Gulp. My heart sank down to my stomach as I read headlines such as this one flood the news and every single social media platform that I am a member of. I am, by nature, a worrier in general. So this year and all that has come with it has brought immense amounts of stress […]
Mental Health
The end is here
The end (of January) is here. Thankfully. I thought wrapping up 2019 would have signaled my surrender. I didn’t know another white flag needed to be waved so quickly, but here goes. The month of January has been particularly trying on my mental health and well being. When I say my mental and health and […]
Daring Classrooms
I state the obvious when I say that teaching is a demanding job. If you are reading this, you are most likely a teacher and this is not news to you. I’d like to highlight a resource that feeds the soul of a teacher (and quite frankly a human being) while also providing some strategies […]
Before you get hurt…again.
Student: (momentarily non-responsive to verbal interaction) slap, push, slap, hair grab, lunge, slap, yell, cry, run, crouch, cry, calm, apolgize Staff: (1 CYW, 2 SERT) block, block, reassure, block, supportive stance, reassure, block, redirect, clear space, block, reassure, follow, remain calm, reassure, accept The slaps(verbal/physical) are like slabs of concrete that a student piles up when […]
Let’s Talk About Shame
Author Brené Brown from her book “The Gifts of Imperfection” writes that there are three things that people need to understand about shame: 1. We all have it. Shame is universal and one of the most primitive human emotions that we experience. The only people who don’t experience shame lack the capacity for empathy and human […]
The challenges during the holidays
My sister in law specializes in helping people with eating disorders. As we sat together over the holidays, I asked her how her patients were handling this time of year. She shared with me some challenges that are facing her patients such as: relationships with family are strained due to all the stress that is […]
Time to Recharge
The way work slammed into the holidays this year explains why I find myself sleeping in late every morning. Phew! That just happened! Now the two weeks ahead seem like all the time in the world to do anything but work. So, what is the best way to spend this time off? Some things are […]