Ashley Webber
University of Cincinnati
Define resiliency and its importance in building well-rounded individuals
Understand the research and current climate on the topic
Identify strategies and activities for building resiliency
Discuss best practices from other institutions
Advisor, University Honors Program (UHP), University of Cincinnati (UC), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
◦ Prior: Career Services at UC
Advise high-achieving students on experiential learning and reflection
Developing students into global citizen scholars who lead innovative efforts toward solving the world’s complex problems.
The University Honors Program is committed to offering students an individualized, student-centered approach to a meaningful undergraduate experience. To that end, we are dedicated to: ◦ Promoting activities that lead students to
discover their passions and enhance their gifts and talents.
◦ Coaching students to purposefully engage in experiential learning opportunities and reflection to maximize and integrate their learning.
◦ Fostering a community that prioritizes transformational personal development, civic participation, and global responsibility.
Gateway to University Honors (HNRS1010)
◦ First semester one credit hour course for all honors students
One-on-one and group advising sessions
Workshops and interest sessions (spring 2016)
https://www.ted.com/talks/jk_rowling_the_fringe_benefits_of_failure
1. What was your biggest failure in college?
2. What has been your biggest failure overall?
3. How did you overcome each?
* Share your answer to one of the above questions OR you can share how you’ve seen someone else overcome a failure
The ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens; an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.
This is a process, not a trait.
What have you seen on your campus around:
◦ Resiliency
◦ Lack of resiliency
◦ Resources to help students build resiliency
Helps us overcome inevitable life challenges
Enables us to take risk
Provides positive coping skills for all life events
Research
◦ Emmy Werner: the Kauai Longitudinal Study
◦ Bonnie Benard
1955; team of mental health workers, pediatricians, public health nurses and social workers
Monitored 698 babies born on the island of Kauai at ages 1, 2, 10, 18, 32 and 40
Found protective factors can predict positive outcomes for 50-80% of high-risk populations
Problem-solving skills
Easy-going temperament
Cognitive skills
Emotional support inside and outside of family
Inner direction (locus of control)
Autonomy
Seizing opportunities
Comprehensive review of research around resiliency
◦ Found resilience as a universal capacity
◦ Responsibility of caring adults to nurture resilience in children
Resiliency derives from four broad patterns of strengths:
◦ Social Competence
◦ Problem Solving
◦ Autonomy
◦ Sense of Purpose
Videos
Conversations
Resources
TedTalks: J.K. Rowling – The Fringe Benefits of Failure
YouTube: Famous Failures
People are afraid to talk about failure, so no one wants to do it
Start with a video, move to personal reflection, then pair-share or small group discussion
◦ Small group about seeing others come back from a failure
The Resiliency Quiz
1. Complete the quiz
2. Share 1-2 personal resiliency builders you use more often
5 Great Questions to Ask Yourself After a Failure by Paul Sloane
1. What can I learn from this?
2. What could I have done differently?
3. Do I need to acquire or improve some skill?
4. Who can I learn from?
5. What will I do next?
Resiliency Map
1. Fold paper in thirds
2. Put “Action Plan” on left third, “Obstacles” on middle third, “Goal” on right third
3. Write down a goal on the right third
4. Write down three action steps on the left third
5. Write down one potential obstacle for each action step
Action Plan
Step One
Step Two
Step Three
Obstacles
Obstacle One
Obstacle Two
Obstacle Three
Goal
My Goal
What are other institutions doing?
◦ The Stanford Resilience Project
◦ Middlebury Resilience blog
What does your institution do? What else have you heard that works?
This won’t work for each student, but it can be a starting point for some
Consider your specific population and how these ideas can be implemented
Benard, Bonnie. Resiliency: What We Have Learned. San Francisco, CA: WestEd, 2004. Print.
Emel, Bobbi. "Learning from Resilient Kids." Psych Central. N.p., 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
"Famous Failures." YouTube. YouTube, 15 May 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Gorman, Christine, Sarah Sturmon Dale, Wendy Grossman, Kathie Klarreich, Jeanne Mcdowell, and Leslie Whitaker. "The Importance Of Resilience." Time. Time Inc., 09 Jan. 2005. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Henderson, Nan. "The Resiliency Quiz." Resiliency in Action. N.p., 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
“resilience." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Rowling, J.K. The Fringe Benefits of Failure. TED. June 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Sloane, Paul. "5 Great Questions to Ask Yourself After a Failure." Lifehack. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.
Werner, E. E. and Smith, R. S. Journeys from Childhood to Midlife: Risk, Resilience, and Recovery. New York, NY: Cornell University Press. 2001. Print.
Ashley Webber University of Cincinnati [email protected]