The Whole Brain Child

Professional Development

Strategies Discussed:

 Connect and redirect : Surfing the Emotional Waves

 Name it to tame it: Telling Stories to Calm Big Emotions

 Engage Don’t Enrage: Appealing to the Upstairs Brain

 Use It or Lose It: Exercising the Upstairs Brain

Warm Up:

Bring yourself into the room (meditation)

Team building activity- (Tea Cup activity from Caring School Community Curriculum)

Introduction:

Introduce everyone to the group, our roles for the day and the agenda

Play the “Just Breathe” video

Introduce the Book- The Whole Brain Child and the concepts and the strategies being covered today

Strategy #1- Connect and Redirect: Surfing Emotional Waves

 Discussion—the role of the right brain and the left brain in human functioning. What is happening on either side of the brain and how the parts have to work together to achieve complex human interactions. The left brain is concerned with the letter of the law and the right brain is concerned with the spirt of the law. Expand on this metaphor and detail the logic/emotion divide that exists here.

Activity #1- Putting the Brain together (puzzle pieces)

 Give groups an envelope with each part of the brain separated and labeled. They have to assemble the brain in the correct arrangement and glue it on a piece of paper. They must write a description of each section on the page as well. Strategy #2- Name It to Tame It: Telling Stories to Calm Big Emotions

 Discussion—the main focus here is to talk openly about issues that might be difficult or upsetting because they relate to conflict or discourse. We should not avoid speaking about these issues and just hope they “go away”. The real strategy should be to tell and retell the story of the difficulty until the emotional trauma is lessened and a logical analysis can take place. What happened and how was it resolved (or how could it be resolved). Again the focus is on a connection between the left and right brain (a connection between emotion and logic). The concept of balance is stressed here. The discussion can also circle back to the idea of emotional desert/emotional flood from the first section and how this underscores the need for balance.

Team Building activity- M&M (Question and Answer)

Video – Dan Siegel

Discussion points:

 The differences between the upstairs and the downstairs brain.

 The downstairs brain is responsible for impulses and basic functions. It also controls basic strong emotions like anger and fear. It controls immediate responses and is quick to be activated. This part of the brain develops in utero and is very primitive.

 The upstairs brain is where more complex mental activities take place like thinking reasoning and planning. The development of the upstairs brain being much slower and doesn’t stop until age 25. This also means that we need to set realistic expectations that are developmentally appropriate.

Go over the ‘handy’ model of the brain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkEcpBU3TpE

Trigger Activity-

 Part 1: In small groups of two or three get the participants to think of and discuss different everyday situations that they see as triggers for their downstairs brain. Things that will make them feel angry and frustrated and they react quickly too.

 Part 2: Still in the groups brainstorm some things that could be done in order to better react to the situations discussed in part 1. What we are looking for are things that we can do to minimize the presence of the trigger or things that can be done to minimize the reaction to the trigger.

 Part 3: If time permits each group can share one or two of their triggers along with the solutions.

Strategy #3- Engage don’t Enrage: Appealing to the Upstairs Brain

Discussion points:

 When a child’s downstairs brain is in control reacting with our downstairs brain is probably going to enrage. It is probably better to try to engage the child’s upstairs brain.

 Start with an observation about how you perceive they are feeling. Example: “You look like you are feeling angry” or “It seems to me that you are feeling frustrated”

 Continue by asking the child why they feel that way.

 Finally use a strategy to negotiate a solution. This is where we can make a link with strategy 4.

Strategy #4- Use it or Lose it: Exercising the Upstairs Brain

Discussion Points

 We should give children a chance to learn by solving issues for themselves. It’s not enough to always give them the right answer.

They need to learn

1. How to make sound decisions

2. How to control their emotions

3. How to understand themselves 4. How to have and demonstrate empathy

5. How to develop a sense of morality

Activity: Strategies at work

 Part 1: Get participants into five groups. Each group takes one of the strategies. In groups they need to come up with at least five or six examples of things we can do to encourage the development of their strategy in children. They can be individual or whole class examples. They could be concrete examples of real life situations that they have run into and how they could now use those situations as teachable moments. They could be ways they could model the strategy for their students. They could write their examples on piece of flip chart paper.

