The Power of Showing Up – How Attachment Theory and Relational Neuroscience can help educators build healthy relationships with their students
Ideal for: Educator Conferences, Convocations, In-Service Professional Development Days
Target Audience: Teachers, Principals, Superintendents, Cafeteria Workers, and Bus Drivers
Program Overview:
The science is quite clear – we develop emotional and social intelligence through the security of our attachment relationships. Attachment theory is the science of the development and quality of relationships. Students need their teachers to be a secure base for them to learn from and attach to, and the classroom environment to be a safe haven that they feel safe to walk into every day. All children and especially at-risk children will reap the benefits of secure attachment. Secure attachment optimizes their sense of identity, the quality of their relationships, and even how their brains develop. Put simply, when kids are securely attached to their caregivers (e.g., their parents, educators, and school leaders), they have much greater opportunity to thrive – in school, in relationships, and in life. The longitudinal research on child development clearly demonstrates that one of the very best predictors for how any child turns out – in terms of happiness, social and emotional development, leadership skills, meaningful relationships, and even academic and career success is whether they developed security from having at least one person who showed up for them.
Presentation Bibliography:
- The Power of Showing Up (child attachment) by Daniel Siegel (2020), The Power of Attachment (adult attachment) by Diane Poole-Heller (2019), and Attachment Theory and the Teacher-Student Relationship (adult attachment in a school setting) by Philip Riley (2011).
- The Developing Mind (the neuroscience of attachment) by Daniel Siegel, 2020.
The Power of Attachment-informed School Leaders – Creating Safe Haven Schools and Secure Base School Leaders Through Attachment Theory and Relational Neuroscience
Ideal for: Superintendent and School Principal Conferences, In-Service Professional Development Days
Target Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Teacher Trainers, Professional Development Coordinators, Education Policy Makers
Program Overview:
In Philip Riley’s book, Attachment Theory and the Teacher Student Relationship, he explains why it is essential for educators to have a greater understanding of attachment and their own attachment history. Attachment Theory is an established theory of human relationships and among the most influential theories in psychology. It was originally developed by Dr. John Bowlby in the study of early childhood relationships and it was later extended to the study of adult and work relationships. Riley’s book rests on a primary premise that the traditionally conceived foundations of education, the 3 R’s (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic) are not foundations at all. In fact, they can only be built on an even more fundamental set of 3 R’s: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships.
- Relationship from the student’s
- Relationship from the teacher’s
- Relationship from formation and maintenance of school leadership
For a school to function effectively, and for students to learn effectively, both set of 3 R’s must be in place. Secure leaders (i.e., superintendents, principals, teacher mentors) become a secure base for their teachers. Teachers can then become secure bases for their students, thus creating a safe haven school environment.
In Dr. Victoria Grady in her book ‘Workplace Attachments’ sums it up: “The relationship that develops and exists between the leader and the followers will drive much of the success within the organization.
Whether it is the leader of the entire organization or just the leader of a small group supporting a program, there is an important relationship that develops with implications for the success of both the leader and the follower. The mechanism for the connection might reside in the attachment styles of the leaders and the followers. Thus, one can see the implications of why it would be extremely helpful for the superintendent, principal and all other school leaders to have an understanding of attachment theory and practice attachment-informed leadership.
Presentation Bibliography:
- The Power of Showing Up (child attachment) by Daniel Siegel (2020)
- The Power of Attachment (adult attachment) by Diane Poole-Heller (2019)
- Attachment Theory and the Teacher-Student Relationship (adult attachment in a school setting) by Philip Riley (2011).
- The Developing Mind (the neuroscience of attachment) by Daniel Siegel, 2020.
- Workplace Attachments Victoria Grady, (2020)
Fired Up 2.0 – 7 Steps to being a FIRED UP Educator:
Ideal for: Convocation, Educator Conferences, In-Service Professional Development Days
Target Audience: Teachers, Principals, Superintendents, Cafeteria Workers, and Bus Drivers
Program Overview:
Being in the education field is a calling, and not for the faint of heart. You have to be all in, all day, every day. But we sometimes get bogged down in the demands of achieving test scores, winning ball games, and the day-to-day challenges that students, teachers, counselors, administrators and parents face to just get along with each other. The goal of education can be more than academic success; it can be about building relationships that go beyond the classroom and equal a lifetime of personal growth and cherished memories. When educators and staff are truly engaged and love and respect their students, peers and the parents they serve, they can move mountains together. It takes just one person to change a student’s life. When the culture of a school is one of enthusiasm, commitment and connection we can start a fire that can’t be burned out. We are reminded of what fueled our fire to become an educator in the first place, we can inventory our strengths and what makes our school community worth working hard for, we can reframe our challenges, reenergize your body, mind and spirit, declare our goals and intentions, better understand what our students, peers and leaders need from us each day and show up in the moment and bring our best selves to work each day.
