Creative ways to get kids to thrive in school | Olympia Della Flora

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Regina Chu

This is an elementary school in Columbus, Ohio.

這是俄亥俄州哥倫布市的一所小學。

And inside of this school there was a student named D.

在這所小學裡， 有個名字叫做 D 的學生。

When D started school here he was six years old:

D 在六歲時進入這所學校就讀：

cute as a button,

當時他好可愛，

with a smile that brightened the entire room.

他的微笑能照亮整間房間。

But after a few months in school,

但，在讀了這所學校幾個月之後，

D became angry,

D 變得很憤怒，

and that smile faded.

他的微笑漸漸消失了。

D began to do things like flip tables,

D 的行為開始改變，會翻桌，

throw desks and chairs,

扔桌子和椅子，

yell at teachers,

對老師大吼，

stand in windowsills,

站在窗台上，

run in and out of the classroom

跑進又跑出教室，

and even running out of the school.

甚至跑到學校外面。

Sometimes these fits of anger would put the entire school into lockdown mode

有時，當他的憤怒發作時，

整所學校會因此進入一級封鎖模式，

until D could get himself back together,

直到 D 重新恢復正常才解除，

which could sometimes take over an hour.

有時會花上超過一小時。

No one in the school knew how to help D.

學校裡沒有人知道要怎麼協助 D。

I know this because I was the principal at this school.

我之所會知道這點， 是因為我當時是這所學校的校長。

And what I quickly and collectively learned with my staff

很快的，我就從全體教職員那邊得知，

was that this situation was more extreme

這個情況實在太極端，

than anything we had ever been trained for.

已經超過了我們過去 受訓能處理的範圍。

Every time that D lashed out,

每當 D 爆發時，

I kept thinking to myself:

我自己就不斷心想：

what did I miss during my principal prep coursework?

我在讀校長預備學程時 少學了什麼嗎？

What am I supposed to do with a kid like D?

我該拿 D 這樣的孩子如何是好？

And how am I going to stop him from impeding the learning

我要如何避免他妨礙到

所有其他學生的學習？

of all the other students?

And yet after we did everything that we thought we knew,

我們把我們知道的所有方法都用上了，

such as talking to D

比如直接和 D 談，奪去他的特權，

and taking away privileges

and parent phone calls home,

也打電話到他家找他父母，

the only real option we had left to do was to kick him out,

最後我們只剩下一個選項， 就是把他踢出去，

and I knew that would not help him.

我知道這麼做對他沒幫助。

This scenario is not unique to D.

並不只有 D 有這種狀況。

Students all over the world are struggling with their education.

世界各地都有學生 遇到教育上的困難。

And though we didn't come up with a fail-safe solution,

雖然我們沒有辦法提供 萬無一失的解決方案，

we did come up with a simple idea:

我們仍提出了一個簡單的想法：

that in order for kids like D to not only survive in school

為了幫助 D 這樣的孩子

不僅能在學校存活下來，

but to thrive,

還能好好發展，

we somehow had to figure out a way

我們得要想出一種方法，

to not only teach them how to read and write

不只是教導他們閱讀和寫字，

but also how to help them deal with and manage their own emotions.

還要教導他們處理和管理自己的情緒。

And in doing that, we were able to move our school

透過這麼做之後，我們的學校

from one of the lowest-performing schools in the state of Ohio,

本來是俄亥俄州 表現最差的學校之一，

with an F rating,

評鑑分數只有 F，

all the way up to a C in just a matter of a few years.

後來在短短幾年間就一路爬升到 C。

So it might sound obvious, right?

這方法聽起來顯而易見，對吧？

Of course teachers should be focused on the emotional well-being of their kids.

當然老師應該要重視 孩子的情緒健康。

But in reality,

但在現實中，

when you're in a classroom full of 30 students

當你的班上塞滿了三十個學生，

and one of them's throwing tables at you,

其中一個學生朝你扔桌子，

it's far easier to exclude that child

比較容易的做法是逐出那個孩子，

than to figure out what's going on inside of his head.

