This document discusses building resiliency in today's learners. It defines resiliency as focusing on strengths and dealing with obstacles. Key features of a resilient mindset include optimism, feeling appreciated, setting realistic expectations, believing in problem-solving abilities, and viewing mistakes as challenges. Five strategies for building resiliency are teaching empathy, responsibility, decision-making skills, offering encouragement, and helping children deal with mistakes. Research suggests resilient schools meet basic human needs for support, respect and belonging to foster motivation for learning.

1. Building Resiliency
Today’s Learners

2. Resiliency is:
 the focus upon strengths
 the capacity to deal with obstacles

3. Features of a resilient mindset-
 View the world with optimism/hope
 Feel special and appreciated by
significant others
 Set realistic expectations for self
 Believing in own ability to solve
problems and make decisions
 View mistakes and hardships as
challenges

4. Features continued
 Rely on growth-fostering coping
strategies
 Aware of weaknesses
 Recognize strengths and talents
 Empathic and possess interpersonal
skills
 Able to seek assistance
 Able to focus energy on areas do
have some control over

5. 5 strategies to help build resiliency
 Teaching empathy by practicing empathy
 Teaching responsibility by encouraging
contributions
 Teaching decision-making and problem-
solving skills and reinforcing self-discipline
 Offering encouragement and positive
feedback
 Helping children deal with mistakes

6. Teaching empathy
 By listening close
to what children
have to say
 Instead of
preaching or
lecturing offer
empathic questions
to guide behaviors

7. Encourage Contributions
 Opportunities for
children to use their
“islands of
competence”
– Tutoring
– Watering plants
– Delivering messages
– Raising money for
causes
– Helping with restoration
projects (painting,
cleaning, etc)

8. Problem solving
 Encourage to:
– Articulate problem
areas
– Think of possible
solutions
– Consider what
solution might work
– Attempt
– Assess results

9. Encouragement and feedback
 Realistic
appreciation
 Every child needs
to feel special

10. Helping Children Deal with
Mistakes
 Fear of mistakes is
a roadblock to
resilience
 Help children
realize mistakes
are a part of the
process
 Share memories of
own anxieties

11. Caring relationships
 40 year study found most positive
role model outside of family circle
was a favorite teacher who was not
only an instructor of academic skills
but also a confidant and positive
model for personal identification.

12. Research on resiliency suggests-
 When schools are places where basic
human needs for support, respect,
and belonging are met, motivation
for learning is fostered.

13. References
 Fostering Resilience in Children,
by Bonnie Benard, ERIC Digest
 Risk, Resilience and Futurists:
Changing the Lives of Our Children
From- www.raisingresilientkids.com