They have to deal with all this (and more) with an under-developed brain.
Their brains are STILL a work in progress…
I look at that list (even with my developed adult brain) and know I’d be struggling balancing all of that too…
So What Can We Do?
How can we help them navigate through this tricky spot in life?
I asked myself these very same questions at the beginning of this school year…
Because this School Year, I Found Myself Neck-Deep in the Middle of Grade 9 Classroom Waters…
This classroom was filled with some complex kids with complex needs…
I wanted to help them…
The way I wish someone helped me back then…
They desperately needed certain skills…
Skills that would help them THRIVE, instead of just SURVIVE…
This is why, after much thought and a lot of field research (testing the waters of my Grade 9 classroom), I came up with a way to help my students build an essential skillset!
A skillset that would help them, not only, navigate the rough waters of Junior High, but also prepare them for life (and develop their brains along the way)!
Introducing… The Kids Yoga Stories Gratitude Journal for Teens!!
Okay, but what makes this Gratitude Journal so special?
How is a gratitude journal supposed to help our struggling Teens…?
Well, THIS journal is MORE than just any old Gratitude Journal…
In fact, it helps Teens develop qualities and skills like:
Emotional Regulation and Stress Management
Confidence and Self-Esteem
Empathy and Compassion for Themselves and Others
Positive Self-Talk and and Self-Acceptance
Forgiveness and Perspective Shifting
And of course, Expressing Gratitude and Feelings of Appreciation
How Does One Journal Do All of This?
It provides regulation strategies, like Breath of the Month and Mindful Colouring, to manage stress and anxiety – tools that Teens can use for life!
(I don’t care who you are, you can’t tell me Teens are “too cool for school” to colour… My field research says otherwise! :P)
The WeeklyPositive Affirmations promote positive self-talk, self-acceptance, boosts confidence and reminds Teens to show themselves compassion. We are all just human, after all.
The Gratitude Questions and Challenges are thought provoking and help shift perspective in Teens. They begin to understand their place in the world and have appreciation for whats going on around them.
This Interactive Journal provides a creative outlet for Teens to get thoughts and worries out of their heads. Getting things out on paper gives Teens the chance to reflect on experiences and even learn from them.
Plus, we already know that when our Mental Health improves, so does our overall health! This translates to other parts of our lives.
And Teens will benefit for years to come!
But Why?
Why Did I Decide To Create A Journal For Teens Unlike Any Other?
Well, I’d like to ask you this…
Do YOU remember what it was like being a Teenager?
I sure do…
And when I met my Grade 9 students on that very first day, I saw myself in all of them.
All of my insecurities…
All of my worries…
All of my struggles trying to fit into the world…
I Barely Got By My Teen Years
I wasn’t about to let that happen to these kids.
So…
I asked myself,
“How would I have helped MYSELF back in my Teen years?”
“What supports did I desperately need?”
DIY: Gratitude Notebooks
A few students and I put together personal notebooks filled with gratitude, breathing and calming strategies, affirmations, and other random thoughts!
The note books were amazing, but they just weren’t quite enough…
They weren’t as organized as I would have liked.
They weren’t as appealing to the Teenager who is concerned about appearance.
So….
I took all of these lessons I learned from my Gratitude Notebooks,
All of the lessons from my Teenage students,
And all of the lessons from reflecting on my Teen years,
“How am I supposed to squeeze anything else into my day…?”
Things I hear in Education..
And I get it, Teachers have a lot on their overflowing plates.
They are more than just Teachers – they feed kids when they’re hungry and console them when they’re hurt.
Days become overwhelmed with to-do’s and then suddenly… its JUNE! And we’re cutting it close on deadlines.
But if we invest a little extra time, into the RIGHT things, it is possible to get some teaching time back!
Let’s take a quick peek into our classrooms…
Teacher’s at the front, attempting to get through her math lesson.
Attempting… because we know her lesson is not going according to plan.
We have Johnny in the front, raising his hand every 2 minutes to interject with a concern. Bianca is noisily tapping on her desk, frustrated because she just doesn’t get math. Will snapped his pencil and is this close to flipping his desk if he has to painstakingly sit through another minute of this class…
Classrooms are overrun with interruptions.
