Mira Costa Machinist Professional Development Training

I had the opportunity to attend a training that was held at Mira Costa Community College. This training was conducted by The Technology Career Center, and the main sponsors were Mira Costa and the American Promise Grant. The meeting was conducted by Calandra Crawford who is the head machinist instructor at the education center. My supervisor and I wanted to attend this event because it is a great trade school that is free for students to attend. In the past, the tuition was as much as a 4 year school to attend. The program directors were able to advocate for their program, and work on several grants to give them the opportunity to provide tuition free education.

             The first part of the presentation involved learning about what a Machinist does and how it impacts the lives of others. Machinists are in charge of a variety of tasks. These tasks can range from robotics to making the screws that hold furniture together. Machinists make golf clubs, and other sports equipment. Anything that is usually metal, is made first by a machinist. This professional development workshop focused on providing options for students who do not want to go to college, and are interested in learning how everyday metal items are made. The course is 13 weeks and aims to prepare students for immediate entry into the work field. The program is intense but they boast a near 100% hire rate. The presenter Mrs. Crawford shared her own personal story. She went to college, and found that it was not a good fit for her. She joined the Navy in 1992 and while she was serving in the Navy she learned about becoming a machinist. Becoming a Machinist fit for her, and after having a successful career for over 20 years, she has decided to come teach others. She explained that not everyone is cut out for the traditional college experience. This resonated with me, as my college experience was not traditional either. Every student has a different path and skill set, it is good for students to not be so focused on a 4 year school and to explore every option to find their passion.

The second part of the professional development breakout session was to tour the facilities. We were able to see the machinist tools and also witness students making different parts for different products.  Mrs. Crawford then showed us to the robotic lab. I really enjoyed this part of the professional development session. We were given a demonstration of the robotic software that Mira Costa uses. The robot was named Betty and could be programed to pick things up and do other simple tasks. All of the students who were working with the robot were so excited that she had learned how to do something new. I was able to see their passion and to see how dedicated they were to developing new software for the robotics that they work with.   

During this professional development I learned that not everyone has the same path after high school. All students are not the same, and have different interests. A 4 year college is one path that students can choose from. There are other paths as well, that may be better suited to the students interests or skill sets. I would use this knowledge in advising students when they approach me regarding what career they should pick. I would tell the students that there are more options besides going to a four year college. I would also advise them to take advantage of the career assessments that are provided through Naviance. The appropriate age group to use this with, would be middle and or high school students. Students typically begin to think about college in middle and high school. I would want students to know that this path looks different from student to student. This training taught me that some students can gain a profitable career without going to a four year institution. Students have been going to community college, the military or vocational schools for many years. I will be able to measure the effectiveness by asking students if this approach was helpful to them. Students may want to know about other career options, especially if they are not on track to meet the requirements for entering a 4 year university. Overall, I will use my added knowledge to help benefit all the students on my caseload when I am a school counselor. I have learned a great deal and plan to use it in my professional practice.

Christina Waters 

Eric Cruz_Restorative Practices

Professional Growth Opportunity Blog Entry

            On October 18-19, 2018, I was fortunate enough have attended the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) Conference in Riverside, California. This two-day conference was attended by over 1,300 passionate school counselors and educators from all across the state. This conference consisted of two phenomenal key-note speakers, and over 50 breakout sessions centered in seven core topics, which included Safe and Supportive Schools, Mental Health in Schools, Social Justice and Equity, and Advocacy and Accountability, just to name a few. I decided to attend this conference as a way to gain more knowledge in my future career, network with current school counselors, and gain more resources and skills to add to my toolbelt to become a better-prepared school counselor. For the purposes of this blog entry, I will be focusing on a breakout session that I attended on the second day titled, Professional School Counselors ARE Restorative; presented by Hayleigh Herrera, Heather Lampron, and Brittney Pacini. All three presenters are school counselors, with experience in elementary, middle, and high school counseling in southern California. As I prepare to embark on my career path, I have been thinking practices that are becoming popular and successful in the education system, one of them being restorative practices. I thought this would be an excellent way to gain more knowledge on this topic, which was a very popular one that consisted of over 100 attendees.

