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#Gratitude

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Great for building strategies for emot

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Explaining how mindfulness and the brain works can seem a daunting task, yet it can be one of the best ways to show how mindfulness works for us and how it helps our brain to function properly.

If you are in a hurry, you can scroll down to the big infographic.

So what is mindfulness? Mindfulness occurs when we pay attention to what is happening in the here and now. We observe our emotions, our thoughts, our surroundings, in an even-minded, nonjudgmental way. We apply this same focus of attention to situations both good and bad. This is being mindful.

Learning to be mindful of what's happening in the moment helps children make sound decisions rather than be ruled by their emotions.

Negative emotions can be tough for anyone to deal with. Fear and anger can hit us unexpectedly and when we do not have a prior plan for dealing with these feelings, we can be thrown off balance and react badly.

When a 4th grader reports that she felt she "was going to die" from test anxiety, she's telling the truth. The responses of her autonomic nervous system are the same whether she's taking a math test or sensing actual physical danger. - Mindful Schools

Here's what science has to say about it.

An impulsive reaction, triggered by emotions like fear or anger, rises up from the amygdala and hippocampus-the most ancient parts of our brain. These parts evolved to respond with defensive action to threatening situations.

If we can delay this reactivity, the newer pre-frontal cortex of the brain can respond from a place of reflection and thoughtfulness. The PFC (pre-frontal cortex) is associated with maturity, including regulating emotions and behaviors and making wise decisions.

Mindfulness practice, as you may have guessed, diminishes the reactivity from the amygdala and strengthens the pre-frontal cortex. ¹

THE GROWING BRAIN AND MINDFULNESS

Author and anger management clinic director Dr. Ronald Potter-Efron explains that the newest parts of our brain-and the last parts to develop as we grow-likely evolved in response to an increased propensity to live in groups. "As we have learned to live together collectively, the human brain has been spurred to grow accordingly." ²

A lot of growth is taking place in the adolescent brain, and this growth is happening at the same time that the brain is reorganizing itself.

"Part of this reorganization process," says neurobiologist Dr. Arlene Montgomery, "includes the pruning of disused neural connections. This growth and pruning are affected by environmental experiences and reshape the adolescent brain." ³

This is one of the reasons mindfulness in childhood and adolescence can be so effective: the pathways that foster empathy and impulse control are being used and strengthened, which will serve the child throughout his or her life.

The amygdala determines emotional responses by classifying sensory input as either pleasurable or threatening. Input seen as threatening is blocked by the amygdala, prompting an immediate reflexive reaction: fight, flight, or freeze. ⁴

The amygadala does not see a difference between perceived threats and actual dangers. It often triggers "false alarms" and potentially problematic reactive behavior. We sometimes freeze in stressful situations, like public speaking or when taking a test. Though neither of these activities are life-threatening, we disconnect from rational thinking and become impulsive and reactive.

Even if we have conflict resolution skills stored in memory, we might not be able to access them due to the stress response, as the amygdala hinders access to memory recall and storage.

When we have the time to consciously process sensory input, we allow the prefrontal cortex to analyze the information. Instead of an immediate, impulsive reaction, we get to choose the best response instead. ⁴

Practicing mindfulness calms the amygdala and reconnects us to our calm, clear prefrontal cortex, so that we can make thoughtful choices for how to respond. Mindfulness helps us regain access to our executive functions: the intention to pay attention, emotional regulation, body regulation, empathy, self-calm, and communications skills-even when under stress arousal.

Mindful thinking happens when the prefrontal cortex can process the information. Following your breath or counting to ten when you're angry or sad gives time for the amygdala to allow the information to flow to the prefrontal cortex to be properly analyzed.

Mindful Schools reports that research has found improvements in anxiety, cognitive functioning and self regulation among children trained in mindfulness, suggesting that the corresponding parts of the brain may be changing as well.

A basic mindfulness exercise is to teach children to focus on breathing. Being able to control their breathing can help them become less reactive when stressed. Focused breathing helps calm the body by slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and improving focus. Controlled breathing can override the fight, flight, or freeze response set off by the amygdala, and instead enable mindful behavior. ⁴

My two-year-old son has learned to control his breath and to focus on his breath when he is frustrated-to my great astonishment. He is often able to calm himself when something doesn't go his way and he gets agitated. He even reminds me to calm down when I'm anxious. He says "Daddy" and does a long inhale and a longer exhale. It's pretty amazing. I started teaching him mindfulness with this simple breathing exercise.