Sometimes, as Educators, we feel so short on time, that we push through our lessons and don’t necessarily deal with the underlying issue…
The Disregulation…
The stress, the frustrations and the anger…
And the truth is… Kids aren’t learning if they are not REGULATED.
To understand that, we need to know how our brains work.
When information enters our brain, either from something external (like a lesson) or from our internal emotions (fear, anger), this information travels from the bottom up.
The Brain Stem, into
Our Limbic System (Emotional brain), and then
The NeoCortex (Thinking brain)
But… when students are disregulated, then information cant travel past our brain stem, our primitive brain…
Think of it as electricity flowing in a circuit. If our regulation “switch” is turned off… no electricity is getting to the “light bulb” part of the brain.
The upper parts of their brains aren’t on.
They can’t use their emotional brain to relate to your lesson… And they most definitely can’t use their thinking brain!
So, what’s the point in stressfully pushing through a lesson if our students wont remember or relate to it…?
We Need Regulation!
And how do we do that?
By taking a little bit of time to mindfully teach regulation strategies!
When our kids become disregulated, but are PREPARED in handing it. We can redirect back to our lesson quicker.
The interruptions become minimal…
And we have a more effective lesson…
All because we invested a little bit of time turning our students brains on.
Here Are Some Easy-Peasy Strategies To Get You Started:
#1: Deep Belly Breathing (and more breathing exercises)
#2: Journalling or Creating Art
#3: Gong for a Walk (even better if it’s outdoors!)
Wishing you the best of luck! (I just know you can do it!)
We don’t all have cozy corners, or carpet spaces in our classrooms… Some of us don’t even have classrooms!
This was my challenge too…
As an Educational Assistant, I didn’t have my own classroom. No place to practice Mindfulness with my students. No place to put my Mindfulness “tools”.
But, I Had A Dream…
I wanted to teach students Mindfulness techniques and get my message out to the school.
I felt it was too important of a dream to just forget about because I was lacking one crucial aspect…
So, how did I overcome this challenge?
How did I bring Mindfulness to my students WITHOUT the space to do so?
I Got Creative…
Accepting that there was a challenge was Step #1!
CHOOSING to find an alternative and face it head on was Step #2!
We don’t often get past Step #1 – Our subconscious holds onto the message that there isn’t always a way around a problem.
BUT…
There is ALWAYS another way! There is ALWAYS an alternative!
All you have to do is a little creative thinking…
For me, this meant introducing…
The Mindfulness Bin!
The Mindfulness Bin was a lightweight bin that held all my Mindfulness tools.
Because I couldn’t hold Mindfulness in one classroom, this bin needed to go ANYWHERE I needed to go.
Sometimes Mindfulness Club took place in the music room, or outdoors. Sometimes it was help in the gym, or in a spare classroom.
Students LOVED to be “Mindfulness Bin Leaders” – They took such pride in hauling our little bin around.
The Mindfulness Tools that you’d be likely to find in my Mindfulness Bin were:
Sit Spots
Breathing Activities Book (Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey)
Mandala Colouring Pages
Pencil Crayons
Breathing Stars
Talking Stick
Sand Timer
Activity Cards (Breath Work/Yoga Cards)
Self Check-In Cards & Erasable Markers
Maybe that sounds like a lot to you… But all these items were small and easy to carry.
I’d sometimes switch them out for a little variety.
I NEVER Felt Limited with The Mindfulness Bin!
Although it was small, it sure was mighty!
It had all the tools we needed to get the job done.
My students saw the bin as this magical component to Mindfulness Club…
Remember Mary Poppins?
And the never-ending magical tote bag she would pull unlimited items out of?
Yeah…?
Well, that’s how I felt every time I had The Mindfulness Bin with me!
“What will Miss T. pull out next?!”
No Space, No Problem!
Don’t get discouraged if you have a space-limiting challenge in front of you.
Get creative: Think outside-of-the-box!
There is always a way. Always a solution.
I hope my Mindfulness Bin story will inspire you to take creative action on your next big challenge.
Growing up, I was told if you stay active and eat nutritious foods then you’ll have no problem living to 100!!
