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Rationale for our Culminating Assignment

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The Calm app is giving all teachers around the world a FREE subscription to their app in order for teachers to have free mindfulness tools in the classroom. Check out the website to get more information on how to get this app and use it in your classroom!

https://www.calm.com/schools

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http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/technology/10-meditation-apps-classroom/

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Self-Compassion Can Help Prevent Teacher Burnout

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Self-Compassion Can Help Prevent Teacher Burnout

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http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/self_compassion_for_teachers

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Developed by Henderson, N., & Milstein, M. (2003).

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Ontario Well-being Strategy: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/about/WBDiscussionDocument.pdf

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“A strong public education system is the foundation of a prosperous, caring, and civil society...All partners in the education section, including the Minister, the Ministry and the boards, have a role to play in enhancing student achievement and well-being, closing gaps in student achievement” (Ministry of Ontario, 1990, c.25, s.1).

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Spoken Word: Can We Auto-Correct Humanity? 

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Spoken Word: Can We Auto-Correct Humanity? 

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Research demonstrates that social media engagement can be life enriching and enhance a variety of skillsets. However, despite these possible benefits, excessive social media usage in a minority of individuals can also incur serious negative psychosocial consequences (Shonin et al., 2014).

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A Social Life | Award Winning Short Film | Social Media Depression

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Internalizing children were more prone to sadness and less impulsive. High levels of effortful control appears to be associated with internalizing symptoms, whereas low levels of effortful control are associated with externalizing symptoms (Tandon, Cardeli, & Luby, 2009. p.3).

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Recognizing Symptoms of Depression & Anxiety 

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Recognizing Symptoms of Depression & Anxiety 

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From Internalizing Disorders Presentation (2017).

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“10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder.” (CMHA, 2016).

“In Canada, only 1 out of 5 children who need mental health services receives them.” (CMHA, 2016).

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According to the World Health Organization (2014) mental health is defined as:

a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community…  a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

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Self-compassion is compassion turned inward. Self-compassion refers to the ability to hold one’s feelings of suffering with a sense of warmth, connection, and concern. Self-compassion is a significant predictor of mental health among adolescents as well as young adults (Neff & McGhee, 2010).

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Tiered Approach to Promoting Mental Health in Schools

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Tiered Approach to Promoting Mental Health in Schools

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Zen Garden, a Calming Strategy for Children. 

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Zen Garden, a Calming Strategy for Children. 

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http://www.cbc.ca/parents/play/view/sensory-play-mini-zen-garden-for-kids

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Gratitude Journal from Happiness & Well-Being Presentation (2017)

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Gratitude Journal from Happiness & Well-Being Presentation (2017)

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"A grateful response to life circumstances may be an adaptive psychological strategy and an important process by which people positively interpret everyday experiences. The ability to notice, appreciate, and savour the elements of one’s life has been viewed as a crucial determinant of well-being"  (Emmons & McCullough, 2003, p. 378).

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Emotions Song for Children.

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Feelings | Emotions song | Children, Kids and Toddlers music for kindergarten | Patty Shukla

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Signs of Well-being in Children

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"Identify feelings and emotions in themselves and others, explain why they might be feeling that way, and use words to identify the meaning of their own and others’ expressive language (e.g., body language, facial expression);
• practise kindness towards other people and all living things, show concern for their well-being, act with empathy and sympathy towards them, and practise
including others" (Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum, 2016, p. 61).

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Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum (2016). 

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Ontario Kindergarten Curriculum (2016). 

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"Promoting the healthy development of all children and students, as well as enabling all children and students to reach their full potential, is a priority for educators across Ontario. Children’s health and well-being contribute to their ability to learn, and that learning in turn contributes to their overall well-being.
Educators play an important role in promoting the well-being of children and youth by creating, fostering, and sustaining a learning environment that is healthy, caring, safe, inclusive, and accepting. A learning environment of this
kind will support not only children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development but also their mental health, their resilience, and their overall state
of well-being" (p.5).

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Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes, a children's book by: Peter Litwin. 

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Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes, a children's book by: Peter Litwin. 

