Resiliency: Teaching Students to Bounce Back

This is the online version and link to full article that Aja provided the staff in hard copy format. It is from the June 2010 issue of California Educator Volume 14 Issue 9.

Cultivating resiliency in students
By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin

Once thought to be an inborn trait that some have and some do not, resilience is now recognized as a process that everyone is capable of, and this capacity can be tapped and even cultivated by educators. Researchers Bonnie Benard and Sara Truebridge assert that resiliency allows for development of social competence, problem-solving skills, critical consciousness, autonomy and a sense of purpose.

Truebridge, a former teacher, says, “Resilience is more about how one teaches than what one teaches.” She currently works with students, educators, and administrators to help them understand the power of resilience and supports them in developing strategies and a plan of action that foster resilience for everyone in the school community — students, teachers, administrators and parents — to promote school success for all.

The Penn Resiliency Program, a behavioral therapy program at the University of Pennsylvania, received coverage on National Public Radio, which noted that resiliency curriculum “can be as powerful as taking antidepressant medicines.” An evaluation of the program showed that it prevented symptoms of depression and anxiety among students and negative behavior.
Resiliency training may be a trend, but it’s not exactly new: There has been more than 40 years of developmental research in the area of resiliency and student outcomes, observes Truebridge.

“What people have found is that when high-stakes testing was put into effect, it didn’t totally work, and it didn’t change the way children were performing. I think we’re finally getting to resilience by default — because nothing else works. Resilience is about looking at the whole child. And, ironically, it works and it doesn’t cost any money.”

She believes that the three most important factors in developing resilience in students are “external assets” which she defines as: caring relationships with school staff; high expectations and conveying to students they are “worth something”; and giving youths opportunities for participation or meaningful involvement in school and community.

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Ways to foster resiliency in students

Enhance students’ self-worth by complimenting them on their character and contributions — not just academic achievements.
Help identify problems and break them down into smaller parts so they seem more manageable.
Emphasize that bad times are temporary and the future can be better.
Help create a positive personal vision for the future to focus on.
Suggest healthy habits such as eating properly, getting enough sleep, and exercising.
Recommend avoiding triggers that cause stress, including negative people or situations.
Use relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga and meditation to manage stress.
Employ positive diversions such as reading, taking a nature walk or listening to music.
Create outlets for feelings and emotions such as art or writing down feelings in a journal.