This is an unedited version of my article in the "Inside Emotional Literacy" Newsletter - June 2010 (www.therulerapproach.org). The Meta-Moment process is an important aspect of The RULER PROGRAM," An Evidence-Based Skill-Building Approach to Social, Emotional and Academic Learning, for which I am a coach, consultant and trainer. Although this article is written for teachers, it is applicable to parents also. The Meta-Moment process truly is a "mindfulness" practice.
Practicing Meta-Moments in the classroom allows teachers to build better relationships with their students and to create a classroom climate of connection, safety and trust; this practice can also, however, enhance teachers’ physical as well as emotional well being. Within seconds of experiencing an emotional trigger, stress hormones course through our body preparing us for “fight or flight” which results in rapid heart beat, muscle tension, disruption in digestion, and other physical distress. Not only can this “fight or flight” state, if chronic, negatively affect our health, but when in this stress state our higher thinking faculties shut down, and we cannot make the wisest decisions. Taking a Meta-Moment calms our body and mind so that we can respond reasonably and effectively.
The Meta-Moment Practice: When an emotional “trigger” occurs:
· 1. Quickly recognize what you’re feeling in your body - stomach knots, muscle tension, feeling hot, racing heart, as examples. Notice what you’re thinking and feeling; notice how you’re behaving (and appearing to your students).
· 2. Stop - and focus on calming your body: Those body stress responses you noticed in Step 1 are your “cue” to pause, rather than automatically react, and begin taking some slow, deep breaths (try thinking “calm” on deep inhale and “ease” on slow exhale) which is vital in calming body and mind; you might also, take a slow drink of water, consciously relax your muscles (notice tension in face, shoulders, arms and hands and let it go), count to 10, physically take a step back, leave the room for awhile (if possible).
· 3. Choose your goal for this situation - Once your body calms, you can think more clearly and consider the positive outcome you most want from this encounter.
· 4. Strategize how you could think (reframe, tell yourself) about this situation and what you could do to achieve this desired outcome. And finally, respond by taking the well-considered action.
Practicing Meta-Moments in the classroom helps you to pause, calm, and respond wisely in stressful situations, which enhances your relationships with students as well as your emotional and physical well-being.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
YOU HAVE THE POWER
When my children were small, they used to watch a TV cartoon called "He-Man." Many afternoons I heard the booming, masculine, cartoon voice cry out from the television, "I HAVE THE POWER!" The little children were mesmerized by this strong, solid, benevolent hero.
As I learn more from the study of neuroscience, I realize that we, each one of us HAVE THE POWER too; we only need to know how to, and choose to, use it.
Last newsletter I spoke about "neuroplasticity," which means that the neural connections - the wiring - of our brains can change in response to new learning and experiences. And this change in the wiring, the neural connections, in our brain affects our thinking, our actions, our re-actions, our relationships, our ability (our availability) to learn, our stress level, our health - all aspects of our well being.
What is necessary for the new wiring to become strong and stable however, is attention, that is, ongoing awareness and focus on the new thinking and new behaviors we want to acquire. Where we put our attention, we create connections, and the more often we put our attention on the new learning and behaviors we want to acquire the stronger the neural connections supporting those new ways of being become. Conversely, the less attention we pay to our old life-limiting habits (thinking and talking about our "victim" story, our resentments, fears,self-blame, guilt etc), the weaker the neural connections that support those old habits (and the behaviors that result from them) become.
So, back to how YOU HAVE THE POWER. Research has found that we think thousands and thousands of thoughts everyday. We have little control over the thoughts that "pop into" our mind, but we CAN have control over the thoughts we choose to pay attention to. A study in 1983, found that when our brain sends us an urge to act - to say or do something – that urge begins about 5/10 of a second before we actually take the action (do the behavior or say the words). When we decide to walk across a room to say hello to someone (or to yell at them), our brains (and body) already began that process 3/10 of a second before our conscious mind became aware of it. What the researchers found was that in the last 2/10 of a second (long enough) we do have voluntary control over whether or not to take that action. We have the ability, in 2/10 of a second, to CHOOSE to act or not act on that urge! We only need to learn to become aware in that 2/10 of a second of what is going on within us – that is become aware of where we are heading behaviorally.
