Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 3. Hope you’ve been enjoying listening so far! Many educators know that the climate in a school matters. The climate amongst the staff, amongst the students and between the school and community, matters. It matters because when our needs our met – when we feel safe and cared for, we can relax into, and focus on, learning. It matters because a positive environment in a school can also prevent negative behaviours, as well. This conversation about school climate, why it is so important to our students, and what we can do to enhance it, is so foundational to everything that happens in a school, including the success and learning, of the students! Today we chat with Suzanne Vardy, who currently works in a lower mainland school district helping to ensure schools are safe, welcoming places for children, youth and families.

RESOURCES:

https://casel.org/

https://heartmindonline.org/

https://www.prevnet.ca/

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase


QUOTE:

"To manage behaviour effectively, educators need to consider not just the behaviour itself – what the student is doing – but also the underlying cause(s) of the behaviour. If educators focus only on what the student is doing, and try to eliminate the behaviour, they may find that another inappropriate behaviour arises in its place, because the underlying need has not been met. It is important to remember that inappropriate behaviour is usually a response to something in the student’s environment and is an attempt to communicate a need, rather than being deliberately aggressive or purposefully negative."

- www.edu.gov.on.ca (Ontario School Board’s Caring and Safe Schools Policy)


BIO:

Suzanne has been working alongside individuals, families, and communities for over 30 years in a variety of settings including not-for-profit community agencies, an alternative measures program, school districts, and her clinical counselling private practice.

Currently, she works with a lower mainland school district helping to ensure schools are safe and welcoming places for children, youth, and families; in private practice, she supports children, youth, and families -- as well as individuals moving through transitions. She also works with City University teaching in the MEd in School Counselling program. Suzanne believes in strong and compassionate families, schools and communities that surround and support children and youth -- allowing them to thrive and become kind, caring and resilient people.