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Mindfulness Training Improves Weak Emotional Intelligence - Symptoms and Strategies Defined

I find that more and more parents and teachers are complaining that our youth have underdeveloped social skills. Instead of face to face encounters, many youngsters have their attention buried in their electronic devices, and they are not learning to read important social cues. As a result, many children are not developing their emotional intelligence. We are now learning that mindfulness-based approaches can be very beneficial to both the learning process and the development of emotional intelligence. This is a form of metacognition that can help youngsters gain a sense of control over both their thoughts and emotions. In addition, these practices can improve self-esteem and resilience. What Does Mindfulness have to do with Emotional Intelligence? Psychology Today defines emotional intelligence as "the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and those of other people." It involves the following three skills: emotional awareness, emotional application, ...

Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity - Classroom Strategies for Success

Mindfulness-based approaches to learning are attracting more and more teachers, therapists and school administrators. Mindfulness refers to being completely in touch with and aware of the present moment, as well as taking a non-evaluative and non-judgmental approach to one's inner experience. These methods are helping students, as well as their teachers, learn how to manage and minimize stress, become active engaged participants, enhance memory and learning, improve classroom climates, and even develop supportive communities. Mindfulness-based programs empower students to self-regulate, develop emotional intelligence, and gain a sense of control over both their minds and bodies. Classrooms today are faced with endless distractions including electronic devices, competitive classroom environments, ever-increasing administrative expectations, and both real and virtual violence. What’s more, competing diversions bombard learners, even when they are at home. This high-pressure lifest...

Focusing on the Negative - How Schooling Conditions an Abusive Inner Voice

The current approach in many schools is to focus on the negative. When something goes wrong, such as missing assignments, incorrect answers, or avoidant behaviors, students are often punished with detentions, criticism, demerits and poor marks. In fact, it is difficult to see where we teach students how to build positive character strengths such as resilience, grit, confidence, self-control, curiosity and social intelligence. This overarching focus on the negative can take a toll on student motivation and many learners are also harassed with a negative inner voice that constantly undermines stamina as well as the learning process. What Have I Been Witnessing in my Practice? Over the past 15 years in my private practice as a learning specialist, I have witnessed an increase of depression, anxiety, and learned helplessness in my students. Many of these discouraged learners have identified with and integrated negative labels to describe themselves such as “careless,” “lazy,” “...

Mindfulness and Resilience for Teachers and Students: An Interview with Renee Jain

I am truly honored and very excited to share an interview that I conducted with Renee Jain. Renee is an award-winning technology entrepreneur, speaker and certified life coach that specializes in cultivating mindful resilience skills for children and adults. Renee has transformed research-based concepts into fun and multisensory learning modules and workbooks that are ideal for teachers and students. My questions focused on her site, GoStrengths! , that offers metacognitive techniques through digital animation and activities. However, I soon learned, as will you, that she has a number of fabulous products and resources. Erica: Hi Renee. Thank you for making the time to speak with us. If you had to put it into a single sentence, what is the heart of Go Strengths? Renee: The idea that happiness is a skill that can be fine-tuned with practice. Erica: Why did you create the Go Strengths website and products? Renee: There are simple research-based tools that ...

How Quick Hemisphere Integration Mediations Calm Students

With increasing academic expectations, the pressure on teachers to bring up test scores, and competitive classroom environments, more and more students are struggling with chronic stress and anxiety. So, what can we do to calm students and get their brains in a state for optimal learning? First We Must Understand that Excessive Stress Negatively Impacts Learning While some nervousness can enhance memory, chronic stress and anxiety are emotions that have no place in a classroom. When excessive stress is experienced, the body makes too much cortisol, a steroid hormone that the body produces to assist you in responding to stress or danger, and this can disrupt cognitive functioning. Studies reveal that chronic stress can disrupt synapse regulation. This can result in reduced sociability and social isolation. In addition, high levels of cortisol can kill brain cells and even shrink the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that manages memory and learnin...

Why New Multisensory Meditations Promise Student Success

Over the last 20 plus years as a learning specialist and educational therapist, changing demands have inspired new directions in my continuing education and practice at large. During this period of time, I have witnessed increasing academic expectations, competitive classrooms, and both real and virtual bullying. In addition, with handheld devices at their fingertips and growing class sizes, competing diversions are constantly challenging learners at all times of the day and in all locations. For many, this can offer a distraction from the present lesson or assignment. It can also create a state of overwhelm that triggers the amygdala into a “fight, flight, or freeze response.” Unfortunately, both of these situations can actualize a state of mind that makes learning next to impossible. As a result, more and more teachers, professionals, and parents are seeking solutions. Why do Learners Need Both Cognitive and Emotional Skills? Research in neuroscience reveals that the prefrontal...

Learning Specialist and Teacher Materials - Good Sensory Learning

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