strategies for developing resilience

C.A.R.E.: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps • 4–1

Closing the achievement gaps and help-ing all students to be successful creates

large demands on educators. One of thesedemands is the need to develop a deepappreciation for the variety of cultures, lan-guages, and economic circumstances fromwhich their students come. Research andpractical experience show that these stu-dents have abilities that have not been rec-ognized or are yet to be fully developed.Yet they often show a resilience–an ability tobounce back from adversity—in their every-day lives that holds them in good stead.

What is resilience and why is it important?

Resilience is “a set of qualities and circum-stances that foster success despite risk andadversity” (Benard, 2004). Students who areresilient have strengths and characteristicsthat help them succeed in school despitethe difficulties they may face in their lives.Parents and educators can build on thesestrengths and help develop them in lessresilient students. One way to do this isthrough the power of caring adults andschools that convey high expectations andprovide opportunities for students to active-ly participate in the learning process.

What can your school do to build resiliencein students?

When schools are places where the basichuman needs for support, respect, andbelonging are met, motivation for learningis enhanced. According to research, thereare three things that are critical to healthydevelopment and school success for stu-dents: caring relationships, high expecta-tions, and opportunities for participation.

How do schools provide caring relationshipsfor students?

Caring educators provide trust and themessage of “being there” for a student.You can show respect for your students byacknowledging them for who they are, andmaking a one-on-one connection withthem. Caring educators look underneaththe negative behavior of a student andrefuse to take this behavior personally. Bylistening and getting to know your students,you tell them that they are important andthey matter to you. Students excel whenthey believe that you will help them suc-ceed, show interest in their lives outside ofschool, and care about what they thinkabout their classes (Ferguson, 2004). Theresilience research has shown that the pres-ence of just one caring adult in the life of achild can make the difference between suc-cess and failure in school (Gay, 2000).

C h a p t e r 4C h a p t e r 4

Resilience

Enduring Understanding: Effectiveteachers of culturally and linguisti-cally diverse students understand

that they must find ways to support theirstudents to build both academic as well aspersonal resilience.

Optimal Instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students:

• promotes problem-solving, socialcompetence, identity developmentand a sense of control, purpose andfuture

• holds high expectations of students

• develops and maintains caring rela-tionships with students

• utilizes methods that increase studentinteraction and participation

4–2 • C.A.R.E.: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps

Why are high expectations important?

Teachers who have high expectations for allof their students help them learn to believein themselves and in their futures whiledeveloping self-esteem, independence, andoptimism. By providing consistency in disci-pline policies, teaching methods, and cur-riculum, your students know where theystand both behaviorally and academically.Time and again, research has shown thatstudents can and will rise (or sink) to theexpectations that educators hold for them,whether we are talking about teaching alge-bra to inner city elementary students orreducing violence in troubled high schools.We are learning that even students who arestruggling to complete homework or under-stand assignments want you to bothdemand high quality work from them andencourage them to do well ( F e rguson, 2004).

How can you provide students with opportunities for participation?

Practices such as making learning morehands-on, involving students in curriculumplanning, cooperative learning, peer help-ing, mentoring, and community service canprovide opportunities for participation thatwill actively involve students in their ownlearning. You can involve students moreactively in learning by providing curriculumthat is challenging and inclusive of differentperspectives to build on your students’strengths, interests, and experiences.Encouraging questioning—even by lowachievers, asking students to help eachother, and thinking ahead about how wellstudents will enjoy your lessons all createopportunities for student participation(Ferguson, 2004).

What can you do to help build resilience inyour students?

Research has identified five key characteris-tics of resilience that you can use to helpstudents be successful:

1. Social competence: you can help yourstudents build relationship skills likecommunication skills, a sense ofhumor, and caring to give them theability to work successfully in school,as well as the community.

2. Problem-solving skills: you can helpyour students develop the ability toeffectively plan their work, think criti-cally, and know when to seek helpfrom others.