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Create a Growth Mindset for Students. Dweck, C. S. (2006)

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Create a Growth Mindset for Students. Dweck, C. S. (2006)

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Happiness is not a fixed state. Contentment is not constant. Celebrate the current, present moment and realize the gifts you have been given and are grateful for- even if they are only small moments, pleasures or recognitions.

Gratitude can be :

*Emotion

*Attitude

*Moral Virtue

*Habit

*Personality Trait

*Coping Response

Those who practice gratitude are more apt to actively engage in their lives. They work as 'participators' rather than 'spectators.

The practice of gratitude can help to block 'toxic emotions' such as envy, resentment, regret, and depression

(Emmons, R.A. & McCullough M.E., 2003)

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Interestingly, the positive impact on the educators providing mindfulness is yet another added benefit. “Teachers’ mindfulness training may help teachers cope with their own stress and, as a result, may influence their interaction with their pupils” (Weijer-Bergsma et al., 2012, p.246). 

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Interestingly, the positive impact on the educators providing mindfulness is yet another added benefit. “Teachers’ mindfulness training may help teachers cope with their own stress and, as a result, may influence their interaction with their pupils” (Weijer-Bergsma et al., 2012, p.246). 

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The curriculum helps to promote good mental health with the inclusion of the Living Skills Expectations in student education. Within this subset, students are to develop personal skills as a means of managing stress and coping. These skills teach students to cope by expressing their emotions, use relaxation techniques to calm stress, to seek out optimism and ask for help when thrust into difficult situations.
Students are taught to use “…adaptive skills, such as being flexible, making connections, and applying problem-solving, stress-management, and conflict-resolution skills, when confronted with challenges and change” (Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum, p.24, 2015). Another important aim of teaching these coping techniques to students is to develop these skills as a means of creating healthy alternatives to substance abuse.
“Education is one critical strategy that can help prevent substance abuse” (p.38).

It is clear that adaptive skills are important for students’ later life and future decisions. “Psychosocial stress is an important risk factor for internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalizing” (e.g., behavioral) problems in childhood and adolescence (Weijer-Bergsma et al., 2012, p.238).

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The curriculum helps to promote good mental health with the inclusion of an education of the Living Skills Expectations. Within this subset, students are to develop personal skills as a means of managing stress and coping. These skills teach students to cope by expressing their emotions, use relaxation techniques to calm stress, to seek out optimism and ask for help when thrust into difficult situations.Students are taught to use “…adaptive skills, such as being flexible, making connections, and applying problem-solving, stress-management, and conflict-resolution skills, when confronted with challenges and change” (Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum, p.24, 2015). Another important aim of teaching these coping techniques to students is to develop these skills as a means of creating healthy alternatives to substance abuse. “Education is one critical strategy that can help prevent substance abuse” (p.38).It is clear that adaptive skills are important for students’ later life and future decisions. “Psychosocial stress is an important risk factor for internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalizing” (e.g., behavioral) problems in childhood and adolescence (Weijer-Bergsma et al., 2012, p.238). 

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The curriculum helps to promote good mental health with the inclusion of an education of the Living Skills Expectations. Within this subset, students are to develop personal skills as a means of managing stress and coping. These skills teach students to cope by expressing their emotions, use relaxation techniques to calm stress, to seek out optimism and ask for help when thrust into difficult situations.Students are taught to use “…adaptive skills, such as being flexible, making connections, and applying problem-solving, stress-management, and conflict-resolution skills, when confronted with challenges and change” (Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum, p.24, 2015). Another important aim of teaching these coping techniques to students is to develop these skills as a means of creating healthy alternatives to substance abuse. “Education is one critical strategy that can help prevent substance abuse” (p.38).It is clear that adaptive skills are important for students’ later life and future decisions. “Psychosocial stress is an important risk factor for internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalizing” (e.g., behavioral) problems in childhood and adolescence (Weijer-Bergsma et al., 2012, p.238). 

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For Educators: An Organization to Consider.

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For Educators: An Organization to Consider.

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Pathways to Education Resource

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With your help, we can make Canada a nation where all youth have an equal opportunity to graduate from high school and build the foundation for their future success. There are many ways that you can help to build a Graduation Nation!

