The impact of Boundaries and Structure on Chronic Misbehavior
The Healing Environment is a visual representation of what children need to grow and mature. It includes relationships, boundaries, adult self-control, empathy, acceptance, encouragement, and humor. The Healing Environment looks different for students with chronic misbehavior. Children with severe emotional and behavioral concerns have different behavioral and emotional needs than children with typical behavior […]
Are Your Student’s Testing You, are You Passing the Test?
Children who come from early childhood trauma (abuse, neglect, domestic violence, etc.) often do not feel secure in their environment or with adults or peers. It’s like they are always looking for the next shoe to drop or for something else to go wrong. Sometimes they will even test new adults and friends in their […]
Healing Environment: What all Kids need to Grow and Mature
The Healing Environment is a visual representation of what children need to grow and mature. It includes relationships, boundaries, adult self-control, empathy, acceptance, encouragement, and humor. A Healing Environment provides trust, safety, emotional regulation, and a place to be vulnerable. It allows children to be themselves and accept their weaknesses in ways that encourage […]
How Well-Meaning Adults Hinder a Child’s Mental Health: Overindulgence, Overprotection, and Entitlement
It is not unusual for well-meaning adults to want to protect children from hurts, pains, struggles, and frustration. Most adults want to ensure that their children are happy and prosperous. At times this desire can result in adults overdoing things for their children, protecting them, and wanting to meet all their wants and needs. Sometimes, […]
TRAUMA, DISRUPTED ATTACHMENT AND SURVIVAL
TRAUMA, DISRUPTED ATTACHMENT AND SURVIVAL When children are exposed to early, complex, and/or long-term trauma, their brains can become wired for self-protection. Often, it makes them feel responsible for taking care of themselves. This focus on survival and controlling one’s environment can affect the natural progression through the developmental stages, impacting conscience development and […]
Mental Health Concern or Emotional Immaturity?
Mental Health Concern or Emotional Immaturity When searching for solutions to a child’s misbehavior or emotional concerns, we have to ask whether the behavior is related to an underlying mental illness, is it a maturity issue, or both. We need to understand that emotional development occurs in stages, what disrupts the natural development process, and […]
Typical Development…Does it Matter?
TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT, DOES IT MATTER? Children’s maturity and development happen in stages. We have learned that children need to successfully pass through one stage in order to move on to the next stage. Understanding child development is a key to understanding children’s behavior and mental health. Why do we need to know this? When […]
Resiliency
Resiliency is something that is developed and learned through adversity and struggle. It is an internal process and it is unique to each individual. Resiliency is not a product that can be given through lectures, treats, lessons, etc. (external) and there are no quick answers. Just think about your own experience with learning resiliency. When […]
Self-Doubt
At the end of the school year, we often reflect on how we did. Sometimes there is a little seed of doubt planted in our minds as to how we measured up as an educator. You may doubt yourself and think, “I must not know how to teach very well because so-and-so isn’t learning. […]
Manage Parent Concerns
Parents are often upset or come to us with concerns. It is important to remain calm and non-defensive when this happens. It’s often best to return the parent’s call instead of emailing them. Occasionally it will be appropriate to email the parent, but first have someone else read through the email, and do not send […]
