I remember my elementary school very well. On the west side of the school, there was a large field with space to play and a baseball diamond. I loved the seasons where our school maintenance would mow the grass on a large riding lawn mower. My mind would escape the indoors and the classroom as […]
PAUSE
As teachers and parents, we know the words we use with our children matter. We know benchmarks need to consider preferences, interests, needs and strengths. We are caregivers, spending our days nurturing each child the best we can. However, unless we model our own self-care and the power behind PAUSE, we not only will run […]
When Speed Bumps Give you Reason to Soar!
Almost four years ago, I was right on track. I had just finished my yoga training, I was completing my master’s degree, and I was excited to begin my new job at a school who had decided to add mindfulness to their program! This position would give me time and our move to a new […]
Why Literature is a Great Tool for Social Emotional Learning
We continue to be asked which social emotional learning (SEL) program is best for children and the answer is there isn’t one. We need to be begin with mindfulness and modeling. SEL has to be integrated into ours and our children’s lives. In a time where few of us can think of one more thing […]
Self-care While Coping with Stress
People all over the world are worried about Covid-19. On top of that, families working and learning at home has added to our anxiety we are feeling. We know tension can be contagious, but there is good news! Here is a list of things you can do to take care of your body, your mind […]
Fun Mindful Eating Lesson for Home and School
I am seeing a lot of parents posting questions on how to stop all day grazing, but healthy eating involves small planned portions! My favorite lesson in mindfulness is mindful eating. During our teacher trainings, who doesn’t want to savor a small piece of dark chocolate for a few minutes during professional development? But kids […]
What Do You See? Mindfulness Activity
Activity: What Did You See? Directions: Put an item in the center of the room. Place children in a circle around the room so they all have a different but clear view. Give them a few minutes to quietly study the item. Encourage them to focus on small details. Taking turns around the circle, each […]
When Anxiety Captures Your Thoughts
For years now, we have been aware of stress invading our homes, schools and workplaces. Our students are at risk. We also know that Adverse Childhood Experiences can cause Toxic Stress, which can lead to long-term health issues. Our first line of protecting our students needs to be to reduce the source of stress through […]
Responsible Decision-making, answering, “yes” and adding, “what if…”
There is a positive energy after returning from break! The New Year is a great time to focus on the Social Emotional Learning component: Responsible Decision Making. New Year intentions, or a one-word focus, is on decision many of us tackle. Goals and bucket lists are other activities we look at this time of year. […]
The Mindful Beginning
From my days as a student, to a long-time educator, I will never outgrow the first day of school excitement. As back to school nears, I have restless nights, to-do lists, shopping lists (which comes with a price tag) and feel the summer days slip away. I spend time setting up the class environment to […]