            The presenters began by giving the audience background information on restorative justice, and some of its’ benefits, which include: developing a sense of community, building relationships, managing conflict & tension, and repairing harm. Restorative justice was implemented in our society as a way to address the high incarceration and recidivism rates and soon enough, restorative practices began to be implemented in schools as a way to address the disproportionality of suspensions/expulsions among certain student subgroups (E.g. race/ ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status) and to address the school-to-prison pipeline. Restorative practices in schools do this by way of having restorative conversations, restorative circles, and restorative conferences. Before, practices in schools were focused on being punitive and punishing the wrongdoer, now with restorative practices the focus is on “who was harmed and what are their needs?” along with collaborating with the offender to discuss “how things can be made as right as possible now and changed for the future.” These restorative practices can be implemented in all three tiers and can range from being informal, to more structured and formal.

            I can see myself implementing these practices when addressing conflict among students by way of restorative circles. As we all know, school counselors are not to be disciplinarians but by approaching it from this angle, it allows school counselors to have the offender really think about what they did wrong, who they affected, and how they can make things right. This can also be applied with students who have a behavior violation.

Additional resources

http://7svjmj.m.attendify.com/app/sessions/9akb7lu5sLjObgrce2/details

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0fme8xvvwov2190/AADv_tZR-XfVj1dpURi3-1ypa?dl=0

Restorative Practice and Circles Training at Helix Charter High School

Our team had the opportunity to attend a Restorative Practice and Circles Training held by the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) on Monday, September 10, 2018. The four presenters were Anthony Ceja (SDCOE), Phillip Lumula (GUHSD), Marc Barlow (GUHSD), and Ashley McGuire (IIRP Consultant). The materials were provided by the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP). What is normally a two-day training was condensed into a one-day professional development at Helix Charter High School. The professional development was brought to Helix with the intent to reinforce and increase the awareness of students' social-emotional needs while also providing tools and strategies to consider implementing.

We decided to participate in this professional development because we were interested in learning more about the implementation of restorative practices in the context of the high school setting.

Theoretical Foundation

Restorative practices have roots in ancient indigenous traditions found all over the world. In our modern society the practice has been defined as a collaborative process called conferencing. Family Group Conferencing (FGC) and Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) are two forms of counseling that use similar circles and principles. Theoretically, circles are a form of small group interventions intended to resolve conflict and build community.

Evidence-Based Practice

Organizations and individuals in fields such as education, social work, counseling, and criminal justice are combining theory, research and practice to develop restorative models that will measure positive outcomes. In education, circles and groups provide opportunities for students to share their feelings, build relationships and solve problems, and when there is wrongdoing, to play an active role in addressing the wrong and making things right (Riestenberg, 2002).

Counseling Intervention Techniques and Considerations

Restorative practices and circles can be incorporated into counseling techniques, which could be used preventatively or as a response to disruptive behavior and crisis. Teachers can use restorative circles to build relationships, trust, and an open environment among students within the classroom. Restorative practices can be used routinely, for example in the beginning of every class or at the end of every week, or as needed (such as one-on-one with a student who has broken class rules). We have observed Helix administrators utilize restorative questions when addressing student behavioral referrals. We have also observed Helix school counselors utilize restorative circles as a form of conflict mediation between students and among staff.

The training at Helix was geared towards all high school level students. The training was presented from the lens that students are expected to be at a developmental level where they can become aware of their behavior and the consequences it may have on others. Restorative practices welcomes all backgrounds because they are inclusive and allow all who are present to contribute to the conversation.

