Finding my Why
Why?
We believe that empowering students with emotional regulation tools can enhance their learning experience, especially for those with unique needs, leading to better academic and social outcomes.
​
How?
We will integrate a heart sensor and the Mightier app into the school’s daily routines, providing personalized support to help students recognize and manage their emotions effectively.
What?
Our students will become more self-regulated capable of managing their emotions in both academic and social settings which result in reduced stress, improved focus, and stronger social interactions, setting them up for long-term success.
Heart
This Why statement speaks directly to the core mission of supporting student well-being, aiming to inspire and motivate stakeholders by highlighting the potential for transformative growth in our school’s Autistic students. This appeals to the heart by emphasizing the life-changing impact emotional regulation can have on students who struggle with managing their emotions in the classroom and other settings. Change is difficult. John Kotter explains that the significant change process of any kind would have to win over both the hearts and the mind. The effort to change someone’s thinking differs from the effort to change feelings. We are trained to target the brain, not the heart.
Urgency
Kotter emphasizes that change starts with urgency. There is a need to convince stakeholders that the emotional regulation challenges students face are not problems that can wait. Using Kotter’s principles, the goal is to create an emotional connection to the need for change while stressing the time-sensitive nature of this solution. By highlighting the current emotional struggles students face and the potential negative outcomes of not acting, we create a clear and urgent need for the Mightier app. Just as Kotter explains, urgency builds when people realize that delaying action will lead to missed opportunities for growth and improvement. Any type of change needs a sense of urgency, instead of complacency. Mightier can immediately improve the school environment, which can lower complacency and inspire stakeholders to take immediate and decisive action. With the establishing a why, we give these students and their feelings purpose and meaning, making this emotional journey much more stable.
Reference
Kotter, J. (2013). Leading Change: Establish a Sense of Urgency [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yfrj2Y9IlI
Dr. John Kotter. (2011). John Kotter - The Heart of Change. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKti9MyAAw