 Part 2: Back as a large group, each group would present their flip chart paper to the other participants. They should explain their examples of things to do.

Closing Circle- Use from Caring School Curriculum- (Take away from the day)

Exit Card-

Home work- Practice the strategies in their classroom / read Chapter 3, 4 Professional Development

 Move it or Lose it: Moving the body to avoid losing the mind

 Use the Remote of the Mind: Replaying Memories

 Remember to Remember: Making Recollection a part of Your Family’s Daily Life

 Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll by: Teaching that Feelings Come and Go

Warm Up:

Team building activity-

Introduction:

Share Experiences from last PD session

Introduce the New Strategies being covered-

Yoga Practice – 15-30mins light movement to show the connection with thoughts and movement and the benefits of yoga

Share- discuss the experience in small groups

Strategy #5- Move it or lose it: Moving the Body to avoid losing the mind

Discussion points:  Use the experience of the yoga that they just did as a way to discuss the benefits of physical activity. Studies have shown that doing physical activity and/ or meditation we change our emotional state as well.

 Associated with this strategy is the idea of “Fake it ‘til you make it”. The body sends signals to the brain. When we slow down our breathing then we are sending a signal to the brain that we are ok. So when we smile we feel happier just because we smiled. So we can get children to act out being happy, being confident of being excited. This can help change their moods and make them move at the same time.

Topic -Memories are Associations

Teach about how both implicit and explicit memories work.

Activity - Sensory Activity

 Have everyone close their eyes and hand them a piece of candy and/or gum to touch mindfully and then taste to see what memories may come up from the taste, texture, smell, or sensation associated with (try to find something that may have crossed age & culture so most people will have an association with it).

 This activity may be done with a few different items and/or appeal to different senses (particular scents or familiar songs may work well also).

 Make sure you take the time to do the activity mindfully. Discuss what sensations and/or memories were experienced throughout the activity.

Strategy #6-Use the Remote of the Mind: Replaying Memories

 Teach how important it is to discuss memories even when they are painful in order to acknowledge the feelings that came up and be able to move on in a healthy and enlightened way.

 The key is to be able to pause the retelling of these memories when arriving at particularly difficult spots until one feels ready to replay that section. We need to retrain ourselves not to suppress our feelings and memories but to sit with them so we are aware of what is going on inside of ourselves.

BREAK Team Building activity- 8 rounds of tabata training (20 seconds of cardiovascular activity followed by 10 seconds of rest). Provide a longer rest at the end with directed breathing and attention drawn to how you feel. Quick examples of how this can be used in the classroom.

Strategy #7-Remember to Remember: Making Recollection a part of Your Family’s Daily Life

Discussion points:

 Teach about how this teaches to improve the details of explicit memories and can make us more in touch with implicit memories and reactions.

 How can we apply this strategy to our personal lives?

 How can we apply this strategy within our classrooms? What are the possible impacts on students’ wellbeing and academic success?

 Connection to ‘exploding a small moment’ in writer’s workshop.

Possible activity – Choose a small moment to write a paragraph about. To add detail think about the sensations, ideas, feelings, and thoughts you were feeling at the time.

LUNCH- 1hour

Bring yourself into the room (meditation- The Whole Brain Child- workbook pg.88)

Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll By

Discuss in pairs how this might work in your classroom when conflict arises

 Strategy #8- Let the Clouds of Emotion Roll by: Teaching that Feelings Come and Go

Activity-Wheel of Awareness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODlFhOKahmk

(This is a meditation that introduces the wheel of awareness)

1. Review the Wheel of awareness

2. Provide each person with a sheet of paper and ask them to create their own wheel of awareness. Ask them to share with a partner. Closing Circle- Use from Caring School Curriculum- (Take away from the day)

