_ All of Pathways to Learning services (courses, consulting, counseling) support the following beliefs:

• We seek to respect ourselves and others, accept responsibility for our thoughts, emotions, actions, and cooperate with others in order to contribute to a more just world;

• We must change our own behavior rather than seek to change the behavior of others;

• Success in life requires finding the “courage to be imperfect” {Dreikurs};

• Learning is a unique, organic, lifelong process;

• Theory and practice mutually inform each other.

These beliefs support four conceptual threads around which our specific courses, professional development, parent education offerings are developed:

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Most educators and parents have been taught how to manage for control and thus most youths have learned all too well how to control. It takes a shift in thinking and acting to learn how to manage for responsibility rather than control; students often respond with surprise and proud cooperation as they take increasing ownership for themselves. 

Focus is placed on understanding why students may develop certain patterns of (mis)behavior in their efforts to belong and on learning practical skills for redirecting those discouraged patterns. Redirection involves establishing learning environments typified by:

• Cooperatively defined clear limits of non-negotiables and preventive routines;

• Consequences and choices (as distinct from punishments) that place the ball of responsibility into the court of students;

• Encouragement practices (as distinct from rewards, awards, and practice) that put the focus on helping students find and celebrate their own successes;

• Consistency that provides the stability of kind relationships with firm accountability;

• Conflict resolution skills that address problematic issues with honest communication in difficult situations.

_ Experiencing stress in life is inevitable.  The key to living a socially-emotionally balanced life is in learning how to use the stresses of life to generate wellness rather than distress.  

Social-emotional wellness requires that educators, parents, and students continue to understand and practice lifelong lessons:

• Rational and irrational thoughts create emotions which motivate actions.  Thus, emotions are the ‘movers and motivators’ of one’s life. 

• Patterns of thought emerge into powerful belief systems.
  

• Individuals are well-served to explore the rational and irrational beliefs which produce their emotions and to understand how thoughts and emotions frame actions. 

• Effective strategies can be learned for listening, communicating constructively, and resolving conflicts to enhance interpersonal social relationships and reinforce positive emotional health habits.

• We cannot give what we do not have; thus, social-emotional health begins with personal goal-setting and health management.

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Every individual comes with and continues to develop a designer brain through ongoing learning processes and social interactions. Educators, parents, and students are well-served to explore understanding of their own learning needs as well as the needs of others.

These sessions explore powerful ways to create learning environments while exploring questions about some of the mysteries of learning:

•   How is brain research continually informing us about brain-mind principles and effective instructional practices?

• What is the role of questioning, challenge, risk-taking, emotion, active problem-solving in the learning process?

• How does the memory work and how do we make meaning as we gain and retain understandings?

• How can the needs of all individuals of the learning community be addressed?
  

• What careful and informed instructional decisions need to be made to select practices that differentiate for content, process, and product?  How are these practices effectively designed and organized?

• How do formal and informal assessments continually inform effective instructional decisions?

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Reflective practice is at the heart of how educators remain nimble in their efforts to support the learning of their students in ongoing unanticipated ways. 

  Self-study gives educators the tools for taking informed action and for continually expanding areas of professional expertise.  These tools, in sum, help educators respond to daily challenges:

D:  Dilemmas. Conflicts that are interfering with learning are clarified in rich detail with felt tension. The relationship of emotion, thoughts, action is highlighted.

A:  Analysis.  Teachers explore what they know and what they need to know.  They investigate resources, pursue the literature, and engage in professional conversations. They examine their own beliefs and patterns involved in handling this and similar dilemmas.

R:  Reconceptualization. Informed by the fruits of analysis, teachers gain greater perspective in re-considering what they know and defining where they need to expand understandings and strategies.  This involves brainstorming productive steps they might take for addressing the dilemma.

E:  Experiment with Action.  This final step clarifies specific action steps and commitments for addressing the specified dilemma as well as a plan for revisiting results.

Reflective process is on-going.  Dilemmas continue to surface and teacher expertise continues to develop.