Discussion Questions
How has your sense of belonging been disrupted by COVID-19? Your professional relationships? Your feeling of being a part of this school community?
How have the students’ sense of belonging been disrupted by COVID-19?
What will staff need to restore this sense of belonging?
What will students need to help them regain the sense of belonging?
1st 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 2: The Need to Belong. Let’s begin.
2nd Frame:
The most important function of the brain is determining our level of safety. When the brain perceives the system to be safe, the Limbic System, the social emotional part of the brain, then asks, “Am I loved? Do I belong?” 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.
3rd Frame:
As complex mammals, we thrive in safe and supportive communities. It is so much a part of who we are that we will seek and find safety in each other. In a spontaneous interaction, through facial expression, eye contact, and tone of voice, we can validate our safety and confirm that we are not alone. A sense of belonging generates confidence that life is good.
4th Frame:
A sense of belonging prepares the brain for learning. A safe and supportive classroom community provides the environment needed to engage executive functioning. Students who feel like they belong– remember what is learned, develop new skills, have improved judgment.
5th Frame:
It is more than learning, however. Our relationships, our strong social connections lead to greater well-being and happiness. Additionally, they increase our social awareness and thus our capacity for empathy and altruism.
6th Frame:
The need to connect is even stronger in children and adolescents. When we meet these needs by helping students develop strong relationships, we are actually helping to build strong school communities. Studies show the relationship between strong school communities that prioritize social-emotional learning with increases in student achievement We can meet the need to belong in an online environment by connecting with students frequently and consistently, by validating their emotions, by providing reassurance, making student connection a regular assignment, assigning and modeling offline ways to connect.
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 at julie.mcdaniel@oakland.k12.mi.us
Selected Resources
Barshay, J. (2018). Two studies point to the power of teacher-student relationships to boost learning. The Hechinger Report. Retrieved from https://hechingerreport.org/two-studies-point-to-the-power-of-teacher-student-relationships-to-boost-learning/.
Dunlea, M. (2019, September 4). Every Student Matters: Cultivating Belonging in the Classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/every-student-matters-cultivating-belonging-classroom.
Edutopia (Producer). (2019, January 14). The Power of Relationships in Schools [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/video/power-relationships-schools.
Porges, S. W. (2017). The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative
Power of Feeling Safe. New York: W. W. Norton and Company.
Roffey, S. (2012). Developing Positive Relationships in Schools. Positive Relationships: Evidence Based Practice Across The World, 145-162. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278636575_Developing_Positive_Relationships_in_Schools.
Siegel, D. J. (2015). Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin.
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