So, even if we have a habit, even a strong habit, of acting or reacting, we can strengthen our practice of AWARENESS - NOTICING something we are about to do or say, before we do or say it! Then we have the CHOICE - we are not simply acting or thinking on "automatic.". In time, and with practice, the old unconscious "reaction habit' weakens and the new habit of responding with mindful awareness, attention, and choice grows strong - and then truly, YOU HAVE THE POWER!
An Awareness Practice: Begin to practice noticing when strong emotions/sensations rise in your body (these emotions may urge actions that you might regret). Pause! And take a deep breath; then notice what your urge is impelling you to say or do, take another deep breath, talk to yourself and focus on making a conscious, intelligent choice.
“What we think, we become.”
~Buddah
As I learn more from the study of neuroscience, I realize that we, each one of us HAVE THE POWER too; we only need to know how to, and choose to, use it.
Last newsletter I spoke about "neuroplasticity," which means that the neural connections - the wiring - of our brains can change in response to new learning and experiences. And this change in the wiring, the neural connections, in our brain affects our thinking, our actions, our re-actions, our relationships, our ability (our availability) to learn, our stress level, our health - all aspects of our well being.
What is necessary for the new wiring to become strong and stable however, is attention, that is, ongoing awareness and focus on the new thinking and new behaviors we want to acquire. Where we put our attention, we create connections, and the more often we put our attention on the new learning and behaviors we want to acquire the stronger the neural connections supporting those new ways of being become. Conversely, the less attention we pay to our old life-limiting habits (thinking and talking about our "victim" story, our resentments, fears,self-blame, guilt etc), the weaker the neural connections that support those old habits (and the behaviors that result from them) become.
So, back to how YOU HAVE THE POWER. Research has found that we think thousands and thousands of thoughts everyday. We have little control over the thoughts that "pop into" our mind, but we CAN have control over the thoughts we choose to pay attention to. A study in 1983, found that when our brain sends us an urge to act - to say or do something – that urge begins about 5/10 of a second before we actually take the action (do the behavior or say the words). When we decide to walk across a room to say hello to someone (or to yell at them), our brains (and body) already began that process 3/10 of a second before our conscious mind became aware of it. What the researchers found was that in the last 2/10 of a second (long enough) we do have voluntary control over whether or not to take that action. We have the ability, in 2/10 of a second, to CHOOSE to act or not act on that urge! We only need to learn to become aware in that 2/10 of a second of what is going on within us – that is become aware of where we are heading behaviorally.
So, even if we have a habit, even a strong habit, of acting or reacting, we can strengthen our practice of AWARENESS - NOTICING something we are about to do or say, before we do or say it! Then we have the CHOICE - we are not simply acting or thinking on "automatic.". In time, and with practice, the old unconscious "reaction habit' weakens and the new habit of responding with mindful awareness, attention, and choice grows strong - and then truly, YOU HAVE THE POWER!
An Awareness Practice: Begin to practice noticing when strong emotions/sensations rise in your body (these emotions may urge actions that you might regret). Pause! And take a deep breath; then notice what your urge is impelling you to say or do, take another deep breath, talk to yourself and focus on making a conscious, intelligent choice.
“What we think, we become.”
~Buddah
Thursday, July 1, 2010
SUPPORTING HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN THE MAINSTREAM CLASSROOM
SUPPORTING HEARING IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN THE MAINSTREAM CLASSROOM
Tip and information for Classroom Teachers
Have you, the classroom teacher, just been told that a hearing impaired student will be placed in your class? It is surely understandable that you might be nervous about this, but truly there is no need to be overly concerned. Hopefully you will have the support of the school’s Speech and Language Specialist, and a Teacher of the Hearing Impaired who will also work with your student. These specialists will also help you to support this student in your classroom.
