Dr. Gerald Wade Neal, Pfeiffer University

1. The Doorway to Success Dr. Gerald Wade Neal, Pfeiffer University NC Middle School Association Conference, March 13-15, 2011

2. Inside Out: The ART & SCIENCE of Student-centered School & Classroom Climatology • Addressing Student Needs: The Foundation for Learning and Development • The Doorway to Success • Classroom Arrangement and Atmosphere • The First 10 Minutes • Minimizing Disciplinary Action • Personalizing the Instructional Presentation: Introduction and Extension • The Missing Link: Establishing a Sense of Belonging and Building Self-Esteem • Student-Centered Approaches to High-Anxiety Assessment: End of Course/Grade Test Anxiety Busters • Cooperation: Overcoming the Unseen yet Toxic Effects of “Healthy” Competition

3. Every day in America* • 4 children are killed by abuse or neglect • 5 children, or teens, commit suicide • 8 children are killed by firearms • 181 children are arrested for violent crimes • 383 children are arrested for drug abuse • 2,383 children are reported abused or neglected • 1,153 babies are born to teen mothers • 2,411 babies are born into poverty • 2,261 children drop out of high school • 4,356 children are arrested • 9,200,000 children are without health insurance • 12,423,000 children live in poverty Children's Defense Fund 2008.

4. BAGGAGE All the children included in these statistics (and more categories not listed) come to school carrying their burdens and issues with them. By default our schools have become the focus of efforts to address multiple issues. Schools readily admit they are both inadequately informed and inadequately prepared for this immense task.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT Those directly related to “CLASSROOM” are “FAMILY” & “PEER GROUP” http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/earlyyears/eresource/information-professionals/effective-practice/what-does-the-evidence-tell-us/

6. THE FAMILY: EXAMPLES OF THE BAGGAGE THATADVERSLEY IMPACTS LEARNING

7. Children from Single-Parent Homes About 1 in 4 white children, 1 in 3 Hispanic children, & 2 of 3 black children • Children in single-parent families score lower on standardized tests and to receive lower grades in school. • Children in single-parent families are nearly twice as likely to drop out of school. • Children living in single-parent homes or in step-families report lower educational expectations, and less social supervision. • At least one-third of children experiencing a parental separation "demonstrated a significant decline in academic performance" persisting at least three years. http://www.photius.com/feminocracy/facts_on_fatherless_kids.html http://www.jointcenter.org/DB/factsheet/sigpatn.htm

8. Children from Fatherless Homes Account for: 63% of youth suicides.(Source: US Dept. of Health & Human Services, Bureau of the Census) 71% of pregnant teenagers.(Source: US Dept. of Health &  Human Services) 90% of all homeless and runaway children(Source: US Dept. of Health &  Human Services) 70% of  juveniles in state-operated institutions (Source:  U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988) 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders (Source: Center for Disease Control). 80%  of rapists. (Source: Criminal Justice &  Behavior, Vol. 14, p. 403-26, 1978). 71% of all high school dropouts. (Source: National Principals Association Report on the State of High  Schools). 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers. (Source: Rainbows for all God's Children). Matthew Robinson, "What Causes School Violence?" Investor's Business Daily, November 12, 1997.

9. “The home is the most violent place in America.” In 1995 The FBI reported 27% of all violent crimes involves family on family violence…These statistics grossly underestimates the violence in the home because it is likely that fewer than 5% of domestic violence is ever reported. A three year old child’s drawing of his angry father. --Dr. Bruce Perry

10. THE REALITY OF ABUSE It is estimated that between 5%and 10% of all child abuse is reported. In NC, CPS investigates about half of all reported cases (52% in 2002). Scotland County investigated 7% in 2002. In all cases, teachersreport about 15%. The victims report 0.6 % (The parent of the child in the X-Ray told caseworkers that he fell out of bed. The arm is broken in two places.) • http://preilly.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/who-reports-child-abuse.jpg Gerald Neal Quiet Desperation

11. SEXUAL ABUSE 27% of females and 16% of males claim to have been sexually abused. Half of the females who reported rapes were under the age of 18, 16% (1 in 6) were under 12. www.a-team.org/child_abuse_statistics.html

12. POVERTY “One in six children in America lives in poverty.” -Save the Children “The strongest predictor of student achievement is parents' income.” http://granby01033.blogspot.com/2007/11/its-poverty-stupid-education-academic.html

13. POVERTY and CHILD ABUSE Compared to children whose families earned $30,000 or more, children in families with annual incomes below $15,000 were: • More than 25 times more likely to experience maltreatment • More than 44 times more likely to be neglected • Over 22 times more likely to be seriously injured • 60 times more likely to die from maltreatment -Gerald Neal. Quiet Desperation

14. Bullies • 8% of students miss 1 day of class per month for fear of being BULLIED. • 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school. • 60% of those characterized as bullies in grades 6-9 had at least one criminal conviction by age 24. • 70% of middle school students feel that there is a bullying problem in their schools. 25% of the teachers in those schools felt bullying was a problem. http://members.aol.com/kthynoll/schools.htm

15. Peer Pressure • SEX • DRUGS & ALCOHOL • GANGS • CRIME • BULLYING • DISHONESTY

16. How the BRAIN reacts to STRESS

17. GRAY MATTER ACTIVITY

18. Amygdala

19. THE HIPPOCAMPUS: MAKER OF MEMORIES

20. TheHippocampus: Memory and Learning amygdala Repeated stress appears to inhibit the developmentof neurons in one part of the hippocampus and cause atrophyin another. These changes are related to some of the observed functional problems with memoryandlearningthat accompany stress-related syndromes, including post-traumatic stress disorder. (PTSD: see Perry & Azad, 1999). (Sapolsky & Plotsky, 1990; Sapolsky et al., 1990).

21. THE CORPUS COLLOSUM The underdeveloped Corpus Collosummakes it difficult for one hemisphere of the brain to communicate with the other. This impedes or destroys: • creativity • problem solving • regulating emotions • cause and effect thinking • social abilities • communicating emotions Neal, Quite Desperation, 2008

22. That can cause the brain to be up to 30% smaller than healthy brains. Healthy Brain Traumatized Brain CORPUS COLLOSSUM

23. BLOOM’S TAXONOMY COGNITIVELEARNING BEGINS ???MISSING LINK ??? HEALTH/SAFETY ENDS

24. WHAT DO TEACHERS NEED TO KNOW? • The many causes of stress and the severity of its impact on student behavior and achievement • What the teacher can and cannot do; what the teacher can and cannot be • The importance of a simple greeting on behavior, academic performance, and meeting student needs • That cognitive development is minimal until basic needs are met • The significance of Belonging and Self-Esteem in psychological development

25. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside that golden door"

26. “I saw the Statue of Liberty. And I said to myself, ‘Lady, you're such a beautiful! You opened your arms and you get all the foreigners here. Give me a chance to prove that I am worth it, to do something, to be someone in America.’ And always that statue was on my mind.” (Moreno, 2000, p. 65.)

27. THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AS A SYMBOL • OPPORTUNITY • ACCEPTANCE • PROMISE / HOPE • SAFETY • KNOWLEDGE • JUSTICE • FREEDOM • HAPPINESS

28. The Torch symbolizes that light (or enlightenment) is the key to achieving freedom.  Without seeing that freedom exists, one cannot obtain it.  TEACHERS ARE ALSO LIGHT BEARERS.

29. The Crown The statue wears a crown with seven spikes. This represents the 7 seas and 7 continents of the world. A TEACHER ALSO WELCOMES A DIVERSE POPULATION

30. The Tablet or Book The Statue holds a tablet in her left hand, a book of law based on the founding principles of this nation- law. TEACHERS ARE AUTHORITY FIGURES WHO FOLLOW CODES AND RULES BY ENFORCING AN ETHICAL CONCEPT OF JUSTICE.

