Skip to main content

Reply to "Trauma-Informed School Policies"

Emily, Thank you! These are great resources. The other side of the issue is of course rewards - which are also part of behaviorism. Given that they are such a significant part of educational practice it is sometimes hard to convey how they, especially for students with a history of adversity, actually shrink the resilience window and can precipitate either worse behavior or shutting down.  There is also good evidence about the negative impacts of rewards (Drive by Daniel Pink summarizes all kinds of literature, Alfie Kohn pulls studies related to education in Punished by Rewards).

The interesting thing is that it is really easy to shift from tokens or cards/rewards used in many PBIS schools to encouragement. Turn those little pieces of paper into "I notice_____" statements. Punch holes in the corners and give every student a ring. Then they can collect all of their "cards" and use them to notice their strengths in a moment that they are feeling down. Yes - it takes a bit more work on the part of the adult - and it is a a very powerful shift.

Copyright © 2023, PACEsConnection. All rights reserved.
×
×
×
×