The conversation must continue

Last week, the New Rockford Transcript shared results from the Youth Behavior Risk Survey (YRBS) taken by students of New Rockford-Sheyenne School (NR-S). This data suggests that there are underlying issues affecting the youth of our community. Once made aware of potential issues, one of the first questions that community members ask is, “What is the school doing to address this?”

The NR-S administration recognizes that the school has a role to play in addressing the social and emotional needs of students, and they take that responsibility seriously. They also acknowledge, however, that bringing up resilient kids takes collaboration and cooperation from the community as a whole.

Superintendent Jill Louters said, "Research suggests that the solution is education and relationships of support; schools, parents communities working together by creating viable, healthy communities that engage our young people in healthy activities and (build their capacity) to develop healthy relationships."

As we mentioned in last week’s article, the school is already taking steps to help address the social and emotional issues reported by youth. Although the survey results are representative of junior high and high school students, the staff also focuses its efforts on younger students. According to Elementary Principal Natalie Becker, elementary teachers have several strategies for reinforcing good behavior, respectful communication, positive self-worth and community building in their classrooms on a regular basis.

One strategy is called Morning Meetings, and it is the way all elementary students at NR-S begin their day. Morning Meetings are part of the Responsive Classroom approach, which gives teachers concrete ways to make academics engaging, manage classrooms effectively and create a safe and positive climate for children to learn. According to “The Morning Meetings Book” written by Roxanne Kriete and Carol Davis, there are seven guiding principles of the Responsive Classroom approach, which consists of practical strategies aimed at helping students build academic and social-emotional competencies day in and day out:

 1) The social and emotional curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.

 2) How children learn is as important as what they learn.

 3) Great cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.

 4) To be successful academically and socially, children need to learn a set of social and emotional skills that include cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy and self-control.

 5) Knowing the children we teach-- individually, culturally and developmentally-- is as important as the content we teach.

 6) Knowing the families of the children we teach is as important as knowing the children we teach.

 7) How we, the adults at school, work together is as important as our individual competence. Lasting change begins with the adult community.

The purpose of the Morning Meetings, according to Becker, is to “bring the class together as a community of learners.” The premise is that everyone has things happening in life that they carry into school, and they need time to recenter and connect before they can effectively begin learning for the day. “You don’t know what they are bringing through that door,” Becker said, in regard to both students and staff.

During morning meetings, students greet each other, sit face-to-face in a circle and engage in sharing. Morning Meetings allow all children to be seen and have a voice. Becker said now that the students have held Morning Meetings all year, the students can practically run the meeting themselves. They know that they can “reset” at the carpet and get ready to learn. Closing circles are a similar process implemented at the end of the school day, where the students reflect on what they have learned and celebrate successes as a class. There is more information about the Responsive Classroom approach online at https://www.responsiveclassroom.org.

Another method incorporated by staff is whole brain teaching, which is designed to maximize student learning and retention. One of the effective strategies here is called “Teach - OK.” Teachers begin by introducing a new topic. They then ask the students to mimic their gestures in order to outline the main ideas of the topic. The students follow the instruction by teaching a partner what they have learned.

The premise is simple: teaching is learning. “As any teacher knows, you learn the most about any content when you are the one who has to teach it,” asserts Jeff Battle, B.A., M.A.T., author of “Whole Brain Teaching, Larning the Way the Brain is Designed.” The full article is available online at http://www.advanc-ed.org.

Becker added that through whole brain teaching methods, students learn effective communication skills and better understand the dynamics of being part of a community, which are real life skills.

Teaching conflict resolution and coping mechanisms is another key strategy implemented by the administration and staff at NR-S. Becker said she has spent time in the elementary classrooms throughout the year talking to students about ways they can to address conflict and cope with everyday stresses.

She approaches concerns by helping elementary students put behavior in perspective. For example, she explains the difference between “annoying” behaviors and truly hurtful actions. When another student exhibits an annoying behavior such as sticking his tongue out, the child is taught to ignore such “little deals” or assert to the other student that he doesn’t like it.

When someone uses hurtful words or physically harms another student, on the other hand, that is a “big deal” that the student should address with a staff member. Becker said the key is to help students cope with the small stuff and to speak out so adults can address the truly harmful behaviors as they arise.

In regards to harmful behavior, Secondary Principal Avolt Baumbach pointed out that the school does have a policy in place to address bullying when necessary. The policy focuses there is on clearly defining what constitutes bullying and unacceptable behavior while outlining steps that will be taken and consequences faced by students who engage in that behavior. The policy is available on the school district website, http://www.newrockford-sheyenne.k12.nd.us.

“Our staff does a really good job of modeling (good behavior) in and out of the classroom,” Becker noted. She said that she has seen a reduction in behavior issues since implementing the strategies outlined above. That said, students need support from more than just school staff.

Addressing bullying, depression and thoughts of suicide among students isn’t something that administrators, teachers or staff can do alone. The teachers’ main focus is on content and curriculum, and they are not trained to address mental health and emotional wellness.

Sometimes, it takes the work of knowledgeable, educated resources to effectively address student needs. Rita Anderson, the NR-S school counselor, is one of those resources. “If there is a need, she is able to readily respond,” Becker said. Other resources and organizations the school utilizes are Eddy County Community Cares, Lake Region Human Service Center and Eddy County Social Services. The school is also working to identify other organizations and knowledgeable, expert resources to partner with in supporting students.

Echoing Louters’ comment, Becker noted that it will take a “culture of collaboration” within the community in order to address the social and emotional needs of students. “I’m here for students. I want to help when help is needed,” she said, but she acknowledged that not all students feel comfortable coming to her about their concerns. The more contact youth have with adults who can help them develop positive relationships, building coping mechanisms and conflict resolution skills, the more equipped they will be to respond to the challenges they face and work through them.

That is where the community comes in. Every student should have at least one adult he or she can approach with concerns. The 2017 YRBS results showed that 77.6 percent of high school students at NR-S reported they had at least one teacher or adult in the school they felt comfortable approaching with a problem. This is a key factor in raising resilient children. Once students take that step to talk to an adult, it is up to us as adults to respond in a positive and productive way.

Next week, the New Rockford Transcript will continue coverage on this topic, as correspondent Rachel Brazil will offer adults some practical tips on how to talk to youth about difficult social and emotional issues. She will also outline some expert resources available within the community.