Anti-Bias Education: Teaching Sensitive Issues in the Classroom

                                 

Challenging our biases as teachers is an important practice so we can become self aware of the messages we are giving children on a regular basis.  What are your biases toward gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity?  What kind of literature are you using that portrays certain stereotypes or class structure?  AS teachers it is our job to model respect and embrace the differences we encounter in our classrooms and within our communities.  The difficulty comes in when our belief systems are challenged by others and what do we say when a child is being bullied or someone is shaming them because of their sexuality, gender or race.  I have prepared a free workshop to help you with strategies and ideas to use in your classroom around the concept of anti-bias education.

FREE RESOURCES

6 Ways to Help Decrease Anxiety in Children

                                                             

FREE RESOURCES FOR THE CLASSROOM

Anxiety is an increasing issue that is arising in the classroom.  Teachers and parents are having a difficult time managing students experiencing high levels of anxiety while trying to maintain an active learning environment for others.  Anxiety can be moderate to severe and debilitating for the student to function.  Symptoms can range from worrying about things like tests or assignments, to avoidance of activities because of their feelings about what could happen in that environment.  Anxiety is really a form of stress that the child is experiencing and it involves the child's view of the world and what is happening around them.  Anxiety is a normal reaction to certain events but when it hinders our ability to engage in activities or with others it becomes an issue.  What can we do to help children who may be experiencing anxiety and having difficulty in the classroom?  Here are 6 ideas for you to implement:

1.  Incorporate Forms of Exercise:  Exercise is an excellent way to help children alleviate anxiety as it can get rid of energy that is negative.  Running, skipping, hopping or other gross motor activities can be used to engage a full body response and help the child focus on the body rather than the events that are making him/her anxious.  Games should also be used to engage the child in fun activities.

2.  Music:  Playing soft quiet music can be helpful for the brain to move into a more calming state.  Using music/ipods, earphones or earplugs can block out excessive noise that may be contributing to higher levels of anxiety.

3.  Mindfulness:  This program teaches children to become mindful of how their body is reacting in the moment.  It is about becoming self-aware of how they are feeling and teaching them strategies to control the thoughts and their reactions.

4.  Connecting Mind with Body:  Very similiar to mindfulness but we actually utilze activities the child can incorporate to reconnect their body with their environment.  For example:  tangle toys or fidget toys that the child can use.

5.  Change Location, Change State:  Have the child move to a different location if they are feeling stressed or anxious.  Leaving the location helps the child associate a different emotional response to a new setting.

6.  Guided Relaxation or Mediation:  There are many YOUTUBE videos that you can utilize with all your children to enter a calm and relaxed state:  Magic Bubbles

Head to our website to get more FREE RESOURCE

Canadian Seminars and Workshops

We are all ready to go with the Canadian Workshops "Proactive Strategies for Children with Challenging Behaviour".  This is our popular seminar focusing on strategies and ideas for the classroom or home.  We offer a fantastic day with tons of ideas and ongoing support following the workshop through email.  Have a peek at our locations and join us for an awesome day!!!

Go to our website for more information and to get registered.  Spaces fill quickly!!!

Classroom Management

We have started the beginning of the year in Canada and loving every minute of it!  If you are not what is happening.  Do you need some ideas on classroom management techniques or strategies to help children reach their potential.  The beginning of the year is the best time to set your routines and procedures for the class to run smoothly for the rest of the year.  Save Your Sanity can help you with some innovative ideas and strategies to implement in your classrooms for Children with Challenging Behaviour.  Our online course "Proactive Strategies" is available at our website and you can have unlimited access to video support, email support and resources.  Check us out.

www.saveyoursanity.ca/courses

Back to School

The time has arrived.  It is back to school for our Canadian teachers and students.  Let's get this year off to an amazing start.  I have put together some incredible online seminars that you can access and continue to access through the year.  These workshops come with ongoing support, video and online content.  Check them out... CLICK HERE!

Have an awesome year!!!

Flexible Classrooms

Setting up our classroom is so important to help engage our students, decrease impulsive behaviour, encourage growth and ensuring a secure safe environment for everyone.  I love seeing all the different ways teachers utilize the space in the classroom to make it the best learning environment for the students.  7 Teachers have been featured in Edutopia's latest article.  It is totally worth a peek.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-outstanding-k-8-flexible-classrooms

Calm Box to Help with Stress

Having a calm box in your house or classroom can alleviate some very stressful moments when a child may be experiencing an anxious event or leading up to an an anxious event.  Here are some ideas for what you can put in that box again depending on the needs of your child.