Dreading a New School Year? I don’t know about you but going back to school with new students used to get my tummy turning. Dread hung on my shoulders and motivation was nowhere to be found. How was I to keep control of new students, teens I didn’t know and who were different from me? …
Category Archives: Skill Building Resources
Help Teens Set Goals, Build Confidence
“I want to be a doctor… but I don’t think that will ever happen.” That’s what I heard when I asked two teens what they dreamed of becoming. At first, they said “pediatricians!”—with excitement and a sense of purpose. But then came the doubt. “Kids like us don’t become doctors,” they shrugged. It was heartbreaking—but …
Ultimate Resource for Parenting Teens
A Handy, Research-Based Guide to Help You Connect with Your Teen Raising a teenager isn’t easy. Between shifting moods, growing independence, and the rollercoaster of high school life, parenting during the teen years can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, there’s a straightforward, science-backed resource for parenting teens that can help: The Five Basics of Parenting Adolescents Pamphlet. …
Improving Access to Treatment with Skill Building
Mental Health Issues on the Rise After 9/11, I remember hearing a news report that said over the following five years, the US would see a sharp rise in mental health issues and an increased need for access to treatment. During that time, the topic slowly crept into the news. Ten years later, the pandemic …
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Trix Are For Kids! But phearnik!® is Not (just for kids)
Adults and Irrational Fears Previously, I wrote about phearnik!® and how to use it with kids. In addition, the little plush also helps adults overcome irrational fears and anxiety. In the US, nearly 20% of adults deal with irrational fears and anxiety. Treatment often involves exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which helps individuals gradually confront their …
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Parent Sharing, the Best Parenting Education
Parenting Struggles When I parented my first-born, I didn’t know about the power of parent sharing. Instead, I often struggled on my own. This created a growing frustration with not always knowing what to do when, as a toddler, she misbehaved. One time, I asked my mother for help. Her reply, “Oh, I never had …
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How the Social Styles List Can Transform Your Classroom
Free Resource for Effective Classroom Management Without a doubt, high school classrooms today are more diverse than ever—culturally, emotionally, and socially. As educators, you likely face students with varying communication preferences, personalities and “social styles”, making it challenging to foster meaningful relationships and manage your classroom effectively. Importantly, one-size-fits-all approaches to classroom management don’t work …
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Supporting Stressed Parents: A Resource for Teachers
The US Surgeon General’s Concern for Stressed Parents You’ve heard the US Surgeon General’s recent public health concern regarding stressed parents and their need for support. Subsequently, many school administrations called for schools and communities to respond. For teachers, this can feel like adding more to an already overloaded plate of dealing with classrooms, getting …
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You Won’t Get Classroom Management Without This
Dreading a New School Year? I don’t know about you but a new school year with new students used to get my tummy turning. Dread hung on my shoulders and motivation was nowhere to be found. How was I to keep control of new students, teens I didn’t know and who were different from me? …
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Art and Mental Health: Resources and Products
Art and Mental Health. No Brainer! This new tagline I created from a Wendy MacNaughton quote should help readers (and Google!) better understand aws Studios. In her “Pencil Skills Part 1” post about drawing with healthcare professionals, MacNaughton declares, “Art and health. No. Brainer.” (Which I understand to mean how ones’ involvement in art or …
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