3. Critical consciousness: you can helpyour students build positive strategiesfor overcoming challenges such asabuse, neglect, discrimination oroppression.

4. Autonomy: you can help your stu-dents develop a sense of their ownidentity as someone who can act inde-pendently and exert control over theirenvironment. Autonomy is not valuedequally in all cultures, however.Therefore, when promoting autonomyin the classroom, it is important to besensitive to its varying value for differ-ent students.

5. A sense of purpose and future: youcan help your students learn how toset goals that will motivate them tosucceed academically and personally,expose them to culturally-appropriatesuccessful role models, and empha-size the value of persistence, opti-mism, and hopefulness.

Schools That Close theAchievement Gaps

In Bonnie Benard’s chapter “TurnaroundTeachers and Schools”(Benard, 2003), there

CREDE Standard for Resilience• Instructional Conversation–Teaching

through conversation.


are several common strategies used byschools that are able to build resilience instudents and close the achievement gaps.These strategies describe schools that havea vision and mission that are based on highexpectations, caring relationships, andopportunities for participation:

• There is support for teachers includingtime, resources, professional develop-ment opportunities, and the same fac-tors that are important for students –caring, high expectations, and oppor-tunities for participation.

• There is consistency across the schoolin discipline, teaching strategies, andcurriculum content.

• The school has a shared mission basedon meeting the needs of the wholestudent.

• The school is organized in small learn-ing communities.

• School-based mentoring is provided.

• The school provides students withcareer exploration and high schooltransition programs.

• Early intervention services areavailable.

• Diversity is seen as a strength and iscelebrated.

• After-school programs promoteschool-community partnerships andsupport students.

• There is ongoing assessment of howstudents feel the school is doing inmeeting their needs.

• Family-school-community partnershipsare valued and recognized as impor-tant to the success of students.

• Students are out in the communitydoing service-learning.

Benard and Burgoa provide the followinglist that details the kinds of strengths thateducators should work to develop in theirstudents in order to foster resilience.

SOCIAL COMPETENCE (Relationship Skills)

❑ Responsiveness ❑ Flexibility❑ Cross-cultural competence ❑ Empathy/caring❑ Communication skills (both verbal

and written)❑ Sense of humor

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

❑ Planning❑ Sees alternatives❑ Critical thinking ❑ Insight ❑ Resourcefulness

AUTONOMY (Sense of Self/Identity)

❑ Accomplishment❑ Self-awareness ❑ Detachment ❑ Resistance (refusal to accept

negative messages about one’s self,family, gender, culture)

SENSE OF PURPOSE AND FUTURE

❑ Special interest/hobby❑ Goal directedness❑ Achievement motivation❑ Educational aspiration❑ Persistence❑ Optimism❑ Compelling future❑ Faith (spiritual connectedness)❑ Sense of meaning

Personal Resilience Strengths

Bonnie Benard and Carol Burgoa, WestEd, Oakland, CA, 2002


Resilience References

Bonnie Benard, “Turnaround Teachers andSchools” in Belinda Williams, Ed., Closingthe Achievement Gap: A Vision forChanging Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition(Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2003).

Ronald Ferguson. Necessary Policies andPractices to Close the Student AchievementGaps, Presentation to NEA Symposium onCritical Issues for Educators (Washington,D.C., 2004).

Geneva Gay, Culturally ResponsiveTeaching: Theory, Research, and Practice(New York: Teachers College Press, 2000).

I CAN DO IT!

Classroom Management Training

“I Can Do It!” is professional developmentcreated by teachers and delivered by teachers,and is designed to be used with new K-12teachers within their first five years of teaching.The topic, classroom management, is relevantto teachers and education support personnel,and is delivered by cadre members who areexperienced trainers and successful educators.Included in the curriculum is information aboutthe elements necessary for successful class-room management, communication or learningstyles, interventions for difficult behaviors, hintsto create the smoothly flowing classroom, toolsto begin building positive parent / teacher rela-tionships and an opportunity to link with a part-ner for future support. The training is designedto impart as much information as possiblewhile maintaining an interactive approach. To access the training, contact Nikki Barnes([email protected]) or Lisa Long([email protected]) in NEA’s Teacher QualityDepartment.