HOW TO EXPLAIN MINDFULNESS AND THE BRAIN TO CHILDREN

The Amygdala - The Jumpy Superhero

The amygdala is like the brain's super hero, protecting us from threats. It helps us to react quickly when there is danger. Sometimes it's good to react-when there's a real physical threat, like when you see a football coming your way. The amygdala simply decides that there's not enough time to think about it and makes us react quickly: you move your head away from the path of the football. In this way, the amygdala can decide whether we get to think about the information our body gathers through our senses or not.

But there's a problem. The amygdala can't see a difference between real danger and something stressful. You could say it's jumpy and that it makes mistakes.

When we're angry, sad, or stressed the amygdala thinks there's real imminent danger. We then simply react without thinking. We might say or do something we regret immediately. We might even start a fight or just freeze when we're offended, or supposed to take test, or speak in front of the class. Fear and stress shuts down our thinking in this way.

The Prefrontal Cortex - The Smart One

The part of our brain that helps us make good choices is called the prefrontal cortex, or PFC. You could call it the smart one, as it helps you make smart choices and decides what is stored in your memory.

To make good choices, the PFC needs to get the information our body gathers through the senses-sights, sounds, smells, and movements. The questions is: will the amygdala allow the PFC to analyse the information early enough?

Remember: the amygdala, the jumpy superhero, often times hinders the information from going to the prefrontal cortex and we make rash choices. This can happen when we're angry, sad, negative, stressed, or anxious.

What we want to do is to help the jumpy superhero calm down. But how?
Here's the trick.
When we're calm, the amygdala is calm and sensory information flows to the prefrontal cortex and we can make better choices. Even our memory improves when we're calm and happy. We're able to remember better and make new, lasting memories.

So, how do we calm down so that the PFC, the smart one, has time to get and analyze all the information for us so that we make better choices?

Mindfulness Practice to the Rescue

Mindfulness helps us to calm down, and this, in turn, calms the amygdala so that it allows the information flow to the prefrontal cortex-that part of our brains that helps us make good choices. When we're calm, we can more easily be mindful and make good choices.

Scientists have figured out that the prefrontal cortex is more activated following mindfulness training and our high-level functions like the intention to pay attention, emotional regulation, body regulation, our communication skills, empathy, and our ability to calm and self-soothe are more available to us.

Pretty cool, right?

The more we practice mindfulness the more we'll experience calm moments, even if we weren't trying to be mindful.

How to Do It?

When you feel overwhelmed, stop for a moment, take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly. Name the emotion you are experiencing.

Focus on your breath for five breaths. See where you can feel your breath most easily-your stomach, your chest, or your nose.

Control your breathing for a short while. Do deep belly breathing for five breaths. Put your hands on your belly and feel how it expands as you breathe in.

Multiple short mindful moments per day trains your brain to become more mindful even when you don't try to be mindful. In other words, the more you train, the easier it will be to be mindful and self-soothe when you're actually in a stressful situation.

May you be happy and healthy!

Chris Bergstrom
P.S.
I'm super excited about this!! If you'd like to get notified when our "Brain Based Mindfulness Calm Down Kit with Amy, Tex and Hippo" is available then sign up below and I'll email you when it's done. It will help you explain the brain in a playful and engaging way with printable characters and offer activities that can be used immediately with kids to help them self-regulate; focus, feel better and calm down :-)

You can sign up below:

Chris Bergstrom is a bestselling mindfulness author, a leader in the field of mindfulness, the founder of BlissfulKids.com, a blog dedicated to children's mindfulness, and a dad who is thrilled to practice mindfulness with his son. He is a certified mindfulness facilitator and trained to teach mindfulness to students in K-12. He's also known as "the dad who tried 200+ mindfulness activities" and has taught meditation for more than 15 years.