要去理解他腦袋裡 在想什麼就困難許多。

But what we learned about D,

但，我們從 D 及這類孩子 身上學到的是，

and for kids like D,

was that small changes can make huge differences,

小小的改變就能造成大大的不同，

and it's possible to start right now.

且我們可以現在開始採取行動。

You don't need bigger budgets or grand strategic plans,

你不需要多大的預算

或多偉大的策略計畫，

you simply need smarter ways of thinking about what you have

你只需要比較聰明的方法，

想想看你有什麼資源， 及它們在什麼地方。

and where you have it.

In education, we tend to always look outside the box for answers,

在教育上，我們在找答案時， 總是希望跳出傳統常規，

and we rarely spend enough time, money and effort

我們很少花足夠的時間、金錢、心力

developing what we already have inside the box.

去發展我們已經有的傳統常規。

And this is how meaningful change can happen fast.

這樣才能快速產生有意義的改變。

So here's what I learned about D.

以下是我對 D 的了解。

I was wanting to dig a little bit deeper to figure out how he had become so angry.

我那時想要再深入一點了解， 他怎麼會變成這麼憤怒。

And what I learned was his father had left the home

而我得到的資訊是， 他的爸爸離家了，

and his mother was working long shifts in order to support the family,

他的媽媽必須要 長時間工作才能養家，

which left no adult for D to connect with --

因此沒有任何成人能和 D 連結——

and he was in charge of taking care of his younger brother

他放學回家之後， 得要負責照顧他弟弟。

when he got home from school.

Might I remind you that D was six years old?

容我提醒各位，D 才六歲大。

Can't say that I blame him for having some trouble

我實在無法責怪他 在轉換到學校環境時遇到困難。

transitioning into the school environment.

But yet we had to figure out a way to help him with these big emotions

但，我們得要想辦法協助他 處理這些強大的情緒，

all while teaching him core skills of reading and math.

同時還要教導他閱讀 和數學等核心技能。

And three things helped us most.

有三件事對我們幫助最大。

First, we had to figure out where he was struggling the most.

第一，我們得要了解 他最大的困難點在哪裡。

And like most young kids,

對大部分的小朋友而言，

arrival at school can be a tough transition time

「到學校」就是個很艱難的轉換時期，

as they're moving from a less structured home environment

因為他們從比較 沒有結構的家庭環境，

to a more structured school environment.

進入到比較有結構的學校環境。

So what we did for D was we created a calming area for him

我們在隔離間中為 D 創造了 一個冷靜用的區域，

in our time-out room,

which we had equipped with rocking chairs and soft cushions and books,

這裡，我們的設備包括 搖椅、軟墊，和書籍，

and we allowed D to go to this place in the morning,

我們允許 D 在早晨時到這個地方，

away from the other kids,

遠離其他孩子，

allowing him time to transition back into the school environment

讓他有時間可以轉換回到學校環境，

on his own terms.

照他自己的步調走。

And as we began to learn more about D,

我們更了解 D 之後，

we learned other strategies that helped him calm down.

我們發現還有其他策略 可以協助他冷靜下來。

For example, D loved to help younger students,

比如，D 很喜歡協助 年紀比他小的學生，

so we made him a kindergarten helper,

所以我們讓他擔任幼稚園助手，

and he went into the kindergarten classroom

他會去幼稚園教室，

and taught students how to write their letters.

去教學生如何寫字母。

And he was actually successful with a few of them

他甚至成功教會了幾個

that the teacher was unable to reach.

連老師都沒輒的學生。

And believe it or not,

且，信不信由你，

D actually helped calm some of those kindergarten students down,

D 還成功協助幾位 幼稚園學生冷靜下來，

signalling to us that the influence of peers on behavior was far greater

讓我們見識到， 同儕對於行為的影響

遠大於我們成人能用的任何方法。

than anything we adults could ever do.

We used humor and song with him.

