When stressed…• The Amygdala regulates our emotional

state by acting as the brain’s “security guard”, protecting us from threats. When in a negative emotional state (stressed or fearful), the amygdala prevents the input from passing along, effectively blocking higher-level thinking and reasoned judgment. The incoming stimuli and signals are left for the amygdala itself to process as an automatic reflexive response to “fight, flight, or freeze.”

• The input and output is to and from the lower reactive brain, where voluntary, retrievable memories are not stored and the behavioral responses are limited to fight/flight/freeze (acting out or zoning out).

Judy Willis, MD,M.Ed (www.RADteach.com)

Research Says…

• “…word poverty seems most prevalent in populations largely made up of students from minority’, English language learning, or low socioeconomic backgrounds.”

• “…upon matriculation into 1st grade, “linguistically advantaged” students know approximately 20,000 words, whereas “linguistically disadvantaged” students know only about 5,000.”

• “…linguistically disadvantaged students suffer from partial knowledge of word meanings, confusion over similar-sounding words, and limited knowledge of how and when to use words.”

(Moats, 2001)

SO HOW CAN WE INCREASE OUR STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE BANK?

• Experiential Education

• Wide Area Reading

• VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION

• (Building Academic Vocabulary) – The Basics of Effective Learning.

Research Says…

• Background knowledge of vocabulary is essential to developing fluency and comprehension.

• Systematic vocabulary instruction is one of the most important instructional interventions that teachers can use, particularly with struggling students.

Cultural Sensitivity when teaching!

Now What….

• Who are the Aboriginal students?

»How are they doing? » Socially, emotionally, academically

What can we do differently?

• Here’s what...

•So What?

»Now what?

As LEADERS we have a moral obligation to…

Everyone who enters school in Yukon will have the opportunity to successfully complete their education with dignity and purpose, well prepared to enter the next phase in their lives.

Developing the Whole Child

Success for

Each Learner

Futures Wheel

Topic --

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Task Groups: Topic:

• On chart paper, draw a circle in center of paper and label with the topic (e.g. event, innovation or issue)

• Draw four circles for first layer; labeling two negative and two positive effects

Groups at Work- Copyright MiraVia LLC – All rights reserved

Success for EACHAboriginal student

Futures Wheel

• For second layer, add a positive and negative effect for each outcome from first layer

• Move to third layer using same process

• Examine and discuss results including most positive and negative effects in third layer

Groups at Work- Copyright MiraVia LLC – All rights reserved

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Covey – One of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

• “Seek first to understand”: We (as educators) typically seek first to be understood. Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” They’re either speaking or preparing to speak. They’re filtering everything through their own paradigms, reading their own autobiography into other people’s lives.”

• Empathic listening (the highest form of listening). Listening with intent to understand. I mean seeking first to understand; to really understand.

• …Let me humbly accept this new culture and through it rise up and go on. Like the thunderbird of old, I shall rise again out of the sea; I shall grab the instruments of the white man's success - his education, his skills. With these new tools I shall build my race into the proudest segment of your society. I shall see our young braves and our chiefs sitting in the houses of law and government, ruling and being ruled by the knowledge and freedoms of our great land.

Chief Dan George