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Enhancing Academic Resiliency. Presented at the 26 th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience Addison, Texas February 19, 2007 Latty Goodwin, Ph.D. Director, First-Year Enrichment Program Rochester Institute of Technology 50 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623
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Enhancing Academic Resiliency Presented at the 26th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience Addison, Texas February 19, 2007 Latty Goodwin, Ph.D. Director, First-Year Enrichment Program Rochester Institute of Technology 50 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 latty.goodwin@rit.edu 585-475-6683
SESSION OVERVIEW • Definition • What does academic resiliency look like? • What do we know about it? • Cycle of Resiliency • Further Readings/Reference • Discussion/Application
DEFINITION Resilient students are: “students who succeed in school despite the presence of adverse conditions.” Waxman, H. C., Gray, J.P., & Padron, Y. N. (2003). Review of Research on Educational Resilience (p.1). CA: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence.
What does academic resiliency look like?[STUDENT] CHARACTERISTICS • Adaptable temperament; flexible; tolerates ambiguity • Optimistic • Anticipates problems; solves problems logically • Creative solutions to challenges • Positive self-esteem • Sees humor in self and life situations • Curious; learns from experience • “Reads” people well • Durable and independent • Internal locus of control • Achievement-oriented attitude
THREE DOMAINS students 1) “hold it” 2) “fold it” 3) “walk away/run” Academic Resilience instructors institution
What do we know? RESEARCH • Focus has been on personal and pre-college resiliency • H. Waxman, J. Gray, and Y. Padron – comprehensive educational summary • B. Benard – strategic focus • J. McMillan & D. Reed – academic success factors • My research: HEOP 1st-year population & FYE population
1. ADVERSITY • Necessary for a resilient response • Universities = ample opportunity! • External • Internal • Perception = situational
2.CLIMATE Three Protective Factors Best Practice A) Provide Connection B) Build Competence C) Create Opportunities for Participation and Contribution
2. CLIMATE A) PROVIDE CONNECTION *Teaching & mentoringcaring relationship (FYE!) • Support • Respect • Compassion • Model resiliency • Listen • Validate • Refrain from judging
2. CLIMATE B) BUILD COMPETENCE *Stress high expectations and achievement (FYE!) • Believe in student’s innate capacities • Challenge with support • Structure for growth and risk • Focus on strengths • Teach to student’s innate resiliency • Student-centered instruction
2. CLIMATE C) CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION & CONTRIBUTION *Give students power and responsibility (FYE!) • Interactive group process • Reflection, dialogue, critical thinking • Express opinions • Make choices • Problem solve • Immediate & frequent feedback • Opportunities to give back
3. AWARENESS • Students identify source & severity of adversity • Accept the need for change • Ability to penetrate the adversity determines strength & appropriateness of response
4. RESPONSE • Decide how to cope • “Response ability” (Reivich & Shatte’) • CORE skills: control, ownership, reach, endurance (Stoltz) • “Resilient reintegration” or “innate self-righting mechanism” (Richardson) • “Healthy” response leads to
5. RESILIENCY • More cycles = stronger & more automatic response • Situational resiliency • Sustaining resiliency • Resiliency confidence enhances self-image & identity
SELECTED REFERENCES • Benard, B. (1998). “How to Be a Turnaround Teacher/Mentor” http://www.resiliency.com/htm/turnaround.htm • Benard, B. “From Risk to Resiliency: What Schools Can Do” http://www.tanglewood.net/projects/teachertraining/Book_of_Readings/Benard.pdf • McMillan, J., & Reed, D. (1994). “At-risk students and resiliency: Factors contributing to academic success.” Clearing House, 67 (3), 137-141. • Reivich, K., & Shatte’, A. (2002). The resilience factor: 7 essential skills for overcoming life’s inevitable obstacles. NY: Broadway Books. • Richardson, G.E. (2002, March). The metatheory of resilience and resiliency. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58 (3), 307-321. • Stoltz, P. G. (1999). Adversity quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunity. NY: John Wiley & Sons. • Waxman, H. C., Gray, J.P., & Padron, Y. N. (2003). Review of Research on Educational Resilience. (Research Report 11). CA: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS • What are the adverse conditions that our first-year students face? • As educators, what adverse conditions do we face when working with first-year students? • What helps bring out the resiliency in our students? Where are the openings within FYE programs to enhance resiliency? • What brings out our resiliency? How can we nurture this?