TEACHING RESILIENCY IN TURBULENT TIMES SOARING THROUGH SETBACKS – Resilience Training

FINDING NEW AND EVEN BETTER NORMALS

As the leader and founder of Stetson & Associates, Inc., a national educational consulting firm focused on educational excellence and systems change, Dr. Stetson built her successful company by providing expertise during times of upheaval and change in our nation’s educational systems.

Dr. Stetson began her career teaching students with visual disabilities. Later working for the Texas Education Agency, she fought to address the needs of all students with disabilities. At the US Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights in Washington D.C., she conducted research, national training and authored the first report to Congress for the landmark legislation Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Since beginning her own firm in 1987, her team of education experts have provided training for educators and school districts around the country and world.

“It’s not about returning to normal, but rather about finding success in a new normal.”
– DR. FRANCES STETSON

UNDERSTANDING OUR ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK

Through her role as an educational consultant with Stetson & Associates, as well as her position as a Master Resilience Trainer with the US Military, Becky Moschgat has developed numerous programs around the country and beyond presenting her passionate beliefs and research on the power and value of resiliency.

Moschgat explains how the military has always needed to prepare their personnel and families for times of trauma, including life and death scenarios. Their resiliency programs provide invaluable information and resources for flourishing in the face of difficult circumstances.

When asked why resiliency training is so important today, she said, “It’s crucial to flattening the curve of fear around COVID in all arenas, and especially so in education.” She describes all too familiar school environments where mental health issues are beginning much younger, more often and with increased severity among children. Teaching resiliency is one powerful tool to combat these frightening issues.

“We are living in turbulent times. Some people say we’re all in the same boat, but the fact of the matter is each person is in a different boat, but we are all sailing through the same turbulent waters.”
– BECKY MOSCHGAT

RESILIENCY IS A LEARNED SKILL

She explains that sometimes we have to rewrite our goals to adapt to a changed environment, as well as take an honest look at where we are now to recover and grow. “Rather than letting hardships and traumatic events overcome us and drain our resolve, highly resilient people find ways to emotionally heal and forge ahead in pursuit of their goals,” said Moschgat.

In her trainings, she explores and explains four essential domains of resilience, including the mental, physical, social and spiritual. Offering helpful ideas and resources along the way, she reminds attendees that although resiliency can be learned, intentional practice and dedicated attention are necessary for lasting success.

“The good news,” describes Moschgat, “is that resiliency is something we can all acquire. We don’t have to be born with it as many believe. It’s important to understand that we can develop new ways to pick ourselves up during and after a crisis.”
-BECKY MOSCHGAT

INCLUSION IS PART OF THE SOLUTION

Amid the woes of social isolation, many have come to view the importance of inclusion through a changed lens during the pandemic. Dr. Stetson elaborates on her lifelong quest to share the message on the critical need for effective inclusion, equity and access in and out of the classroom, “True inclusion is all about that basic human need to belong — it crosses the borders of culture, race and even the lines of wealth and poverty.”

One of Stetson’s sought-after training programs, “Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom,” stresses not just the importance, but the complete necessity of understanding how a student’s culture impacts learning. She also sponsors the Inclusive Schools Network, a free web-based educational resource that provides families, schools and communities with opportunities for global connection.

“Being inclusive doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but in our interdependent world of today, it’s absolutely crucial.”
-DR. FRANCES STETSON

RESILIENCY IS ESSENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

Pre-COVID, Stetson & Associates was long accustomed to packed travel schedules, but this past year used the travel downtime to develop 25 new training packages designed specifi cally for the changing needs of their clients. They added to their already extensive online offerings, became Zoom meeting experts and actually expanded their client list. Finding ways to respond to new challenges is a strategy continually repeated among the most successful companies in today’s everchanging business climate.

Moschgat reminds us that every major crisis does two things—it creates unexpected problems, but allows for unprecedented opportunities. Her belief is that at its most basic level, resiliency is really about hope and faith in the future. She also appreciates how research undeniably supports the key role of gratitude in resiliency, “And one of the best things about gratitude is that it’s elective—you have to choose to give it permission in your life. It’s not dependent on anyone else’s behavior, just your own. And it carries a tremendous power to change.”

“How can you recognize a resilient organization? They keep growing during a crisis.”
-DR. FRANCES STETSON

TRAITS OF RESILIENT PEOPLE:

• Positive attitude
• Mental toughness
• Being grateful
• Ability to regulate emotions
• Treating setbacks as learning opportunities

THE FOUR DOMAINS OF RESILIENCE:

MENTAL
Coping with mental stressors and effectively embracing change.

PHYSICAL
Adopting and sustaining healthy behaviors and positive routines.

SOCIAL
Engaging in healthy social networks and relationships promoting connectedness.

SPIRITUAL
Remembering our core values and purpose, and focusing on what matters most to us.

SOURCELaura Jackson
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