What is conscious discipline

Great Valley Academy continuously strives to identify tools and programs that impact students and parents in social-emotional learning. Conscious Discipline's core methodology is based on four essential components that are scientifically and practically designed for success.

Conscious Discipline empowers us to be conscious of brain-body states in ourselves and children. It then provides us with the practical skills we need to manage our thoughts, feeling and actions.

With this ability to self-regulate, we are then able to teach children to do the same. By doing this, we help children who are physically aggressive survival state or verbally aggressive emotional state become more integrated so they can learn and use problem-solving skills executive state. When we understand the brain state model, we can clearly see the importance of building our homes, schools and businesses on the core principles of safety, connection and problem-solving.

In a survival state where we feel triggered by threat, these skills are flight, fight or surrender. Emotional State is our response to upset — and can only be soothed through connection. The frontal lobes are our moral leader. These skills change how adults respond to conflict in such a way as to facilitate the development of the frontal lobes in children.

The Seven Skills are the only skills an adult needs to constructively transform conflict into teaching moments. Through the Powers and Skills, adults stay in control of themselves and in charge of children. As adults begin to change their attitudes and behaviors, so will the children in their care. We cannot teach behaviors and skills that we do not possess ourselves.

What is the Pyramid Model? What is Trauma Informed Care? What is Kids at Hope? We may not even be fully conscious of it, but because of that state, we may yell aggressively or say something we regret. As a result, we are modeling to children that these negative behaviors are the appropriate response. Conscious Discipline is based on brain research. It is based on the brain state and being able to move from an unconscious brain state to a more aware state.

Once we become more conscious, we can be at a higher level of understanding. When we react in an upset brain state, we do so unconsciously. We want to be in a higher functioning brain state so we can be solution driven, and we can respond rather than just react.

We want to be more aware of what we are teaching our children. When we are passive, we teach kids not to respect boundaries. If we are aggressive, children learn to be aggressive. We only have the skills that were taught to us growing up. It simply means that we do the best we can do at the time, but once we know better, we can do differently.

I have found that the Conscious Discipline program is a journey, but not a destination because you are constantly learning and reflecting. Everyone who studies the program will hear what is important for them at the time. The key takeaway, however, is an ability to understand the brain in upset. Through Conscious Discipline, I have learned to recognize when they are in a moment of upset, and now I know I can help them in that particular time. In the past, I would simply try to avoid upset and conflict.