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Rationale for our Culminating Assignment

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Intriguing, simple and de-stressing stimuli

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How our family went to Disney at half price - yourmodernfamily

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Going to Disney at half price is easier than you think. Here are some specific ways to bring your cost down…

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Silent and tactile soothing tools

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Silent Classroom Fidgets : The Therapy Shoppe, The extraordinary little specialty shoppe for school and pediatric therapists, teachers and parents too.

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This Calming Find It Game is perfect for changing a child's focus from being upset to concentrating on finding fun objects in a find it game. I love takin

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A poem documenting the experience from first journal entry.

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https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/07949d2a-a4fd-4850-8b89-047fdaf70e6c

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Stuart Shanker  on The Agenda with Steve Paikin:

Dr. Stuart Shanker, a research professor of psychology and philosophy at York University, joins The Agenda to discuss his new book, "Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage With Life".

Shanker discusses the impact of stress upon young people and their mental health, the importance of relationship between teacher and student, the effect of stress of others upon children, the complexities of self-regulation, the need for emotional reflection, the value of modelling this by adults, the myth of the "bad" kid, and the difference between misbehaviour and stressed behaviour. "Canada really is committed to giving the child a shot".

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Canadian children are stressed out, according to recent research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

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SelfControl is a free app for Mac users that blocks any distracting sites of the user's choice to allow for focus online and "e-productivity".

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SelfControl is a free and open-source application for macOS that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet. Just set a period of time to block for, add sites to your blocklist, and click "Start." Until that timer expires, you will be unable to access those sites-even if you restart your computer or delete the application.

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SelfControl is a free Mac app that helps you avoid distracting websites. Block your own access to websites or mail servers for a pre-set length of time.

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I included this portrait from an art activity I ran from an art class last Fall. The exercise called for students to explore their internal identity separate from what was external. Some students chose images while others used words to fill their outside physical portraits for their inside identity to take shape. As you can see the above student chose to include her family as a foundation of who she is as well as many of her hobbies as part of her identity, such as "writer" and "horse-rider"

Art activities can be a useful way for students to explore their emotions in a safe and productive way.

The portrait below was done by a student in the same class,  spoke of her piece expressing the yearning and lonely impossible place she feels between her birth country and the country she now calls home.

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Toronto-based charitable organization offering Mindfulness workshops specifically designed programs for youth, parents and educators.

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We provide stress reduction training and life enhancement skills for young people, educators, professional support staff, parents, for organizations and community members.

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Mind the Gap: Schools and Our Mental Health System, Dr. Katreena Scott Lecture.

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Mind the Gap: Schools and Our Mental Health System, Dr. Katreena Scott Lecture.

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Dr. Katreena Scott, OISE

May 30,  2017 R.W.B. Jackson Lecture Webcast:

“Let’s come together, use our mental health knowledge and wrap it around the child to give them the support they need,” she said. “Some might say it costs too much. But it’s not nearly as costly as the status quo. It’s time to reimagine.”  Dr. Katreena Scott.

*Childhood is a critical time in regards to mental health development

*School “connectedness” is a major factor in a child’s well-being and mental health

*Schools should be hubs for mental health services for students: in both prevention & intervention, they already have the sense of community and structure in place

*Educators need to be further equipped and better educated in mental health

*Relationships between schools, community health professional

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MyMedia: 2017 R.W.B. Jackson Lecture Webcast

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn8Rgocoq1k

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Anh's Anger
By Gail Silver

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Classroom Resource:
Charlotte and the Quiet Place

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Bluth, K., & Blanton, P. W. (2013). Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: Exploring Pathways to Adolescent Emotional Well-Being. Journal of Child and Family Studies,23(7), 1298-1309. doi:10.1007/s10826-013-9830-2

Craig, L. (2017, June 1). Schools must become ‘hub’ of mental health support, says OISE’s Dr. Katreena Scott. Retrieved June 6, 2017. http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/About_OISE/Schools_must_become_hub_of_mental_health_support_says_OISE_professor_Katreena_Scott.html?platform=hootsuite.

Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset. New York: Random House

Emmons, R.A. & McCullough, M.E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 84(2), 377-389.