Educator Check-In on Resilience (How Am I Doing?)

Directions: Review the list below. Place a check by those items you practice on a consistentbasis. Feel free to discuss these items with your colleagues to expand your practice.

1. ___ I work with small groups of students on a regular basis.

2. ___ I facilitate small group conversations or dialogue that have instructional goals.

3. ___ I vary ways of grouping students to promote interaction and participation.

4. ___ I organize instruction that assists in the development of academic language.

5. ___ I build positive, caring relationships with my students by acting as a role-model, nur-turer, mentor or friend.

6. ___ I develop instructional activities that value students’ experiences and abilities.

7. ___ Most of my instructional activities support my students to develop problem-solving skills.

8. ___ I provide opportunities for students to become independent learners by planning les-sons that incorporate student choice.

9. ___ I help students communicate a sense of future by having them (a) understand the pur-pose/rationale for the lessons, and (b) set goals for their own learning.

10. ___ I model caring and support in my relationships with students and their parents.

11. ___ I structure the class norms and activities to build trusting and caring relationshipsbetween students.

12. ___ I implement instructional activities that promote success for all students.

13. ___ I hold high expectations for my students in the following areas: (a) quality and quan-tity of work, (b) work habits and work procedures, (c) classroom norms, (d) interper-sonal behavior.

Priorities for my own professional development

Based on the educator check–in, identify three priorities for your own professional development.

1. ________________________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________________________


Ready-to-Use Approaches,Strategies, and Activities

Activity #1Tools for Teaching Resilience: How Do Trees Get So Tall?

NEA’s Health Information Network hasdeveloped a variety of tools and resourcesfor fostering resilience in students andadults. This activity helps students under-stand how to “bend with the breezes” intimes of stress.

Lesson Preparation

Grades: 3-5Grouping: Whole class or small groupsMaterials: Word puzzle (page 4-8) Objective: To help students understand

the aspect of “bending not breaking” in resilience and recognize that stress “symptoms” can be normal reactions to an abnormal situation

Lesson Delivery

1. An old adage states that “tall treesbend with the breeze.” Childrenwho face taxing situations with aresilient attitude are much morelikely to deal with those challengeseffectively, much like tall trees dur-ing a storm.

2. When working with students, dis-cuss how trees and other plantsreact to storms and strong winds.

3. Ask what they have witnessed dur-ing and after storms. Compare andcontrast the plant discussion towhat people can do to remainundamaged during stressful times.

4. Ask students to share their ideasabout what it means to “bendwithout breaking.” Ask them tocome up with examples.

5. Have students complete the work-sheet “How Do Trees Get So Tall?”Tell them to think about the dis-cussion you had on dealing withstress as they unscramble thewords.

Ruth Brannigan, illustrations by Mary Garner-Mitchell, Tools forTeaching Resilience: Strategies for Life’s Ups and Downs ActivityBook: Grades K through 5, NEA Health Information Network,(Washington, DC: 2002), pp 5-6.

Answer Key:

TrustSafety

FeelingsHeart Friends

HelpHealth Love

HappinessSelf Talking

GoalsDreams Peace

They Bend During Bad Storms

“How Do Trees Get So Tall?”

NEA’s Health InformationNetwork offers several tools andresources on resilience, including a

“Stress Self-Assessment” for educators totake. So take care of yourself, and go tohttp://neahin.org/programs/mentalhealth/index.htm to download a free copy andthe scoring guidelines. You’ll also findposters and other materials for your classroom.


