Connection and love

Connection and love

Instilling joy and contentment

When we ask educators what they hope for in their students when they enter adulthood, they usually respond with a long list of life skills which include a sense of connection, peace, and contentment. Even though you have huge responsibility for teaching academic subjects, as educators you also value the human being doing the learning. There are many things you do in the classroom that invite both a joy in learning and a sense of joy and contentment in life. Share your joy in teaching. Not every moment is joyful, but you didn’t take on this job for the money. [...]

2019-07-18T14:26:03+00:00July 18, 2019|

Planting Seeds of Contentment

What helps a child grow into a happy, content adult? Happiness is the result of strong social emotional health that is built up over time. It starts with meeting your child’s need to be soothed as an infant, helping them manage “big” feelings and by modeling and supporting a sense of hope and optimism as they deal with the challenges and joys of childhood. . How we look at the world and our place in it, influences our degree of contentment. We can encourage our children to be happy. Model practices which create happiness: positive self-talk, celebrating gratitude, appreciating connections [...]

2019-07-18T14:15:24+00:00July 18, 2019|

Fostering Friendships

Friendships are important for your children…and they can be complicated! As human being we need to know that we belong and that we matter. One of the important ways we do that is through our relationships with our peers. Of course as a parent, you want your child to have lots of good friends and few disappointments. And, it doesn’t always work that way. Part of learning how to have friends involves lots of ups and downs. Some children have an easier time building friendships than others – just as some find learning to ride a bike or learning to [...]

2019-04-04T10:42:49+00:00April 4, 2019|

Finding Friends at School

Friends make difference. Having a friend means you are not alone, that someone sees you and someone cares about you. Friendships help students know that they matter. For human beings that sense of being cared for and seen is critical for our sense of well-being. What we now know is that without that sense, our stress levels go up. When our stress levels go up, our internal survival mechanism turns on and our ability to focus and to put new ideas into long term memory goes down dramatically: we can’t learn. So, building a classroom community in which every student [...]

2019-04-04T10:31:27+00:00April 4, 2019|

Connection and Joy in Learning

Learning is more likely to happen when students experience joy and connection in the classroom and school environment. Teachers can help to counteract stress, conflict, and anxiety by building relationships and cultivating joy. Here are some ideas. Make school spaces inviting. Set up the space to allow students opportunities to connect with each other, self-regulate when necessary, and see themselves in the room. Keep in mind the sensory needs of all students by not overwhelming the space with too much stuff or color. Create opportunities to have fun together. Talk about the classroom as a family. Just like a family [...]

2019-02-05T09:33:13+00:00February 5, 2019|

Parenting with Love and Connection

Of course you love your children. And... have you ever had days where it seemed like you had to say the same thing over and over again? Or got frustrated stopping the bickering again and raised your voice or said something you wish you hadn’t? Yes. Of course. We nag, remind, reprimand, and give advice because we love them. Yet, sometimes we are so concerned with behavior (or misbehavior) that we lose sight of our child. The result is that our child can lose their connection with themselves. They can begin to see themselves through our critical eyes. They can [...]

2019-02-05T09:24:47+00:00February 5, 2019|
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