In April and May we focused on topics of anxiety and depression. The goal of the discussion was to help normalize any of these feelings that they may have and to provide them with a vocabulary to discuss them with friends, family and teachers. We discussed the concept of "fight or flight" and the physiological changes that occur in the body when we feel a real or perceived threat from the world. In hopes of providing the students with tools to combat feelings of anxiety or depression, our MFT Intern explained and shared coping strategies, such as deep breathing, mindfulness and various physical exercises.
Two weeks were shared in SEL on resilience and our ability to understand it as the gift of bouncing back after a loss or failure. Resilience is fostered by understanding and embracing learning differences, rather than perceiving learning differences as a deficit. Students are considering their learning differences in the frame of the gifts that might come from them. We are working today to change the thinking away from “I am _____” to “I have ____” which is helping them reformulate identities.
Two weeks were also shared on emotional regulation so that students have the chance to learn to tolerate uncomfortable feelings without causing distraction in class. The prompt for slowing down and being more thoughtful is Never Pet Tiny Crabs During Recess:
We discussed how change is a fact of life which allows for growth and development. From the natural world (seeds to plants and caterpillars to butterflies) to a more relevant example of school (new teachers every year, new classmates, new settings), we opened a discussion for students to process their feelings about change and transition. Students were introduced to the 5 stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance) in order to help normalize whatever feelings they have around the changes in their lives.
Two weeks were shared in SEL on resilience and our ability to understand it as the gift of bouncing back after a loss or failure. Resilience is fostered by understanding and embracing learning differences, rather than perceiving learning differences as a deficit. Students are considering their learning differences in the frame of the gifts that might come from them. We are working today to change the thinking away from “I am _____” to “I have ____” which is helping them reformulate identities.
Two weeks were also shared on emotional regulation so that students have the chance to learn to tolerate uncomfortable feelings without causing distraction in class. The prompt for slowing down and being more thoughtful is Never Pet Tiny Crabs During Recess:
- Notice
- Pause
- Think Twice
- Calm Down
- Reflect
We discussed how change is a fact of life which allows for growth and development. From the natural world (seeds to plants and caterpillars to butterflies) to a more relevant example of school (new teachers every year, new classmates, new settings), we opened a discussion for students to process their feelings about change and transition. Students were introduced to the 5 stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance) in order to help normalize whatever feelings they have around the changes in their lives.
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