31. The tablet's shape is called a keystone.  In architecture, a keystone is the stone which keeps the others together.  Without it everything would fall apart.  THEREFORE, TEACHERS ARE KEYSTONES.

32. Body Language Even though the Statue stands on a pedestal, she is actually walking ahead moving forward.  This goddess is lighting the path for others to follow. A TEACHER’S BODY LANGUAGE SHOULD INVITE, ENCOURAGE, & LEAD STUDENTS.

33. Broken Chains Located at the Statue's feet symbolize the freedom that Lady Liberty has.  It demonstrates that the Statue is free from slavery and bondage. TEACHERS ALSO MUST ADVOCATE FOR THE NEEDY IN TODAY’S SCHOOLS.

34. How INVITING is YOUR Harbor? "Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse…the homeless, tempest-tost to me.” Does this describe your students?

35. “I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" WHAT DO YOU SYMBOLIZE TO YOUR STUDENTS?

36. Do you hold the torch of enlightenment for them? • Does your crown embrace diversity? • Do your arms protect the keystone? • Do they celebrate the freedoms you provide? • Do your students think “such a beautiful!” when they see you?

37. The POWER of a Greeting “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” -Mother Teresa

38. Wal-Mart has grown to become the nation’s largest retailer through customer service and proactive leadership. The first step in each of these two components of their business model is greeting the individual customer at the door.

39. GREETINGS BUILD BELONGING From the Wal-Mart Training Manual: • Provide superior customerserviceto every customer who walks in the store • Quickly evaluate a customer’s needs upon entering the store • Buildrapport with new and long-time customers • Acknowledge customer concerns • Be proactive rather than reactive http://liblogs.albany.edu/library20/2006/11/wal-mart_greeters_in_the_library.html

40. Provide superior customer service to every customer who walks in the store CHARACTERISTICS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE: • Listening • Dealing with complaints/problems • Helpfulness • Concern for the customer/valuing the customer • Taking the extra step

41. Quickly evaluate a customer’s needs upon entering • Attitudes • Supplies • Questions • Illness • Directives

42. Buildrapportwith customers “Rapport seems to facilitate both student motivationforlearning and their enjoyment of the course, and enhances student receptivity to what is being taught.” http://www.socialpsychology.org/rapport.htm

43. RAPPORT at the DOOR!

44. Fast and Effective Rapport Building • Refer to students by name • Show interest in their interests and abilities • Smile • Use humor on occasion • Interact with students • Be available • Be happy to see them • Believe each student will succeed. • Know that everyone want to be needed, want to belong.

45. Acknowledgecustomerconcerns "One friend, one person who is truly understanding, who takes the trouble to listen to us as we consider a problem, can change our whole outlook on the world."— Dr. E. H. Mayo

46. Be Proactive: “The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror.”Tom Daschle • To be proactive, ask yourself what is likely to happen, and act before it happens. • It takes energy to rise above the difficulties of the moment, to see the big picture and to make the changes you need to make. http://www.proactivechange.com/how/proactive-reactive.htm

47. The Doorway to Success In South Carolina in 2007, a study was conducted to determine the impact of greeting middle school students as they enter the classroom. Students who had a history of off-task behavior were monitored to see how often they stayed on task during the first 10 minutes of class. http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/articles/2007/jaba-40-02-0317.pdf

48. The Doorway to Success First, they were monitored without teacher greetings over an extended period of time. http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/articles/2007/jaba-40-02-0317.pdf

49. The Doorway to Success Students who were NOT GREETED at the doorway were on-task during the first 10 minutes of class under 46% of the time.

50. Then the teacher started greeting the students in the study by name as they entered the classroom, complimenting or welcoming them very briefly.