Although the training was focused on supporting older students, this practice is versatile. At the heart of restorative practices, it is seeking to understand rather than provide punitive punishment or one-sided leadership. One context restorative practices can be used in is with the entire class. In this form, a teacher or facilitator may use a restorative circle to allow students to take the lead in understanding a topic or resolving a large-scale issue. Another form it can take is in small group or individual conversations with a school counselor to acknowledge harm caused and rebuild trust that may have been lost.

A consideration a counselor must take into account is the severity of the conflict before implementing a restorative circle. For example, if the event is of a violent or abusive nature, other disciplinary measures could be considered. However, this does not mean that the healing power of a restorative circle cannot be used concurrently. Some circles may require an extensive amount of time to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate. Thus, one must be attentive of any time restrictions and number of participants. Lastly, we must educate our faculty and students on the philosophy, practice, and purpose of the group to encourage full buy-in and participation.

As future school counselors, we can incorporate this technique into our counseling practice by using restorative questions, which is one of the tools provided by SDCOE and IIRP. This tool is a small card that is double-sided. One side has questions to ask those who have caused harm and the other side includes questions to ask those who have been affected. This is a simple way to get in the habit of thinking in a restorative mindset. It does not take very long yet it allows students to feel heard and authority figures to better understand their students and the context of the situation.

Measuring Effectiveness

Both qualitative and quantitative methods could be used to measure outcomes. The restorative practices can be measured through the level of cohesion of a class or student perceived sense of safety through school-wide data, such as California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). This is difficult to directly measure, but can be observed through interactions and a rising level of mutual support and individual initiative. It can also be measured through tracking the decrease of student referrals and the decrease in repeating offenders.

Additional Resources

Defining Restorative Article

Natalie Kutches, Melanie Lim, Juan Ugarte, & Jay Villafuerte
SDSU School Counseling Interns

CASC Conference 2018: Think Before You Click: Jordan’s Law & Cyberbullying Education

The professional development growth opportunity I’d like to focus on is a session I attended at the CASC Conference on Thursday, October 18, 2018, called Think Before You Click: Jordan’s Law & Cyberbullying Education. This session was led by Ila Laguercia, a School Counselor at Simi Valley High School, and Ed Peisner, the founder of The Organization for Social Media Safety. Ed created this organization after his son was assaulted, and the attack was recorded by multiple bystanders and uploaded to social media by a friend of the attacker.

Having previously worked in social media marketing, I am very aware of how manipulative various online platforms can be and the negative effect they can have on users. Though my work was more focused on paid marketing through Facebook and Instagram, during my time researching best practices and strategies for effectively marketing, I often stumbled upon articles linking social media to depression and anxiety. My understanding of the effect that social media can have on people was compounded by my experience at my practicum site last year, where several students were bullied through an Instagram account in which students submitted gossip and secrets through private messages, all to be shared publicly through posts and stories. I realized that if kids were already experiencing this in sixth grade, it was worse than I even thought, and this presentation confirmed that.

Here are some key stats from the presentation:

• 90% of people 18 to 29 years old have at least one social media account
• 88% of social media-using teens have witnessed other people being mean or cruel on social media
• 34% of the students report experiencing cyberbullying during their lifetime
• Teens using social media more than 5 hours a day are 70% more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who report 1 hour of daily use
• Teens using social media every day are 14% more likely to be depressed than those who used social media less frequently
• 20% of kids cyberbullied think about suicide, and 10% attempt it

In addition to sharing his experiences, Ed also told us a bit about Jordan’s Law, which was inspired by his son. Jordan’s Law, California AB 1542, makes it so that anyone who conspires with an attacker to film a violent crime will be considered an accomplice and subject to an enhanced sentence.

There are a few different things that we, as school counselors, can do to help when it comes to cyberbullying. First, it’s important that we keep staff informed about the various laws and school policies around cyberbullying. Education Code 48900, for example, states that schools can suspend or expel students for participating in an act of bullying, which includes cyberbullying. We should also be communicating this information with parents, so they’re aware of the way in which adolescents and teens are using social media, how they can play in an important role in the prevention of cyberbullying, and the laws and policies around this behavior.