The following tips and information are to help the classroom teacher understand, communicate with and fully enjoy this student.
FLUCTUATIONS IN HEARING -
Background noise, the student’s physical health, his distance from the sound source, and the pitch and intensity of your voice all affect the hearing-impaired student’s hearing acuity. Also, noise within and without the classroom, shuffling papers, closing desks, nearby conversation, fans, motors, moving furniture may make hearing of classroom instruction very difficult.
The lunchroom and gym are particularly difficult hearing environments due to the noise level and sound reverberation. Special attention must be given to insure that any important information or instruction given in these environments is personally received by the hearing-impaired student.
COMMUNICATING CLEARLY WITH YOUR HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENT
Be sure to speak clearly, and to vary the pitch of your voice. Speak in a normal volume, and at a normal, moderate rate.
Use your body and facial expressions when speaking, and use your hands to emphasize your statements (of course, within normal, everyday parameters).
Hearing-impaired students, even students with a cochlear implant, rely heavily on “speech reading” (a combination of lip-reading, gestures and facial expression). Without seeing the speaker’s face, a hearing impaired student will miss much of what is said.
Therefore:
*Be aware of staying within the visual field of your student
*Be careful not to speak while turning to write on the board, or while walking around the room
*Try to keep your hands, books or papers away from your face while speaking.
*Keep hair from falling on your face
* Stay within 2-5 feet and in front of the student when speaking to him. If you are
side-by-side, be sure you are on the side of his implant or hearing aid.
*As much as possible, maintain a quiet and non-distracting learning environment.
If the student does not seem to understand what you have said to him after repeating the question once, do not repeat it the same way again; instead, rephrase the question.
The light should be on your face and not in the eyes of the student. Try not to stand in front of a window or strong lights, as the glare from the light can be distracting.
Be sure that there is enough light for the student to see your face when using overheads projectors or power point presentations.
Films should be captioned.
ORGANIZING THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
Optimally, the seating arrangement in the classroom will allow the hearing ¬impaired student to see all his classmates. A horseshoe configuration works best, if space allows.
In addition, this student should be up front, and close to where the teacher is presenting.
During class discussions, help the hearing-impaired student locate the classmate who is speaking by pointing to the student as you call on him/her. Then re-phrase or re-state, what that student said. Summarize the important points of the discussion. This repetition and restatement, of course, actually serves all the students
Keep classroom noise to a minimum:
*Close the door to avoid noise from hallway activities.
*Desk chair feet can be padded with slit tennis balls fitted on them. This results in a much quieter classroom!.
AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM
You may be given an amplification system which will be set up in your classroom. The Speech and Language Therapist, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, or other specialist will set this up and instruct you how to use it. The amplification system has also been found to improve the focus and attention of other students in the classroom.
ACADEMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Assignments should be given orally, and then written on the board
Due dates for all upcoming tests and other important events should be consistently written on a specific portion of the of board.
Check, when possible, and privately, that you’re hearing impaired student has understood important information. Have him tell back to you the important information.
State the topic to be discussed before initiating the conversation.
Sudden, hurried or casual change of topic may be very confusing for a hearing-impaired student. For example, interjecting information that is not related to the topic at hand (“oh, by the way, this may be on your test tomorrow,” or “don’t forget to bring a bag lunch for the trip tomorrow.”) will likely be missed information.
Also, avoid giving last minute, hurried information or instructions as children are noisily preparing to leave the class.
When working in small groups, allow this student and his group to work in the hall, or somewhere where it might be quieter.
All tests should be given in written form when at all possible; hearing-impaired students are at a great disadvantage when tests are given orally.
When presenting a lesson, make notes, outlines, or written examples on the board to support the student with written coverage as well as oral.
Idioms, sarcasm, metaphor, and other idiomatic phrases present challenges for hearing impaired students, and might require explanation.
When possible, use concrete visual aids that give information about the topic presented.
Demonstrate whenever possible.