我們對他採用幽默和歌曲。

Yes, I know it sounds really silly

是的，我知道聽起來很蠢，

that the principal and the teachers would actually laugh with kids,

校長和老師跟孩子們笑成一團，

but you can imagine the shock on D's face

但你們可以想像一下， D 的神情有多震驚，

when the principal's cracking a joke or singing a song from the radio station,

因為校長透過廣播講了個笑話 或是唱了一首歌時，

which almost always ended in a laugh,

通常最後大家就會笑成一團，

shortening the length of his outburst

這讓他爆發的時間縮短了，

and helping us to connect with him in his world.

也讓我們可以 在他的世界中和他連結。

So I know some you are like,

我知道在座有些人在想：

"It's really not practical to lay on this kind of special treatment

「對每個學生都要實施這種特殊待遇，

實在不是很實際的做法。」

for every student,"

but we actually made it happen.

但我們真的實現了。

Because once we figured out the tools and tactics that worked for D,

因為，一旦我們搞懂了 哪些工具和戰略對 D 行得通，

our teachers were able to roll that out and use them with other students.

我們的老師就能推行這些方法， 用在其他學生身上。

We began to proactively address student behavior

對於學生的行為問題， 我們開始先發制人，

instead of simply react to it.

而不再是單純被動應變。

Our teachers actually took time during the lesson plan

我們的老師真的在教案上花時間，

to teach kids how to identify their feelings

教導孩子如何辨識出他們的感受，

and appropriate, healthy coping strategies for dealing with them,

並教導他們用適當、 健康的策略來處理那些情緒，

such as counting to 10,

比如從一數到十，

grabbing a fidget spinner

拿個指尖陀螺來玩， 或快速去散個步。

or taking a quick walk.

We incorporated brain breaks throughout the day,

一天當中，我們也會 融入大腦休息時間，

allowing kids to sing songs,

讓孩子唱歌，做瑜伽動作，

do yoga poses

and participate in structured physical activities.

並參與結構性的動態活動。

And for those kids that struggle with sitting for long periods of time,

針對很難久坐的孩子，

we invested in flexible seating,

我們投資了有彈性的坐椅，

such as rocking chairs and exercise bikes,

比如搖椅和室內單車，

and even floor elliptical machines,

甚至還有滑步機，

allowing kids to pedal underneath their desks.

讓孩子們可以在桌子下面踩踏。

These changes encouraged kids to stay in the classroom,

這些改變能鼓勵孩子們待在教室裡，

helping them to focus and learn.

協助他們專注和學習。

And when less kids are disrupting,

愈少有孩子搗亂，

all kids do better.

所有孩子就會表現得更好。

And here's the magical thing:

很神奇的是：

it didn't cost us a whole lot of extra money.

我們並沒有花很多額外的錢。

We simply thought differently about what we had.

我們只是把既有的東西 套上不同的想法來使用。

For example, every public school has an instructional supply line.

比如，所有公立學校都有教具經費。

An instructional supply could be a book,

教具經費可以供給書籍，

it could be a whiteboard,

白板，

it could be flexible seating,

彈性座椅，

it could be a fidget spinner,

也可以是指尖陀螺，

it could even be painting the walls of a school a more calming color,

甚至可以把學校的牆壁 漆上比較有緩解作用的顏色，

allowing students to thrive.

讓學生可以好好發展。

It's not that we didn't invest in the academic tools --

當然，我們還是有投資學術工具——

obviously --

這很明顯——

but we took the social tools seriously, too.

但我們也認真看待社交工具。

And the results speak for themselves.

結果不言自明。

By taking the emotional development of our kids seriously

因為我們能認真看待 孩子的情緒發展，

and helping them manage their emotions,

並協助他們管理他們的情緒，

we saw huge growth in our reading and math scores,

結果孩子在閱讀和數學分數上 都有相當大的進步，

far exceeding the one year of expected growth

遠超過預期的年成長，

and outscoring many schools with our same demographic.

