I got my first taste of the Center’s work with schools by helping Ami a little--interviewing a few key players at Principal’s Center Collaborative (PCC), a non-residential “court” high school for youth in trouble with the law.
As the Center’s new Grants Manager, I am “learning as I go” about the 3 Principles/innate health approach and its impact in a wide range of contexts--from housing projects to high schools--by being a “privileged listener” of other people’s stories. As I interview people, I notice that there are usually two levels operating within each person’s story: at one level there is a personal story of inner change; at another level there is the story of how the Principles helped to change an environment--a workplace, a community, a school.
"They very quickly were able to start
having a much better day ... "
having a much better day ... "
I spoke with Ernest Brown, PCC’s Clinical Director and one of the individuals most responsible for the high level of commitment and enthusiasm for a Principles-based approach at Principal’s Center Collaborative. Ernest related that he was someone who had a great deal of knowledge accumulated over a lifetime about many things related to social, psychological and spiritual change--through study and reflection and practice. This prior knowledge allowed Ernest to recognize the value of Three Principles training when he was introduced to it at a presentation given several years ago by the Center, at the request of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office. However, he noted that, although he thought the training would be of benefit to PCC staff (and he subsequently initiated a five-year relationship between the Center and PCC), he felt that he himself already knew what the training was all about. It wasn’t until later, when he’d been involved in a number of trainings in the 3 Principles and realized the extent to which his thoughts and reactions were not where he wanted them to be, that he opened up to asking a question. Insights followed. There was a deepening of what he knew.
Thereafter, his thoughts, feelings and reactions began to change. When a student returned to campus after being suspended for aggressive behavior, Ernest found himself greeting that student warmly, leaving the past behind. “I started finding how refreshing that was for those students,” Ernest said. “Because they would walk up and I would give them a lot of positive energy, they very quickly were able to start having a much better day because they didn’t have some negative energy from me to respond to.”
Aggression against teachers has decreased ...
Ernest talked about the impact of the Principles training at PCC, how teachers have found healthier ways to deal with conflicts, and how students are more engaged with their academics. PCC certainly does amazing work with its students, most of whom had severe truancy issues prior to arriving at PCC. Statistics from the past year show that, from prior to attending PCC to post-PCC, students’ average attendance increased 75%, GPAs increased from average D- to B, and academic credits went up from average five per semester to 20 per semester. While it is difficult to determine precisely how much of a role the 3 Principles approach had on these outcomes, the enthusiasm of administrators and staff at PCC for the Principles, and their observations about the changes on campus--particularly during the period when the Center’s trainers spent time teaching the students directly--point to a significant role for 3 Principles training in helping to create an optimal school environment.
Staff noted that aggression against teachers has decreased, and there has been a reduction in student suspensions and in requests from teachers to remove students from class for disruptive behavior. Students tend to be less aggressive with one another and to develop better relationships among themselves. There are fewer cliques and gang activity, less profanity, and students keep the campus cleaner--taking ownership in a positive way of their physical environment.
Pre-training, the students exhibited animosity in the mornings because of their dislike of security searches when they arrived on campus. Post-training, the students dealt with the morning searches with greater equanimity, realizing that the teachers were not “out to get them,” and that the searches ensured a safer campus for everyone.
Preliminary statistics on recidivism suggest that PCC students offend less than the average high school age person in trouble with the law. Sixty-five per cent of students arrive at PCC with a record of crimes against persons, but after PCC only 18% reoffended this year with a crime against another person. (The California state average for recidivism for students in the PCC population is 71%).
Note: Published research studies related to Principles-based work can be found at http://www.threeprinciplesresearch.com
The feelings of helplessness changed ...
Kevin Kerr, who was Principal over four court schools, including PCC, during most of the past five years (and is now Principal at Balboa high school), talked about the impact of the trainings on teachers and other staff, particularly in terms of their attitudes towards the students. “There was a certain level of victimization among the teachers, that there was nothing they could do,” Kevin said. “The kids come with all these problems and they [teachers] are expected to make miracles to turn things around.” The feelings of helplessness changed once the teachers took the Principles to heart and realized, “What these kids bring to the school has nothing to do with them [the teachers]. Once the teachers started to grasp that idea, it improved working conditions for the teachers almost immediately.”
Kevin describes that as a key moment for the teachers. He had a key moment himself. One morning he and his wife got stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work. He started to be filled with anxiety because he was going to be late and there was so much to do… Then he stepped back and realized he could experience the situation another way. “I was able to calm myself down and realize this was an opportunity to spend time with my wife and have a nice moment.”
The personal arising of wisdom within adults is so important to creating a calm, trusting environment that facilitates strong relationships with students.
"These kids have a real strong sense of when someone is B.S.'ing them."
PCC teacher Tomas Enguidanos’s exposure to the training had such an effect. Tomas started slowing down and was able to connect with his students as human beings. “I started listening better to my students, and I found that very powerful.”
This powerful form of listening allowed Tomas to let go of labels and diagnoses that were getting in the way of really helping the students. He feels his attitude gave students more trust in him and improved results. For example, a Nicaraguan student who initially resisted Tomas’s assistance responded better when Tomas declined to force the matter. Later, the student agreed to meet, and said, “If you let me read what I want to read, I can read all you want.” Tomas helped this student access the books he wanted--adult level books that reflected his life and interests--and the student’s reading comprehension immediately improved to 98 percent comprehension. “Now, he trusts me so much, and he comes to me for help with all kinds of different projects,” Tomas said.
The students responded well when the Center’s trainers, Ami and Gabriela Maldonado-Montano, came into the classroom a few times per week last fall. Tomas describes the rapport that developed between trainers and the students: “When Gabriela came into the classroom, I noticed that she would tell her own stories about her life and be very honest, and that would open up the dialogue with the students. It did not feel heavy, even though the topics were about serious life issues. I became honest with my stories too. These kids have a real strong sense of when someone is B.S.’ing them. But Gabriela also had boundaries, and when the kids asked questions that were inappropriate, she re-directed.”
"We are kind of feeding it to the students,
whether they are recognizing it or not."
whether they are recognizing it or not."
Kevin Brooks, PCC’s Learning Through Internship Coordinator (part of the new Big Picture Learning program), noticed with some amazement that the students-- most of whom are male--listened to Ami and Gabriela with a great deal of respect. Even the students whose attention usually flags were engaged throughout the presentations. “Once they understood mind, thought, consciousness, the concept behind that, some of them would jokingly say, ‘Oh, don’t say that to me. I’m going to dump that thought’ [quoting the trainers], so it stuck in some way with pretty much every student.”
Kevin Brooks said the number of physical fights on campus has been in decline every year, and this past school year there were none. “I believe that the mind, thought, consciousness aspect of it is definitely helping because we as teachers and counselors and staff are using it daily, and we are kind of feeding it to the students whether they are recognizing it or not. So I believe that is definitely helping, along with the therapy and counseling and the whole [Big Picture] model we are using now. It’s a good marriage all around.”
To learn more about a Principles-based approach in education, and to receive information about the forthcoming educator handbook, State of Mind in the Classroom, by Ami Chen Mills-Naim and Dr. Roger C. Mills, contact the Center for Sustainable Change. Free videos and podcasts on topics related to education and youth can be found at the Center's Media site.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment