The "Why" Behind Classroom Behaviors, PreK-5. Jamie Chaves
are seeking new ways they can support their students. We’ve observed how being an educator can often take a toll—physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially—in a way that inadvertently impacts students. We have witnessed the dedication, passion, and love that you have for your students. We have also seen your pain, frustration, and sadness when things do not go as planned. Through this book, we hope you feel our dedication and love for you. We are in this with you and are here for you, hoping to move through challenging times toward success together with each teacher and student.
The IPNB framework and other relational lenses that we discuss and expound on throughout this book have guided us professionally as therapists and personally as parents for years. We hope that you will find the strategies, as they relate to IPNB and other regulation-based frameworks, to be healing not only for your students but also for you. We hope to take a supportive, accepting, and reflective stance throughout this book where mistakes are valued, questions are expected, and both are used as tools toward growth for teachers and students.
Throughout the book, we have integrated some of the latest brain-based research. We’ve done our best to remain true to the concepts in the research without bogging you down with all the nitty gritty details. At the rate research continues to emerge regarding the brain, it is likely that in a handful of years we will know even more about how our brains grow, learn, and develop through relationships with others. We recognize that we can only respond to the knowledge that we have at any given time, and that as our knowledge grows, so does our ability to apply that information.
Whether you are an educator just starting out, someone who has been in education for a decade, or you have dedicated the majority of your life to education, we hope that the ideas in this book will be illuminating and formative, providing you with the opportunity to ask questions and reflect on what practices will work best for you and your academic setting. We don’t claim to have all the “right answers” and are not pretending to know the specifics of your classroom dynamics. We aren’t saying there is one “right way” to teach, or that you must do all these things to be “successful” as an educator. We are hoping that the information in this book will provide you with a starting point to ask questions. There is no “right way” or “one size fits all” to learning, regulation, or relationships. There are some foundational pieces that make it easier, however, and if we are able to stay curious, ask questions, and better understand what is underlying the behaviors in ourselves and our students, we can create better outcomes for both.
It seems that as soon as children learn how to talk, they begin asking questions. Why is the sky blue? Why do we have to wear seatbelts? Why do frogs jump? Why do we need to eat broccoli? The questions at times seem never ending, and some may be more difficult to answer than others. However, the emergence of asking questions in early childhood marks an important and exciting developmental milestone. Questions represent our door to discovery. There is not yet an expectation that a young child should know the answer to their questions. Somewhere along the line, as we enter high school, college, and the workforce as adults, there seems to be a shift—we are supposed to know it all. For some, asking questions may feel anxiety provoking or a way of admitting they don’t know something they should already know. But we cannot stop asking questions. In this book, we hope to help re-define success from “knowing it all” to knowing how to ask the right questions.
As we’ve mentioned, research is always changing—especially when it comes to the brain. It is impossible to know everything. We hope, through this book, you can reconnect with your inner child and rediscover the magic necessity of curiosity and asking questions. We hope to foster an environment of acceptance, openness, and support for all educators—to create a community where we can come together to support each other, ask questions, and search for the “why” behind some of the struggles you may encounter within your schools and classrooms.
We need each other now, more than ever. The development of a connected community is more important than it was even a few months ago. As we write this book, the world is changing, education is changing, and the way we are able to connect with others is changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global health crisis. In the upcoming wake of the pandemic, even more challenges will be presented. Teachers, you have been put in the daunting position of creating Distance Learning Programs essentially overnight, and we have been in awe of your ability to rise to the challenge! Your resilience and perseverance in the face of uncertain circumstances is inspiring. While there are so many unknowns in the world right now, including the way in which we are able to educate children, the concepts and ideas throughout this book remain the same. The foundation of regulation and the teacher-student dyad as precursors to learning are now more important than ever. Teachers and students need to feel safe to engage in academics, yet we are all currently experiencing a threat to our safety. As a result, you may see more students experiencing outbursts, meltdowns, disengagement, distractibility, or withdrawal. The necessity of digging a little deeper to search for the “why” is becoming more essential every day as you consider how to best support yourself, your own regulation, and the regulation of your students (and parents!). Resilience is how we adapt in the face of adversity. Teachers, you will remain on the front line for many years of providing a safe, co-regulated environment for all of your students. We are here to help you through this process.
Acknowledgments
From Jamie
I would like to acknowledge the support of my family, friends, and colleagues throughout this process. In particular, my husband Francisco not only has provided encouragement and affirmation but also has entertained our toddler so I could carve out time to write. I have been surrounded by positive, co-regulating relationships that have influenced me at every stage of my life. To my mom and dad, Lynn and Keith Olsen, who always show up. To my siblings, Geoff, Laura, and Jennifer Olsen, who embrace their nerdy sister. To the handful of teachers who inspired my love of learning: Mr. Robert Ludwigsen, Mr. Earl Kyle, Mr. Jim Anderson, to name a few. To my mentor, Freddie Berger, who took a chance on a new grad. To countless friends and colleagues who engage in conversations that spark curiosity and keep me grounded. To a faith community who reminds me that a relationship with Christ serves as the ultimate model of how to see others and myself.
I am particularly grateful for my co-author, Dr. Ashley Taylor, who helped to bring balance to the language and content of the book. I have learned a tremendous amount from Ashley over the years, and learned even more when writing this book. Thank you, Ashley, for your knowledge, expertise, compassion, and collaboration—you made this process enjoyable and motivating. Let’s do it again soon!
From Ashley
It has been an honor to partner and collaborate with my co-author Dr. Jamie Chaves. Her passion, vision, and plan made this idea into a reality! Thank you, Jamie, for your patience, dedication, organization, and diligence in getting this done. I really enjoyed partnering with you on this journey!
I want to thank my family, my two sweet boys, Jackson and Henry, who have cheered me on and encouraged me every step of the way. To my husband, Hunt Dougherty, I could not have done this without your patience and support. You always believe in me, which helps me to believe in myself—thank you! To my parents, Claudia and Allen Taylor, and my sisters Amanda Taylor Nava and Samantha Taylor Suehiro, thank you for always being there for me.
I want to especially thank so many who have been my teachers, mentors, and educators through the years—those of you whose inspiration, calm, and knowledge have guided me in my professional journey and allowed me to continue my path toward growth and development, including Dr. Esther Chon, Dr. Barbara Stroud, Dr. Mona Delahooke, Dr. Shireen Sonefeldt, Dr. Joy Malik-Hasbrook, and Dr. Daniel Franklin.
Joint Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Hunt Dougherty for his creative contributions in the production of the images throughout the book. Thank you for your patience and artistic eye.
We both are incredibly grateful and would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Tina Payne Bryson for her knowledge into the IPNB framework, and for her vision of creating a multidisciplinary therapy practice informed by IPNB.