還打敗了和我們有相同 人口統計特性的許多學校。

The second thing we did to help our kids manage their emotions

在協助孩子管理情緒上， 我們所做的第二件事

was we used leverage.

就是借力使力。

As a not-so-funded public school,

我們是一所資金 不太充裕的公立學校，

we didn't have the support staff

我們沒有支援的人員

to address the chaos that our kids might be facing at home,

可以處理孩子們在家中 可能會面臨的混亂，

and we certainly weren't trained or funded to address it directly.

我們也沒有接受過培訓 或資金能直接介入。

So we started to reach out to local groups,

所以我們開始接觸 地方團體、社區機構，

community agencies,

and even the Ohio State University.

甚至俄亥俄州立大學。

Our partnership with the Ohio State University

我們和俄亥俄州立大學合作， 請他們提供大學生給我們，

afforded us college students

not only studying education

不只是主修教育的大學生，

but also school psychology and school social work.

還有主修社會心理學 和學校社會福利工作的大學生。

These students were paired with our teachers

這些學生和我們的老師配對搭擋，

to help our most struggling students.

來協助狀況最糟的學生。

And everyone benefitted

大家都能受益，

because our teachers got access to the latest college-level thinking,

因為我們的老師能夠取得 最新的大學等級思想，

and those college students got real-world, life experiences

而那些大學生能在教室裡

獲得真實生活中的經歷。

in the classroom.

Our partnership with our local Nationwide Children's Hospital

我們也和我們本地的 全美兒童醫院合作，

afforded us -- they're building us a health clinic within our school,

合作方式是——他們 在我們學校中建立健康診所，

providing health and mental health resources for our students.

提供健康和心理健康資源 給我們的學生。

And our kids benefitted from this, too.

我們的孩子也能從中受益。

Our absences continued to go down,

我們的學生缺席狀況越來越少，

and our kids had access to counseling

我們的孩子能夠取得諮詢，

that they could access during the school day.

且是在上學日就能取得。

And perhaps the biggest change was not in D or in the kids at all.

也許，

改變最大的人不是 D 或其他孩子，

It was in the adults in the room.

而是教室中的成人。

Teachers are typically good

一般來說，老師很擅長 規劃和實行學術性的教學，

at planning for and delivering academic instruction,

but when you throw in disruptive behavior,

但如果遇到了打斷課程的行為，

it can feel completely outside the scope of the job.

感覺處理這件事 就完全不在工作範圍內了。

But by us taking the emotional development of our kids seriously,

但，我們認真看待孩子的情緒發展，

we moved from a philosophy of exclusion --

因此我們能從原本的排除哲學——

you disrupt, get out --

你打斷課程，滾出去——

to one of trust and respect.

邁向信任和尊重的哲學。

It wasn't easy,

這並不容易，但我們打心裡知道，

but we felt at heart,

it was a positive way to make change,

這是一種正面的改變方式，

and I'm in awe at the teachers that took that leap with me.

我非常敬佩願意和我 一起冒險嘗試的老師們。

As part of our personal professional development plan,

我們的個人職業發展計畫包括了

we studied the research of Dr. Bruce Perry

要研讀布魯斯佩里博士的研究，

and his research on the effects of different childhood experiences

他研究過不同童年經歷

對於兒童大腦發展的影響。

on the developing child's brain.

And what we learned was that some of our students' experiences,

我們所學到的是， 我們某些學生的經歷，

such as an absent parent,

比如單親、

chaotic home life,

家庭生活混亂、

poverty and illness,

貧窮及生病，

create real trauma on developing brains.

會對正在發展中的大腦 造成真實的創傷。

Yes, trauma.

是的，創傷。

I know it's a very strong word,

我知道這是個很強烈的詞，

but it helped us to reframe and understand the behaviors that we were seeing.

但它能協助我們去重新表述 和了解我們看到的行為。

And those difficult home experiences

而艱困的家庭狀況

created real barbed-wire barriers to learning,

對學習帶來了如鐵絲網般的障礙，

and we had to figure out a way over it.