18


Activity #2Stress Buffer Shield

Another way to foster resilience is to helpstudents recognize and develop strategiesfor dealing with stress. Activity 2 providesan example of one way to do this.

Lesson Preparation

Grades: 6-12Grouping: Whole class or small groupsDuration: 30-40 minutesMaterials: Blank shield handout

(page 4-10)Objective: To understand how coping skills

help transform stress into a positive force and protect them from being overwhelmed by pressure

Lesson Delivery

Stress buffers: personal store of construc-tive coping skills

1. Distribute the “My Stress Shield”handout to each student.

2. Share examples with them of yourown buffers.

3. Ask students to think about thequalities that make up their ownpersonal stress buffers. You maywant to discuss how studentsdefine stress.

4. Direct students to record theirstress buffers in the appropriatesections of the shield.

5. Give them 10-15 minutes to complete this.

6. Ask students to form groups ofthree.

7. Have them share their shields withone another–they may hear thingsthat they want to add to their ownshields.

8. Give them 15 minutes to share.

9. Have students return to theirseats.

10. Ask students to share any obser-vations, insights, particularlygood ideas they picked up.

11. Emphasize the importance ofusing these buffers to help themhandle stress.

My Stress Shield

Lifeexperiences

that havestrengthened

me:

My support network of people whoencourage

and help me:

Attitudes/Beliefs thathelp protect me:

Physical self-carehabits that prepare

me or help me releasetension:

I’m organized

Not putting things off

Moving around alot with my family

Losing a familymember

My best friend

My mother

My boss

People are basicallygood

My religious views

I think I can succeed

Reading

Bike riding

Working out

Action skills I can use to changethe situation:


My Stress Shield

Life experiencesthat have

strengthened me:

My supportnetwork of people whoencourage and help me:

Attitudes/Beliefs that helpprotect me:

Physical self-care habits thatprepare me or help me release

tension:

Action skills I can use tochange the situation:


Activity #3“Cutting Out” Stress

Elementary grade students and linguisticallydiverse students also need to developstrategies for coping with stress. Use thispuzzle to begin a conversation with yourstudents, particularly when they are feelingstressed over standardized testing. Feel freeto create your own puzzle, modify the lan-guage, or make other changes to meet theneeds of your students.

Lesson Preparation

Grades: 3-5Grouping: Whole classMaterials: Scissors, puzzle to cut out

(page 4-12)Objective: To help children create a plan

of action for times when there’s more to “process” thantheir “processor” can handle

Lesson Delivery

1. Have students cut out the blocksin the puzzle and match them tocreate a picture.

2. Examine the picture clues and talkabout the activities listed. Havethe students share which activitieshelp them when they are feelingstressed.

3. Brainstorm a list of other activitiesthat could help children feelrelieved from stress. Imagine vari-ous everyday stressful situationsand how some of these stress-relieving activities could help themto feel reassured and comforted.Ask, “What do you do to ‘takeyour mind off things?’”

Debriefing

• What worked well in this activity?

• What was challenging for you?

• How could we do better nexttime with this activity?

Ruth Brannigan, illustrations by Mary Garner-Mitchell, Tools forTeaching Resilience: Strategies for Life’s Ups and Downs ActivityBook: Grades K through 5, NEA Health Information Network,(Washington, DC: 2002), 7-8.


Activity #4Be Gentle With Yourself andOthers

Even the youngest students are confrontedwith stressful or disadvantaged situations ona far-too-frequent basis. Here’s an easy wayto lead those students into a discussion ofdealing with stressful times.

Lesson Preparation

Grades: K-2Grouping: Whole classMaterials: “Be gentle with yourself” story

(page 4-14) and dot-to-dot picture, (page 4-15), crayons

Objective: To help students understand how we can know when to be gentle with ourselves and others, and how to develop that skill, in order to deal with stress, trauma or loss

Lesson delivery

1. Many people attempt to deal withstress, trauma or loss by trying to

avoid it. For example, some people escape into their work.Unfortunately, people can makethings more difficult when theypush themselves to keep goingwhen what they really need to dois relax. The Saint Bernard isbeloved for its dedication to completing difficult tasks duringthreatening situations, as well asfor its loving personality.

