Collaborative Problem Solving in Schools: Foxborough, MA

0:00 [Music] we've had to grow our skills our toolbox  as educators what we can do to support children also I think similar to schools not only in  Foxborough across the state and the country there's a lot of social emotional needs as  well we're seeing children come to us just with a variety of needs sometimes they're  they're being met other times they haven't

0:30 been and we struggled with that and in search  of that we we came across thin kids and the collaborative problem-solving approach which  really has helped our school experience it's been wonderful it's been transformative for a  school the collaborative saw problems on fruits really at the core of it was a philosophical  shift for many of us as educators it required us to look at students and their behaviors  differently the philosophy is kids will do well if they can and understanding that and  as educators so many times we strive to solve

1:05 problems and it's well intentioned but what we  found is that we were trying to solve a problem we were aiming over here but the child and the  Corvette was here also it really starts with the adults it starts with building our skills  and being able to decide to understand what is that approach to really listen to a child to  ask the right questions to be curious to take a piece of information but not look to solve and  act on it instinctively we do that sometimes

1:32 too too much it's well intentioned but to  really take our time and be curious about that and sort of see drill down to see where  it might take us somewhere the child needs us it's different because it works and it's  lasting in the past if you looked at the challenging behavior you try to impose your will  and you know if I was a principal and I'd give my principal look or my principal voice it could  have an immediate at that but it wasn't lasting

2:00 and what this is done this approach think kids  acquire problem-solving we're looking at the skill deficits in building those in our own efficacy  as educators is strengthened like we can make a difference and we've had that power and we've seen  the results which as as a team coming together professional yourself and I think the students  they can see that we that we care and they know it before but I think once again it looks a little  bit different because we have in the conversations

2:29 we're having more one-on-one time with students  who might be experiencing some challenge I can give an example we had a student about  three years ago when we were just starting the program and he was in second grade tremendously  challenging behaviour extremely disruptive when we looked at in the past I probably would have  been looking at in district resources such as a therapeutic program or what else could have  been done I would have looked outside of the

2:59 school but because of think kids we were able to  meet that child's and he's like we've never done before the child blossomed and what we realized  is he had been in 14 different homes even before 2nd grade there was a reason for the behaviors and  looking at the demands that we were placing on him plus those lagging skills it helped us to create a  support network and it's really started with just that empathy and understanding that once again the  behaviors weren't directed to us personally they

3:33 were happening for a reason and I'm proud to say  that it changes like I said the parents have been so appreciative of the support I think the staff  as well and once again even on an administrative level it's allowed us to keep children in  district and have that part of it so we're saving some money that potentially could have been  oh and it really impacts everybody so it sounds powerful but it has been you know it really has  been an approach that's changed our school it's

4:04 changed our practices which is translated to to  making our children have me safe in their learning