder Becky Bailey was unique opportunity for me a few years ago. One of the important learnings is that children need to feel safe in order to move their brain from its survival state to the executive state, or frontal lobe of the brain, where learning can take place. Through this training teachers learn about creating a safe learning environment and the words to help kids maneuver through their brain states. (survival, emotional and executive). I have had great success with this program and find that I use the CD methods on a daily basis.In fact, on the back of my name tag, which I show children all the time, is a card that reads,”Its my job to keep you safe, and its your job to keep it safe”. I find that I say this phrase often when redirecting children, so they know why I am asking them not to slide down the railing of the stairwell, for example.
This summer I have been given another fantastic learning opportunity. As a Kenan Fellow I have been able to work in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) oriented workplace. I have been given access to many labs within UL (Underwriters Laboratories) to watch engineers test and guide products through safety tests. In doing this I made so many connects to my CD training and to teaching. As a society we take for granted the many ways the products we use keep us safe. But, by not thinking about it, we are able to leave our survival brain state and function in our executive state without worries. This was evident in one of the safety tests I watched this week. I saw them test a full immersion suit, which will allow people who work near water that is extremely cold. (Coast guard, military, fisherman etc) By donning this suit they can avoid hypothermia and survive their encounter with below freezing water. Knowing that the suit passed the UL safety testing allows the wearer to focus on their task at hand and not fear the conditions of the cold water.
My plan at this point to teach students about the science behind safety. We are better able to fight fire if we understand fire. Similarly, if we know why something floats we are better able to understand why PFD’s (personal floatation devices) work. It is exciting to see engineers each day working to solve problems or improve things so that they are reliable and repeatable.
As a teacher it is important to understand what we are teaching, pedagogy, and share it with students. We allow students an opportunity to try new things, practice and demonstrate an understanding of what they have learned. We then assess them on the standard for that new learning. If they fail to pass the assessment we revisit, reteach and retest. Watching the engineers at UL I see a very similar progression. They understand the science behind the product they are working with. They test the product to a specific standard. If the product does not pass they make suggestions on how to help the client better the product so that it passes the standard. As a consumer I am so pleased to know that a company like UL is working so hard to insure that our products are safe. Not having to worry about the safety of a product allows our brain to stay in the executive state where we can learn, work and play safely.