2. Share the story with the students.Use the story of Barry, a famousSaint Bernard, to start a discussionabout how we can know when tobe gentle with ourselves and others, and how to develop thatskill.

3. Let the students complete the dot-to-dot picture.

Ruth Brannigan, illustrations by Mary Garner-Mitchell, Tools forTeaching Resilience: Strategies for Life’s Ups and Downs ActivityBook: Grades K through 5, (Washington, DC: NEA HealthInformation Network, 2002), 17-18.


Activity #5Believe It…Or Not!

Part of building critical consciousnessamong culturally and economically diversestudents is helping them understand how todeal with the barrage of information theyconfront through newspapers, television,radio, and the Internet.

Lesson Preparation

Grades: 3-12Grouping: Whole classMaterials: Believe It…Or Not! (page 4-17)Objective: To help students to be “critical

consumers” of information, and decide whether they should believe every headline they read or every story they hear on television or radio

Lesson Delivery

Grades: 3-5

1. Discussion for this activity is direct-ed toward student’s own responsi-bilities where media is concerned.

2. Ask “Is it wise to watch the newsover and over when negative newsis presented?”

3. How should students decide howto screen what they watch, read,and listen to, especially duringstressful times?

4. As a related activity, studentscould make up their own “believ-able” and “unbelievable” head-lines.

Grades: 6-12

Use actual headlines from the local news-paper to guide your discussion of questions 1-4 above.

Ruth Brannigan, illustrations by Mary Garner-Mitchell, Tools forTeaching Resilience: Strategies for Life’s Ups and Downs ActivityBook: Grades K through 5, (Washington, DC: NEA HealthInformation Network, 2002), 17-18.


Activity #6Educator Reflection–Deficitsinto Strengths

Too often, we tend to see only the negativetraits–the “deficits”–of certain students,rather than focusing on the skills that theybring to the classroom. Behavioral prob-lems, academic struggles, language difficul-ties–these can all become barriers to learn-ing if we only focus on what is not working.To help turn those perceived deficits intostrengths that support students, let’s consid-er a new view of students.

Reflection Process:

1. Review the list of “deficits” in “OurWords Matter!” (page 4-19) Can youchange your perspective and find a wayto describe each of these deficits as astrength?

2. When you finish, compare your answersto a colleague’s; you may find anotherway of looking at a challenging student.Talk about your responses. You can alsorefer to the “answer key” at the end ofthis activity, for more ideas (page 4-20).

3. Look at your list again. Do any of thesewords describe a student in your class? Astudent you see in the cafeteria? A stu-dent out on the playground? One whorides your school bus? Think about thestrengths this student brings to school.What could you do to turn the deficitsinto strengths for this student? Whatcould you change in your classroom,cafeteria, in the playground or bus envi-ronment that might make a change in thisstudent?

4. Look at the “Self-Reflection ResilienceChecklist.”(page 4-21) This self-assess-ment lists practices that have been shownto build resilience in students. Whichones do you do on a regular basis?Which ones do you need to add or domore often? Complete the checklist foryourself and use it to think about improv-ing your practice and guiding you inchoosing staff development opportunities.

What Is My School Doing ToFoster Social and EmotionalLearning?

The Collaborative for Academic, Social,and Emotional Learning (CASEL) providesa number of online and print resourcesthat support the development ofresilience. CASEL’s mission is to enhancechildren’s success in school and life by promoting coordinated, evidence-basedsocial, emotional, and academic learningas an essential part of education from pre-school through high school.

Go to www.casel.org/downloads/selfassessmentguide.pdf to access a briefguide that is intended to help educatorsevaluate how their school is doing in fos-tering social and emotional learning.

