Exploring Neuroscience in Education with Dr. Lori Desautels

COVID 19 & POST PANDEMIC TEACHING RESOURCES

Welcome Parents, Families and Educators

This series of resources will help you to understand the science beneath behaviors and emotions that are affected by adversities much like the pandemic we are all experiencing in this time!  Our brains have an ancient system, the brain-stem, that is a grand central station for all of the external and internal experiences we encounter! The brain stem doesn’t tell time and it reacts as if the body feels threatened or unsafe if an event feels unfamiliar! It immediately makes associations to past events or experiences that may be unconscious and then we find ourselves feeling, anxious, panicky, worried or shut down! These are normal responses and it is so healthy to be aware of them! If there is ongoing unpredictability, our stress response systems will change the regulation set points in lower brain regions!

What can we do?

Share your feelings! Write them down! Take deep breaths with an extended exhale!

Leave an open space for your children to just “be” with you to feel safe with you! Sometimes words are not necessary! Just taking three deep breaths and a short walk can help calm our nervous systems! You will find some resources that may feel helpful, and we call these practices, Focused Attention Practices!  Connections and relationships are very important in this time, so reaching out through the air waves with a phone call, a face-time, a text, or spending some time with family creating a puzzle, coloring, cooking, reading a book together, or watching a movie… words do not have to be spoken when we are feeling rough! Just being with another, feels soothing at times!

TEACHING RESOURCES

All resources are FREE for you to use! 

Weekly videos for Teaching during COVID-19 and Educator brain and body wellness practices. 

Connections Over Compliance-Book Study

Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline Illustrated EditionThe developing brains of our children need to “feel” safe. Children who carry chronic behavioral challenges are often met with reactive and punitive practices that can potentially reactivate the developing stress response systems.
This book deeply addresses the need for co-regulatory and relational touch point practices, shifting student-focused behavior management protocols to adult regulated brain and body states which are brain aligned, preventive, and relational discipline protocols. This new lens forVdiscipline benefits all students by reaching for sustainable behavioral changes through brain state awareness rather than compliance and obedience

PODCAST

Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning with Andrea Samati

EPISODE #56 is with Lori Desautels on her NEW book About “Connections Over Compliance, Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline.” I’m so grateful to have educational neuroscience pioneer Lori Desautels back on as a returning guest to talk this new lens of discipline.

At-Home Amygdala Station

Below you will find some ideas and pictures of what an amygdala station can look like at home.

VIDEO SERIES

We invite you to listen to Dr. Lori Desautels, Ph.D., as she helps us define what is happening in our brain and develop strategies for self care during this difficult time.

Stress and Our Brains in this time of COVID - 19

Taking Care of Our Brains in This Time of COVID 19 For Parents Students and Educators

Discussion on the power of nonverbal communication in this time of heightened stress and a fun classroom or family activity that teaches us about how brain states through a scavenger hunt!!!

Focused Attention Practices prime the brain for learning while calming our nervous systems.

Sensations and the Brain

Our Brain and Body Work Together!

Creating some closure in the midst of adversity

Week Seven of COVID -19/ Just Say it! Draw it! or Write it!

Week Who is Your Wise Self? ( Touch Points)

My Brain's Garden

fox 59 video caring for children during Covid-19
FOX 59 INTERVIEW: Caring for children’s minds during COVID-19

TEACHER SURVEY

Survey for Educator Well-Being for the beginning of the school year.

Brains in Pain cannot learn… Brains in Pain cannot lead or teach well… What is shareable is bearable…

It’s important to know how you are, what you have experienced and what you need from your school, administration, and district when school resumes. This has been a challenging time for everyone; this form will help to create a transition that feels comfortable and doable based on staff’s needs, challenges, and levels of comfort. 

EDUCATIONAL GRAPHICS

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