FUEL: What Fuels Your Tank? Getting back to WHY you chose to be an Educator
INVENTORY: Take stock of the joys and benefits of the work that you do
REFRAME: Shift your perspective and attitude about the challenges you face
ENERGY: Create an energy plan that will keep your FIRE burning
DECLARE: What’s Your Mission? What will you accomplish? How will you do it?
UNDERSTAND: Create secure relationships with your students and peers
PRESENCE: Never underestimate the power of your presence
Rural School Proud – 7 Steps to being a FIRED UP Rural School Educator:
Ideal for: Rural School Convocations, Rural Educator Conferences, Rural School In-Service Professional Development Days, Universities training future rural school educators
Target Audience: Rural School Teachers, Principals, Superintendents, Cafeteria Workers, and Bus Drivers
Program Overview:
Rurality represents a space of educational inequality in which 8.9 million (1 in 6) U.S. children live and learn. Many rural students face issues of isolation, poverty, and their schools face teacher shortages and 85% of persistent poverty comes from rural counties. Thus, well-trained, emotionally invested, and Fired Up Rural School Educators are needed now more than ever. I have spoken at rural communities nationwide and I have found that their students and staff are some of the most dedicated and determined people that one could have the privilege of meeting and working with. I have learned from experience and ground breaking books focused on the needs of rural students and educators (e.g., Teaching in Rural Places and Developing Rural Leaders) some essential strategies to practice and keep in mind when trying to build relationships with rural students, educators and their parents that can make a difference in the success or failure of a student and most importantly help you the educator invest and attach to your rural school and community.
This program will teach rural educators how to:
Fuel: Create an autobiographical narrative that will help them remember ‘Why’ they chose to be a rural educator.
INVENTORY: Take stock of the opportunities and needs of their rural school by doing a Community Walk/Drive and exploring all that their rural community has to offer.
REFRAME: Foster Rural School Pride by reframing how they view the Geographic, Economic, and Social diversity of their rural place and taken advantage of the opportunities and privileges that come along with being a rural school leader.
ENERGY: Strategies for managing your emotional juice, scheduling time for their own self-care and the art of saying no.
DECLARE: Create a ‘Rural School Proud’ Purpose Statement and set intentions that keep them focused on what’s most important
UNDERSTAND: Create a bond with their students, peers, and rural community by understanding the Power of Attachment and the 4S’s of helping students feel Safe, Seen, Soothed and Secure.
PRESENCE: The art of active listening and paying mindful attention to how we communicate with our eyes, body language, and verbally via email, text and on social media so they can present the best version of themselves inside and outside of the community.
Presentation Bibliography:
- Developing Rural School Leaders by Hans W. Klar and Kristin Shawn Huggins (2020), and Teaching in Rural Places by Amy Price Azano, Devon Brenner, Jayne Downey, Karen Eppley and Ann K. Schulte (2021).
- The Power of Showing Up (child attachment) by Daniel Siegel (2020), The Power of Attachment (adult attachment) by Diane Poole-Heller (2019), and Attachment Theory and the Teacher-Student Relationship (adult attachment in a school setting) by Philip Riley (2011).
- The Developing Mind (the neuroscience of attachment) by Daniel Siegel, 2020.
- Academic paper ‘Attachment theory at work’ (Yip et al, 2018), and the book Workplace Attachments by Victoria Grady (2020).
Student Program
Be a HERO in the game of life!
When we let go of our past we can finally show up as our true and Honest self. We will now be able to get out of our own way and start to Empathize with other students. We start to take Responsibility for our lives and how we present ourselves and treat others. Once we have instilled this habit of being our best, we can now be Optimistic that our big dreams are possible and when achieved could even inspire others to follow our lead. We finally learn that being a HERO for others, starts with being a HERO for our self.
This empowering Student Assembly will also teach students how to become a leader on your campus as well as how to set academic goals for achieving better grades and how to take steps toward their future college and career aspirations.
Topics covered in the HERO Student Assembly presentation:
- Be the real YOU – you are more than your story and setbacks
- Why being friendly can make everyone feel included
- How to respond, rather than react, to rejection and failure
- The truth about social media and how to really be liked
- How unplugging from your phone is the key to academic success
- College and career dreams come true for those that work for them
Note: I use music, dancing, inspiring stories and interaction with the audience throughout the presentation to keep your students engaged.