Sources:

1 Mindful Schools - http://www.mindfulschools.org/about-mindfulness/research/
2 Healing the Angry Brain - http://www.academia.edu/5660269/Healing_the_Angry_Brain
3 Neurobiology Essentials for Clinicians: What Every Therapist Needs to Know - Montgomery, A. (2013). Neurobiology Essentials for Clinicians: What Every Therapist Needs to Know. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, p. 198.
4 Mindup - http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/
5 The Whole Brain Child, Dan Siegel - http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Brain-Child-Revolutionary-Strategies-Developing/dp/0553386697/ & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vESKrzvgA40

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Mindfulness and the Brain-How to Explain It to Children - Blissful Kids

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See how mindfulness works for us and how it helps our brain to function properly. Check the fun infographic and explain mindfulness and the brain to kids.

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Printable

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Take one posters

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Kindness rainbow: acts of kindness written on each star inspired by video.

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Put in random books in the library for people to find

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We are all teachers

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Building language

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What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick - Read Aloud Children's Book

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Pick a strength. What if Everybody did that?

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Challenges help my brain stretch and grow

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Challenges help my brain stretch and grow

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Challenges help my brain to stretch and grow

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Little problems we can solve independently

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Little problems we can solve independently

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Class agreements, strengths.

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MARCH 1ST

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Large printable

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Create a green zone basket of tools to help when children are upset.

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another way to show gratitude

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Example of how easy it is to connect strengths to each other.

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Social Thinking slides (work in progress - will upload complete one 

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Photos to put a smile on your face

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Attach with velcro adhesives to door (shoe box style so lid comes off easily).

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Have family photos on display before school begins

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www.beyou.edu.au

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Using books to teach a child about courage is a great way to introduce such a big topic. I have loads of books lists ripe for teaching kids big topics, but, first, let's take a step back: how beautiful is the etymology of the word "courage"?

Middle English corage "the heart as a source of feelings, spirit, confidence," from early French curage (same meaning), from coer "heart," from Latin cor "heart"

Children's Books to Teach a Child about Courage

With Memorial Day right around the corner, I have been thinking a lot about the meaning of the day and how to expose my young children to the day of honor. That exploration resulted in this list of books that teach children courage. I thought a lot about the definition of "courage" and ended up with a wide range. I hope this list reflects that spectrum of definitions. {This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!}

It took me a long time to embrace the idea that life's imperfections are what make things exciting and worthwhile. It is how we grow. Children will love this book as Ish, through his younger sister's finds his way back to his art, gaining confidence and, most importantly, accepting himself.
Courage Spaghetti in A Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage to Be Who You Are The Talking Eggs Only One You The Bravest of Us All The Daddy Mountain Lost! A Story in String Pegasus Thank You, Mr. Falker
A great book to ignite a conversation & teach about the myriad definitions of "courage". Children are encouraged to see courage in less obvious people, ways, and places in life.
Thunder Rose Sheila Rae, the Brave The Little Yellow Leaf Peep!: A Little Book About Taking a Leap The Dandelion Seed The Butterfly Sybil Ludington's Midnight Ride (On My Own History) Stuart's Cape The Story Of Ruby Bridges The Recess Queen The Princess Knight Little Polar Bear and the Brave Little Hare If I Never Forever Endeavor The Terrible Plop Brave Charlotte and the Wolves I Don't Want to Go Bear and Me Read Me a Story, Stella Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan The Breadwinner My Diary From Here to There Skellig
This book encourages kids to be true to who they are even in challenging situations. Even though the pressures in life make being kind seem "uncool" in the moment, we must teach kids that being the best person you can be is always cool.
Pete & Pickles Violet the Pilot Rosie Revere, Engineer
The illustrations alone will draw you and children into the magical Cinderella-esque folk tale about kind, sweet Blanche and her sister, bad tempered, mean Rose. The story reads like poetry and contains wonderful lessons for children on goodness, work ethic, honesty, and respect. Perfect for teaching character development.
A Girl Named Helen Keller I am Amelia Earhart
My son received this book when his little brother was born. A beautiful, sweet book for children about to embark on a change in life. Adri's parents offer simple, yet profound advice to their child as he explores the great big world.

