Real Talk For Real Teachers By Conscious Discipline Conscious Discipline

Dr. Valerie Parker is an educator, administrator, parent and wife, and serves as the Education Committee Chair for the Howard County Branch of the NAACP. She’s a self-proclaimed “fierce advocate for black boys everywhere,” and her research focuses on teacher perception of behavior that leads to student misconstruction. Dr. Parker firmly believes that changes in our perception can help address much larger, systemic issues: particularly the school to prison pipeline.



Essential Takeaways:

• Changes in perception can positively address and affect systemic problems.
• Self-regulation and building relationships with black youth isn’t optional, it’s crucial.
• Identifying your own implicit biases and triggers is essential to stopping the school to prison pipeline.


Important Links:

• Seven Powers: Powers of Perception: https://consciousdiscipline.com/seven-powers-power-of-perception/

• Four Elements of Connection: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/four-elements-of-connection/

Related Resources:

• Conscious Discipline with Excellence 2023: We Run This Shift: Ways Conscious Discipline Helps Circumvent the School to Prison Pipeline with Dr. Valerie Parker Available to Premium Resources Members only: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/we-run-this-shift-ways-conscious-discipline-helps-circumvent-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/
• Handling Upset: The Adult-First Mindset Shift: https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/team-registration-handling-upset-the-adult-first-mindset-shift/


Show Outline:
:00 Introduction
1:30 Becoming creative and curious about seeing behavior as communication.
3:00 Introduction to Dr. Valerie Parker
4:50 The school to prison pipeline
8:12 Implicit bias, ADHD, and autism
13:00 Big feelings, wishing well and what isolation teaches others
13:45 Building relationships
15:40 Autonomy, choices, and assertiveness
19:42 Calming strategies to inspire a love for learning
21:00 Being curious instead of judgmental
22:00 The Power of Perception
23:00 Helping teachers shift their perception
23:52 Identifying your own bias and triggers
25:32 How do I contribute to the school to prison pipeline?
27:51 Mindful moments for dysregulated students
30:52 Why Conscious Discipline matters
31:07 Changing the trajectory of the lives of adults and children
32:23 Self-regulation and building relationships for black boys isn’t optional, its crucial
33:45 Takeaways

Thank you for Listening!
Thank you for choosing to spend your precious time with us today. If you enjoyed this episode, please share its valuable information with others via your favorite social media platforms.

Kristin Chesterman is a deep believer that all behavior is a form of communication. Addressing the lack of skills in a student (or scholar as she refers to them) is the key to regulation success. As a Title 1 Behavioral Support Teacher serving approximately 615 students in Indiana, Kristin shares personal examples of how the implementation of Conscious Discipline’s powers, skills, and strategies in connection with Brain State knowledge cultivate an inclusive School Family. In this episode, she explains how Conscious Discipline provided the framework for a Junior Coaching Program and prompted a transformative shift in their school culture among their teachers.

Essential Takeaways:

For implementation success, teachers and administrators need to be open and curious about their perspectives concerning outcomes.

A behavioral or SEL approach does not have to be prescriptive: Conscious Discipline is a framework.

All behavior is a form of communication, and fortifying skills rather than denying access/inclusion is the path to self-regulation success.

Vulnerability is key to connection.

Regulation starts with the adults in the room.

What you give to others, you strengthen within yourself.

Important Links:

Creating the School Family: https://consciousdiscipline.com/methodology/school-family/

Kristin Chesterman’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-chesterman-75b9b746

Event: Connecting with Children Who Are Hard to Reach https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/team-registration-2023-connecting-with-hard-to-reach-children/

Four Elements of Connection: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/four-elements-of-connection/

Related Resources:

RTI and Conscious Discipline: https://consciousdiscipline.com/free-resources/type/rti-and-conscious-discipline/

Response to Intervention and Conscious Discipline: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/response-to-intervention-and-conscious-discipline/

Handling Upset: The Adult-First Mindset Shift: https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/team-registration-handling-upset-the-adult-first-mindset-shift/