WORKING WITH THE TUTOR/TEACHER OF THE DEAF
Hearing-impaired students will often work with a teacher of the hearing-impaired several times a week to support them in their class work. This teacher will emphasize key vocabulary, concepts, review, and studying for tests. This teacher will want to PREVIEW material with the student before it is presented in the class, so that he has a grasp of the new vocabulary and concepts. This prepares a foundation for greater learning in the classroom, and promotes the self-confidence and motivation to contribute in class. You and the teacher of the hearing impaired will be working as a team. To support this teamwork:
Provide the tutor with educational materials (textbooks, handouts, homework sheets, vocabulary, tests, project outlines) for that week’s classroom topics.
Create with the tutor a regular, weekly time to meet briefly for discussion and to share materials. Discuss what the student needs to preview that week, and what needs to be reviewed, any difficulties your student is having, and upcoming tests.
FATIGUE FACTOR
Focusing on listening carefully requires a great energy output. By the end of a concentrated lesson, or at the end of a day, you may notice that a hearing-
impaired student is “wiped out!” For teachers who have their students all day, it is
helpful to the student if you can reduce the noise level in the classroom several times
a day.
AND FINALLY— Privately tell the student that you need to know if he is having any difficulties in the classroom; that you are there to support him, and that it is his/her responsibility to let you know when he needs clarification or support of any kind.
This may seem like a lot to absorb, yet after a few weeks this will all become quite natural. You will soon get to know and bond with this student as you do with all your students.
PLEASE KNOW THAT YOUR DEDICATION AND CARE AS THIS STUDENT’S TEACHER IS DEEPLY APPRECIATED. THIS APPRECIATION WILL ENDURE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel.” —Maya Angelou
PAULA B. BORSODY, M.A.
CONSULTANT AND TEACHER OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED
Tip and information for Classroom Teachers
Have you, the classroom teacher, just been told that a hearing impaired student will be placed in your class? It is surely understandable that you might be nervous about this, but truly there is no need to be overly concerned. Hopefully you will have the support of the school’s Speech and Language Specialist, and a Teacher of the Hearing Impaired who will also work with your student. These specialists will also help you to support this student in your classroom.
The following tips and information are to help the classroom teacher understand, communicate with and fully enjoy this student.
FLUCTUATIONS IN HEARING -
Background noise, the student’s physical health, his distance from the sound source, and the pitch and intensity of your voice all affect the hearing-impaired student’s hearing acuity. Also, noise within and without the classroom, shuffling papers, closing desks, nearby conversation, fans, motors, moving furniture may make hearing of classroom instruction very difficult.
The lunchroom and gym are particularly difficult hearing environments due to the noise level and sound reverberation. Special attention must be given to insure that any important information or instruction given in these environments is personally received by the hearing-impaired student.
COMMUNICATING CLEARLY WITH YOUR HEARING-IMPAIRED STUDENT
Be sure to speak clearly, and to vary the pitch of your voice. Speak in a normal volume, and at a normal, moderate rate.
Use your body and facial expressions when speaking, and use your hands to emphasize your statements (of course, within normal, everyday parameters).
Hearing-impaired students, even students with a cochlear implant, rely heavily on “speech reading” (a combination of lip-reading, gestures and facial expression). Without seeing the speaker’s face, a hearing impaired student will miss much of what is said.
Therefore:
*Be aware of staying within the visual field of your student
*Be careful not to speak while turning to write on the board, or while walking around the room
*Try to keep your hands, books or papers away from your face while speaking.
*Keep hair from falling on your face
* Stay within 2-5 feet and in front of the student when speaking to him. If you are
side-by-side, be sure you are on the side of his implant or hearing aid.
*As much as possible, maintain a quiet and non-distracting learning environment.
If the student does not seem to understand what you have said to him after repeating the question once, do not repeat it the same way again; instead, rephrase the question.
The light should be on your face and not in the eyes of the student. Try not to stand in front of a window or strong lights, as the glare from the light can be distracting.