我們得要想辦法繞過這障礙。

So our teachers continued to practice with lesson plans,

所以，我們的老師 持續練習各種課程計畫，

doing shorter lesson plans with a single focus,

用比較短且只有 一個重點的課程計畫，

allowing kids to engage,

讓孩子們參與其中，

and continued to incorporate these movement breaks,

並持續整合這些休息活動，

allowing kids to jump up and down in class and dance for two minutes straight,

在課堂上騰出整整兩分鐘時間， 容許孩子跳上跳下以及跳舞，

because we learned that taking breaks helps the learner retain new information.

因為我們學到，稍微休息一下 能協助學習者保留新吸收的資訊。

And might I add that the "Cha-Cha Slide" provides a perfect short dance party.

讓我補充一點，"Cha-Cha Slide" 這首歌就很適合做短暫的舞會。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I saw teachers say, "What happened to you?"

我發現老師們學會說： 「你發生了什麼事？」

instead of "What's wrong with you?"

而不是「你有什麼問題？」

or "How can I help you?" instead of "Get out."

或者，他們會說： 「我能怎麼協助你？」

而不是「滾出去。」

And this investment in our kids made huge differences,

在孩子身上做這些投資， 造成了很大的不同，

and we continue to see rises in our academic scores.

我們學校學生的 學術成績持續在提升。

I'm happy to say that when D got to fourth grade,

我很高興能跟各位說， 當 D 升四年級時，

he rarely got into trouble.

他已經很少惹麻煩了。

He became a leader in the school,

他成了學校中的領導人，

and this behavior became contagious with other students.

且這種行為可以感染其他學生。

We saw and felt our school climate continue to improve,

我們看到也感受到 學校中的風氣持續在改善，

making it a happy and safe place not only for children

讓學校成為快樂又安全的地方，

不僅對孩子來說是如此， 對成人亦然，

but for adults,

despite any outside influence.

就算有外界影響也一樣。

Fast-forward to today,

快轉到現今，

I now work with an alternative education program

我現在參與了一項替代教育方案，

with high school students

對象是難以適應 傳統高中教育的學生。

who struggle to function in traditional high school setting.

I recently reviewed some of their histories.

最近，我檢視了 一些學生的歷史記錄。

Many of them are 17 to 18 years old,

當中許多人的年齡是 17~18 歲，

experimenting with drugs,

在嘗試吸毒，

in and out of the juvenile detention system

進進出出少年輔育院，

and expelled from school.

被學校退學。

And what I discovered was that many of them exhibit the same behaviors

我發現，

這些學生當中有許多人都展現了

我在六歲的 D 身上看到的行為。

that I saw in six-year-old D.

So I can't help but wonder:

所以，我忍不住想：

if these kids would've learned healthy coping strategies early on

如果這些孩子能早點在艱難的時刻

就先學到健康的情緒處理策略，

when times get tough,

would they now be able to survive in a regular high school?

現在他們有沒有可能 在一般的高中裡生存？

I can't say for sure,

我無法肯定，

but I have to tell you I believe that it would've helped.

但我得告訴各位， 我相信那會有幫助。

And it's time for all of us to take the social and emotional development

該是我們認真看待孩子的社會發展

of our kids seriously.

和情緒發展的時候了。

The time is now for us to step up and say what we need to do for our kids.

我們現在就該站出來，

說出我們該為孩子做些什麼。

If we teach kids how to read and write, and they graduate

如果我們教導孩子如何閱讀和寫字，

且他們畢業了，

but yet they don't know how to manage emotions,

但他們不知道如何管理情緒，

what will our communities look like?

那我們的社區會變成什麼樣子？

I tell people:

我告訴人們：

you can invest now or you will pay later.

你要麼現在投資， 要麼是以後付出代價。

The time is now for us to invest in our kids.

現在我們就應該投資在孩子身上。

They're our future citizens,

他們是我們的未來公民，

not just numbers that can or cannot pass a test.

不只是考試及不及格的數字。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲及歡呼）