Dr. Valerie Parker is an educator, administrator, parent and wife, and serves as the Education Committee Chair for the Howard County Branch of the NAACP. She’s a self-proclaimed “fierce advocate for black boys everywhere,” and her research focuses on teacher perception of behavior that leads to student misconstruction. Dr. Parker firmly believes that changes in our perception can help address much larger, systemic issues: particularly the school to prison pipeline.

Essential Takeaways:

• Changes in perception can positively address and affect systemic problems.

• Self-regulation and building relationships with black youth isn’t optional, it’s crucial.

• Identifying your own implicit biases and triggers is essential to stopping the school to prison pipeline.

Important Links:

• Seven Powers: Powers of Perception: https://consciousdiscipline.com/seven-powers-power-of-perception/

• Four Elements of Connection: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/four-elements-of-connection/

Related Resources:

• Conscious Discipline with Excellence 2023: We Run This Shift: Ways Conscious Discipline Helps Circumvent the School to Prison Pipeline with Dr. Valerie Parker Available to Premium Resources Members only: https://consciousdiscipline.com/resources/we-run-this-shift-ways-conscious-discipline-helps-circumvent-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/

• Handling Upset: The Adult-First Mindset Shift: https://consciousdiscipline.com/product/team-registration-handling-upset-the-adult-first-mindset-shift/

Show Outline:

:00 Introduction

1:30 Becoming creative and curious about seeing behavior as communication.

3:00 Introduction to Dr. Valerie Parker

4:50 The school to prison pipeline

8:12 Implicit bias, ADHD, and autism

13:00 Big feelings, wishing well and what isolation teaches others

13:45 Building relationships

15:40 Autonomy, choices, and assertiveness

19:42 Calming strategies to inspire a love for learning

21:00 Being curious instead of judgmental

22:00 The Power of Perception

23:00 Helping teachers shift their perception

23:52 Identifying your own bias and triggers

25:32 How do I contribute to the school to prison pipeline?

27:51 Mindful moments for dysregulated students

30:52 Why Conscious Discipline matters

31:07 Changing the trajectory of the lives of adults and children

32:23 Self-regulation and building relationships for black boys isn’t optional, its crucial

33:45 Takeaways

Thank you for Listening!

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