Fast Facts about Mental Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2017, from http://www.cmha.ca/media/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/#.WRm5orHMzow

Health & Wellness. (2017). Daily Self-Care Log. Health Promotions Program (pp.1-2). ON: University of Toronto.

Henderson, N., & Milstein, M. M. (2003). Resiliency in schools: Making it happen for students and educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Neff, K. D., &  McGehee, P. (2010). Self-compassion and psychological resilience among adolescents and young adults. Self and Identity, 9(3), 225-240.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2016). Kindergarten Curriculum. Retrieved from: https://files.ontario.ca/books/edu_the_kindergarten_program_english_aoda_web_oct7.pdf

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). Supporting Minds: Draft Version. Retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/SupportingMinds.pdf

Ontario Ministry of Education, (1990). Education Act. Retrieved from:
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02?search=education+Act+

Seligman, M.E. & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive psychology: An introduction (pp.279-298). Springer: Netherlands.

Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Mindfulness and the Social Media. Mass Communication and Journalism. 4(5). 1-4.

St. Michael’s Hospital. (2017). Developing an Action Plan for Self-Care . M.A.S.T. Program (pp. 1-3).

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical education. (2015). Toronto: Ministry of Education and Training.

Viglas, Melanie. 2017. "Sense & Savour Walk". APD5000HF. 2017.
https://portal.utoronto.ca/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jspcourse_id=_855983_1&content_id=_5981709_1

Weijer-Bergsma, E. V., Langenberg, G., Brandsma, R., Oort, F. J., & Bögels, S. M. (2012). The Effectiveness of a School-Based Mindfulness Training as a Program to Prevent Stress in Elementary School Children. Mindfulness. doi:10.1007/s12671-012-0171-9

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"Take a 30- minute walk in a park. Walk mindfully and use all your senses to perceive this experience. The goal of this walk is to notice as many pleasurable things as possible, one at a time. How many happy, beautiful, or inspiring things can you notice while walking?... When you find something delightful or pleasant, let yourself go into it. Really enjoy it...Give yourself over to the experience as if it were
the only thing that existed in the world. And when you are ready to discover something else." (Viglas APD5000HF, 2017)

A Walk in High Park Poem .

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Stop the Screens! Give Your Eyes Some Support. Explore ALL the Senses:

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Stop the Screens! Give Your Eyes Some Support. Explore ALL the Senses:

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Use Art as a Means of Emotional Expression & Release!

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Use Art as a Means of Emotional Expression & Release!

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The Skill of Self Regulation Using Visualization Techniques:

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Student Self-Profile Portraits :

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The idea is to create a safe space in your imagination. Once you have mastered this skill, it can help you whenever you feel overwhelmed.

1) Select an image that evokes calm and safety for you (not the safe place yet- just some image that makes you feel safe and calm).

2) Focus on the image. Feel the emotions. Identify the location of the pleasant sensation in your body. Just allow yourself to experience and enjoy the sensation.
(Allow time to sit with experience.)

3) Now bring up the image of your safe space, the place that feels safe and calm to be in. Your safe space can be real or imagined, outdoors or indoors. Maybe you have really been there or made it up. You may go there along, or some person who makes you feel safe can be there. You are in control of it. If you can't think of a safe place, imagine the safest space you can think of.

4) Notice all your physical senses in that safe place. Notice whenever you feel the pleasant sensations in your body and allow yourself to enjoy them. Now concentrate on these sensations.

5) What single word best fits that picture (you can select a word like relax, beach, mountain, etc). Think of that word and scene, allowing yourself to again experience the pleasant sensations and sense of emotional security.

6)  Repeat the procedure on your own, bringing up the image and the word and experience the positive emotions and physical sensations.

7) You can use these techniques to relax during a stressful time. To see how it works, bring up a minor annoyance and notice the accompanying negative feelings. Now use your cueing word, and bring up the emotions and physical sensations of peace and safety.

8) Bring up a disturbing thought once again and access your safe place on your own.

9) Practice this at least once,daily. Call up positive feelings, the word and image while you use one relaxation technique that you like best.

