I recognized the tone of voice right away. My friend Mara* was on the line. (*names changed at family’s request) “How are you doing?” I asked. “I’ve been better,” she replied. Mara’s voice caught a bit on the word better, the clear sign of someone trying to hold it together. [...]
It's the start of cold and flu season in Ontario. I often joked that I was "immune to getting sick," having spent so many years around kids and germs, but this year, it got me. I've been balancing more than usual this year between teaching, my work at The MEHRIT [...]
Parents are forever asking us: “Can Self-Reg help me with my child’s challenging behaviours? Nothing I say or do seems to help.” Self-Reg will indeed make a difference—a huge one—in dealing with problems like explosive behaviour, aggression, defiance, tantrums, persistent crying, bouts of frenzy and constant arguing. But to address [...]
I am currently enrolled in a Teacher Leadership course through our Board. This is the second face-to-face course that I've taken, and in both cases, I've struggled with the same thing: those initial social interactions. If I know you, I'm very social, but I struggle when getting started in unstructured social situations. [...]
As a journalist, researcher and father, I have been studying the fascinating, messy world of child development for 30 years. I’ve had many aha moments, and surprising insights over the years, but in the past five years or so I’ve found that Self-Reg has unlocked more mysteries and puzzlements than [...]
By: Nancy Niessen I thought I knew what Step 5 of Shanker Self-Reg was all about. As I delved into Step 5 more deeply in the Level 2 Facilitator Program, my understanding became fuzzy before becoming clear again. Step 5 is about restoring balance in all five of our domains: [...]
By: Vicki Parnell Lost papers…missed meetings…kids showing up at school without the right supplies… I have been “that parent,” and I often wonder what our lives looked like to the educators who worked with my family! I’m the mother of two young people with multiple “invisible” disabilities, and in my [...]
By: Lisa Cranston, EdD Jenni and her mother pull up in front of the school. Jenni started kindergarten two weeks ago and every day when her mother drops her off, the separation is marked by tears and screaming. Jenni’s mom reminds her, “Remember - no tears today Jenni and you’ll [...]
By: Jessica Chisholm I would like to acknowledge the elders for their teachings as I share and continue to learn on our journey of Self-Reg. As an ECE, I’m able to provide support to children with many developmental approaches, however the most successful approaches to helping children have been my [...]
My teaching partner, Paula, and I have been spending a lot of time in the past few weeks observing how our students use the classroom. Sometimes we just stand back and observe the room, and other times, we record a quick tour of the classroom to capture a moment in [...]