Helping Children be Stress Free

How to Help Your Children Be Free of Stress
and Anxiety
For teachers this is all about a safe and secure classroom. Children must have a secure feeling about their environment if they are being asked to take academic risks that may be judged right or wrong. Past success and non-personal critique has a lot to do with the risk taking necessary to help children venture creative solutions to problems posed in the classroom. No-one wants to look "dumb" in front of their peers. Unfortunately, too many kids refrain from responding because the self-esteem risks are too high. Dr. Dyer puts it his way below. Take a look.

By Dr. Wayne Dyer, Oprah.com
JUNE 15, 2010 | No-limit children have learned a different response to the same stimuli because they know the world to be friendly. Their behavior is meant “for the best,” or at least their mistakes are “honest.” Therefore, if an action goes awry, it does not elicit feelings of guilt. Remorse, learning, redoing and improving are possible responses instead. Rather than worry, a no-limit child sees future events as exciting adventures, opportunities to grow, chances for fun challenges and new experiences. Since self-worth is not tied to performance, the worry about “doing well” is eliminated. No-limit children are “doers,” and guilt and worry do not do anything. Thus, it is very unlikely they would bother themselves with negative thinking or destructive behaviors.
Living is not a race; it is a journey, something to be enjoyed each day. You can do a great deal to help children to understand this important truth, and you will get a nice bonus as well—that is, a lot less anxiety for yourself as part of the bargain.

What's Your Number?

This is a strategy from the STAR Course (Successful Teaching Thru Acceptance of Responsibility - Performance Learning Systems)
Remember when you were a kid and your rode in the backseat of your parent's car with your brother (in my case), and of course, the two of us were arguing/fighting like cats and dogs. "He touched my side!" Well, the question is how many times did your Mom or Dad turn back to you and say, "If you guys don't stop this, I'm going to stop this car and ..." So, how many time before they actually did something?
For Teachers this IS a reality every day.  WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER? How many time do you warn in an unacceptable situation, before you take action and render a consequence? That's your number. Research says that your number should be ONE, two is OK, but ONE is most effective.
We invite your comments, question and discussion. Think about it! What is YOUR number, and How do you feel about that?

Welcome to Our New Web Site

We are thrilled to publish our new website dedicated to educators in the Ottawa Region and to excellence in professional development. The ETFO Credit Course Program has been operating in Ottawa for over 30 years and we are very proud to continue this great tradition of practical excellence for practicing professional educators. Brenda, Cara and I are excited to work with our partners to bring the teachers of the Ottawa Region the very best professional development available.

John