I sent two of the final report questions to each member of our TLLP team and asked them to answer. Laurie Forth, an administrator who was a member of our TLLP team, had this to say: (I’ve highlighted her words in blue.)
“What new professional learning did you acquire as a result of this project?”
I acquired the thinking that comes from the approach supported by Stuart Shanker. I already came from a mindset of students doing well if they can, and that students lag skills in self-regulation that can be explicitly taught to support students. However the Shanker ‘approach’ provided me with the understanding of reframing behaviour and the language to communicate ‘stressors’ that impact student behaviour to support adults in their experiences working with students.
“What was the impact of your TLLP learning, if any, on your students? How do you know?”
The approach of reframing behaviours and being a ‘stress detective’ where the ares of the TLLP learning that had the biggest impact on students I indirectly supported either through the mobile team or interactions with adults. I observed the responsive approach that adults were open to taking in regards to reframing the behaviour and changing or modifying the various stressors that were impacting student behaviour. I observed adults feeling more empowered in dealing with student behaviour.
I think empowered is a great word for how I have felt when it come to student behaviour. Make no mistake: I quite often feel frustrated still. But when I take a few minute stop and think about what is really going on, I always end up feeling like I know how to handle it, and I am capable of handling it.