I’m sure you’ve heard something along these lines too.
Nutrition and physically activity are the keys to a healthy life…
We hear a lot about the impact our diet and movement can have on our well-being, but we often neglect one of the most important components to our wellness…
Let’s chat about Mental Health!
Where does it fit in this wellness puzzle?
Mental well-being is a tough topic to talk about. Mostly due to lack of awareness.
But now, our world has become filled with anxiety, depression, phobias and a plethora of other mental illnesses.
With mental illness on the rise, we have no choice but to shine a spotlight on Mental Health.
We have to acknowledge it.
And I’m sure glad we are, because it is the real ‘kicker’ when it comes to maintaining our health and wellbeing.
Dr. Gabor Mate, physician and author who specializes in childhood development and trauma, reported about a study of smokers in one of his books.
The smokers were separated into 2 groups:
Smokers who were more emotionally stable
Smokers who were emotionally repressed and had significant stress
… And the findings were shocking!
Although we KNOW the impact smoking has on our health, there were significant differences between the health of the two groups.
The emotionally stable smokers lived longer, healthier lives- not necessarily guaranteeing lung cancer and other diseases.
The emotionally repressed smokers were 5x more likely to develop these diseases!
Smoking alone does not cause lung cancer…
Smoking + Poor Mental Health does!
Woahhh…
This doesn’t mean I’m telling you to take up smoking..
I’m telling you this to remind you how powerful our mindset can be. Our thoughts and emotions have the power to override unhealthy habits – like smoking!
This is why it is so important not to disregard our good ol’ friend ‘Mental Health’ when it comes to our well-being.
Our thoughts can make us sick, but they can also make us well.
Adding in positive mental health practices to our lives is just as essential (if not, more essential) for our overall wellness than physical activity and nutrition alone!
Mental Health is the missing piece to our wellness puzzle.
The most powerful TED talk I’ve watched, was given by a 7 year old…
Molly Wright makes her way across the TED stage and begins…
“What if I told you a game of peekaboo could change the world…?”
Molly Wright
Molly is not your typical 7 year old.
She is a prime example of what happens when a child’s brain development is nurtured through the early years.
Not only is she a prime example, she’s also an advocate for healthy childhood development.
I learned more from this 7 year old in 7 minutes, than I did reading over 100 books (written by adults) about children and their brains.
When kids are exposed to things like…
Connecting
Talking
Playing
A Healthy Home
A Sense of Community
… it contributes positively to their development.
Connecting with our family and community builds and strengthens relationships, encourages trust, promotes positive mental health, and teaches life skills.
I’m sure we can wait until kids are older to start teaching them these skills though, right?
WRONG!
So… When should we be connecting, playing and talking to our kids?
#1. First 5 Years!
Molly reminds us that these years of a child’s life are the most CRUCIAL years in their development.
Brains grow faster in the first 5 years than they do the rest of our lives. By the time kids are 7 years old, their brains have grown to 90% the size of an adults’ brain.
Do not underestimate those first 5 years…
So… What should we be doing those first 5 years?
#2. Serve and Return!
This is Molly’s scientific way of saying… CONNECT! TALK! PLAY!
Children’s mirror neurons are on alert! They learn through connecting and interacting with the adults they trust. Making eye contact and playing games with your child (yes, like peekaboo), are important for their development and for their learning!
So… How often should we be playing games like peekaboo?
#3. Early and Often!
Molly reinforces that we need to be playing these games and connecting with our child as often as we can, and as early as we can!!
Even a 1 year old is aware of the broken connection when our attention is diverted.
Diverted to technology… To our devices…
What would happen if we were distracted by our devices all the time?
When children are not receiving the positive interactions they need for healthy brain development, childhood becomes stressful – even traumatic.
It is harder for children to feel safe, to trust, and to regulate without connection…
Kids NEED positive relationships.
They need connection, to be spoken to, and played with.
They need a healthy and safe home.
To feel a part of a community.
And YOU have the opportunity to give them that.
So, thanks, Molly Wright (the smartest 7 year old I know), for reminding us that a game of peekaboo has the capacity to change the world…
Everyone!
Go do yourselves a favour and watch Molly speak right here!
