Gary Petiprin, Ph.D.
Anne Bucalos, Ed.D.
What’s all this talk about
resiliency?
Have you heard of the
“Six Word Memoir?”
Let’s try one on the
topic of “resiliency.”
In six words, write
your “take” on
resiliency on the card
provided.
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Context
 Why is this a hot
topic?
 Why is it an issue
on our campus?
(some examples)
 Connection to
student success
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Who are our students today?
 Hyperconnected, yet insular
 Live alone…together
 Used to “oversharing”
 Encouraged to stay as adolescents (particularly males)
 Want to be involved as co-decision makers, but
reluctant to make decisions by themselves
 Aware of world issues and desire to do something
about them
 Like structure, but want right of refusal
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Let’s think about what makes a
student “resilient”…
What are some of the qualities,
characteristics, skill sets, etc. that
might describe resiliency in our
students…or that we want to
“build” in our students?
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Qualities & Characteristics of
Resiliency…
 Responding to adversity and challenge in an adaptive
manner
 Not a static quality but something that can be learned
and cultivated…it’s a process
 Quality of ordinary people
 Matter of degrees
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Developing resiliency requires a
holistic approach…
 Relationships
 Mind
 Spirit/Values
 Body
 Emotions
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
“I don’t belong here…”
Belonging uncertainty:
 “Can I do this? Do I fit in?”
 Events then affected by negative filter
 Avoiding “Everybody’s miserable at first!”
Short-term interventions that address “belonging”
 Preferably done by older peers
 Balance positive and negative
 Difficulty is normal and temporary
 Tell stories that emphasize growth (Social Belonging
Intervention)
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Values/Spiritual Practice
 Guiding students to consider “vocation” in
addition to “career”….what do you want your
life to represent 40 years from now? What
will be your life’s work in the broadest
sense?
 Meditation
 Journaling/Reflection
 “Value-affirmation intervention”
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Mindfulness
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Self-Care
Sleep
Nutrition
Exercise
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Growth Mindset
 “Failure” as path to growth (vs. bad)
 Identity/Worth = Achievement
 Intelligence & competence as
malleable (vs. fixed)
 Effort as path to mastery
 Learn from criticism
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
How can educators cultivate a growth mindset?
 Emphasize effort (vs. “intelligence”)
 Emphasize learning vs. grades
 “The great teachers believe in the growth of the
intellect and talent, and they are fascinated with
the process of learning.”*
 Attitude of high standards AND nurturance –
commitment to teaching and belief in the capacity
of each student to learn…build this into
instruction.
*Dweck, C.(2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. NY:
Ballentine Books.
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Mind: Using learner-centered pedagogies
 Involve students in goal setting, action plans,
assignment choice (individual & group)
 Provide opportunities for practice with specific
feedback (then wean from that)
 Use continuous reflection exercises
on behaviors, beliefs, attitudes &
perspectives (personal & group)
 Emphasize “perspective-taking” by
assigning responses from different
“players”
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
So…let’s try a “Wandering Map”
 Using the white paper provided, and the markers,
crayons, and/or colored pencils, follow the
instructions on the yellow paper…
 Continue to reflect on what you have done:
What were your primary themes?
How are they important to you?
What insights did you gain about yourself?
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
What is our role in cultivating resiliency?
Helicopter Parent to Helicopter Professor!
 Scaffold feedback
 Encourage ambiguity
 Allow choice (and a
bit of chaos)
 Increase
accountability (don’t
rush to help before
assessing the
situation)
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Summary
 Opportunities for service
 Activities for group interaction & belonging
 Self-reflection (values, integrity, optimism, stories of
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strength, competence and overcoming adversity)
Cultivate growth mindset
Cultivate grit
Mindfulness activities
Encourage wellness
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
Resources…
 Resilience Consortium
 Harvard Success Failure Project
 The Stanford Resilience Project
 Vanderbilt Resilience Toolkit
 Vanderbilt Resilience Building Activities
 Cornell University
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15
•
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Centralized resource for wellness and resilience
– information vetted by Mental Health and
Student Affairs professionals
Holistic approach – physical, mental, social
and spiritual
Student stories
Linked to SuRF, Health Service, Counseling
Center and Disability Services
Resources (additional references on handouts)
 Benard, B. at https://www.resiliency.com/free-articles-resources/the
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foundations-of-the-resiliency-framework/
Berk, R.A. (2014). “Last Professor Standing!”: PowerPoint Enables All
Faculty to Use Humor in Teaching.
http://www.ronberk.com/articles/2014_HumorFinal.pdf
Brown, S. (2008). A Buddhist in the Classroom. NY: State University of
New York Press.
Doyle, T., & Zakrajsek, T. (2013). The New Science of Learning: How to
Learn in Harmony With Your Brain. VA: Stylus.
Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. NY:
Ballantine.
Eells, G. (Webinar available from Faculty Development Center)
“Creating Resilient Students: Strategies for Life-Skill Development.”
PaperClip Communications.
Jay, M. (2012). The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter--And
How to Make the Most of Them Now. NY: Twelve (Hachette Books).
Surviving to Thriving Workshop, 10.23.15