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During Show Weekend (Canterbury Anniversary Holiday), when the weather was rough, I was having some down-time on my computer, at the table. I was internet-surfing. This is something I like to do, especially involving the All Blacks and Black Caps. It was welcome relief, especially after the hours in the garden the day before.
While on the computer, I decided to divert my attention away from Scott Barrett (All Blacks Captain) and take a tour down memory lane. No, not looking at my wedding or baby photos of my own kids, but reading past RTLB documents and Collaborative Action Plans (CAPs). It was certainly a blast from the past and it was actually an unnerving experience! I clicked into the 2012 RTLB folder (my first year), followed by the 2013 RTLB folder, and then the 2014 RTLB folder. It was like getting struck with a wet fish on the face- the behaviourist-based statements were there in full view...
______, main area of concern is in writing. He lacks skill, motivation to write and purpose.
Fidgeting-constantly. Possible avoidance of work. Gets aggressive. Does not relate well with teacher-aides.
Based on several observations, the environmental ‘hotspots’ for______ include the area between The Administration Block and B Block. This is where large groups of students hangout. The antecedent or trigger are these large groups of students.
That _____ reactive behaviour and catastrophising (thinking) is partly a result of him not taking self-responsibility with his actions/comments.
Oh, dear. My mouth is dry. Where is my water bottle? Do I need something stronger?
No Plan B’s in sight, in those bloody folders. Not one. Not even on my radar back then. Limited ākonga and whānau voice. Different times, a different decade, I thought, trying to reassure myself. No win-win relationships or mutually satisfying solutions developed. Solutions were developed by myself and other educators only. In the 2012 RTLB folder, I counted seven Plan As. I then clicked into the 2013 RTLB folder. I counted eight Plan A’. I then clicked into the 2014 RTLB folder. I counted nine Plan As and I was only half-way through the bloody folder! Limited ākonga voice...Ross Greene would have a fit! I stopped there.
I could feel my physiological-state change. I felt activated from reading these comments. I was no longer calm. I was the author of those awful Plan As. I could feel my shoulder muscles tighten and my breathing-rate increasing-too quickly. I realised I was no longer in my Window of Tolerance*. My Social Engagement System** with other whānau members was narrowing. No chance of myself delivering a lollipop (positive) moment to any of them. My thoughts then turned to the poor ākonga who wore the brunt of such comments. There was also psychological ramifications from viewing these RTLB folders. I wondered how they turned out. Did they get through school unscathed? Did they end up happy? Did they get a good job? I realised in that moment that I was catastrophizing. Enough was enough. I wanted to take a “chill-pill” (In that moment, I wished there was such a thing).
Image A Image B
Eventually one of the best quote’s of all time popped up, as it has done many times before. It certainly helped soothe my soul. It stopped my catastrophising in its tracks and helped reset my nervous system to a calmer state! Above all else, it gave me perspective. Maya Angelou, you are an absolute saviour! Sixteen words of pure gold. That was then. This is now. Move-on.
I am very happy my professional identity has evolved (for the better) since those earlier RTLB days. “RTLB Professional Identity Version 2.0”, is based on pure Neuroscience (i.e. Brain organisation/Brain and body stress response) and ākonga-centred, in-depth problem-solving methods. It is certainly a slicker, improved update from “RTLB Professional Identity Version 1.0”. This previous version was a stringent, behaviourist approach to managing behaviour. Kupu such as attention-seeking, lazy and manipulative were common-place. Sorry, Ross. Ten years ago, I was one of the many advocates and supporters of this behaviourist approach. It was what I knew: “rewards and consequences”, as a way to change behaviour.
I now liken “RTLB Professional Identity Version 1.0” to a one-dimensional black and white, dirtied, torn photo. No quality. I now liken “RTLB Professional Identity Version 2.0” to a three-dimensional, laminated colour-copy, with crisp edges. It is quality. It’s like comparing Windows 95 to Windows 2000 or the iPhone 11 to iPhone 16. There is just no comparison!
I now know better, and I am do(ing) better-thank you, Maya. I have a new way of being. This has been mostly shaped by the mahi of Ross Greene's (2016) Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS), Bruce Perry's (2019) Neuro-Sequential Model of Education (NME) and Stephen Porges’s (2022) Polyvagal Theory. Thank you to you all. I am forever grateful to your expertise and willingness to share with others on such a global scale. You have certainly stretched my brain with new ideas, thinking and ways of working. Those neurons have been firing!
Many educators are also evolving their own professional identity, one small step at a time. What is equally satisfying to me is influencing other educator’s with version 2.0.
I put the wero out to you all, in your role as an educator to do the same.
Through acknowledging my prior professional identity, and evolving my new identity, I believe I am well-informed to shape my future thinking and actions that will support ākonga. Reflecting on my RTLB career and writing this blog has been very much a cathartic process.
References
Greene, R. W. (2016). Lost at school: Why our kids with behavioural challenges are falling through the cracks and how we can help them. Scribner.
Perry, B. D. (2019). The neurosequential model. The handbook of therapeutic care for children: Evidence-informed approaches to working with traumatized children and adolescents in Foster, kinship and adoptive care.
Porges, S. W. (2022). Polyvagal theory: A science of safety. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 16, 871227.
Key Resources that support RTLB Professional Identity (Version 2.0)
Dr. Bruce Perry’s Educator Series:
Series One
Insights for Educators Ep. 1 - The Neuro-Sequential Model of Education (NME)
Insights for Educators Ep. 2 - How Stress Impacts the Brain
Insights for Educators Ep. 3 - The Power of Connection
Insights for Educators Ep. 4 - Regulating Yourself and Your Classroom
Insights for Educators Ep. 5 - Educator Strategies for the Classroom
Series Two
Dr. Ross Greene’s Lives in the Balance Website-click on the link below to get immediate access to four Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) introductory videos: Solving Problems Rather Than Modifying Behaviour; Solving Problems Collaboratively Rather Than Unilaterally; Let’s Get You Out of the Heat of the Moment; Kids Do Well if They Can.
Dr. Lori Desautels, neuroscience educator and Polyvagal Theory enthusiast has an excellent website, Revelations in Education. It has plenty of nervous system/Polyvagal Theory-based resources for educators.
Glossary
*Window of Tolerance
Developed by Dr. Dan Siegel, the Window of Tolerance describes an optimal human state in which we are able to function and thrive in everyday life. When we exist within this window, we are able to relate well to ourselves and others. We are able to learn, reflect and problem-solve in this state. However, when we are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, we physiologically leave this state and can become either hyper-aroused or hypo-aroused (as outlined in Image A).
**Social Engagement System
The Social Engagement System is a system of autonomic physiological safety, according to Polyvagal Theory. In this system, The Vagus Nerve, which is the longest cranial nerve in the body, supports bodily homeostasis or balance within our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). In this system, our nervous system is regulated and calm: our heart rate slows, saliva and digestion are stimulated, facial muscles are activated, our middle-ear shifts position where we are better able to hear human voices. In this system, we are positively connected with other humans - we can heal, learn and create together (as outlined in Image B).
Cheers Ve-I am pleased it hit the mark!
Wow Anthony, I LOVED this blogpost! It was full of the type of honesty and vulnerability that makes writing interesting. I enjoyed hearing about how your perspective has changed through the years. Now, go and get yourself a well-deserved massage mate, you're making my neck sore! haha