I adore this book for many reasons. The story of two sisters who walk through life differently. One is the courageous one. The other, a younger sister, watches her older sister in awe. She thinks she's amazing. The true test comes during a storm when younger, Ruth Jane, must dig deep and help her older, brave sister, Velma Jean. A beautifully illustrated book with heartwarming messages about strength and courage.

This book is definitely for the younger crowd. The main character takes us on the scary, exciting journey of climbing up her dad. The book is cute and fun, not meant to dive deep into the meaning of courage but to gently introduce the idea. This young girl may be small but she has big plans. The artwork is fun.

This book touched my heart. I mourn the loss of oral storytelling, particularly from generation to generation. The power goes out during a storm, and to combat the child's complaint that she's going to die without the t.v., the grandmother tells a story of a young girl lost in a blizzard. She tells the story using string. Courage comes through the grandmother's story but also less obvious through believing in the art of storytelling for learning and for entertaining. The illustrations are lovely. The decorations in the back of the book will encourage children to recreate the story on their own.

We're huge fans of Greek mythology in our home. I love the heroes, in particular, who set great examples of strength and courage. This book is a definite winner. The illustrations are extraordinary.

This book is dear to my heart. A teacher can often make or break a child. This story tells us about a teacher who made a big difference in a young girl's life.

Rose is a strong, determined, powerful young girl. The wonderful illustrations and humorous text will make a child happy and engaged. I appreciated the range of ideas about what it means to be strong and courageous. It isn't all about harnessing thunder and lightening.

We love Kevin Henkes in our home. This story tells us about Sheila Rae, a fearless girl. Nothing can get in her way of being brave and strong. Alas her pride doesn't always make others feel great. So one day she is put to a true test of bravery. This story is beautifully put together. I love the relationship between the two sisters. Henkes does a great job of taking the reader along on the emotional ups and downs.

A sweet book about a leaf not quite ready to take the leap of falling from an oak tree as the autumn season begins. Even as the leaf sees other leaves floating by, he is still not ready. This book highlights the challenge of facing the unknown. It can be frightening. It is okay to wait until you're ready. With the help of a scarlet leaf also still clinging onto a branch, through friendship and encouragement, the yellow leaf makes the leap. The story and it's illustrations are captivating to both children and adults. It teaches a great lesson about having the courage to "let go" and to explore an unknown world.

We've all been there: frozen still before "taking a leap" in life. Children facing these feelings for the first time can be caught off guard, not knowing what to do with the emotions. With this book, children will learn a life lesson: what it takes and how to overcome a challenge, whether a big or a small obstacle. The artwork is simple, matching the text.

A simple and beautiful book that will ignite a child's desire to want to learn more. Although simple, this book carries big lessons to children and is, at the risk of being too dramatic, magical! The dandelion does not want to release into the world but when he finally has no choice he understands that although frightening at times, the journey can be wonderful. The dandelion then passes on what he has learned from his experience.

This book is a good one for presenting big topics (such as war and the Nazi regime) to lower elementary aged children. Everything about the book is beautiful. It will surely encourage dialogue and questions from children. The fact this book is based on a real life experience makes it all the more powerful. Two young girls find themselves in an unlikely situation, secretly meeting and building a friendship full of meaning, full of hope, and unconditional love. Pure and lovely. A story that teaches about friendship and being strong in life's most difficult circumstances.

The book, appropriate for elementary aged children, tells the true story of a young heroine in US history. Sybil is the daughter of an American patriot in the Revolutionary War. She gets word that the British are attacking Connecticut. So, she rides her horse, Star, through the night in Paul Revere fashion to gather the town to prepare for attack. The illustrations are soft and inviting to the reader. The afterward contains addition detail on this heroine's life that will be appreciated by educators.

One of the "lighter" books on this list (appropriate for 4-8 year olds), this book tells the story of a bored, yet witty, young boy in need of adventure. Stuart relates to children because his big imagination takes him places that only a child's mind could go. When it comes down to it, Stuart is lonely and worried that he won't make friends in his new town but he overcomes these feelings.

The illustrations tell the story on its own. I was captivated by this story of an extremely brave six year old named Ruby. In 1960, a judge ordered her to attend an all white elementary school. There was an uproar. Ruby faced mobs and an empty classroom to begin her education. Her strength and courage is a great example for elementary aged children. The story introduces segregation through a six year old (I would have liked the book to be from her perspective but the narrative still worked well) dedicated to her education and graceful in the trepidation all around her.

