Below is a description of journaling effects, written by Katherine B.:"One strategy we used in our research was gratitude journaling, an exercise that seeks to reframe the writer’s mindset by helping them remember the positive in their life during times of stress. We met with Mrs. Morris-Inoa, an expert on journaling and the de-stressing power it holds. At our first professional development workshop, we gave each faculty member a sheet of paper and asked them to fill the whole thing with words and pictures of the things they’re grateful for. The first things that came to mind were the typical ones. Run of the mill. Family, friends, pets, ice cream, internet. It could be different for each person, but the answers follow the same lines. However the more you write, the more surprising the answers get. You might realize something you’ve been fixating on for weeks without even realizing it, and how much it’s stressing you out - or if it’s the only thing keeping you from snapping in half. You might realize how something had a much bigger place in your life than you ever thought, or that it barely affects you. But the point of journaling is that it reframes your mindset, and gets you back into a healthy point of view that leaves you ready to take on the world." Photo credit: cchsvoice.org
0 Comments
Two days ago, the whole NuYu team stayed after school one day to teach teachers how to relieve stress, and, in turn, help their students relieve stress, by splitting up into six different groups, each teaching a different method of stress relieving. The groups were Volunteering & Empathy, Meditation, Yoga, Drum Circles, Responsible Decision Making, and Journaling. Teachers moved from classroom to classroom to get a taste of each one in 15 minute sessions. There are more photos of the Professional Development Day in our Digital Scrapbook, and much more!
In a few days time on Monday the 8th, we will be teaching teachers, however, this time District wide, the same things we taught the teachers in our school at High School North. That means teachers from kindergarten to twelfth grade. That's a big age gap for the students! But these methods work for anyone (unless you don't have drums, which in that case, try something else). So, what are you waiting for? Just find a quiet place to meditate or do yoga, or put some time management tips to work. No matter what age you are, they will always come in handy. And what, exactly, have we been doing with all our data and research? We are organizing a Wellness Fair. A fair to promote wellness and stress-relieving strategies for both students, parents, and teachers alike. We are planning for various activities, including a presentation about healthy eating, yoga, drum circles (they keep on popping up!), meditation, journaling, and various tips about how to deal with your stress in a positive way
These are the surprising results of a national survey conducted by the American Federation of Teachers.We've only focused on the needs of students, but what about their teachers? Here's an insight to how your teacher might be stressed... not only the students!!
http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/worklifesurveyresults2015.pdf Think about it: if we help students deal with their stress and thus change the teacher's plans and procedures completely, what about their stress? What new things will they have to learn? How can we balance the two? Our team is presenting to all the teachers in our school on February 1st, and then another meeting with the whole district on February 8th. There, we will teach the teachers about their stress and perhaps bring in a few specialists to help! Twice a month with Mr. Beste...Any person can come to the Mercer County Library located in New Jersey to experience "musical therapy" and enjoy a variety of unique instruments during a "drum circle". From 10:00- 11:00 am, on every other Saturday, register or walk in to the Library to try various instruments and explore African rhythms. Beginners and beyond are welcome; try to bring your own drum/instrument if possible (limited supply).
Below is the link to register/more info. http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/friend_captcha.cfm?curOrg=MCL&curHelp=&tEvt=4375072 Drum circles is a way to keep your mind off stress, and it's fun, too! Doing something else, perhaps something physical, can help a lot, which has been proven correct each time our team meets up to make up some beats. As of today, Nuyu is offering classes to 7th graders about how to deal with their stress. These engaging presentations include a round of Family Feud, brainstorming sessions, and introductions to the stress-relieving strategies we have collected for you. In Community Middle School, a West Windsor-Plainsboro middle school located in New Jersey, Nuyu is taking action.
Students collaborate with Ms. Scibienski, one of the CMS counselors to do pull-in lessons for every seventh grader in the building. They teach their peers how to deal with stress, the various components of stress, and the healthy and unhealthy coping strategies students utilise, or not. There are three main components to stress (at least, for a student). They are home, school, and social. But what can be so stressful about school? As it turned out, lots. Firstly, according to our survey (you will find all the survey data in another post), students were mostly stressed out from having to get good grades. If you've ever been in school, I'm sure you'll understand. Anyways, tests and homework add to that stress. "I feel as if the only thing in life right now for me is a vicious cycle; one test after another. And when we do get free time, it gets interrupted by other things that our parents want us to do," says Maya Mau, a member of the CmPS group. "All I ever think about it, "get an A, get an A, get an A." And if I don't, well, I don't think you want to go home to a screaming parent (or two)." And getting good grades isn't the most important thing in life, but to some students, it seems to be. That's what we're trying to help, if not change. There are many things tying into students lives, and we are addressing them as best we can. We have finally completed a goal we've been working on for quite a while now. If you haven't discovered already, our efforts were mashed together into our newest yet. Under five brand-new tabs you'll see under the "Menu", our much-awaited discoveries were sorted and organized into pages of the site. To use them, try these two steps:
1. Click on the tab you want to work with or teach. 2. Scroll down for instant resources. You will come to a "Padlet", a tool for organizing and displaying links on the web. Choose one you are interested in, and browse for more (FYI- It may take a few seconds for all of the articles and readings to load). "What stresses me doesn't stress other people, and what stresses other people doesn't stress me." Phanisree A., 1/5/16. After speaking with Dr. Aderhold, we discovered that being "over-committed and overwhelmed" can affect an adolescent just as much as homework. Sleep deprivation as a result of working late is hard on your body, too. After-school activities and extracurriculars probably cause stress because they take away from homework time... but they also help to relieve stress with friends. Where is this stress coming from?! We need to help people to figure it out in their personal lives, and this is why a general help for stress doesn't always work. Try some strategies that suit your individual needs. For example- if you need time management help: "The 2-minute rule" may help, or timing your working pace. Providing smart goals for yourself can improve your efficiency. In the next week or so, we will have a collection of ways to help created on "Padlet". yourteenmag.com
In a very short amount of time, Nuyu will introduce a series of stress-relieving resources that will be made available to a variety of educators and counselors through this blog. We are thinking MORE than stress balls. Stay tuned if you are interested in seeing our upcoming finds. Photo credit: Dotted Line Comm
|