#deescalation techniques for kids also work with adults

[jt-comphet]

dude i would be such a good ref for calming aggressive players down. i worked a six week sleep away camp program so obviously i am qualified. here’s what you do:

- get on their level (might be hard i’m 5’4)

- calmly say their name (buddy works too)

- say something along the lines of “hey i know we’re feeling a lot of emotions right now but i need you to look at me and take big deep breath okay?”

- physically distance them from the situation

- repeat deep breath step until they are calmer

[bloojayoolie]

Bad, Cats, and Children: Hel @brooklyn acc waiting for LO Stumpy DUMPED for being an active young dog Good Looking with the Best SMILE, kid friendly housetrained-Needs a good home, an experienced BFF & Love, time and training 32291 3 years old, 71 lbs **** TO BE KILLED - 6/30/2018 **** "I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE TOO PLAYFUL AND ACTIVE. IS THAT A BAD THING?" :'( Or is it ok to be good spirited and live your life with zest? Poor Stumpy has not had the chance to be a party animal! Let's give him that chance! He's an energetic, yet sensitive fellow who needs the right persons to welcome him into their arms! Are you that person? STUMPY@BROOKLYN ACC Hello, my name is Stumpy My animal id is #32291 I am a male white dog at the Brooklyn Animal Care Center The shelter thinks I am about 3 years old, 71 lbs Came into shelter as owner surrender June 25, 2018 Reason Stated: TOO ACTIVE :( Stumpy is rescue only Stumpy was placed at risk due to behavior concerns; During his stay in the care center, Stumpy has been difficult to handle (growling, lunging, and snapping at handlers). He appears to be uncomfortable when approached quickly and has allowed minimal handling from his caretakers. Stumpy is reported to also not get along with other dogs. we are recommending placement with a rescue partner that has the resources to work on improving his behavior. there are no medical concerns with Stumpy at this moment. My medical notes are... Weight: 71 lbs Vet Notes 26/06/2018 very limited exam due to behavior subjective: dog wagged tail, seemed only alert at first. began a stiff tail wag and stare, at which point examiner backed off and dog lunged and bark, then redirected at handler. no on was bitten and dog deescalated intact male, 2 testis NMA, eupneic OU red rimmed eyes, serous dc healhty coat and skin a:healhty, minor eye irritation p:neuter prognosis: good okay for surgery Details on my behavior are... Behavior Condition: 4. Orange Behavior History Behavior Assessment Stumpy was very high energy during intake. His owner had him muzzled as he has not been exposed to many new people. No handling was done. Date of intake:: 6/25/2018 Spay/Neuter status:: No Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner surrender Previously lived with:: 2 adults, and has spent time around 1 child age (5 years old) Behavior toward strangers:: Friendly to guest in the home, unknown how he responds to strangers. Behavior toward children:: Playful and tolerant Behavior toward dogs:: Behavior unknown Behavior toward cats:: Behavior unknown Resource guarding:: None reported Bite history:: None reported Housetrained:: Yes Energy level/descriptors:: Owner describes Stumpy as being friendly playful, excitable and pushy with a high energy. Date of assessment:: 6/28/2018 Summary:: During his stay in the care center Stumpy has been difficult to handle (growling, lunging, and snapping at handlers). He appears to be uncomfortable when approached quickly, and has allowed minimal handling from his caretakers. Out of concern for his stress levels and his response to restraint, we feel Stumpy is not a great candidate for a handling assessment at this time. Please see his owner surrender profile for a full summary of his behavior in his previous home. Summary (1):: According to Stumpy's previous owner, Stumpy did not socialize with other dogs while in their care. 6/26: The Behavior Department did not feel comfortable removing Stumpy from his kennel. He was frozen and baring his teeth when approached. He will be given a day to acclimate and we will try again tomorrow. 6/27: While handlers were successful in removing Stumpy from his kennel, they could not collar him. He offered clear warnings(deep growls and stiff body)when a staff member made herself small when she was in his proximity. Due to these behaviors all attempts to collar him were suspended. He was allowed to greet the novel female dog at the gate and displayed perk ears and high vibrating tail. Date of intake:: 6/25/2018 Summary:: Stumpy displayed a high energy during intake. Date of initial:: 6/26/2018 Summary:: Limited exam Stumpy became stiff, lunging, and barking. ENERGY LEVEL:: His previous owner describes Stumpy as an energetic friendly and playful, but pushy dog. In the care center Stumpy has been difficult to handle. We recommend only force-free, reward-based training techniques for Stumpy. IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: During both attempts to bring Stumpy to playgroup, he was difficult and displayed defensive behaviors( freezing, growling and snapping). Due these behaviors, limited handling was conducted. BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: NEW HOPE ONLY Behavior Asilomar: TM - Treatable-Manageable Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner Recommendations comments:: No children: Due to how uncomfortable Stumpy is currently with touch and novel stimuli, we feel that an adult-only home would be most beneficial at this time. Place with a new hope partner: Stumpy has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed very minimal handling since intake displaying defensive behavior towards staff (hard barking, growling, snapping). We recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home. Potential challenges: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression Potential challenges comments:: Handling/touch sensitivity: Stumpy has growled and snapped upon several attempts to handle him, showing a discomfort with touch in certain areas. It is important be cautious when touching him, as we do not know where he may have other sensitivities. We recommend to always go slow and give Stumpy the option to walk away from any social interaction. He should never be forced to approach anything that he is uncomfortable with or to submit to petting or handling. Positive reinforcement, reward based training should be used to pair touch with good things such as food rewards in order to teach Stumpy to be more comfortable with this. Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: On several occasions in the care center Stumpy has escalated rapidly when being handled, and gives high-level warnings (growling, snapping, baring teeth). It is important to move slowly with Stumpy, to build positive associations (treats/toys/praise), and to allow him to initiate interactions with new people. He should never be forced to greet or to interact if he is not comfortable and soliciting attention. STUMPY IS RESCUE ONLY…..TO SAVE THIS PUP YOU MUST FILL OUT APPLICATIONS WITH AT LEAST 3 NEW HOPE RESCUES. PLEASE HURRY!!! IF YOU CAN FOSTER OR ADOPT THIS PUP, PLEASE PM OUR PAGE FOR ASSISTANCE. WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH LINKS TO APPLICATIONS WITH NEW HOPE RESCUES WHO ARE CURRENTLY PULLING FROM THE NYC ACC. PLEASE SHARE THIS DOG FOR A HOME TO SAVE HIS LIFE.