Especially when it comes to our mental health, stress, and of course our intelligence.
But, we seem to be forgetting something about our friend, the brain…
He doesn’t work alone…
He is part of an essential team!
Introducing Team: Heart-Brain Connection!
Our heart and brain are in constant communication with one another.
They communicate in 4 different ways:
Neurologically
Biochemically
Biophysically
Energetically
The heart and brain need open communication to function optimally, just like any good relationship.
When they are communicating openly, it creates something called ‘Coherence’ in the body.
A Coherent state not only improves our mental wellness, but also improves our physical health and boosts our immune functioning!
So, HOW Do We Get To Coherence?
First, we need to understand who the real captain of this team is….
This Captain is…. drumroll please….
The HEART!
We need to, first, tap into the heart to effectively access the brain.
In order to synch up this wondrous team.
And then, to become coherent.
Okay, But, Why The Heart?
The heart has a mind of its own with 40,000 neurons!!
It has its own intelligence…. It can think for itself…
It doesn’t need its team member, the brain, to do all the thinking like we might assume. In fact… it does most of the thinking.
Afferent Neural Pathways
One way the Heart and Brain are connected are through these Afferent Neural Pathways.
These pathways lead up from the heart into the brain through ascending pathways, and down from the brain to the hearth through descending pathways.
When looking closely at these pathways, scientist have noticed that 90% of information travels UP from the heart to the brain.
We can see that the heart responds independently to the environment, processes emotions, and regulates its own rhythm without receiving any information from the brain!
Fascinating!!
Electromagnetic Waves
Another form of connection is through electromagnetic waves.
The brain and heart emit their own waves into the space around our bodies. These waves interact with other waves around us – including those waves from our fellow humans.
What scientists have found is that our hearts electromagnetic waves are 5000x bigger than that of our brain!
It is greater in amplitude and greater in strength.
In fact, our heart has the strongest rhythmic field produced by the human body!
And because of this, our brain syncs up and moves to the rhythm of our heart!
What a beautiful dance!!
This Heart and Brain Synchronization is Imperative for Coherence!
Coherence is a necessity.
It is the key to optimal health and well-being.
And our Heart-Brain connection is the key that unlocks coherence.
So please, don’t neglect your heart…
Remember we need to harness the power of both, the Heart AND Brain in order to care for our health through Coherence.
Today, is my official last day of employment with the school board.
Technically… my last day of work was back in January. But this last school year has been frustrating. I took a leave to gain some mental clarity and figure life out.
Well, I’ve figured something out…
I Figured, It’s Time for a New Adventure.
But let me tell you, it was not an easy decision.
In fact, I’m still fighting an internal battle over it….
I am a creature of comfort.
I originally began my journey in education because I was forced to pick something.
I was 19 with no direction. No plans. No ideas.
I needed something for the time being.
Until I figured out my next move.
It took me 7 years too long to finally make a move…
Education is Not Something I am Particularly Passionate About…
Well.. not the kind of education our schools teach.
I love the kids.
I love helping them grow.
I love having the opportunity to mould and shape little brains.
But I don’t care for academics….
I don’t care for the way our school systems force education onto kids.
I don’t care for the way that they teach kids what to think instead of how to think.
Instead of sparking curiosity…
Despite all of this, it was hard to finally make the change.
To leave my kiddos and school community behind.
But today, on my last official day of employment, I found some reassurance in the final chapter of a book I was reading.
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant.
“What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?”
Adam says, this question is the worst possible question we can ask our kids.
This question promotes a FIXED MINDSET.
It’s underlying message is that you’re a failure if you quit at something…
… Even if that something is something you hate…
I grew up in a world where adults asked this question continuously…
I can see the flaws in myself – the struggle to quit education – because this question was imposed on me as a child.
I see this question imposed on our students everyday in school…
I do not want to contribute to more fixed mindsets..
I want to break free from that cycle.
I want to be an example of a growth mindset.
It’s Time to Re-Think my Life.
My career.
Time to move on.
“The simplest way to rethink our options is to question what we do daily…”
Think Again – Adam Grant
In January, I began re-thinking my days.