This book deals head on with bullying. I was impressed by the conflict resolution involving no adult intervention. Of course, the issue of bullying in most cases won't be cured this easily but it gives 4 to 8 year olds insight into the topic, hopefully provoking thought and questions. The Recess Queen reads with a fun, wonderful rhythmic manner. Children love the artwork, too. The lessons contained within its pages include self-esteem, courage, integrity, and other character building traits. A must have for your home and classroom.

Dealing head on with gender stereotypes, this book teaches children that young girls are capable. A young princess disguises herself as male to enter a contest that she ultimately dominates giving her freedom to be who she wants to be and live as she desires. She stands tall, and, through hard work, overcomes her brothers' teasing and mocking. The main character is strong, smart, and courageous. A great example for young girls and boys (ages 3+).

I find the Little Polar Bear series endearing for the stories and watercolor artwork. Always weaving a sweet lesson of friendship into his storytelling, author Hans de Beer offers us lessons of overcoming fear, facing fear in challenging moments, and ultimately being courageous. These books are for pre-school aged children (and younger) but the lessons can certainly be applied to older children.

This book is sweet. A young bird contemplates giving his new wings a go while dealing with uncertainties like whether his wings will work at all. Facing this fear coupled with the idea that just maybe his wings will take him on a grand adventure exploring the world, he ultimately gives his wings a try. The lesson of "you won't know unless you try" resonates throughout the pages, while Meade's unique artwork draws us in. The story lets children know that taking risks in life is worthwhile, and that, while sitting in your nest is easy and comfortable, it won't take you places! Don't miss this useful guide for parents and teachers!

Rhyming text and vibrant, colorful drawings bring us into the story. My sons adore The Terrible Plop. Underlying the fun is a good lesson for children: that not all bumps and noises are as scary as they seem. I love how the author gives the reader insight from the start so the animals behavior is even funnier. Pus making the little rabbit the courageous one is spot on. The Terrible Plop will be one of those books you'll find yourself renewing again and again from the library. So, you might as well buy it.

We love the art work in this book. The paintings are lovely, but the expressions on the sheep's faces are well done to say the least. Brave Charlotte often acts in ways that make her unique to her peers. She is full of adventure, daring, and courageous. One day she uses these qualities to investigate a sound that others would not. Charlotte's smart thinking resolves the situation and makes the other sheep appear a bit foolish and cowardly, rightfully so.

I read this book to my almost five year old before his first adventure away from home. It did the trick. Joey, the main character, is nervous about staying at his grandparents by himself. He imagines the worst. In the end, however, he ultimately embraces the idea that stepping outside our comfort zones gives us new experiences & opens our eyes to the world in ways we never could imagine. Adorable addition at the end of the book, too. I won't ruin the surprise!

This cute book is about a young girl and her bear. They often play together. Bear is not always brave. We can't help but wonder when he will be brave enough to do these new things? I like how this story depicts how children do often work out their fears and problems: through play. Sweet illustrations that younger children will surely love.

The art work alone makes this book worth picking up. Furthermore, it emphasizes the joys of reading and all the adventure that comes from books. Sam and Stella have a lovely day that ends with Sam asking Stella to read to him. This book reminds us of the beauty of childhood and organic exploration. If we have the courage to step away to enjoy life's simple pleasures, great joy will come to us.

One of the more overtly "courageous" books on this list, a definite worthwhile read with elementary aged children. Based on a true story, this book will open children's eyes to the power of education, of friendship, and of love. After Nasreen's parents disappear, she stops speaking. Her grandmother wants to help her, which leads her to take a big risk for her granddaughter. This topic is a big one to introduce to young children. It will open dialogue. Children will have many questions. So, be prepared to answer them!

Also set in Afghanistan, The Breadwinner delivers an important, albeit heavy, message to older elementary aged children. The author, Deborah Ellis, highlights in a straightforward manner the truth of the circumstances, and provides great detail. The main character, Parvana, shows tremendous courage as she ventures out of her home disguised as a male in order to help her family. This heroine fights oppression and risks her life to survive. Ellis spent months researching and interviewing young Afghan refugees. This story was born from that research. You'll find your students and children will respond to this book and have many questions.