Show Outline:
- :00 Introduction
- 2:35 Punishment and Consequences
- 3:41 Introduction to Kristin Chesterman
- 9:01 Conscious Discipline was the bridge between neuro-anatomy
studies and structures, powers, and skills
- 9:30 A pivot to adult-first regulation and Brain State identification
- 13:01 Brain state strategies
- 13:50 Summary of Tier 1
- 19:26 Brain Smart Start
- 21:29 What you give to others, you strengthen in yourself
- 23:06 Junior Coach Program Development
- 23:35 Sentence starters: You were hoping______. You wanted_____.
- 24:00 Junior Coach Success Stories: Keeping the School Family intact
- 30:20 Implementation at Home
- 33:55 Equal Opportunity Learning Environment
- 34:24 All Behavior is Communication
- 40:00 Takeaways

Thank you for listening

Thank you for choosing to spend your precious time with us today. If you enjoyed this episode, please share its valuable information with others via your favorite social media platforms.

Accepting the task of helping to heal the pain and trauma of abused and abandoned children comes with some enormous challenges, but they’re challenges those at Conscious Discipline and Laura Angulo believe to be well worthwhile. A former special educator and current psychologist, Laura now partners with a facility for abandoned children in Cali, Colombia that serves up to 100 children from ages 0-8. There, Laura supports 30 staff members as they implement and model Conscious Discipline, providing hope, facilitating healing, and a way forward.
Join Dr. Bailey in conversation with Laura Angulo to learn how she has used the healing powers of Baby Doll Circle Time and I Love You Rituals to rebuild attachment structures in the lives of children who have lived through severe trauma and abandonment, and how these activities are not just for children.

Essential Takeaways:
• Laura and staff members learned it was possible to identify/flag previous abuse by observing the implementation of Baby Doll Circle Time.
• Begin with rituals that have already been implemented as a common ground to work from.
• Laura modeled Baby Doll Circle Time and led the staff in the activities before introducing them to the children.
• Children who are over-aroused or under-aroused due to trauma benefit from I Love You Rituals.
• Laura divided the Baby Doll Circle Time training for staff into two sessions on different days to allow for better processing and accurate implementation.

Important Links:
• Four Elements of Connection: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/four-elements-of-connection/
• Conscious Discipline Events: https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/events/
• Laura Angulo’s CD Bio: https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/instructors/laura-angulo/
• Responding to Disruptive Younger Children at Home: https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/webinars/responding-to-disruptive-younger-children-at-home/

Product Mentions:
• Baby Doll Circle Time Resources: https://consciousdiscipline.com/store-category/baby-doll-circle-time/; https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/baby-doll-circle-time-1st-edition/
• I Love You Rituals Resources: https://consciousdiscipline.com/store-category/i-love-you-rituals/

Show Outline:
:00 Introduction
2:55 Introduction of guest, Laura Angulo
4:53 The project closest to Laura’s heart
7:25 Baby Doll Circle Time
9:15 Attunement and the brain
10:36 Baby Doll Circle Time exercise modeled by Laura
13:23 I Love You Rituals for teachers
15:25 Attunement activities and games
19:00 The five steps and joint attention
26:00 Why adult-first is the most effective way
29:04 How you can be a change agent at home

Thank you for listening!
Thank you for choosing to spend your precious time with us today. If you enjoyed this episode, please share its valuable information with others via your favorite social media platforms.

Episode Summary

The powers and skills of Conscious Discipline apply far beyond the classroom and the way we interact with children. We can use them in our daily lives in any situation we encounter, especially the most difficult and challenging. The powers and skills help us build the tools and the community of people we need to walk through trauma and hardship.

In this episode, Certified Instructor, educator and social worker Bibi Herran shares how the powers and skills of Conscious Discipline helped her and her loved ones move through her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. In addition to telling her story, Bibi shares encouraging words and key takeaways for others who are struggling.

