Teachers that have established standards of academic success
and kindness in their classrooms are to be revered. They are obviously creating
primes that are allowing students to be in a safe zone psychologically and
physically. They are protecting them from the unpredictable world outside the
school walls.
Consider that priming
has physiological consequences
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Minimizing anxiety in the classroom is important, too.
Oxytocin, a hormone, serves to regulate the amygdala, the fear and social-sensitive
brain component. Anger, anxiety, and social phobias can be minimized by
nurturing a calm atmosphere. When the amygdala and associated sympathetic
nervous response does not get into the fear mode, the memory and assimilation
part of the brain, the hippocampus, will be in a state that allows
neuroplasticity, the growth of dendrite connections onto the main nerve axon
cell bodies -- that is, learning.
Can priming be done
in a formidable manner in the classroom?
What primes can nurture a strong interest in content areas
and perpetuate camaraderie among peers? Can these primes have a long term affect
on students?
In a previous post [ see: 6) Some novel ideas that can make a difference in your classroom], I listed seven ways that a school administration can add primes that are used in various schools to perpetuate
positive feelings and actions.
In this post I would like to emphasize the significant
benefits of structured cooperative learning toward that end. David and Roger
Johnson have demonstrated in a number of publications that cooperative learning
exceeds individual learning significantly in the domains of academic success
and collegiality. [1][2][3]
Examples of primes
for cooperative learning
As far as primes are concerned I have found that there are
ways to enhance the social emotional transaction in the school environment
significantly. Here are some I believe would be helpful toward that end.
1)
As mentioned in a previous post [see: 10b) Using the roles to maximize student interaction], teams should
have a philosophical statement and script of statements that cover a broad
range of concerns in their possession:
Directions for students: Devise script
statements in the blanks to use during your group sessions
Team Name _______________________________
How we will treat each other during group
sessions
•
__________________________________________________________
Praise comments
•
__________________________________________________________
•
__________________________________________________________
Words of correction
•
__________________________________________________________
•
__________________________________________________________
Words of encouragement and gratefulness
•
__________________________________________________________
•
__________________________________________________________
Our team's philosophy
•
__________________________________________________________
I also included sample statements that can be used or
modeled. It is this social exchange that produces the most profound effect on
the psyche of students to be recognized and affirmed from peers as they contribute
to the success of the lesson. It is this priming that correlates with the
results of Mario Mikulincer and Phillip
Shaver's work with avoidant, anxious, and normal personalities. Therapist Daniel
Sonkin uses priming through words and pictures as a strategy in his family
therapy work to effect long term changes in his clients. [4][5]
2) In addition I recommend that the students bring
pictures from home of positive and loving people that support them. These may
be ones from a vacation or a happy occasion such as a wedding or picnic.
Pasting these on their folders (both inside and out) are strong primes,
analogous to the ones used in the imagery for the Mikulincer and Shaver experiments.
3) Meeting with students individually to discuss
goals and converse is a way to make a personal connection with students. They
find the special attention gratifying. It builds trust. It can be done as
students are working cooperatively for two minutes or so per conference.
Being explicit on what is to be accomplished during
cooperative learning and giving clear instructions on each assignment go a long
way in keeping the knowledge flow smooth and interesting. Humans are thinking
at a high level when the conversation is continuous, inclusive, and peer
advocating. The previous posts went to considerable length to show how research
supports this claim.
Priming is also
supported neurologically
The key here is to stimulate the left prefrontal cortex and
shorten the period of amygdala activation. Amygdala activation is associated
with the negative emotions such as disgust, horror, anger, and fear that arise
from encounters. While I would not expect students in general to be filled with
these negative emotions while attending school, they come in to the building with
moods. Those moods are set off by experiences at home, and depending on the
level of parental nurturing and media influence, can vary greatly from child to
child. Consider that the school environment itself presents a range of social
stimuli that influences student attitudes.
Some may be very pleased with their status amongst peers as
well as success in the classroom. That makes for a pleasant day for those
people. Being the captain of a team that just won a big game, dating a terrific
person, and receiving a 95% on the chemistry test can do wonders for one's ego.
This can change dramatically, though, based on new encounters or a bad quiz
score. All of the students are caught in the web of academic ups and downs
along with status in their peer group. The amygdala, then, sorts this immense
amount of information from a disparity of stimuli, with the result being a yoyo
of happiness and sadness during the school day.