I love how this story is based on her family's immigration to America. Amada journals her thoughts, fears, worries, and emotions as her family leaves Mexico for a "better life" in America. Amada has thoughts to which any child can relate about making friends and being in a new place. Soon Amada discovers that she is strong enough to face her new life in America. The illustrations are colorful and lively.

Skellig is appropriate for 8-12 year olds. Michael is 10 years old. His family is moving to a new home, and is dealing with a family trauma. Written beautifully, the book will open your imagination and will invite questions from children on a fairly big topic in life. In any event, Skellig will certainly get you and your children thinking.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Appropriate for 3-7 year olds, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble will win you over with the drawings and the beautiful language. There are many wonderful themes running throughout this book that guide children to empathy and to finding happiness without a magic pebble. The message that having the courage to believe you don't need more or something else to be fulfilled in life carries a lot of weight. Honestly, I could go on and on about this book. So, do yourself a favor, go pick up a copy! You'll be happy you did so!

This book brought tears to my eyes as I read it to my children for the first time. The book is about an unlikely friendship that ultimately deepens and proves strong. It also tells the tale of courage. Pete & Pickles , a pig and an elephant, have a relationship so profound that they help one another survive on many levels. A good message for adults and children alike. Plus Berkeley Breathed writes beautifully and the illustrations captivate the audience.

We love this book. It opened their eyes to the possibilities and ignited a desire to tinker around our home! Best of all, the main character is a young girl with extraordinary mechanical engineering talent. She will teach children about persevering, innovating, inventing, staying true to your talents, and that marching to your own beat is okay.

Rosie Revere, Engineer is a popular favorite among parents and children. This book highlights a young girl who dreams up and creates inventions for her friends and family. There are many solid messages in this book. First, the main character is a girl. Yup, girls can build and invent too. Next, the focus is on imagination and creation. Finally, there is a lesson that failure is not only okay but necessary to truly succeed with your ideas.

Iggy Peck, Ar chitect

The main character, Iggy Peck, begins his journey at two years old as he builds a tower from glue and diapers. Children love this story and David Roberts' illustrations. Iggy's talent is not supported by his teacher until, that is, Iggy comes to the rescue and creates a plan involving his classmates to save his teacher from being stuck on a small island on a field trip. From that point on, Iggy is free to grow and develop his extraordinary talent. My boys were so inspired by this book that they have wanted to build bridges even day since reading it from straws, cardboard and every day materials around our home. Their desire to learn was certainly ignited by this book.

Helen Keller's story has a lot to give children. Lundell's version is particularly appealing for the illustrations and simply language for young readers (lower elementary). Keller teaches children that life hands us obstacles but that we can overcome these obstacles with strength, courage, and the help of people in our lives. The story also opens up a conversation about people with varying abilities.

Ah, Amelia Earhart. She was a pioneer who continues to teach generation after generation. The message delivered to us is that we are all capable of doing great things. We often read about heroes but teaching children to seek out the hero within them is a whole new way of looking at what it means to be a hero (e.g hard work, accepting failure, not being afraid to follow your dreams). Th illustrations are cute, sure to win the hearts of children (my boys aged 3.5 and 5 liked them). The writing is geared towards lower elementary aged children.

Back of the Bus

Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds tells the Rosa Parks story. There are many versions of this story for young children. I chose this one because I liked the illustrations and the point of view of a child in the back of the bus. The writing, melodic and lovely, is also worth noting. I don't need to mention that Ms. Parks continues to teach children about being courageous during the most challenging circumstances in life. Perfect for elementary aged children.

I hope you enjoyed this list of Children's Books that Teach Courage! Please share your favorite books that teach a child about courage!

Marnie

&amp;lt;a href="https://carrots-are-orange.myshopify.com/cart/7020048772:1″ target="_blank"&amp;gt;Buy Montessori at Home Guide for Parents&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

I hope we inspired you today!
Marnie

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40 Beautiful Children's Books that Help Teach a Child about Courage

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Using books to teach a child about courage is a great way to introduce such a big topic. I have loads of books lists ripe for teaching kids big topics, but, first, let's take a step back: how beautiful is the etymology of the word "courage"?

