Equipping students + staff with the tools to thrive in school + in life. We are the generation of wellness.
We've got a simple practice for you that will increase student engagement, focus, and the overall learning experience! Are you ready for it? Drum roll please....
Get up and move!
Simple, but profound.
The science is clear: In order for students to learn, they need to be able to pay attention. In order to pay attention, we need to let students move.
Brain breaks re-energize the brain, so that more learning and retention can occur. According to Wendy Suzuky, "Movement is the most transformative thing we can do for our brains." Let's examine the reasons why according to research.
Benefits of Brain Breaks:
What We Can Do (Simple Action Steps):
Mission: Equipping students and staff with the tools to thrive in school and life. We believe in building strong hearts, minds and bodies.
Vision: Every school in America will educate the whole child by 2023.
How: Trainings, app + online courses that provide proven techniques that decrease stress, strategies that build connection and activities that self-regulation and self-care practices.
Quotable: "We are seeing more students coming to school with anxiety, depression and this is in elementary school. We are seeing families who are struggling and I think society as a whole needs this kind of work." - JoAnne Duncan, Principal
Wellness Warrior Spotlight
Name: Mallory Neuman
Occupation: High School Counselor
What skills have you focused on teaching this year?
Self-regulation and stress relief through guided relaxations and breathing exercises.
Working in a high school is busy and it seems there's a never ending to do list of standards to meet, tests and work/college to prep for and constant activities, assemblies and events. How is there time to teach these skills to ALL student at West Seattle High School?
As a high school counselor, you have to make time. I’ll usually start a classroom lesson with a few minutes of deep breathing, before we get into the content. We’ve also built lessons into our school-wide advisory curriculum, so even though I’m not personally delivering the lessons the students are learning about the benefits of mindfulness. Finally, I’ll work with departments who already understand the need for SEL and mindfulness (PE and World Language at the moment)...
The beginning of the school year is often an exciting time filled with decorating classrooms, collaborating with staff, meeting families, and more. Many schools and districts are also planning for daily practices that combat stress and innovative interventions that actually teach skills. Why? Take a look at these sobering statistics:
Gratitude isn’t just for the month of November or Thanksgiving time. It’s nice to focus on the good during these times, however being grateful all year can improve your quality of life. Who wouldn’t be grateful for that?
Really though, developing gratitude is one of the simplest ways to improve satisfaction with your life. It doesn’t cost money, and it doesn’t take a lot of time.
BENEFITS OF GRATITUDE:
The quote by Brendan Burchard summarizes intentions beautifully: "First it’s an intention, then a behavior, then a habit, then a second nature, and then it’s simply just who you are." Setting intentions is really the seed of how we behave.
Why Setting Intention is Important?
It’s exciting to know that we have the power to set our day up for success by being intentional with our thoughts. It’s a great reminder that, “You are the gardener of your mind, and you are sowing seeds every moment of every day with the thoughts that you think and the actions that you take. The seeds you plant today will determine tomorrow’s harvest.”
A...
This is the year of HAPPINESS in Dubai. Yes the year of Happiness!
"We must achieve happiness for the community through government work. This is what the Executive Council's annual agenda will focus on, to ease people's lives and provide the best services, which will provide with them a dignified living and preserve Dubai's standing as a modern international city that promotes modernity while maintaining its cultural and social traditions," Sheikh Hamdan commented with regards to Dubai's overall success, which is a source of inspiration to other cities around the world.”
It was such a great experience observing an emphasis on happiness and well-being woven throughout communities and schools. We had a fabulous time teaching the five Happiness Habits, along with some stress-less techniques and connection activities.
"I've never met a kid who can't learn, poverty is not a learning disability."
Aren't skateboards off limits at schools? Not for this principal! Hamish Brewer is not your typical principal. He says that he spends the majority of his day out in the hallways, sends a loving message over the morning announcements every morning and has a school wide motto of 'Be Relentless'.
Communication is the transfer of information from one person or group to another. One research study showed that communication is 7% words, 38% tone, and 55% non-verbal.
Communication helps us understand others. The inability to communicate effectively can lead to a lot of problems both personally and professionally. While effective communication has been proven to build trust, prevent and resolve problems, and enhances relationships.
I like to use the framework:
Story (state the story in my head is _________)
Thought/Feeling
Desire (what you would like to move forward)
Here is an example of why this is so effective:
Person A: Do you have a minute to talk?
Person B: Yes. What’s up?
Person A: The story in my head is that you aren’t going to have everything completed for the project deadline tomorrow.
Person B: Oh the story in my head is that my section of the project is complete and we’ve delegated the other two remaining parts to Katy and Jamal. Did you not...
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