C.A.R.E.: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap s• 4–19

DEFICITS

Short attention span

Irresponsible

Distractible

Hyperactive

Unpredictable

Impulsive

Loud

Stubborn

Poor planner

Disorganized

Willful

Bossy

Argumentative

Tests limits

Manipulative

Anxious

Impatient

Explosive

Disobedient

Rebellious

Defiant

Angry

STRENGTHS

Our Words Matter!

Bonnie Benard and Carol Burgoa, WestEd, Oakland, CA, © 2002.

DEFICITS

Short attention span

Irresponsible

Distractible

Hyperactive

Unpredictable

Impulsive

Loud

Stubborn

Poor planner

Disorganized

Willful

Bossy

Argumentative

Tests limits

Manipulative

Anxious

Impatient

Explosive

Disobedient

Rebellious

Defiant

Angry

STRENGTHS

Many interests

Carefree

Perceptive

Energetic

Flexible

Spontaneous

Enthusiastic

Persistent

Present-oriented

Unstructured

Determined

Takes leadership

Committed

Risk-taker

Negotiator

Cautious

Eager

Dramatic

Self-directed

Non-conformist

Bold

Activist

Our Words Matter!




Self-Reflection Resilience ChecklistPlace a ✓ by the items that demonstrate your strengths-based practices.

Place a + by items you would like to improve or strengthen.

I demonstrate CARING AND SUPPORT for my students by:

____ Creating and sustaining a caring sense of community____ Creating one-to-one connections____ Actively listening/Using eye contact____ Paying attention and showing interest____ Praising and encouraging____ Getting to know hopes, interests, and dreams ____ Showing respect____ Being nonjudgmental____ Looking beneath “problem” behavior____ Using humor/smiling/laughing____ Creating small, personalized groups____ Creating opportunities for peer-helping and cross-age mentoring

I communicate HIGH EXPECTATIONS to my students by:

____ Believing in the innate resilience of every child____ Seeing culture as an asset____ Challenging and supporting (“You can do it; I’ll be there to help.”)____ Connecting learning to students’ interests, strengths, experiences, dreams, and goals____ Encouraging creativity and imagination____ Seeing student behavior as driven by basic needs (love, belonging, etc.)____ Setting clear expectations/boundaries/structure____ Using rituals and traditions____ Using a variety of instructional strategies to tap multiple intelligences____ Conveying to students they have power to change and determine their own behavior

and thoughts

I provide opportunities for my students’ PARTICIPATION and CONTRIBUTION by:

____ Providing opportunities for students to plan, make decisions, and problem-solve____ Empowering youth to help create after-school program rules

Creating opportunities for creative expression:____ Art____ Music____ Writing/Poetry____ Storytelling/Drama

Inviting the active participation of often excluded groups:____ Girls/Women____ Youth of color____ Youth with special needs____ Infusing service learning____ Offering peer-helping, cross-age helping, and peer support groups____ Using cooperative learning____ Providing ongoing opportunities for personal reflection____ Providing ongoing opportunities for dialog/discussion____ Providing ongoing opportunities for experiential/active learning



Activity #7Educator Reflection—TeachingThrough Conversation

Instructional conversation (IC) is teachingthrough conversation to guide students toconstruct more complex understandings ofa topic, text, problem, or other activity. Thefollowing information provides an introduc-tion to this instructional strategy that is veryeffective in developing the abilities ofdiverse students.

Reflection Process:

1. Read “Getting Started withInstructional Conversation”

2. Reflect: does the “teacher talk”resemble your own way of speak-ing to students?

3. Think about how you can improveyour own InstructionalConversation with your students.

4. Look at the chart “SuggestedTeacher Talk.” (page 4-24) Practicean instructional conversation with acolleague around a current curricu-lar objective that you are workingon in your classroom.

