Self-Care for Teachers and Staff

After a long hiatus from blogging, I am back! I thought this post would be a great one with which to start.

Teachers and staff in schools have very demanding and stressful jobs. We are often preaching about self-care without actually educating or providing resources in order to do so. We decided to change that at my school.  

It has been a dream of mine to create a "calming," "relaxation," "zen," or whatever you want to call it, space for teachers and staff. I wanted the space to provide an unplugged getaway for anyone needing a few minutes of peace. My principal offered the only room available that we called the "phone booth" which is a very small space that was rarely used (see before picture below). Of course I took it! I would make it work! I added several things that would make the space more inviting and cozy. The transformation was more that I had hoped for!!!  See for yourself!

Before...

In progress...

Final product!!!

Video tour

Interactive Resources

I am always looking for new ideas for classroom counseling lessons, groups, and individual counseling sessions. I get into the rut of doing the same lessons and using the same resources all the time so I was searching for fresh lessons/ideas. I came across an interactive SMART Board series called "SMART GUIDANCE." Even though I loathe the term "guidance," the series is great. The series is by Youthlight which also has a TON of other amazing counseling resources (I have purchased from this site a lot throughout the years).

I have had the "SMART GUIDANCE" Volume 1 in my collection for a couple of years and absolutely love it. My students are engaged because the lessons are cute and interactive. I have this one on CD but they now offer a downloadable versions which is how I ordered the others. Each program in the series is $49.95 which isn't bad for 10 or more lessons in each series. Youthlight also has each lesson available for individual download for those who only want a lesson or two in a series.

I downloaded the following programs which makes it super easy to use them right away. They send you an email with an access code to activate the download. One of my access codes was missing from the email but Youthlight rectified that situation after a quick email.  

            

I have yet to download the programs below but will be doing so in the future. 

       

So, for those of you who are new to the biz or you vets out there looking to beef up your resource library, I highly recommend these interactive lessons. Let me know what you think!

Body Regulation

There is an increased need to teach children how to regulate their bodies. Social/emotional issues are on the rise and mental health professionals are doing what we can to support students who are struggling, not only in the school system, but in their daily lives. 

One way to help students learn self-regulation is through yoga, mindfulness and guided relaxation. These exercises can help students with many social/emotional struggles, such as:

• Anxiety
• Anger
• Depression
• Focus/concentration
• Confidence

I have found that many children struggle with just sitting still or laying and relaxing. Many children are going a mile a minute and have not learned the skills of slowing down and just being with themselves. Let's be honest, many adults struggle with the same things. 

I have found some YouTube channels that focus on yoga, mindfulness and guided relaxation FOR KIDS!!!!! Jaime at Cosmic Kids has done an amazing job of putting together some exercises that capture the attention of children while teaching vital self-regulatory strategies. 

You will find links below to Cosmic Kids Yoga, Cosmic Kids Zen Den (mindfulness) and Cosmic Kids Peace Out (guided relaxation).  I highly recommend these activities for any children you work with. I love them so much that I use them at home with my own children! 

Check them out!

Yoga

Mindfulness

Guided Relaxation

Huge Apologies!!!

I would like to apologize to everyone who follows my blog. I have had rough school year and have not posted in a long time. Not to air my dirty laundry, but I lost my mom a few months ago. I have been trying to keep myself together for my family and work. I haven't done the best job but I am determined to get back into the swing.

I will start posting weekly tips of things that have worked for me as well as some weekly thoughts. I hope you stay with me as I get back to blogging!!!

First thought of the week...
Take care of YOURSELF!!! As counselors, we take care of other people and support their mental health and often over look our own mental health. Don't be afraid to take a break. That is what I have been doing to regain my mental health so that I can be the most effective with others. Do things for yourself like exercise, read a good book, take a walk, snuggle with a pet, etc.

I love yoga and have recently restarted a routine. It is so great for centering and calming your mind and spirit. My son has even joined in. We call it, "7 o'clock yoga time." He is very disappointed if we have to miss it. (He has ADHD so this really helps him learn to focus on his body and the here and now.

Whatever you enjoy doing for yourself, make it a priority!

YOU DESERVE IT AND ARE WORTH IT!!!!!

Namaste'

I have been using yoga a lot this year with a wide variety of students. The benefits are wonderful. Not only are you teaching valuable skills, like calming, but you are making students aware of their bodies. I particularly like using it with my counseling groups that are focused on self-control. It takes self-control when you are doing yoga to do the poses correctly.

I found a site that has a huge array of yoga videos (and other movement videos). The videos can be using to energize the tired kiddos and calm the energized ones.  Click on the link below to check it out!

Go Noodle

Calming Tool

I feel like my mind never shuts off to what may help my students. So, while shopping at Home Depot, I spotted these bendy looking things. My kids and I all grabbed them and began twisting and bending. These little things are awesome! My next thought was how I could use them in my counseling program. I bought 4 at $1.00ish a piece to give them a try at school. Needless to say, I just went back and bought a 12 pack for $19.99. The kiddos at school love them and they really do the trick when someone is upset. They fit into a pocket so you can always have one on hand. The pack that I bought has various sizes. I highly recommend these cheap little calming tools!