Essential Takeaways
• After receiving her diagnosis, Bibi started a structured routine of belly breathing. She was then able to sit down with her husband and talk through the next steps.
• Composure, perception, and connection with others were instrumental in managing her experience with cancer.
• Bibi attributed positive intent when people said things that were unhelpful. She used assertiveness to set boundaries with love and respect.
• She experienced the power of unity, as family, friends and her children’s school formed a loving village to support them through their mother’s diagnosis.
• Conscious Discipline is not just for schools or for children. We will all encounter challenges at some point in life, and the powers and skills give us the tools to manage them.

Important Links
• Certified Instructor Bibi Herran (https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/instructors/bernadette-heran/)
• Conscious Discipline Events (https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/events/)

Product Mentions
• Handling Upset: The Adult-First Mindset Shift (https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/handling-upset-the-adult-first-mindset-shift/)
• Powers of Resilience: Social Emotional Learning for Adults (https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/powers-of-resilience-sel-for-adults/)
• Conscious Discipline Book (https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/the-new-conscious-discipline-book-expanded-updated/)

Show Outline
• :00 Introduction
• 4:24 Introduction of guest Bibi Herran
• 7:16 Bibi’s Conscious Discipline journey
• 10:38 Using Conscious Discipline in real life
• 13:21 Routine of belly breathing
• 19:43 How the powers and skills helped Bibi walk through her cancer diagnosis and treatment
• 28:43 Positive intent
• 39:40 Receiving love, care and help from others
• 45:14 Guiding children through a parent’s illness
• 49:27 Bibi’s key takeaways
• 53:19 Recap and summary
• 58:32 What’s Conscious Discipline celebrating?
• 58:48 Wish Wells

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with us and we are grateful. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with others via your favorite social media platforms.

If you’re familiar with Conscious Discipline, you know that transformational change begins with an adult mindset shift. In today’s episode, special guest Joan Morgernstern explains why toileting is no different. An educator, parent coach, and author, Joan has developed a kinder and more effective approach to “potty mastery.”

Tune in to hear how to shift your mindset and language around toileting so you can empower children to learn this new skill. And if you want to learn more about potty mastery, stay tuned for Joan’s upcoming book with Conscious Discipline.

Essential Takeaways
• Adults must shift their mindset around toileting and view it as supporting children’s skill development, the same way we support them in reaching other milestones. We need to let go of the stress and pressure around toileting and remember that our children will eventually master this skill too.
• Growing up is a stressor for many young children. Instead of telling children they’re “a big kid now,” Joan encourages parents to tell children, “You have a new important job. You’re a body boss now.”
• The two key skills of potty mastery are 1) Listening to your body and 2) Taking care of your body. Before toileting, normalize the way kids are already using these skills (e.g., listening to their bodies when they’re hungry or thirsty and taking care of their bodies by bathing, washing their hands, and going to sleep).
• Celebrate missteps as an essential part of the learning process. Through every other milestone, children’s missteps were celebrated. When they took their first step and immediately fell, for example, the adults in the room cheered. When toileting comes around and missteps are not celebrated or even neutralized, the shift is abrupt and scary to children.
• Often, toilet training can be children’s first experience with shame, leading to issues with performance anxiety. When we take a kinder, more empowering approach, we teach children that they have a support system behind them when they encounter challenges. And if it takes a bit longer to overcome a challenge, it’s okay, because they’re moving in the right direction.

Important Links
• JoanMorgenstern.com (https://www.joanmorgenstern.com/)
• Joan Morgernstern on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/joan.morgenstern)
• Joan Morgenstern on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/joan.morgenstern/)
• Conscious Discipline Events (https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/events/)

