1. Resilience Frieman, B. (2001) What Teachers Need to Know about Children Children at Risk. McGraw Hill (Chapter 2 key ideas)

2. Personal Characteristics of Resilient Children • What are the qualities that allow children to be resilient to life’s • Stresses? • Are problem solvers • Can gain the positive attention of others • Have an optimistic view of life • Feel independent • Seek novel experiences • Approach life from a proactive perspective • Feel they can control their environment • Have a sense of humor • Are able to empathize with others • Have effective problem solving skills and coping strategies • (Frieman,p. 11)

3. Family Characteristics of Resilient Children • What family qualities will promote resilience? • Parents who are competent, loving and patient, • A good relationship with at least one parental figure • An array of alternative caretakers who step in when the parent is absent • Little separation from the primary caretaker during the first year of life, • A network of friends • (Frieman p.11) • And others who step up to mentor and guide: • Teachers, counselors, coaches, clergy, mental health workers and neighbors.

4. Promoting Resilience • Role Models: • “We teach by what we do.” • What do you do when you mess up? • Helping Behavior: • What does Helping Behavior Look Like? • Trustworthy, dependable, consistent –yourself even if you slip up. • Attuned to your own feelings. • Warmth, care and respect towards children • Encourage them to be independent • Take on perspective of child • Accept students with all that they bring • Positive Classroom • What does a classroom that promotes resilience look like? • Expectations for learning- push to work at highest potential • Psychologically safe atmosphere-team work- seek help, collaborate • A community that encourages children to take initiative

5. Problem Solving • “Problem Solving is a Learned Skill” • How can we intervene and teach problem solving? • Help students remember previous successful experience problem solving • Look at alternative solutions with advantages and disadvantages • If choice does not work-try another alternative • Books to teach problem solving • Draw, write, talk about alternatives characters face in solving their problems • Mutual Story telling. Teacher starts a story with a problem- children make up alternative endings- an ending where the children are powerful and solve the problem