'Flip Your Lid'- Explaining how your brain and emotions work to kids

 'Flip Your Lid' 

Using a hand model to help explain how emotions work in our brain.

In a recent professional meeting, I was encouraged to learn more about the 'flip your lid' hand model to incorporate into some of my counseling sessions with kids.  Dr. Dan Siegel who is a well known contributor to the field of child psychology coined the 'flip your lid' hand model to help explain how the brain works in a more accessible way.  Shown above is a child friendly resource inspired by Dr. Dan Siegel called Mineola Grows!  Mineola grows has several kid friendly videos helping to explain how our emotions work and the power of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.  I have used this with a few kids in sessions and I think it really can help to empower kids and aide in their regulation.

Test Anxiety Strategies

 Test Anxiety Strategies

Here at Wheelock Elementary School, our third graders will be taking the MCAS testing next week.  

I thought I'd share some great strategies for any of our students who may get nervous.

Here are some helpful tips and hints:

1. Get a good night sleep

2. Eat a good breakfast

3. Create a personalized positive mantra for your child

- "I've got this!"

- "I am smart and I am prepared"

- "Everyone makes mistakes"

- "It's okay to take my best guess"

4. Help children to re-frame their nervous feelings:

If your child feels jittery or a bit sweaty, you can help re-frame this by telling them it's their bodies way of getting them excited for the challenge ahead.  Like an athlete getting nervous before a big game.

5. Make sure to myth bust: 

- Taking the MCAS has nothing to do with whether kids go to fourth grade or not

(some kids have this misconception for whatever reason)

- Also, remind kids that they can have all day if they need to, the MCAS are indeed untimed

6. Focus on the positives, most teachers do not give homework the week of MCAS

and there's usually extra recess.  

Also a little extra treat at home after their hard work never hurt anyone :)

Further resources/articles that inspired these strategies:

https://gozen.com/affirmations-to-bust-test-anxiety-rooted-in-science/

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/six-ways-to-help-kids-tackle-test-anxiety

"I statements" and "I messages"

 "I statements" and "I messages"

Today I visited a third grade classroom to help students better advocate for themselves with social problems by teaching them about "I statements". 

"I statements" are one of the best conflict resolution strategies and widely used in almost any therapy setting.  I use the "I statement" strategy a lot in my small group counseling sessions and I was thrilled to be able to share this skill with a whole class.  The "I statements" are such a successful strategy because it's a way of communicating feelings effectively without causing the other individual to become defensive.  When people use "You statements" to get their point across, i.e. "You made me mad when you left me out"; the other person will often become defensive because they might feel blamed.  Therefore, the other person won't be able to listen as empathically when their defenses are up.  When a student says something like; "I felt upset when I was left out of the game", kids are better able to understand the other person's feelings without feeling blamed.  We also practiced using "I statements" by breaking into groups and role playing some problem solving scenarios.  The kids did a great job with this activity and I hope it helps them the next time they come across a social problem!