Exit Card- Feedback from the day

Home work- Practice the strategies in their classroom / read Chapter 5,6

Professional Development

 SIFT: Paying Attention to What’s Going on Inside

 Exercise Mindsight: Getting Back to the Hub

 Increase the Family Fun Factor: Making a Point to Enjoy Each Other

 Connect Through Conflict: Teach Kids to Argue with a “We” mind

Warm Up:

Team building activity-

Introduction:

Share Experiences from last PD session Introduce the New Strategies being covered-

Strategy#9 - SIFT: Paying Attention to What’s Going on Inside

Activity–SIFT (sensations, images, feelings, thoughts)

1.Provide participants with the chart from the Whole Brain Child workbook (pg.92)

2. Break the group into smaller groups of 3 or 4

3. Provide them with a statement that they need to work through as a group to model the SIFT

4. Each group presents their statement and solution using the SIFT model

5. Discuss how this would or could work in their classrooms

 Strategy #10- Exercise Mindsight: Getting Back to the Hub

Team Building activity-

Video –

Introduce the transition from “me” to “we.” Discussion Points:

 Most of the information we have looked at focuses on how to develop the whole brain in order to develop a stronger sense of me. But we all well know that kids also need help understanding what it means to become a part of a “we” so that they can be integrated with others.

 This is about being, not doing. The whole me! We are ourselves in the classroom. We are modeling these relationships for our families and for our students and they are taking in our actions. What we do changes the minds of others.

 Two components to mindsight: the first part of mindsight is seeing and understanding our own mind – becoming aware of and integrating the different parts of ourselves using the wheel of awareness. This is INSIGHT. The second part of mindsight is EMPATHY – being able to see and connect with the minds of others

 This can be taught: Students who struggle with reading need to practice and develop the connections in their brains. It is the same with relationships; children who have trouble relating to others need encouragement and help cultivating this ability.

 We are wired for we! The brain is a social organ that uses repeated experiences to predict what to expect. It is through these experiences that the connections in the brain get re-wired to be able to predict what to expect.

 Mirror Neurons: We mirror what we see. We get thirsty when we see others drink and we yawn when we see others yawn. This is because the same neurons that make us feel thirsty or tired get activated when we see others drink or yawn.

 How can we use this knowledge to model for children? The relationships and attachments formed will greatly influence a child’s ability to make connections.

 What can we do? Have consistent and reliable relationships that model kindness, mutual respect, and compassion. Connect, then re-direct.

 Offering experiences for connections: shy child example – give repeated opportunities for interaction and to figure out how to make friends while supporting and comforting when the child is afraid.

Strategy #11- Increase the Family Fun Factor: Making a Point to Enjoy Each Other

Discussion points:

 This does not mean lots of carting children from one event to another and it does not mean no discipline. This goes back to being, not doing. Highly structured schedules of “fun” is not what this means.

 “Playful Parenting”

 Playing games that encourage spontaneity or creativity (start a story and have each person add to it)

 The equation of fun and conflict: Not just with parents, but with siblings. While allowing them to ignore each other might mean less conflict that relationship will carry on into adulthood. Giving opportunities to have fun together; there will still be conflict but you should think about it as a math equation. The amount of enjoyment they have together should be greater than the amount of conflict they experience.

Possible activity – Choose a few of the cartoons in the book. Have the suggested responses blanked out and allow for discussion of what could be said in these situations, (keeping in mind the strategies that have been discussed).

Strategy #12 – Connection Through Conflict: Teach Kids to Argue with a “We” in Mind

Discussion points:

 See through the Other Person’s Eyes: We want our children to look at things from the perspective of others. Start with an awareness of your child’s feelings; connect first, then re-direct.

 Listen to what’s Not Being Said: Teach your children to look for non-verbal cues; their friend says they’re “fine” but look at his/her posture.

 Repair: This may be more than an apology; they may need to take steps to right their wrong.

 This teaches children that they can agree to disagree in a respectful way. They are teaching each other through conflict; when one is keeping the other in mind through a conflict, this helps the other to wire this way as well. Neurons that fire together, wire together.

Activity-Wheel of Awareness

Closing Circle- Use from Caring School Curriculum- (Take away from the day)

Exit Card-