PR (Positive Relationships): Having a supportive relationship with an adult is one of the most commonly reported protective factors in the literature on resilience (Pianta & Walsh, 1998; Werner, 1999). The quality of children’s relationships with teachers has been found to be a major component of adaptation in school (Pianta et al., 1995). Teachers can act as role models (Henderson & Milstein, 1996), reward and reinforce children’s competencies (Werner, 1995), and provide high levels of social support (Miller et al., 1998) (Lynch, Geller, & Schmidt, 2004, p. 338).
Possible home connections:
- Model how to establish relationships/ make new friends
- Help students problem solve disagreements
- Model effective communication and active listening
- Use “I” messages
- Encourage all family members to share thoughts and feelings
- Model ways to ‘repair’ relationships when issues arise
- Use literature/ books to highlight positive relationship qualities