Getting Started with InstructionalConversation

Instructional conversation (IC) takes advan-tage of conversation’s appeal for studentswhen topics are interesting, and participa-tion is comfortable and inclusive. Ordinarily,IC takes place in small groups, though ateacher may have Instructional Conversationswith larger groups or individuals. For exam-ple, teachers may work on a unit or themat-ic topic with the whole class, followed bysmall group ICs that focus on researchingand analyzing selected aspects of the topic.In engaging diverse students through dialogue, the teacher:

1. arranges the classroom to accommodateconversation between the teacher and asmall group of students on a regular andfrequent schedule;

2. has a clear academic goal that guidesconversation with students;

3. ensures that student talk occurs at higherrates than teacher talk;

4. guides conversation to include students’views, judgments, and rationales, usingtext evidence and other substantive support;

5. ensures that all students are included inthe conversation according to their pref-erences;

6. listens carefully to assess levels of stu-dents’ understanding;

7. assists students’ learning throughout theconversation by questioning, restating,praising, encouraging, and so forth; and

8. guides the students to prepare a productthat indicates the InstructionalConversation’s goal was achieved.

A teacher begins IC by simply asking stu-dents to talk about a selected activity, text,or experience from their point of view, thatis, based on their knowledge from home,community, or school. The teacher encour-ages every student to talk specifically aboutpersonal and school experiences that relateto the text and to the concepts the teacherplans to develop. Students are encouragedto participate in the IC using languageforms and styles that are comfortable forthem. Those forms and styles vary enor-mously; after all, many cultures have verydifferent styles for how people talk witheach other, and for how children talk withadults. By accepting students’ preferredparticipation formats, teachers can elicitmore student speech. That gives teachersmore opportunities to promote precise andcomplex student language expression.Precise and complex thought is developedsimultaneously.


Selecting an Instructional Goal

Instructional conversation requires a clearinstructional goal and a plan for assistanceand assessment that guides students to thegoal. If students have little common knowl-edge on a selected topic, a teacher will pro-vide appropriate direct or indirect experi-ence in the form of hands-on activities, fieldtrips, or complex real-world problems, orthrough resource books, media, or othersources. Such an experience provides allparticipants with a shared notion of theintended IC topic, the basis for initiating ICconversation. While any good conversationrequires some latitude and drift in the topic,the teacher’s leadership is used to continueto focus on the topic goal. While the goalremains firm, the route to the goal is

responsive to students’ participation anddeveloping understanding.

Here are some of the varied ways in whichstudents can participate in instructional conversation:

Stephanie Stoll Dalton, Pedagogy Matters: Standards for EffectiveTeaching Practice (Santa Cruz, CA: Center for Research onEducation, Diversity, and Excellence, 1998), 26-33.

Haitian students learn to listen selectively in aseventh-grade beginning English languagestudy class. In a “Welcome to School” unitemphasizing school vocabulary, reading aschool map, and listening to school announce-ments, the teacher converses with studentsabout a learning strategy called ListenSelectively, to help students plan their ownlearning. Using students’ home language, sheasks them how they learn and how they canlearn better. They discuss action steps forachieving their learning goals. The teacherguides students to connect their action stepswith what it means to listen selectively. Theyuse a chart with important features of selectivelistening, such as attending to key words andphrases, to words or themes that repeat, or towords that give clues, such as first, finally, forexample, and so forth. Students listen to theteacher read the school announcements to fillout the chart for the information they need.After discussing the chart, they follow it forthe rest of the school day. (Ann S. Rosebery,B. Warren and F. Conant, “AppropriatingScientific Discourse: Findings from LanguageMinority Classrooms,” The Journal ofLearning Sciences, (2,1 (1992) : 61-94.

Learning Academic LanguageInstructional Conversation Example

• Students bid to answer.• Students co-narrate. • Students respond chorally.• Students take turns.• Students speak simultaneously.• Students use overlapping speech.• Students are called non-routinely.• Students self-select.