Finally, we need to inform our students of the data and laws surrounding cyberbullying, as that can help them understand its severity. In addition, some general tips for our students include:

• Not joining in on the bullying
• Supporting the victim by showing kindness and concern
• “If you see something, say something”
• Tell a trusted adult
• Report inappropriate posts or cyberbullying on social media
• Block (or hide) the bully on social media
• Be an upstander, as opposed to a bystander

Whether we choose to present this information ourselves or bring in an outside organization, it’s important that we share the detrimental effect that social media and cyberbullying can have on our students.

All of these strategies can be implemented and tracked in various settings, and effectiveness can be measured by monitoring CHKS data, pre- and post-surveys, and referrals/disciplinary actions as a result of cyberbullying. I plan to incorporate my newfound knowledge from this presentation into my work as a school counselor, as this is becoming a significant issue that’s only increasing with time. I’d like to also look at our existing CHKS data to see how much this is currently affecting high school students in my district, and then go from there to determine next steps. Overall, this was an incredibly insightful professional development growth opportunity that I plan to carry through this year and beyond.

National Conflict Resolution Center: Restorative Practices

I attended a 2-day Restorative Practice training at the National Conflict Resolution Center in South East San Diego-- the community I grew up in. Reginald Washington, the CEO of Project Aware led the training alongside his support staff at the center. Other parties involved were the County of Probation-- correctional and probation officers from throughout San Diego County as well as community mentors with lived-experiences. Both parties were in the process of implementing Restorative Practices in the work they do with opportunity youth and other community members.

I chose this particular growth opportunity because after being introduced to Restorative Practices in our program, I began to see it being implemented on-site within the Sweetwater Union High School District. I participated in a restorative circle that took place in a classroom at Palomar High School where I was a substitute teacher. After participating in this circle and seeing how positive the students responded to it, it sparked an interest in me to gain more knowledge and skills on how I can implement this practice with my students and their families.

This experience provided hands-on opportunities for participants to practice allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and utilizing a circle to facilitate deep conversations about our hardships, experiences and what meaning that created for our own lives.

Social Discipline Window

The social discipline window provides a framework for understanding the spectrum of control and support and what impact they have on our own lived experiences. The restorative approach incorporates high levels of control which includes setting boundaries and setting high expectations while also providing high levels of support and encouragement. 

Restorative practices can be used at all age, gender, grade levels and can be used to facilitate conversations about a wide range of issues from conflict mediation to processing and create meaning to some of our most challenging experiences. As a school counselor, this practice can be implemented to solve conflict between students, families and staff and can also structure how we run small groups or core curriculum lessons. Not only can Restorative Practices be implemented in the school setting but it can also be utilized in prisons, juvenile hall and other counseling settings as a therapeutic process to healing. This practice aligns with Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory as it takes into account the macro, mezzo and micro factors that may be impacting a student, family or community. Restorative Practices utilizes a strength-based framework and a holistic lens which can help foster positive relationships when working with participants.

I plan on utilizing this practice as a school counselor with students and families within the school setting. Restorative practices can be implemented with narrative counseling strategies as we provide the space for students and families to share their stories in ways that are meaningful to them. I also hope to incorporate this practice into the way I facilitate small groups and core curriculum lessons. This practice can also be implemented into the ways in which we live our daily lives. I believe the most important part of our role as a school counselor is building strong and positive relationships with staff, students, families and community members. Through relationship building, restorative practices and narrative therapeutic processes, we can restore and heal relationships with our students, their families and even within our own lives.

