DEVELOPING A POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE: A Brief Summary of Some of the Principles of Positive Psychology

Transcription

1 DEVELOPING A POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE: A Brief Summary of Some of the Principles of Positive Psychology The 21 st Century View of a Climate that Supports Human Flourishing Maureen Colleary, Ph.D. January, 2015

2 The Top 5 Things You Might Not Know About Positive Psychology

3 COLD CALL CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING EACH PERSON CALLED UPON CAN NAME 1 POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY FACT OR PHONE A FRIEND FOR HELP

4 WHAT CAN AN EDUCATOR DO WITH THESE PRINCIPLES? ESTABLISH A CLASSROOM THAT IS CHEERFUL ONE WHERE CREATIVITY IS HONORED, WHERE OPTIMISM & GROWTH RULE & EFFORT, in all things, IS THE HIGHEST GOAL

5 The human side of data driven research: Two stories Seligman s dad & a plane ride that changed his career This, too, is Dr. Seligman, of the U. Penn.

6 Here s an Alternative to THE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY MODEL for BUILDING A POSITIVE CLIMATE STOP IT

7 COLD CALL CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING I WILL COLD CALL 3 PEOPLE & EACH PERSON CALLED UPON WILL NAME ONE REASON THAT, WHILE FUNNY, A STOP IT MENTALITY DOESN T WORK in a classroom. (You can phone a friend for help)

8 Hmm Motivation, Attitude, Intelligence??? How Do We Promote True Learning & Teach Skills? We assume a GROWTH mindset & we throw away our American FIXED mindset. Along with academic content, we teach the skills needed to FLOURISH!

9 WHAT S A GROWTH MINDSET? A growth mindset is defined by the belief that human brains develop intelligence and will flourish through study, effort, persistence, grappling, grit and creativity.

10 WHAT IS A FIXED MINDSET? A fixed mindset is defined by the belief that intelligence is set by native ability. Students with this mindset can 1) see hard work as weakness, 2) be hesitant to take risks & 3) compete with others instead of growing themselves through effort.

11 As An Educator, what do you do? Build a schoolwide and classroom culture that supports learning & well being through RIGOR high standards COOPERATION COLLABORATION CRITICAL THINKING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION & THE ABILITY TO REFLECT ON ONE S LEARNING, AGENCY and CHARACTER. (See resources listed on Resource Handout)

12 WELL BEING, the OPTIMISTIC LIFE & AUTHENTIC HAPPINESS To BUILD WELL BEING, researchers in positive psychology ask us to focus on people s strengths and virtues not on their weaknesses. WELL BEING ALLOWS PEOPLE TO FLOURISH.

13 WELL BEING CAN BE TAUGHT Both the skills of achievement & those of well being can be taught without compromising our mission in education. RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THIS CONCLUSION.

14 What is Well Being? PERMA: A Life with Positive Emotions Positive Relationships Meaning/Purpose Accomplishment Essentially, well being is the core of a pleasant life, an engaged life and a meaningful life.

15 Please Remember This Particular Information! 2 critical and teachable components of well being are 1. OPTIMISM & 2. SELF COMPASSION Furthermore, well being leads to prosocial behavior AND people will do the right thing more often when they are being OBSERVED I SEE YOU & UBUNTU!

16 On the subject of OBSERVING Thomas Jefferson once said, Whenever you do a thing, act as if the world were watching. Research reveals that being observed or experiencing the illusion of being observed (by posters of eyes or faces) lead to a meaningful increase in prosocial behavior. SO, IN WORD & DEED, SHOW YOUR STUDENTS: I SEE YOU, I SEE EVERYTHING & YOU MATTER TO OUR COLLECTIVE WELL BEING AS A CLASS.

17 AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE OPTIMISTIC LIFE: Pessimism? Therapy? Pessimism & psychotherapy, as defined now, focus on TROUBLES therapy is where you go to talk about your troubles. Positive Psychologists tell us that we need both traditional therapy & a building & broadening orientation to human flourishing two halves of the same whole.

18 So, do we need pessimists? YES! Pessimists, more than optimists, tend to be more accurate in predicting what will go wrong and also what will go right. But, optimists tend to be more creative. Positive Psychologists tell us that we must COLLABORATE to use both kinds of mindsets those of the optimists & of the pessimists

19 THE TAKE AWAY MESSAGE BUILD A CLASSROOM CULTURE THAT PERSUADES YOUR STUDENTS TO LEARN UP (instead of acting out) SEE THAT 99% OF WHO WE ARE AS HUMAN BEINGS IS THE SAME SEE THAT DIFFERENCES CAN BE TURNED INTO COOPERATIVE/POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE and RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ALL SITTING BESIDE EACH OTHER IN OUR LIVES AND LEARNING

20 OPTIMISIM =Our, internal way of explaining the world to ourselves The Teachable Skills: Optimists see adversity as temporary, specific to the event/experience at hand & controllable, Optimists see good events/experiences as permanent, based on one s talents & all about the positives in the world Pessimists see most things as permanent, pervasive and out of their control helplessness

21 As An Educator, what do you do? TEACH YOUR STUDENTS To see that ADVERSITY is temporary, specific & controllable That GOOD EXPERIENCES are permanent, based on one s talents & all about the positives in the world That a sense of helplessness is neither permanent, pervasive nor out of one s control

22 SELF COMPASSION =Our way of explaining our selfworth to ourselves High self esteem, in many cases, depends on comparing ourselves to others, putting others down or always needing to be right in order to see ourselves as better in comparison. Unfortunately, schools tend to be about comparisons & competitions. THERE S A BETTER WAY: When we learn the teachable skills of self compassion, we review our strengths, manage weaknesses and are spared the harsh criticisms we rely upon in order to see ourselves as perfect or better than someone else.

23 Research tells us that HUMAN FLOURISHING depends upon building and broadening both the strengths of Mind & Heart 4 examples of research based Mind Strengths that lead to fulfillment are Curiosity Love of Learning Teamwork & Leadership 4 examples of research based Heart Strengths that lead to Life Satisfaction are Zest Gratitude Hope & Love

24 As An Educator, what do you do? ASK YOUR STUDENTS TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE ACT ON THE FACTS OF WHO THEY ARE (i.e., make choices based on their integrity) and TEACH THEM TO IDENTIFY THEIR VIRTUES & CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTHS

25 LET S STOP TO IDENTIFY SOME OF OUR VIRTUES & OUR CHARACTER STRENGTHS USING THE HANDOUT, Classification of 6 Virtues & 24 Character Strengths, 1) Identify your top 2 Virtues, 2) Identify your top 2 Character Strengths EVEN IF NOT UNDER YOUR CHOSEN TWO VIRTUES, 3) Once everyone is done, we will go around the room & quickly state your identified #1 VIRTUE and our 2 TOP CHARACTER STRENGTHS. It s okay to say, pass REFLECT ON THE MAGNITUDE OF STRENGTH IN THIS ROOM.

26 In Closing A mindset to cultivate: When you change the way you look at things, you change the way you see. Wayne Dyer A heartset to cultivate: One only sees well with the heart. Antoine de Saint Exupery