Brain State Model: Survival, Emotional, Executive

Survival State: Tools to help create safety (Bailey 85)

• Noticing: verbally describing a child's nonverbal actions without judgement: "Your mouth is going like this (mirror what the child is doing), and your arms are going like this (mirror)."
• Assertiveness: use the voice of "no doubt" to focus on what we want which generates encouragement and safety; speak and model the appropriate behavior for the child: "When you want to get her attention, tap her on the shoulder gently, like this, and say her name."
• Routines: predictability promotes safety and certainty. Pictures work great for younger children.
• Composure: the ability to self-regulate (taking 3 deep breaths before you help your child will help you better "download" your calm).
• Safe place/safekeeper: "My job is to keep you safe. Your job is to help keep it safe."

Conscious Discipline Skills:

• Composure: S.T.A.R, upload, breathe with me
• Noticing: Your arms are going like this
• Language of safety: You are safe
• Assertiveness: Voice of no doubt

Emotional State: Tools to help create connection (Bailey 161)

• Rituals: provide valuable opportunities to connect (see Dr. Becky Bailey's I Love You Rituals for some great ideas!)
• Encouragement: by accepting children for who they are by noticing and connecting.
• Jobs: being of service to others activates the higher level centers of the brain.
• Empathy: teaches emotional regulation and eventually will help children take responsibility for their actions.
• Choices: foster cooperation, enhance decision-making, and helps focus their attention (You may choose ____ or ____.)
• The School Family: we have integrated this into our year to help build a healthy family model into every school day.

Conscious Discipline Skills:

• Encouragement: You can do it
• Choices: You have a choice
• Empathy: You seem ______.

Executive State Tools for creating problem-solving opportunities (Bailey 253)

• Solutions: problem-solving focus on solution instead of blame.
• Positive intent: we must see children differently, especially our most challenging, before they can act differently.
• (Academic integration: integrate between classroom management, discipline, social-emotional learning and academic curriculum becomes seamless)
• Consequences: effective consequences teach children to examine their behavior, reflect on its impact and make changes until reaching their goals.
• Executive skills: adults must lead their executive skills to scaffold children's development (coaching)

Conscious Discipline Skills:

• Positive intent: You wanted ____ or you were hoping for ____.
• Natural consequences: Did you like it?
• Logical consequences: You have a choice! You can choose to (helpful skill) and (positive consequence) or (hurtful skill) and (negative consequence).
• Problem-Solving: P.E.A.C.E.*, family meeting