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disruptive. But you notice that she has some strengths and, even with all that is going on in her life, she responds well to you—she has some relationship-building skills in place. You see that she is curious, she wants to learn, she makes friends, and despite all that she is struggling with, she often thinks about others. One day you see her stop what she is doing to help a classmate struggling to understand a new project. Her resilience scale is clearly weighted toward positive outcomes. You ask yourself: How has this child sustained these important skills in the face of all the turbulence she has been facing? How can you help her continue to use and strengthen these skills? As you help her, can you do something for the other students in your room that would help them develop similar skills? Can teaching these skills be integrated into your already packed schedule? When you look closely at a student’s experiences and behaviors, consider how these would appear on the Resilience Scale.
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IMPROVE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
What are the child’s red boxes? What are the known green boxes? Ask yourself questions such as the following: • How can my classroom be a safe and supportive environment? (This gives all of the children in your classroom a “green box.”) • How can I become a crucial, supportive, and caring adult presence in this child’s life? • How can I help move this child’s fulcrum by helping her to build resilience- promoting skills and capacities?
Chapter 1 • What Is Resilience? 23
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