On the Bright Side
Taking care of Teachers, Parents, and Students
It's Tough These Days!
Brain Wash: Detox Your Mind
The concepts Dr. David Perlmutter and Dr. Austin Perlmutter discuss are based on the idea that our current culture fosters "disconnection syndrome." However, they also propose 8 ways to battle this idea (see below). Each week, we'll focus on 1-3 of these ideas and offer practical solutions you (as a teacher or parent) can implement from home.
Judicious Use of Technology
The critical piece here is "judicious" use. We need to set limits on how often and when the technology is used, both for ourselves and our students or children. One way to curb the mindless scrolling is to set a purpose for a certain time frame. For example, I'm going to hop on my phone for 20 minutes to check on my friends or family OR I'm going to log on to my laptop to answer emails for the next half hour. This helps prevent the proverbial "falling down the rabbit hole" that is so easy to do.
You can listen to the podcast below to find out more about the test of T.I.M.E. you can apply to your use of technology.
For Your Students and Children:
Learning can take place away from technology. Encourage your students and children to engage is something other than the computer or phone. Learning can take place in many ways. For example, take a look at some low-tech ways that will still engage kids in learning:
- Bake a cake following a recipe
- Make a scale drawing of a room to plan a new way to arrange the furniture
- Chart the types of birds seen from a window
- Track the weather each day
- Read a book or magazine
- Write letters to a nursing home or pen pal
Mindfulness and Meditation
For Your Students and Children:
- Teach breathing exercises to your students and children. Remind them to practice several times each day.
- Use finger labyrinths like the one to the right to help students and kids become more mindful.
- Try yoga (or here). There are tons of apps out there as well!
Be sure to take a look at the links below for more ideas!
Exercising Empathy
For Your Students and Children:
- Have your kids brainstorm ways to help others (safely, of course!) during this time. Things like letters to shut-ins or even friends they can't see in person can help kids feel connected.
- Ask each other questions to really tap into the feelings and emotions associated with this challenging period.
- Take a TV/news break. Set aside some time to purposefully step away from the news and enjoy something else.
- Read a book or story that shares someone else's perspective. Encourage your kids to see their point of view and their experience.
Region 9 HRS Team
Email: christy.johnson@esc9.net
Website: www.esc9.net
Phone: 9403226928
Twitter: @R9_HRS