Reassurance

Using reassurance...

- Gives students confidence in what they are completing
- Provides support and partnership with a student.
- Eases students minds of worry

Implementation

Overview

- Reassurance can look like a written note that a student can look at, it can be from a peer buddy, or it can be from an instructor.
- Students who require reassurance need smaller checkpoints to confirm they are on the right path.
- Nonverbals such as a "thumbs up" could be all the student needs to continue.
- Too much reassurance can lead to the contribution of learned helplessness.
- Verbal stems such as
  1. Keep going ____ .
  2. You're doing great.
  3. I like how you...
  4. I love how hard your brain is working on this.

- When directions are given, prompt and reassure student of correctness and steps verbally as they complete each step.
- Create a visual step by step routine for student if needed to combine with verbal reassurance.

Core Components

- Reassurance should be given in a calm neutral tone
- Provided directed to student
- Not overused
- Given with the goal of comfort and security

Proactive Implementation

- Consistently providing reassurance to students throughout rigorous and challenging tasks allows for encouragement for risk taking and a psychological safe enviornment.

Responsive Implementation

- If a student, group, or class is struggling with skills such as grit, resilience, self worth, & risk taking then deliberate reassurance can support. Appropriately scaffolding challenges to push students with support is key.

Bucket Fits

Connection

If the need is connection then students should receive reassurance from multiple parties. This may be combined with explicit instruction on the science of kindness.

Skills Training

If the need is skill building. then the target should be resilience, grit, self worth & risk taking. The students should self-assess their ability on the targets.

Awareness

If the need is awareness then the student should self monitor and reflect on the completion of a particularly difficult challenge.

Emotional Regulation

If the need is regulation. the the student should use self monitoring skills to determine when a regualtion strategy is needed to prevent overexertion.

Considerations & Adaptations

Understanding Adaptations

Consider Factors Prior to Start

- Student factors-

Gender, race, function, topography, family dynamics, interpersonal relationships

- Contextual factors -

Resource availability, classroom instruction, physical space, time, technology

Intensifying or Fading During

- Duration
- Frequency
- Feedback
- Reinforcement
- Goals

REMINDER

- Make a note to document when you're starting this intervention.
- After 10 consecutive school days of implementation, use collected data to determine the intervention's effectiveness.

Resource

Anxiety in the Classroom