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Book: Harrison P Spader, Personal Space Invader

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Book: Harrison P Spader, Personal Space Invader

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Author: Christianne Jones
Illustrator: Cale Atkinson
From the Book Jacket: Harrison P. Spader sat a little too close. Shook hands a little too long. High-fived a little too hard. And hugged a little too much. Harrison P. Spader was a personal space invader. But that all changes when he learns the Space Saver rhyme: Arms out front, then out real wide. Now place your arms back by your sides. Author Christianne Jones uses humor and relatable situations to teach early learners about self awareness. This entertaining picture book in the Little Boost series will tackle a much-needed topic for teachers, parents, and librarians.
Why It's On My Bookshelf: This book has been an absolute life saver this school year. We have had to do so many extra social skills lessons on personal space with our kindergarten kiddos. This was definitely a favorite and has such great concrete examples. We really wanted to teach students about their "space bubbles" so this book helped set up that lesson. And we are also now able to remind kids to not be "space invaders" thanks to the language in the story. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE!
A Link to This Book:

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Book Review: Harrison P. Spader Personal Space Invader

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Author: Christianne Jones Illustrator: Cale Atkinson From the Book Jacket: Harrison P. Spader sat a little too close. Shook hands a little too long. High-fived a little too hard. And hugged a little too much. Harrison P. Spader was a personal space invader.

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Visible Wellbeing teacher Resources Padlet

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Visible Wellbeing teacher Resources Padlet

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Websites, articles

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Older and Younger students form strong relationships especially when given ownership over what they do together. Older students planned wellbeing booster activities for their younger buddies.

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Younger buddies brainstormed all the words they could think of to describe their buddies and wrote them on colourful paper. When their big buddies were not in the room,  they secretly decorated their room with all the words

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Guided Relaxation for Kids

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Welcome to Peace Out (Guided Relaxation for Kids) | Cosmic Kids

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Great strategy for calming down.

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Printable

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Printable

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Helps children talk about emotions

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* Students to develop an understanding of
setting goals through co-planning learning spaces
and tasks in the classroom with me. (WHAT, HOW
and WHY)

* Students being aware of what they are learning
and why to enhance goal setting.

* Use current circle time practice to plan our goals
in learning areas - what we are learning, why and
how we can do that.
* Use current reflection question of 'what do you
want to do better tomorrow' and follow through
with responses.
* Class goal of the week/ month - with the aim of
moving towards individual goals.
* USe the language of - do more of, start doing

I will know it's successful if student voice is
evident in planning of learning spaces and tasks.
Students can independently complete the
'Must Do (that they have co-planned)
and explain WHAT they were learning
and WHY.

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Growth Mindset for students - Episode 1/5

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New to Grow Your Mind? Start with these 12 lessons. They are for pre - year 6 and are designed to be modified for each year level. The idea is every year level begins the journey together and covers the same themes each week.

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New to Grow Your Mind? Start with these 12 lessons. They are for pre - year 6 and are designed to be modified for each year level. The idea is every year level begins the journey together and covers the same themes each week.

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New to Grow Your Mind? Start with these 12 lessons. They are for pre - year 6 and are designed to be modified for each year level. The idea is every year level begins the journey together and covers the same themes each week.

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Learning for Peace

Learning for Peace includes a book and online resources for primary schools wanting to bring fresh approaches to pupils' Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development. SMSC dovetails with the core ideas of Education for Peace which are presented through 5 themes - Inner Peace, Peaceful Choices, Peaceful Actions and Behaviours; Peaceful Relationships and Peaceful Communities.
Click here to view the resources which accompany the book. The book and online resources costs £30 plus P&P, £20 per copy if you buy 3 or more.
Invoice - if your school would like an invoice, please email us with your contact information and purchase order number.

Quaker meetings: in May 2016 we wrote to all Quaker meetings in England inviting them to buy Learning for Peace as a gift for their local primary school. Local meetings can still order books for this purpose. Contact us for details.

Magic Carpet

Our Magic Carpet is made of high quality cotton and has been designed by children. The 'carpet' is used at the end of our Peacemaker sessions to affirm a person. If you're lucky enough to get on the Magic Carpet, people share positive thoughts and comments about you. Our free Magic Carpet resource and template certificate can be downloaded from our resources page.

