“Students work hardest for teachers they like and respect. When I’m asked,‘how do I get my students to like and respect me’, my immediate response is, ‘like and respect them first'”
– Debbie Silver
Articles
Want to Help Kids? Focus on Parent Teacher Burnout
Maryam Abdullah. (2022, April 6th). Great Good Magazine.
37 Techniques to Calm an Anxious Child
Renee Jain. (2021, February 5). Huffpost.com.
What Can You Do About Pandemic Learning Losses?
Rebecca Branstetter. (2022, March 16). Greater Good Magazine.
Leading Our Children Back to School
Deborah MacNamara. (2021). Neufeld Institute.
When Teachers Face Themselves: Managing our Emotions When Children Seek Attention
Tamara Jacobson. (2018). Chilcareexchange.com.
A Sensory Enriched Recess
Angie Voss. (2013). A sensory Life.
How to Handle a Meltdown in the Classroom: A Sensory Perspective
Angie Voss. (2013). A Sensory Life.
Recess is Nutrition for the Brain
Angie Voss. (2013). A Sensory Life.
Circle Time Ideas and Tips
Angie Voss. (2013). A Sensory Life.
Sensory Strategies for the Classroom to Support all Children
Angie Voss. (2014). A Sensory for Life.
Tools for Sitting on the Carpet
Roseanne Papadopoulos.(2015). Brainwaves, Issue 28.
The Brain Science Behind Student Trauma
Bruce D. Perry. (2016). Education Week.
How to Write about Children’s Negative Behaviours
Joanne Brown. (2019). MCCA Bridges.
Self-Regulation for Teachers
The MEHRIT Center. Self-reg.ca.
Research
Principles of Development: The Case of Dependency
Sroufe, A.L. (2020). Attachment & Human Development.
In Principles of Development, Alan Sroufe examines a series of papers explaining two developmental principles of child development as separate components. The first principle is behavior and development and the second being dependency. Sroufe argues that these two principles should not be considered separate components of development but as a “comprehensive” relationship.
He begins the paper by identifying two major contributors to child development and the impact their research made to the field. Before Mary Ainsworth and John Bowlby “there was little distinction between attachment and dependency”. Dependency was viewed as a “trait” while Ainsworth and Bowlby defined attachment as a “relational construct”. It was not until Ainsworth and Bowlby made a distinction between the two that research could begin to identify the correlation between the two.
Sroufe goes on to detail a study conducted in a school classroom and a children’s camp. In both instances teachers were asked to rate these children based on secure, resistant, or avoidant attachment, and their dependency level between the child-teacher relationship. Researchers then measured children’s variations in dependency based on several factors, such as self-esteem and social competence.
Motivating the Child with Attention Deficit Disorder
Rick Lavoie. Learning Disabilities Online, ldonline.org.
In Motivating the Child with Attention Deficit Disorder, Rick Lavoie examines two significant contributions affecting children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and their challenge to daily activities – focusing and controlling behaviour. He explains the neurological functioning of a child with ADD, why they are more likely to do poorly in the classroom, and steps teachers can implement to help the child stay motivated.
Lavoie explores the notion that children with ADD always require some form of stimulation to stay engaged and entuned to the task at hand. He also identifies three basic symptoms of ADD which ultimately impact the child’s ability to follow “policies, practices, and procedures” of a classroom setting. He believes when a teacher has the basic understanding of the deficits a child with ADD have, they are better able to understand why classroom expectations “are in direct conflict”. He then goes on to identify a number of alternative approaches teachers can implement to help motivate the child. For example, allow the child to take additional breaks; teach the child useful study skills; and/or provide more choices for the child.