Product Mentions
• Handling Upset: The Adult-First Mindset Shift (https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/handling-upset-the-adult-first-mindset-shift/)
• The Feeling Is Bright: Self-Regulation Through Rhythm and Rhyme (https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/the-feeling-is-bright-site-license/)
• Conscious Discipline Book (https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/the-new-conscious-discipline-book-expanded-updated/)
• S.T.A.R. Breathing Tool (https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/s-t-a-r-breathing-tool/)
Show Outline
• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:18 Introduction of guest Joan Morgernstern
• 3:27 What does it mean to be a parent coach?
• 5:30 What challenges are parents experiencing right now?
• 7:59 Joan’s expertise in toileting
• 12:30 Shifting language from “potty training” to “potty mastery”
• 16:26 Common misinformation about toileting
• 23:14 Two parts of potty mastery
• 33:01 Quick toileting tips for caregivers
• 40:03 Trust the process
• 43:30 Celebrate missteps
• 46:07 How children’s experiences with toileting affect other areas of life.
• 54:14 Recap and discussion
• 58:43 Question from a listener: What do you do when your child is experiencing big feelings and doesn’t want help?
• 1:01:07 What’s Conscious Discipline celebrating?
• 1:02:41 Wish Wells

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with us and we are gratef

Award-winning principal and Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor Tanyelle Hannah has seen the transformational power of Conscious Discipline firsthand at Benjamin E. Mays Academy in Chicago. Since implementing Conscious Discipline, her school has experienced improved relationships, behavior, attendance, academic achievement, parent involvement, and beyond.

In this episode, Tanyelle shares inspiring stories and actionable advice with hosts Latoria Marcellus and Amy Speidel. You’ll hear about her distributed leadership model, tips for starting and sustaining implementation, and inclusive efforts to engage and involve families.

She also shares the importance of giving yourself grace, showing up as an authentic “real person” to build relationships, and helping each educator identify their personal “why.”

Essential Takeaways
• Tanyelle’s school uses intentional language: “scholars” instead of “students” and “villagers” instead of “mom and dad,” a family structure that doesn’t apply to every scholar.
• To sustain motivation through challenges, educators at Benjamin E. Mays celebrate every small step in the journey and focus on their personal “why.”
• Tanyelle implements a distributed leadership model, giving educators opportunities to lead in spaces where they thrive and have interest. Her philosophy is, “I can teach pedagogy, but I can’t teach passion. If [an educator] has passion for something, then we can work on the leadership portion.”
• Benjamin E. Mays started Conscious Discipline with a book study, attended by a “coalition of the willing.” After others saw what Conscious Discipline did in their colleagues’ classrooms, they started the next school year with significant authentic buy-in.
• For administrators interested in Conscious Discipline, Tanyelle recommends focusing on building relationships and choosing a few pieces to implement with fidelity. As the transformation becomes apparent and authentic buy-in increases, add additional pieces over time.

Important Links
• Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor Tanyelle Hannah (https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/instructors/tanyelle-hannah/)
• Conscious Discipline Events (https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/events/)
• Podcast: Conscious Leadership (https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/podcasts/podcast-episode032/)
• Podcast: Servant Leadership and Transformational Leadership with Conscious Discipline (https://consciousdiscipline.com/e-learning/podcasts/podcast-episode043/)

Product Mentions
• Conscious Discipline Book (https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/the-new-conscious-discipline-book-expanded-updated/)
• Self-Regulation Value Pack (https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/self-regulation-value-pack/)
• S.T.A.R. Breathing Tool (https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/s-t-a-r-breathing-tool/)

Show Outline
• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:26 Introduction of guest Tanyelle Hannah
• 3:33 Tanyelle’s school and introduction to Conscious Discipline
• 6:29 Using intentional language
• 8:24 Being a Game Changer
• 10:55 Finding motivation to continue working toward your mission
• 14:17 Distributed leadership model
• 17:59 Sustaining focus on your “why”
• 20:20 Tips for other administrators on getting started
• 25:20 Tanyelle’s experience as a Certified Instructor
• 27:43 Examples of transformation
• 35:35 Conscious Discipline for older kids
• 37:47 Impact on the community
• 42:56 Recap and discussion
• 47:14 Question from a listener: How do I get more family participation
and trust when it comes to my use of Conscious Discipline in the classroom?
• 54:01 What’s Conscious Discipline celebrating?
• 56:08 Wish Wells

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

There are many ways you could have spent this time today, but you chose to spend it with us and we are grateful. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it with others