Presenter: Jeanine Fitzgerald -
As was stated by the Surgeon General, during a Mental Health Summit, "we are needlessly diagnosing and medicating children because we have created structures that do not meet their developmental, social and emotional needs." While some children arrive in our classroom with a self-image of competence, others enter believing they are incompetent. This child becomes preoccupied with self-preservation and not learning the required benchmarks. The ability to persist through adversities and to keep going despite the challenges diminishes to learned helplessness, which manifest as behaviors and emotional expression that compromise safety or apathy. This session examines how to shift the conditions of an environment from a culture of despair to a culture of honoring and empowerment. There is a different way to tell the story!
Objectives:
At the completion of this session, each participant will be able to:
* Identify the tools and resources that, when applied with consistency, transform a student's despair into hope through transformational coping.
* Step back from the current reality and make change where change counts - to be the difference that makes a difference by becoming an accountability partner and resilience mentor to the student.
* Coach students toward a sense of significance so they feel deserving but not entitled.

ECSE/PPCD Teachers, PreK and Kinder teachers, 1st Grade through 5th Grade Teachers, Head Start Teachers, Inclusion Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Behavior Specialists and Counselors

Discipline Management
Diversity and Special Needs Populations
Early Childhood
Social/Emotional Development
Special Education
Student Behavior