Katherine Phillips

San Diego State University

Time to THRIVE: Promoting Safety, Inclusion, & Well-Being for LGBTQ Students

Event:  CASC Conference 2018

Presentation Title: Promoting Safety, Inclusion, and Well-Being for LGBTQ Students

Presenter: Vincent Pompei, Ed.D - Director, Youth Well-Being Project

Presentation Date: Friday, October 19th, 2018

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The session I attended covered how school counselors can support LGBTQ students and strategies we can use to create and foster a school culture that is safe and inclusive for them. I decided to participate in this because we do not discuss this group very much in our program and I wanted to learn how to better support my students. In addition, I have looked at data and have learned that a large percentage of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ, face higher rates of bullying and harassment, and higher rates of attempting and completing suicide. I wanted to equip myself with knowledge about best practices for ensuring their protection and build upon my current skills to work towards transforming our schools to be inclusive of our LGBTQ students.
We covered best practices for legal and ethical protections of our LGBTQ students that I was not very aware of. With this knowledge, I feel I am better able to advocate for things such as single user restrooms (AB 1732), their ability to change their name on unofficial records (AB 1266), and for policies around anti-bullying to be inclusive to LGBTQ students (Seth’s Law: AB 9). In addition, we discussed the importance of counselors working with students and being visible and vocal allies, especially since data has shown that from 12,000 LGBTQ youth surveyed, only 15% felt comfortable talking to their counselors about their identity.

Calling Upon the Warrior Spirit to Heal Historical Trauma Conference and Ceremony

I attended the Calling Upon the Warrior Spirit to Heal Historical Trauma Conference and Ceremony. This conference was held October 8^ththrough 10^th, although I only attended the 8^thand first half of the 9^th. The Viejas Band Tribal Government of the Kumeyaay Native American tribe hosted the event at the Viejas Resort and Casino in Alpine California. In addition to them the conference was sponsored by the Barona Band of Mission Indians, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, Morongo band of Mission Indians, IPAI, Pala band of Mission Indians, Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Across the three days there was a great number of presenters and speakers.

As a member of the Native American and Indigenous Scholars Collaborative Project (NAISCP) we choose to attend this conference to seek additional knowledge and support in how to best address the concerns of historical trauma that we see manifesting with our native students. The conference and ceremony aimed to focus on the Indigenous perspective on how to holistically address historical trauma and develop specific goals and plans on how to do so.

The particular counseling intervention that was guiding the conference was addressing historical trauma through storytelling. Although there was not a specific session that told participants storytelling is counseling technique to use, instead it was the tool that each presenter used to demonstrate the power of storytelling in healing. For example, there was a panel of both elders and youth who told short versions of their own personal stories that included both the effects of trauma on their lives but also their inner resilience and stories of how they overcame their personal trials and tribulations. Many of the speakers did something of the same, telling their story while also exploring how historical trauma influences the community overall.

The technique of storytelling can be used with any population of students; however, it is particularly powerful for those who have suffered great trauma. As part of the NAISCP we use this counseling technique with both ourselves and our students. It can be adjusted and implemented with almost any age group. For adults, more depth and detail and therefore time can be used to truly explore a person’s story and allow them to share all the influential parts of their journey. With children the tool can be adapted to be more prompting and interactive but still with the underlying purpose of allowing the students to tell their stories. We use this technique with ourselves and students over the course of entire year, always allowing time for adding editing and reinterpretation. 

Storytelling as a technique can absolutely be replicated in any setting. All that is required is the time and attention to listen and hear a person’s story and insights on their life and allow someone to share. Although this technique may not be specifically evidence-based we have found incredible success and impact with in our groups as part of NAISCP, and also in this conference. With Native American students recognizing that their unique stories greatly impact their ability to succeed in school allows us to work with them to recognize their resilience and strengths in the face of current and historical trauma.

The use of storytelling can be linked to the well-known technique of Narrative Counseling in schools in which a counselor also explores the narrative a student shares and in addition works with them to explore strengths heard in the narratives. This is similar to what we explored in this conference of finding the resilience in the stories of historical trauma.

Marisa Leone