(Resilience Presentation Group, APD5000HF, 2017)

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Create a space as a community in the classroom for students to take space and practice well-being strategies and to self-regulate. As a class make a list of agreements together. Post these agreements within in the space for later reference. Discuss the idea behind the the space as a class conversation, brainstorm what it should look like, explicitly model the use of the space, use student-generated activities and strategies, and finally have  the students name the space. Consider various tools and ideas, such as :

Sand-Raking

Colouring Mandalas

Listening to Tranquil Music

Stress balls

Using noise-canceling headphones

4-7-8 Breathing, Body Scan strategy etc.

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Write yourself a love letter

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Write a letter to yourself from the perspective of a caring friend.

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A More Direct Address & Solution to Youth Substance Abuse:

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Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse: Youth Drug Prevention Strategy

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Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse: Youth Drug Prevention Strategy

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"Adolescents today are confronted with the compounded stressors of life in our high-pressured society and the cognitive, physiological, and emotional changes characteristic of this stage of development. To explore ways to promote well-being in this population, mindfulness,defined as paying attention in the moment in an intentional and purposeful way, was examined in terms of its associations with aspects of emotional well being. It has beenreported to have positive effects on emotional well-being"  -  (Bluth, 2013, p.1298).

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"Adolescents today are confronted with the compounded stressors of life in our high-pressured society and the cognitive, physiological, and emotional changes characteristic of this stage of development. To explore ways to promote well-being in this population, mindfulness,defined as paying attention in the moment in an intentional and purposeful way, was examined in terms of its associations with aspects of emotional well being. It has beenreported to have positive effects on emotional well-being"  -  (Bluth, 2013, p.1298).

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"Peer support is all about people sharing knowledge and experience and offering emotional, social or practical help to others who have similar experiences. Peer support allows individuals to share experiences and learning. Having walked the walk, a peer supporter can listen and respond from a place of true understanding. Being in a different place in their recovery process, they can communicate hope and optimism. The values of respect, choice and mutual sharing build the basis of the relationship.                                                                                  At Stella’s Place, peer support is the foundation of our community. These peer led-groups help you share and explore your interests, discover or rediscover your passions and meet new people in a supportive and safe space.                                                                                                                                                                                                  WRAP  : (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) is a group program that combines peer support with recovery education and action planning. WRAP group members learn about the key concepts of recovery, including hope, self-determination, education, self-advocacy, personal responsibility and giving and receiving support.

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"Peer support is all about people sharing knowledge and experience and offering emotional, social or practical help to others who have similar experiences. Peer support allows individuals to share experiences and learning. Having walked the walk, a peer supporter can listen and respond from a place of true understanding. Being in a different place in their recovery process, they can communicate hope and optimism. The values of respect, choice and mutual sharing build the basis of the relationship.                                                                                  At Stella’s Place, peer support is the foundation of our community. These peer led-groups help you share and explore your interests, discover or rediscover your passions and meet new people in a supportive and safe space.                                                                                                                                                                                                  WRAP  : (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) is a group program that combines peer support with recovery education and action planning. WRAP group members learn about the key concepts of recovery, including hope, self-determination, education, self-advocacy, personal responsibility and giving and receiving support.

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-Stella's Place  website
http://mentalhealthrecovery.com/wrap-is/

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Click-through here!

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innovation Research & Training > Products > Master Mind > Master Mind FAQ

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Innovation Research and Training, Inc. (IRT) is a social sciences research consulting firm that specializes in program development, critical evaluation, outcome research, experimental design, research methods, statistical analysis, information management, assessment software development, and training programs tailored to the clients' needs.

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Relaxing Fidget Tools

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This lavender playdough is not only great for sensory play with kids but it was a great calming activity for them too. Perfect for over-excited kids!

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4-7-8 Calm Breathing Guide

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Stop Anxiety | 4-7-8 Calm Breathing Guide

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Mindful Minute:
A Focus Exercise
For Students

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Mindful Minute: Quick Mindfulness Meditation Exercise for Kids by GoZen!

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Homemade Health Tools to Help Self-Regulate!

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This DIY rainbow stress ball is exactly what your work week needs. Find all of the info you need to make it here: http://hellogiggles.com/diy-rainbow-stress-ball/

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Resources: