Showing posts with label Staff Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Staff Development. Show all posts

8.27.2009

Filling Up Our Cup

This afternoon the Terra Luz teaching guides had some fantastic staff development with Carrie Contey, PhD and I would like to share some of the “golden nuggets” we walked away with.

We focused a large amount of time on Brain and Emotional Development of our little friends. I’m always fascinated by what Carrie has to say about research and brain development.

The work we do as educators and caregivers is an awesome responsibility. Children are in the midst of profound growth. We are regulating little people’s nervous systems every day, so us, as caregivers need to check in with ourselves to see where our own nervous systems are.

Some children have a full cup right away, some of them, just getting out of the car depletes them. We need to recognize that what fills one child’s cup is not going to fill another child’s cup.

Welcoming ritual that is essential: Connection that’s intimate and special... that is, I see you and I wonder what you’re needing today.

We took so much from our session with Carrie this afternoon and what sticks out most prominently for me is this question:

How do we help the children to imprint in their brain that school equals safe? Because that is precisely what Terra Luz's philosophy is built on. Feeling safe.

And this Mantra:
The boundary lies within.
Take a breath.
Make eye contact.
And ask, how are you feeling right now?

::

Friends,
I would love for all the Terra Luz families to fill up their own cups with a parent workshop with Carrie. This will help continue to build our community and will be offered at here Terra Luz. We are looking at dates in late September or early October, probably on a Thursday evening. More information to come!