1. Helping Students Feel Like
They Belong
KRISTEN BOUWMAN
SPED 578
COURSE OBJECTIVE 1: CONNECTING WITH
STUDENTS

2. Overview
 Introduce Self
 Mendler: Questions about Belonging
 Mendler: Belonging vs. Zero Tolerance
 Personal Practicum Experiences
 PBIS Evaluation Tools
 Effective Ways of Connecting with Students

3. Introduce Self
 Kristen Bouwman
 2nd year grad student in school psych program @
MSUM
 Hometown: Alexandria, MN
 Interests: travelling, watching movies, visiting with
friends, eating at restaurants, dogs, and much
more…
 Thesis topic: Positive Behavior Support
 Plans for my future in school psychology: Intern and
work near Prescott, Arizona!

4. Mendler: Questions about Belonging
 When you make mistakes, what kinds of things do others
say or do that are helpful? (p. 9)
 How can you encourage your students to “relate” more
effectively with each other? (p. 9)
 Are you highlighting specific ways that students can get
along with each other more peacefully and effectively?
(p. 74)
 When put-downs or other divisive comments are
heard, do you set limits, and stop class to address the
issue in a manner that gets students thinking and
problem solving? (p. 74)

5. Mendler: Belonging vs. Zero Tolerance
 “To keep our schools safe, we must work hard to keep from acquiring
bureaucratic rigidity.” (p. 89)
 E.g. harsh zero tolerance policies
 Consequences of misbehavior include…(p. 89)
 Teaching a replacement behavior -and/or-
 Being “Politically Correct” with a punishment that may be…
 Lenient to please the parent
 Harsh to please the angry teacher
 Harsh zero tolerance policies “ further alienate already disenfranchised
youth” (p. 16)
 The need to belong is “essential to learning” (p. 6)
 Versus feeling “isolated and lonely”
 E.g. harsh zero tolerance policies of suspension and expulsion

6. Personal Experiences
 Thesis
 Using a positive behavior support intervention (Circle of
Courage) to reduce/prevent problem behavior in an alternative
school setting
 Circle of Courage is an intervention based on traditional Native
American child rearing practices: belonging, mastery,
independence, & generosity.
 Brendtro, Brokenleg, & Van Bockern, 1990
 (Mentioned in Mendler p. 6 & Long Articles 2.4, 9.2, & 9.5)
 Learning more about belonging associated with Circle of
Courage during my thesis writing process has taught me that
to connect with students they need to feel they belong to a
community of learning.

7. Personal Experiences (Cont’d)
 Elementary practicum site:
 Positive Processes
 Newcomers center
 Welcomes new American students to the school & teaches basic
school attending behaviors (e.g. waiting in line, hand raising, etc.)
 Helps make new American students feel like they belong and
teaches behaviors that aid in their belonging
 Preventative for future problem behaviors associated with
belonging and not understanding school attending behaviors
 Discipline philosophy
 “We believe that discipline is guidance” “Through discipline we
strive to teach appropriate conduct and personal responsibility”
(school handbook)
 Discipline “…should restructure your relationship with your
students” (Girls and Boys Town Educational Model)
 Uses connecting with students to teach/guide students to behave
appropriately

8. Personal Experiences (Cont’d)
 Elementary practicum site (cont’d)
 Punitive Processes
 Zero Tolerance
 “Detention room for four tardies”
• Despite circumstances?
 “Defiance of school staff”
• What does this mean?
• Not well defined
• Interpretable

9. PBIS Evaluation Tools
 School-Wide Evaluation Tool (SET)
 Seven Features
 1-2 Behavioral expectations defined & taught
 Positive: Newcomers Center, Boys Town Model
 Negative: “Defiance of school staff” not well defined
 3-4 Acknowledgement & correction procedures
 Positive: Teach/guide discipline philosophy
 Negative: “Detention room for 4 tardies” despite circumstances
 5-7 Monitoring and evaluation, management, and district-level
support

10. Effective Ways of Connecting with Students
 Helping students feel like they belong:
 Ask an opinion from a student who rarely offers one (p. 25)
 Use the 4H method (p. 26)
 Call a student/parent at home (p. 37,38)
 Eat lunch with a student who feels disconnected (p. 39)
 Ask a nonparticipating student an open ended question (p. 47)
 Play “Find someone who…” (p.64)
 Use “think, pair, share” (p. 67)
 Encourage students to help with each other’s problems (p. 69)
 Break bread together (p. 77)

11. Effective Ways of Connecting with Students
(Cont’d)
 Helping students feel like they belong by using the
4H method (p. 26):
 Greet students daily with one of the 4 H’s
 Handshake
 High five
 “How are you?”
 “Hello.”