Why Won't They Listen To Me?

Here's what it all boils down to, are you looking for compliance or cooperation? Educational compliance focuses on obedience and rule-following, often driven by fear, rewards, or authority. In contrast, cooperation is an active willingness to participate driven by trust, mutual respect, and a sense of shared purpose. 

Now, think about what your students experience from you and their peers every day. Is your classroom culture  cooperative or compliant?

Give this a quick listen and find your answer!

ACEs are just part of the equation, but they have a huge impact on the quality of instruction in classrooms. 

Our students face pressures from all directions - their home environment, society, political messaging, social media, and all too often, school. The last thing we should all want is for the only memory a child has of us is as "that mean teacher", or even worse, the teacher that didn't see them at all.   

However, we  also must consider that having a high ACE score is not a sentence. Not all children who experience 4 or more ACEs will have poor outcomes.  Protective factors such as supportive relationships, community services, positive school experiences, skill-building opportunities, it all helps! 

Myself, I get a perfect score of 10 on the ACE quiz. I am forever grateful to the public school teachers, and especially the band directors, who saved me from "poor outcomes" and helped me forge new dreams for myself. I am living proof it is very possible to overcome ACEs and YOU are a key piece to doing this for students!

1) Let's assume that if you have suffered from trauma as a child, you have received help and support you need. If not, it is important to understand that certain behaviors or stories from your students could be triggering and would not only be upsetting but could be leading to some the of management issues you are facing. Opposite to that, if you have had little trauma experience, you may not be equipped at all to understand what a child is feeling or how to help. If you would like more training on this topic, please visit the Conscious Discipline site. 

2) We must understand how the brain learns with and without trauma, and what that means for a classroom. 

WATCH THIS! Less than 5 minutes sums this all up!

3) Develop and ALWAYS use your professional, calm, mentor, and teacher self when you are on duty (this will not always be easy!), and save your relaxed family and friends self for off duty hours. 

4) We must re-align and re-design our beliefs, learning spaces, processes, procedures, and teaching to truly serve the children we are here to teach.