Our Magic Carpets cost £20 each.

Restorative Prompt Cards

These gorgeous cards are conveniently sized to fit in a wallet, lanyard or back pocket. They are made from plastic and are really durable. For those of you who have had the Peacemakers Restorative Training, this is a lovely tool for you to have and keep.

Getting More Out of Restorative Practice in Schools

Practical Approaches to Improve School Wellbeing and Strengthen Community Engagement

Edited by Margaret Thorsborne, Nancy Riestenberg and Gillean McCluskey. Foreword by Fania Davis.

Drawing from a range of perspectives and settings, this edited collection provides different ways that restorative practice can be implemented in schools. This guide addresses issues such as poverty, trauma, implicit bias and family engagement to offer strategies that can really benefit schools' and restorative practitioners' work with children.

How to be a Peaceful School: Practical ideas, stories and inspiration

Promote peace at school with this practical guide, which provides a simple four step system for improving wellbeing and nurturing the potential of pupils and staff. It is full of easy-to-implement anti-stress and anti-bullying strategies, plus ideas for getting children interested in peace on a global level. This book includes a chapter from Peacemakers. Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP). Buy through JKP and you can get 10% off, by using the discount code: Y18.

Faith and Experience in Education: Essays from Quaker perspectives

This book emerges from a deep concern about the direction of educational policy in the last decade and its effects on children, teachers and school leaders. It addresses contemporary educational issues from the perspectives of justice, peace, equality and truth, and is informed by Quaker approaches to these values. It presents a coherent approach to education, including subject teaching, that resonates with the authors' deep integrity in practice and in making sense of education. The book includes a chapter from Peacemakers.

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Learning for Peace includes a book and online resources for primary schools wanting to bring fresh approaches to pupils' Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development. SMSC dovetails with the core ideas of Education for Peace which are presented through 5 themes - Inner Peace, Peaceful Choices, Peaceful Actions and Behaviours; Peaceful Relationships and Peaceful Communities.

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28 Breathing Exercises for Kids Printable: Great for School & Home

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These 28 printable breathing exercises for kids work well at school and home as calm down techniques, mindfulness exercises and brain breaks.

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Self care and love comics for discussion

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Self care and love comics for discussion

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The month of May is dedicated to Mental Health Awareness since 1949. I imagine the day when taking care of our mental health is a part of our life just like brushing our teeth, so that we do not need a month to remind us of it.

And before that day comes, self-care is still a luxury for many. Like the mother who believes her family's needs come first, the breadwinner struggling to make ends meet, the kid trying to meet the parents' expectation and the teenager trying to fit in. Unfortunately, any of us can be on the list.

Self-care and self-love shouldn't be something we constantly feel guilty about. I first created the comics of the little fox and furry friends on Instagram to remind and encourage myself. Little did I expect that more and more people found them uplifting and resonating.

I hope they do the same magic to you as they do for me.

More info: Instagram | jangandfoxstudio.com

Listening is precious (In collaboration with Association For Suicide Prevention)

Be patient on yourself

You are magic

Don't forget to breathe

And don't forget the little things

You can be sweet too!

Giving is loving

Goodbye means see you again

You are your own kind of beautiful

Try some love

Love looks good on you

It's okay to shed a past

You are trusted

Find your own perfect moment

Stock up on compassion

Be a rainbow!

Some beauty can't be seen

Share a dream

Extraordinary

Be kind

Be kind to yourself too

Friends = love

Just one more

It is and will be beautiful

It's okay to feel otherwise

Keep happy things

There's a way together

Treat yourself as you would for someone

Sit with someone

Lift each other

You're huggable

Be yourself

Make yourself count

Dream big

Don't shrink

Sharing is caring

You matter

Happiness is in our hands

Give and receive love

Carry the light

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My 40 Animal Comics To Inspire People To Love And Care For Themselves - OkeZone

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The month of May is dedicated to Mental Health Awareness since 1949. I imagine the day when taking care of our mental health is a part of our life just like brushing our teeth, so that we do not need a month to remind us of it.

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Good to start discussion on our own worries.