Be sure that there is enough light for the student to see your face when using overheads projectors or power point presentations.
Films should be captioned.
ORGANIZING THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
Optimally, the seating arrangement in the classroom will allow the hearing ¬impaired student to see all his classmates. A horseshoe configuration works best, if space allows.
In addition, this student should be up front, and close to where the teacher is presenting.
During class discussions, help the hearing-impaired student locate the classmate who is speaking by pointing to the student as you call on him/her. Then re-phrase or re-state, what that student said. Summarize the important points of the discussion. This repetition and restatement, of course, actually serves all the students
Keep classroom noise to a minimum:
*Close the door to avoid noise from hallway activities.
*Desk chair feet can be padded with slit tennis balls fitted on them. This results in a much quieter classroom!.
AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM
You may be given an amplification system which will be set up in your classroom. The Speech and Language Therapist, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, or other specialist will set this up and instruct you how to use it. The amplification system has also been found to improve the focus and attention of other students in the classroom.
ACADEMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Assignments should be given orally, and then written on the board
Due dates for all upcoming tests and other important events should be consistently written on a specific portion of the of board.
Check, when possible, and privately, that you’re hearing impaired student has understood important information. Have him tell back to you the important information.
State the topic to be discussed before initiating the conversation.
Sudden, hurried or casual change of topic may be very confusing for a hearing-impaired student. For example, interjecting information that is not related to the topic at hand (“oh, by the way, this may be on your test tomorrow,” or “don’t forget to bring a bag lunch for the trip tomorrow.”) will likely be missed information.
Also, avoid giving last minute, hurried information or instructions as children are noisily preparing to leave the class.
When working in small groups, allow this student and his group to work in the hall, or somewhere where it might be quieter.
All tests should be given in written form when at all possible; hearing-impaired students are at a great disadvantage when tests are given orally.
When presenting a lesson, make notes, outlines, or written examples on the board to support the student with written coverage as well as oral.
Idioms, sarcasm, metaphor, and other idiomatic phrases present challenges for hearing impaired students, and might require explanation.
When possible, use concrete visual aids that give information about the topic presented.
Demonstrate whenever possible.
WORKING WITH THE TUTOR/TEACHER OF THE DEAF
Hearing-impaired students will often work with a teacher of the hearing-impaired several times a week to support them in their class work. This teacher will emphasize key vocabulary, concepts, review, and studying for tests. This teacher will want to PREVIEW material with the student before it is presented in the class, so that he has a grasp of the new vocabulary and concepts. This prepares a foundation for greater learning in the classroom, and promotes the self-confidence and motivation to contribute in class. You and the teacher of the hearing impaired will be working as a team. To support this teamwork:
Provide the tutor with educational materials (textbooks, handouts, homework sheets, vocabulary, tests, project outlines) for that week’s classroom topics.
Create with the tutor a regular, weekly time to meet briefly for discussion and to share materials. Discuss what the student needs to preview that week, and what needs to be reviewed, any difficulties your student is having, and upcoming tests.
FATIGUE FACTOR
Focusing on listening carefully requires a great energy output. By the end of a concentrated lesson, or at the end of a day, you may notice that a hearing-
impaired student is “wiped out!” For teachers who have their students all day, it is
helpful to the student if you can reduce the noise level in the classroom several times
a day.
AND FINALLY— Privately tell the student that you need to know if he is having any difficulties in the classroom; that you are there to support him, and that it is his/her responsibility to let you know when he needs clarification or support of any kind.
This may seem like a lot to absorb, yet after a few weeks this will all become quite natural. You will soon get to know and bond with this student as you do with all your students.
PLEASE KNOW THAT YOUR DEDICATION AND CARE AS THIS STUDENT’S TEACHER IS DEEPLY APPRECIATED. THIS APPRECIATION WILL ENDURE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel.” —Maya Angelou
PAULA B. BORSODY, M.A.
CONSULTANT AND TEACHER OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED
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