Hammond’s neuroscience based Ready 4 Rigor Framework truly resonates with me as a launching point to overhaul our current Covid19 educational challenges. The Ready 4 Rigor Framework helps us understand how the utilization of CRT supports developing independent students who can “accelerate their capacity” and thereby decrease the achievement gap
Continue Reading...Archives For Social Emotional Learning
It has been quite an era for educators to retool. Wow! I believe they are truly heroes to pour into our children despite the current global pandemic. This social media Wakelet collection was curated to provide snippets from a few Culturally Responsive and/or Trauma Informed (CR-TI) influencers. Utilizing both lenses provides more opportunities for students’ brains to engage and their hearts to heal and RECONNECT with school and learning amidst the 2020 Great Shutdown and remote learning. Please feel free to say hi or share CR-TI resources at my twitter @HeloiseRidley:
90% of the World’s Students Need a New Trauma Informed Strategy
During this Covid-19 pandemic, more than 90% of the world’s students were displaced from attending school. Absolutely, mind boggling! I am more than grateful for the influx of free trauma informed care training online to support hurting students and their families. Details are below.
My Two Cents: We Will Need New Lenses
Perhaps even more critical than these last few weeks of school is preparation for start up in the fall. I do not believe in the “get back to normal” notion. We need to embrace a new trauma lens. It will be critical to prepare our educators, service providers and organizations for short and long term changes to our systems.
Retooling for School Students in the Fall… Hopefully Post Covid-19
For many months and years to come, our children will remember and respond in many ways to “The Great Covid-19 Shutdown of 2020”. Some resilient students with lots of support will seem to bounce back and perform well academically. The trick is… our students will not all bounce back. Many vulnerable kids are depressed and despondent during this lockdown. We have heard of the increase in drug use, self-harm and aggression to manage their pain. In addition, many successful students who smile and seem fine may be harboring their pain inside. All students deserve opportunities to process their emotions in order to promote long-term wellness.
Good News
The good news is we have learned it is possible to develop the emotional health of students. It is completely doable if schools and organizations prepare to put on a new lens: trauma informed care.
The free course provided by Starr Commonwealth is a good opportunity for a limited time when using the code TRAUMAINFORMED (all caps).
From their site:
“This course provides detailed information and concrete actions that answer not just the “why” but also the “how” to create the best classroom and school supports for traumatized students and the school professionals who serve them.”
The course covers many topics including:
resilience
core values and beliefs exploration
trauma’s impact on children
fostering connections
social and emotional skills
safety
play
Enjoy!!
Heloise J. Ridley, MBA, MA
Hello again everyone!
I am excited to share more free Neurologic resources because they have been immensely helpful for managing my own school age kids at home for the Covid-19 Shutdown. I find myself repeatedly sharing this info with clients so I decided to post this one and possibly collect some useful resources for caregivers struggling with their kids who are struggling. If you have any winners, please share it in the comments.
This time I am sharing a homeschool webinar: HOMEBOUND: Josh MacNeill (Brain Breaks)
I attended after being notified by one of my agencies that Josh MeNeill was joining Susan Wise Bauer, my homeschool hero to help us all settle into a “school at home” routine with kids who may be grieving the loss of school, defiant, anxious, confused, uncooperative and/or bored.
My worlds have finally collided! I believe families NEED this kind of information to understand WHY their kids are “acting up” instead of just feeling frustrated, annoyed or in dispair.
Josh from Lakeside details helpful concepts for caregivers to help their students’ get through behaviors that interfere with learning. To be honest, as a therapist helping other caregivers, I benefit tremendously from internalizing materials like these to support my own family of 6 + 2 kids; seven of whom are back home for the duration.
Brain breaks which he gives examples for are the best. We like many use different gadgets to break up the “Groundhog Day” monotony of lockdown school during quarantine. This has been vastly different than homeschooling for sure.
My favorite brain break activities include paper behind the back, thumb roll, mindfulness mint (I use starburst), nature sounds (I use safari videos), the alphabet/number trace, and some of the tossing brain benders.
Lakeside Neurologic is known internationally to support the therapeutic education of vulnerable youth. Full disclosure: I am not sure how long this free zoom link for the Homebound video will be active.
Due to Covid19 their book shipments are delayed. If anyone wants the “101 Brain Breaks” little square book Josh described that I enjoy using here’s an Amazon link: https://smile.amazon.com/s?me=AU4E06N5BT5JX&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Enjoy guys,
Heloise (Lois) Ridley, MBA,MA
We Struggle too!
Anger among caregivers is an area I struggle with, from being and working with Parents. Family-based counseling therapeutic methods taught me a great saying:
“it is better to connect before we correct.”
It’s much harder to connect first than to demand kids fix their actions and attitude. It requires us, caregivers, to reach beyond the anger for their HEART.
As a mom of six children (plus a few extras), I understand the many many challenges of parenting. Did I say many? For this reason, I do not judge parents and caregivers who struggle.
I also do not judge caregivers who have spoiled their kids with a lack of discipline, thereby losing their respect. These kids also tend to struggle significantly with anger.
Reconnecting = Reaching Below Anger
When kids are little, reconnecting can be more straightforward because giving attention and kind words are the primary solutions. It seems both children and youth mostly understand genuine love and care more than anything else.
Teens often require more time and effort than younger kids. It can take more work to earn the privilege of connecting if they are consistently angry. Furthermore, if teens stay upset, they may resort to harmful behaviors to cope with their emotions.
After reconnecting with the child or adolescent, I personally revert to reviewing the importance of showing respect and consideration for authority figures, including therapists.
Yes! It’s Discipline Time
For some, this part of parenting is the most difficult, and it seems like a quick fix to have someone else fix/discipline our children. But what else is to be expected of them if most of the time with them is spent yelling? If this is the approach, both parents and children will continue to rise up the escalator of anger.
This anger iceberg tool may also illustrate what feelings are really underneath brewing. Sometimes understanding how we feel gives us options in our reactions.
This is an ongoing journey for many parents and caregivers. Therefore, there is no use judging a caregiver needing more effective methods to help reach angry kids and youth. Instead, I try to lead with a heart to help, with useful tools like anger iceberg illustration above CLICK FOR PDF FROM INNER GROWTH.
Here is another excellent illustration option below, which was found on the Gottman family website CLICK FOR GOTTMAN LINK
The Bottom Line
Children, by lousy behavior and anger outbursts, are just attempting to say, “I really need and would like a much more loving, positive attention… then your discipline and advice.”
“Your kids require you most of all, to love them for who they are, not to spend your whole time trying to correct them.”― Bill Ayers