[teded]

10 tips for talking about news, politics and current events in schools

Animation by TOGETHER

In schools everywhere, students are deeply affected by current events. Certain policy changes and related commentary can cause children to experience fear, confusion and anxiety. For example, some kids might fear deportation. Others might be upset about hurtful generalizations they hear regarding their cultures and countries of origin. A lot of kids might fear the loss of rights.

Teachers around the world have shared that having conversations about these topics is challenging, and sometimes they end up avoiding these conversations altogether. So how might teachers facilitate a classroom discussion that allows students to express their perspectives and work through their emotional distress? It’s important to note that an emotionally charged conversation requires a different set of skills than leading an academic class discussion. Here are 10 tips for success:

Animation by @rewfoe​

1. Come up with class norms. It is hard to have a spontaneous conversation about a controversial issue. Classroom procedures for conversations and discussion can help your conversations go smoothly. At the beginning of the school year, establish guidelines for class discussions with your students’ input. What are the qualities of a good listener? How can students feel heard and understood? What happens if someone becomes overly emotional? Post the guidelines in your classroom, review them periodically, and stick to them during discussions. If you have guidelines in place, students won’t feel singled out if you have to give them feedback about their style of participation.

2. Make sure everyone has the same basic background information. Not all students are politically minded or have access to news media. Before starting a class conversation, provide a basic summary of events. Students are less likely to tune out if they understand what the conversation is about.

3. Provide explanations and clarifications. Sometimes students’ emotions are rooted in confusion, fear, and misinformation. Students look to teachers for information and clarification, so don’t forget your role as an information source. Even if you don’t have an answer, you can search for it alongside your students. If fake news seems to be at the root of the problem, empower your students to evaluate news sources. PBS has an excellent lesson plan for that here.

Animation by TOGETHER

4. Avoid debates. There will likely be a variety of viewpoints in your classroom. Debates can be a constructive activity in the context of an organized, structured lesson. Yet when students are emotionally charged, debates can often devolve into arguments and personal attacks. Shift the focus from changing minds to exchanging ideas. Frame the conversation as an opportunity for understanding and empathy.

5. View yourself as a facilitator. If you view yourself as a facilitator, you can provide a comfortable space for students to express themselves and develop their own opinions. Your role is not to persuade students of a particular point of view. Instead, you are providing a safe, structured space for students to work through a specific topic.

Animation by @rewfoe

6. Reflect what you hear and encourage students to do the same. Simply repeating back what you hear can be tremendously helpful. It can help students understand their emotions and thoughts about particular issues and events and it can help deescalate emotionally charged situations by showing that you have heard and understood your students. Model this technique for your students and encourage them to repeat back what they have just heard before they respond to a classmate.

7. Provide space for students to experience their feelings. If students are experiencing strong emotions, that is OK. Oftentimes, adults try to cheer kids up when they are angry or sad. This can send the message that they need to suppress their emotions so that the people around them aren’t uncomfortable. Acknowledge their emotions and encourage classmates to do the same. When students judge each other’s emotions with comments like, “You have no right to feel that way,” encourage them to recognize the emotion of their classmate instead. Remind them that people do not all have exact same experience. When you establish your classroom norms, this can be an important point to cover. Brene Brown’s video resource on empathy can help show the importance of allowing others to experience their emotions.

Animation by TED-Ed

8. Provide time for independent reflection. Give students some time to write (or create an audio file, drawing or other product) independently so that they have a chance to process the conversation. Let students know that this isn’t a graded assignment, and that you are open to feedback about ways to improve the classroom discussion.

9. Check in with distressed students. If a student is particularly anxious or upset, check in with that student privately. If you are worried about a student, avail yourself of other resources in your building and district so that students get the support they need to function well during the school day.

Animation by Cinematic Sweden

10. Consider a class project related to the discussion. A class project can help build cohesion and a sense of community in your classroom. It can also show that even in the midst of controversy and disagreement, people can work together for a common goal. The project does not have to be complicated or expensive. For example, TED-Ed Innovative Educator Kristin Leong created Roll Call, a project that highlights the commonalities between students and teachers.

Author bio: Dani Bostick is a writer, teacher, and TED-Ed Innovative Educator in Virginia.