Student Participation Formats inInstructional Conversation


Paraphrasing: summarizing, restating, com-municating your understanding

• So… • In other words… • What I hear you saying… • As I listen to you, I’m hearing…

Reflective: analyze, reflect on cause andeffect, metacognition, promote sense ofself-efficacy

• When ________ happened, what thoughtswent through your mind?

• What do you think led up to…? • How do you know? • What would you like to have happened dif-

ferently?

Clarifying: need more information, checkingassumptions

• Tell me a little more about… • Let me see if I understand… • So, what you are saying is…? • Can you give me an example of…? • I’d be interested in knowing more about… • Tell me what you mean by… • To what extent…?

Mediational: forecast what might happen,imagine possibilities, analyze, compare andcontrast

• What would happen if…? • What would it look like if you were to….? • What’s another way you might…? • What might you see happening if…?

Suggested Teacher Talk for an Instructional Conversation

*Adapted from CREDE Teaching Alive! Foundations of Coaching. (Santa Cruz, CA: Center for Research on Education, Diversity andExcellence, 1998).

TEACHER TA L K

• occurs less than total student talk

• sets up opportunities for students’ talk

• has a topic focus

• is responsive to students’ talk and languagep ro f i c i e n c y, scaffolding the discussion whenn e e d e d

• models proper forms (syntax and grammar) ofthe language of instruction

• elicits students’ language on the topic thro u g hp robes about reasoning and feelings

STUDENT TA L K

• occurs more than teacher talk

• is every students’ pro d u c t

• a d d resses the topic

• uses own pre f e r red style of talking such as co-narration, simultaneous, choral, or overlappings p e e c h

• uses proper forms of the language of instruc-tion in response to models

• uses content lexicon and concepts in re s p o n s eto models, probes, and the flow of c o n v e r s a t i o n

Instructional Conversation’s Balanced Participation


Activity #8Educator Reflection—Resilience-Based Pointers for Communicatingwith Youth, Staff, and Parents

Educators can use instructional conversations to support students in building resilience skills.Talking to students about common stressors, like adapting to a new environment, preparingfor a test, or talking with teachers or peers, can help to build trust. How we talk to stu-dents, and each other, can help to shift a student from risk to resilience. What follows areideas for how to shape your conversations to build resilience.

STEP 1 I CARE… Let the person know that he/she is important to you and to thegroup. However this is done, it must be credible and sincere.

STEP 2 I SEE… Focus on observable behavior. What did you see or hear thatcaused you to be concerned?

SAY: You missed class for 3 days…DON’T SAY: You are not living up to your commitment.

SAY: You don’t manage to get your homework done anymore…DON’T SAY: You are really lazy and waste too much time. Youare only giving 10 percent.

STEP 3 I FEEL… Let the person know how you feel about his/her behavior.Feelings are best expressed by a single word. “I feel angry.” “Ifeel worried.” This makes it clear to the person that what she/heis doing is affecting someone else. This reduces the chance ofraising defenses and helps to avoid an argument.

STEP 4 LISTEN Listen to the person. Show this with facial expressions and otherbody language. Ask questions. Resist distractions.

Caution: Be prepared for silence. Since you probably chose thetime and place for addressing the issue, the person may or maynot be prepared to talk at the time. They may be ready to talkat another time if you don’t alienate them now.

STEP 5 I WANT… When you have heard the person’s perspective let him/her knowwhat you would like to happen. This is an opportunity to rein-force rules and expectations and make clear how you want thebehavior to change.

STEP 6 I WILL… Let him/her know how you will provide support. What are youwilling to do? Your willingness to provide support will help cre-ate a bond and make change possible. Relationships and inter-personal process are the keys to changing behavior, not facts,warnings, or hysteria.

©2002 Bonnie Benard and Carol Burgoa/WestEd.

Resilience-based Pointers for Communicating with Youth, Staff, and Parents

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