Leadership magazine Sept/Oct 2016 V46 No 1 | Page 25

cesses from a teacher gives students the clear
message that they are safe and important
(Embry).
When considering the context of the entire
school, protective possibilities can be formed
more globally as well. Extracurricular, service
learning and interdependent leadership opportunities foster a sense of community and
create buy-in toward a school experience. Peer
conflict management programs work on the
essential skill of problem solving and foster
positive and long-lasting peer relationships.
Well publicized standards for behavior create
“clear and consistent boundaries and logical
consequences” and strengthen student autonomy (Morrison and Allen). Staff members
can participate in a powerful process of sorting their current student list by their areas of
greatest need. They then work with the entire
school system to mobilize resources to differentiate for these specific needs, which may be
of an academic, social or emotional nature.
When seeking to foster positive discipline,
school structural elements are key. Displays
of student work, student government, student jobs, frequent homework, and high rates
of purposeful teacher-to-student interaction
are associated with improvements in school
behavior (Embry). Organized playground
games reduce aggression. A common language
should be shared between staff and students
about how to reach new heights and improve
learning outcomes. Other successful structural
elements are notes of praise, posters about positive behavior, social skills lessons, and procedures and routines for common-use areas.
Resiliency is about cementing connections,
building relationships and developing a solid
web of support for the needs of all students
– whatever it takes. Actions take the place of
excuses and blame in school settings where all
students are protected and nurtured. Students
learn in these settings, not under the direction
of a teacher, but through the targeted facilitation of coordinated adult interventions from
all stakeholders.
When students come to school without the
desire to learn and excel, we can accept their
lack of motivation as is and carry on as we have
year after year. However, I passionately feel
that a very different type of action is our moral
and ethical obligation in order to “help them
overcome even the worst of life circumstances

to compete every day in school” (Riley).
The choice is simple because it involves our
most precious commodity: children. Despite
their family dynamics or economic disadvantages, all children deserve nothing less than
our best. The aforementioned systems and
strategies supported by resiliency research will
help educators fulfill the necessary commitment of learning for all students. They will also
assist schools in closing achievement gaps that
persist in our current deficit-driven system.

Resources
•  Becker, B.E. and Luthar, S.S. (2002).
“Social-emotional factors affecting achievement outcomes among disadvantaged students: Closing the achievement gap.” Educational Psychologist, 37(4), 197-214.
•  Brokenleg, M. and Van Bockern, S.
(2003). “The science of raising courageous
kids.” Reclaiming Children and Youth, 12(1),
22-26: http://martinbrokenleg.com/articles.
•  Embry, D.D. (1997). “Does your school
have a peaceful environment? Using an audit to
create a climate for change and resiliency.” Intervention in School and Clinic, 32, 217-222.

•  Krovetz, M.L. (1999). “Resiliency: Key
element for supporting youth at-risk.” The
Clearing House, 73(2), 1-5.
•  Morales, E.E. (2008). “A focus on hope:
Toward a more comprehensive theory of academic resiliency among at-risk students.” The
Journal of At-Risk Issues, 14(1), 23-32.
•  Morrison, G.M. and Allen, M.R. (2007).
“Promoting student resilience in school contexts.” Theory Into Practice, 46(2), 162-169.
•  Riley, K.W. (2006). “Resilient children in
an imperfect world.” Leadership, 35(4), 20-23.
•  Shepard, J.S. (2004). “Multiple ways of
knowing: Fostering resiliency though providing opportunities for participating in learning.” Reclaiming Children and Youth. 12(4),
210-216.
Gabe Simon has served as a school
superintendent and assistant
superintendent. He teaches research
methods in child development at CSU
Sacramento and is author of the book
"Building Student Resilience."

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