When students sit in classes where the conversation is
predominantly one way – teacher to students – there is little chance to
exercise positive socialization that is ego-gratifying and peer-accepting. Between-class
as well as after-school socialization can produce a range of emotions directed
by the behavior of peers, from simple gossip to bullying. Furthermore, students
don't police themselves very well and the explosion of online chatting and messaging
can have devastating consequences on the self-esteem of a child, in some cases
leading to suicide.
While essentially focusing on lesson plans in the
lecture-worksheet-quiz-video pedagogy, I was not cognizant of the ruthlessness
of the out of classroom behavior several of my students were experiencing over
the years. The nightmarish lives some students were encountering would come to
my attention at either faculty meetings or parent conferences. Some of my
students were hospitalized for psychological disorders or were regularly seeing
therapists.
The out of class
interactions of students
As we become veteran teachers we strive to have our pedagogical
selves improve yes, but there is a realm of socialization that is not obvious
with the look on our charges' faces. A number of them maintain a stoic presence
day after day just to get through another week or month or whole school year
while contending with feels of rejection and fear.
With that I am a strong advocate of having students work in
structured cooperative settings due to its proven ability to reduce negativity among peers and promote kindness and altruistic behavior. Well-articulated
assignments along with the feedback script and images are primes that create peer
cooperation and friendship. The group is motivated to achieve a goal and is
proud of their accomplishment. Success here activates the left prefrontal
cortex along with the consequential production of oxytocin that attaches to
sites in the amygdala, and diminishes the amygdala fear influence.
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It follows then that working in a non-threatening
environment allows for maximum assimilation of content and enhances motivation.
Knowing that success is a possibility the brain will secrete more dopamine in the
nucleus accumbens that gives the attentive focus needed to perform the task
until it is completed. Having regular acknowledgement of acceptance as a person
as well as reinforcing statements that your contributions are valued, are
critical elements in group work and the success of the students in meeting the
expectations of a lesson plan. Everyone needs that including you and me!
There is an additional benefit. When cooperative assignments
and projects are carried out on a regular basis a student will develop
confidence in their capacity to engage in social discourse in different
settings. They are going to be tolerant and less likely to view others in a suspicious
manner. They will recognize the range of human temperaments and be poised in
encounters with peers as well as new relationships. That is important for
successful living at home and in the workplace.
There are serious issues with teens in the realm of
impulsivity and the partial development of their executive function. These were
discussed in separate posts related to gender concerns. Confident teens
conditioned, however, with repeated primes of acceptance and intelligence through
cooperative sessions are less likely
to
…"strike back
when being teased, blame others when getting into a fight, and overreact to accidents….
[become] emotionally 'hot,' defensive, and impulsive." [6]
...[be] "drawn
to the immediate rewards of a potential choice and less attentive to the
possible risks." [7]
…[be] "self-objectifying and detracted from the ability
to concentrate and focus, thus leading to impaired performance on mental
activities." [8]
…[see the] "power of their gender tied to what they
look like—and how 'sexy' they are." [9]
References
[1] Choi, J., Johnson, D., Johnson, R., The Roots of Social Dominance: Aggression, Prosocial Behavior, and Social Interdependence, Journal of Educational Research. 2011, Vol.
104 Issue 6, p442-454
[2] Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2005). New developments in social interdependence theory. Psychology Monographs
131, 285–358.
[3] Johnson, D. W., & Norem-Hebeisen, A. (1979). A measure of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic attitudes. Journal of Social Psychology, 109, 253–261
[4] Mikulincer,
M., Shaver, P., "Attachment
Theory and Reactions to Others' Needs: Evidence That Activation of the
Sense of Attachment Security Promotes EmpathicResponses," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2001, Vol. 81.
No. 6. 1205-1224
[5] Daniel Sonkin, Ph.D., Secure Base Priming Program,
Retrieved from http://www.securebasepriming.org/
[6] Guido Frank, professor at the University Of Colorado Department Of Psychiatry
[7] Chein, J., Albert, D., O'Brien, L., Uckert, K., and
Steinberg, L., Peers increase adolescent risk taking by enhancing activity in the brain's reward circuitry, Dev Sci. 2011 Mar; 14(2): F1–F10.
[8] The American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force
on the Sexualization of Girls, 2007
Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report.aspx
[9] YMCA, Beauty at
Any Cost: The Consequences of America's Beauty Obsession on Women & Girls,
Retrieved from - http://www.ywca.org/atf/cf/%7B711d5519-9e3c-4362-b753-ad138b5d352c%7D/BEAUTY-AT-ANY-COST.PDF
