Skip to main content

Brain Basics 101: Creating Socially and Emotionally Healthy Classrooms

By
Brain Basics 101: Creating Socially and Emotionally Healthy Classrooms
Key ideas/emphasis:
  • Trauma and stress are big challenges to learning
  • Emotional health is not an “appetizer” or a “dessert”- it is the plate
  • Teaching students about the parts of the brain and what they control
  • Helping students understand dysregulation  (acting out and acting in)
  • Teaching students the proper way to breathe-the prefrontal cortex (which is used for complex thinking)  “goes offline” during times of stress, and correct/deep breathing helps bring it “back online” and also releases oxytocin
  • Pyramid of trauma, stress and learning (below)- students who form ONE healthy, supportive adult relationship can offset this pyramid



Big takeaway: CHASE THE WHY-The Posture of Curiosity
Easy to begin using tomorrow
When dealing with students who are either dysregulated or not exhibiting the desired behavior, use the following phrases: “I wonder…” or I noticed…”  
Examples: “I wonder what is keeping you from doing your work,” “I wonder if you may want to talk after class,” or “I wonder if this other seat is a better choice”   It does not ask a direct question (but initiates communication)  without creating a communication/power struggle

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

By Anonymous
I attended a short Speed Learning Session with Vicki Meigs-Kahlenberg and enjoyed it so much that I ended up purchasing her book The Author's Apprentice . Essentially, Vicki's session was on not letting narrative writing fall by the wayside in the world of high-stakes testing. She talked about teaching students to develop their writing voices by studying the works and process of popular young adult authors such as Kwame Alexander, Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds, and Lois Lowry. I have always been interested in using mentor texts to teach students writing strategies such as "Show, Don't Tell" and dialogue that develops characters, but I felt like Vicki's process takes this one step further because she has students research the actual authors and learn about their lives and writing processes. There is no one correct way to write. Every author plans, drafts, and revises differently, and I think sharing this with students makes the whole writing process seem m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lead Like A Pirate

By
I think my favorite session was called "Lead Like A Pirate" which was titled after the book.  The presenter's school theme is "Making school a place where kids are banging down the door to get in, not out".  I thought this sounded a lot like our school philosophy. She shared LOTS of great ideas that her school uses including Teen Tweet, hiding secret eggs, Birthday carts, and more.  It got me thinking about different ideas we could do in our school and I can use in my Advisory to make school an enjoyable place for the students and for the teachers.  There was an emphasis on taking care of the teachers so they will take care of the kids.  It made me try to think of ways we can take care of each other.  I went online and bought the book "Teach Like A Pirate". I also went to another presentation on scheduling intervention in a tight schedule.  It gave me some great ideas for trying to help us bring math intervention into the school day.  I don't ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bridges to Wellness - Countywide Conference

By
While at the Bridges to Wellness conference, I attended a session highlighting the program "Rachel's Challenge"  Although this program has been around for many years, and may be familiar to us, I am still inspired by its message. Rachel Scott was killed in the Columbine High School shooting, and she was a student who reached out to students with disabilities, new students, and students who were picked on.  She wrote about her moral principles in her diary, which was found after her death.  Her father has since created an educational program, spreading Rachel's ideas internationally.  The CCIU is promoting Rachel's Challenge in Chester County again. "Rachel's Challenge builds compassion in relationships and strengthens community within schools.  Guided by a set of five challenges, students and faculty are encouraged to model and enforce behaviors, and start a chain reaction of their own." The five Challenges are: 1. Look for the Best in Others ...
Post a Comment
Read more