I re-thought my life as an Educator…
I don’t want to have to put academics above mental health or personal growth.
I don’t want to waste anymore time in a broken system.
A system that I don’t care for. A system that doesn’t promote change.
I DO want to make a difference.
I tried my hardest to make a difference within the system.
But I could only do so much.
I realize now, I have an opportunity to make more of a difference, to help more kids, more families, more educators, by getting OUT of the system.
I Don’t Regret Anything.
I am grateful for all I learned. For my experiences.
But now, I’m ready for more.
Bring on the next adventure.
Remember: It takes strength to quit. To quit things that aren’t suited for us.
As long as you live & speak your truth, you can’t go wrong…
Are you aware of the thoughts that cross your mind on a daily basis?
We take our thinking for granted. We think useless thoughts. Thoughts that don’t benefit us. Or move us forward in life.
Instead, we allow thoughts in our minds that hold us back.
But, Our Thoughts Are More Powerful Than We Think!
Our thoughts have the power to manifest our reality…
“Great men are they who see that thought is stronger than any material force; That thoughts rule the world…”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
And we have the power to wield our thoughts.
To use them for good. Or for bad.
Ours Brains Are Always Listening To Us.
Whatever we say. Whatever we think.
When we speak the same words and think the same thoughts, over and over again, our brain sends these signals that begin to form neural pathways.
The more often we think the same thoughts, the stronger these neural pathways become.
And the stronger these pathways are, the harder it is to deter from having these same thoughts.
Which is Why The Most Detrimental thought we can be telling ourselves is “I Can’t.”
“I can’t do this…”
“I can’t do that…”
“I can’t ever be happy..”
The more often we are telling ourselves these things, the stronger these neural pathways of “I can’t” become.
And our brains will automatically take us to the thought “I can’t” for everything.
We are putting limitations on ourselves and our capabilities.
You Create Your Own Reality
You can break the cycle. The cycle of negative thinking. The cycle of “I can’t”…
Just by being aware.
And putting in the work to reverse it.
Keeping in mind, that the longer you’ve been in the pattern of negative thinking, the stronger your neural pathways are… which means you’ll just have to be consistent!
All day long, you give away pieces of your self to others.
To the tiny humans who need your support. Your full-attention. And your love…
But do you ever take a fraction of a second to give back to yourself?
Like a Car.. You Just Can’t Run on Empty..
Listen, I’ve been there.
My students mean the world to me.. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them. As long as it means their protection. As long as they are loved.
But along the way, I forgot to stop and love myself…
Even though, I was aware of it, I thought burnout just couldn’t happen to me if everything I did was out of love.
But that wasn’t the case.
I’m human. You’re human too.
And as humans, we need to be filling up our fuel tanks constantly so we can keep on giving to others.
Sometimes, that means we need to give ourselves morethan others.
For humble educators: it’s a hard pill to swallow…
But it’s true.
I’ve spent the last few years learning this lesson the hard way.
And if I could go back in time now and have a conversation with the younger version of Miss T, I would tell her this:
#1. Don’t Bottle Things Up:
It’s easy to stuff our feelings, our exhaustion… And carry on for the sake of our students. But don’t.
Talk to people. To other teachers. Find a community. There is power in knowing you are not alone.
#2. Practice Self-Care:
There are no rules for self-care – it looks different for everyone.
Do things that nourish your soul, recharge your battery and foster sanity. This could mean writing in a gratitude journal, taking a bubble bath, going for a walk… Whatever it is, schedule time for YOU… Everyday!
Begin your morning with something for you, instead of immediately rushing off to take on the world.
#3. Take A Break:
There is strength in knowing when to step back. When to ask for help.
We pride ourselves in never having to call in sick or book a sub. But that’s not sustainable… Take the time you need to recharge.
Book a mental health day each month. Or apply for a short leave if you are in need of some ‘you-time’. Make it a reoccurring thing – like you’d make time to see your mechanic regularity.
There is a Good Chance you Already Know These Things, I Did Too…
But please, don’t let yourself hit burnout, like I did, before actually making some changes in your life.
It’s time to put yourself first.
You are human, after all.
Even the tiny humans in your life need you to love yourself.
Mindful Miss T. 