We will be working very hard this year to learn how our brain works so that we may begin to regulate ourselves in stressful situations. Many of the routines and guidelines will hopefully instill a sense of responsibility and independence. I will be working with the children on organizational skills. I will be teaching each student to be responsible for him/herself and his/her own actions. Self-discipline is a must as a student progresses through school.
Dear Parents,
In our classroom, we utilize the Conscious Discipline Brain State Model to learn and grow. When we are in our executive brain state, we are able to problem solve and find our true potential. We are all equipped with a set of executive skills which help us to respond to situations in a positive and productive way. Utilizing our executive skill set is how we are able to foster positive emotions and are able to make choices to help achieve our goals. These skills aren’t fully developed until the age of 30! Your child is constantly learning and growing, and sometimes they engage in challenging or concerning behaviors. This is all part of the learning process.
Your brain is made up of three states. The first state is the survival state. It asks the question, “Am I safe?” If safety is not sensed, no learning can take place. This is why my number one job is to keep your child safe in the classroom. Some things we do in the classroom to ensure your child feels safe are routines, having a safe spot to go in stressful situations, and using breathing techniques to help us find our calm.
The second brain state is the emotional state. It asks the question, “Am I loved?” After the need for physical safety is met, your child needs to know that there is emotional safety. We establish this by having rituals in the classroom, utilizing classroom jobs, and doing many activities to build our school family. Your child needs to feel emotionally safe in our classroom.
Finally, the third brain state is the executive state. This state asks the question, “What can I learn?” This only happens if the other two states are satisfied. When we are in the executive state we are free to learn and grow with knowledge in the classroom.
Being aware of our opportunities with our executive skills can help us grow and develop. In the classroom we constantly set goals, academically and behaviorally. We will spend time in our room digging deep to discover our own strengths and opportunities with the executive skills. Students will learn about their strengths and opportunities for growth. This will help them to set goals for the entire school year.
We will make essential agreements for our classroom together as a first week of school activity. We find that most traditional classroom rules fall under one of the following categories: be respectful, be safe, and be responsible. The students do well when they take ownership of what behaviors are expected of them in the classroom.
When challenges or concerns arise in the classroom, we take the time to develop these skills using “OOPS”. An “OOPS” is “Our Opportunity to Practice Skills.” This might look different for each student as each brain is different. I will do my best to make sure your child is comfortable and respected in our classroom. I follow natural consequences and restorative conversations to address behaviors in the classroom. I will contact you if a situation arises that we need to work as a team to resolve. You are a very important part of this process for your child.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. We are all in this together and I want to help your child have a successful fourth grade year.