(A Sense of) Safety First - 3-Minute Video with Transcript, Discussion Questions, and Selected References

Episode 1: (A Sense of) Safety First

Discussion Questions

1. What do you need to feel safe (upon return)?

2. How has your sense of safety been disrupted since COVID-19?

3. What will the students need to feel safe (and are they the same needs as you have)?

YouTube link

Transcript

1^st Frame:

Hello! I’m Julie McDaniel-Muldoon, Safety and Well-Being Consultant at Oakland Schools. I created the Supportive Strategies Series with 3-minute episodes of strategies I think might be helpful to you, especially during this extraordinary time. These short and sweet episodes are based on research and best practice. Episode 1: (A Sense of) Safety First. Let’s begin.

2^nd Frame:

The most important function of the brain is determining our level of safety. The self-preservation center of the brain asks, “Am I safe?” With an affirmative answer, the brain signals the body that all is well. The Limbic System, the social emotional part of the brain, then asks, “Am I loved? Do I belong?” At this point the executive functioning part of the brain lights up. At this point, we are able to control impulses, can reason and learn, and make good judgments.

  

 3^rd Frame:

Stephen Porges has helped us understand safety as a neurobiological process. When the brain feels safe, the mind is fully present, there is a sense of physical safety, and we are connected to each other. There is a decrease in heart rate and defense mechanisms. There is an increase in immune response and metabolism. We rest and recuperate more easily. Natural oxytocin is released. Our digestion is efficient and effective and so much more. We are curious, joyful, grounded, compassionate, and mindful.

4^th Frame:

In uncertain times such as these, our brains are quick to retreat into survival mode. The self-preservation center of the brain is the key to our social-emotional health and to learning. Restoring a sense of priority is our first priority.

5^th Frame:

Helping others is often done naturally. When we are face to face with students, we can do this more easily with tone of voice, body language and eye contact. But we also establish safety with clear routines and expectations, consistent scheduling, and clear directions. Online, we can do this the same way. We provide predictability, flexibility, routines, and choice. We connect with students and explicitly tell them how much we value them.

Final Frame:

All of this content is based on solid research and best practice. Please contact me for references, more resources, and suggested topics for future episodes. You can reach me at julie.mcdaniel@oakland.k12.mi.us.

Selected Resources

Integrated Listening Systems (2019). Stephen Porges on the Link between Feeling Safe and Making Changes. Retrieved from https://integratedlistening.com/blog/2019/09/24/stephen-porges-on-the-link-between-feeling-safe-and-making-change/

McDaniel-Muldoon, JE (2019, July 23). (A Sense of) Safety First. International Bullying Prevention Association Blog and News. https://ibpaworld.org/blog/a-sense-of-safety-first/.  

Porges, S. W. (2017). The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The

Transformative Power of Feeling Safe. New York: W. W. Norton and

Company.

Siegel, D. J. (2015). Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin.

Simon-Thomas, ER (2015). Measuring compassion in the body. Greater Good

Magazine. Retrieved from

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/measuring_compassion_in_the_ 

body.