As the evidence-based research is mounting that children’s capacity to cope with emotions influences their ability to learn, there has been a national movement in education to integrate social and emotional learning into the classroom. Often times, the implementation of SEL curriculum is driven by the goal of supporting the attainment of specific skills for […]
Trauma-informed teaching
Balancing the Nervous System
For many children, their behavior is unintentional and unplanned. Their behavior while disruptive and difficult to manage, is most often motivated purely as an attempt at communicating a need and reflecting their internal state. Our most primary need? Safety. Their external behavior is communicating a loud resounding message of, “I do not feel safe right […]
“School Wellness Programs” = Well-Being For All
As we continue to work with schools across the country, there is a growing awareness of the importance a student’s overall health and well-being plays in learning. For many schools, they begin exploring wellness through the lens of nutrition and exercise. Both are extremely important. What we eat directly effects how our body and brain […]
5 Mindful, Trauma-Informed Tools to Increase Peace and Improve Behavior in the Classroom
Recent media events and research have been highlighting the need for educators to become more aware of the prevalence of trauma in the lives of the children we serve. As the ACE’s study has revealed, the rates of trauma and causes of trauma are expansive. They not only impact the child’s life now, in the […]
The Power of HOW You Use Your Words
Every word we utter has the potential to grow a child, or shrink them. What is even more influential than what we say, is HOW we say it. The “what” is often obvious. The “how” is subtle and can be extraordinarily magical. As most of you know, I don’t believe in only teaching the tools of […]
How Yoga and Mindfulness Can Help Students Exposed to Trauma
There are many children in our classrooms that would benefit from learning tools to understand, express and manage their emotions. Children who have been affected by trauma are in constant states of hyperarousal and emotional distress. Learning tools to de-escalate, calm and communicate are essential in order to help them function in and out of […]
The Power of Unconditional Love
I recently read an article about the research that is being conducted to better understand the relationship between animals and individuals on the autistic spectrum. In this article, children between the ages of 5-13 where given pet guinea pigs to hold while in the presence of other adults. The findings were quite remarkable. “They found […]
Literature Lesson Plan
Kindergarteners are so eager to learn and share their views and ideas. I love getting to bring yoga into their classrooms each week. Although I always plan to bring enriching lessons to their education, I ALWAYS find that I am the one who gains so much inspiration and knowledge from watching and listening to them. […]
