​Anxiety is the leading mental health diagnosis amongst youth.  Now, combine that with a pandemic and starting a school year filled with complex uncertainty, changes and concerns.  How can educators effectively help students deal with anxiety amidst all that is transpiring?  Educators from across the region came together recently, via zoom, to start to find these answers with anxiety expert, Kimberly Morrow, LCSW and founder of anxietytraining.com.                                  
 
Anxiety can look like a number of things within the school setting.  We may see refusal, inattention or restlessness, disruptive behaviors, frequent trips to the nurse/bathroom, attendance issues or resistance to socialize.  The resistance to socialize, might include not turning on their camera during a remote lesson.
 
Morrow used a Chinese finger cuff to demonstrate the paradox of anxiety.  Simply stated, the more that we resist the discomfort of anxiety, the more it persists.  Traditionally, in good faith and trying to help, we, as educators, often do the exact opposite of what will help when trying to support a student struggling with anxiety.  We might allow them to eat lunch in the classroom when they express discomfort about going to the cafeteria, we might avoid asking them to engage in class discussion due to social anxiety or we may make other, similar accommodations.  Unfortunately, these actions will only reinforce the cycle within the brain that responds to danger.  Notice the cycle in the diagram below.

One key perspective that Morrow ensured that the group of educators understood from the beginning was that the goal is not for the student to be symptom free, but to be effective in managing their symptoms.  How can educators play a role in all of this?

1. Education about the brain and the function of the amygdala can be very powerful.  The book “Hey, Warrior” by Karen Young, is a wonderful book for teaching children about the function of the amygdala and the feelings of worry and anxiety. 
2. Do NOT reassure an anxious child by saying things like, “it will all be ok,” or “you don’t have anything to worry about,” or “you always do well on your tests.”
3. Help students to tolerate uncomfortable feelings. “I know you are feeling really worried right now, I wonder if a ‘mindful minute’ would help?”  “What has helped you to stay in class when you have felt this way in the past?  I am willing to help you find some solutions.”
4. Let them know you are on their team.  Be a cheerleader for them as they tolerate anxious feelings.  
5. Validate the child’s feelings and help them to identify what the feeling is. 
 
If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Community Schools (Katie Mendell) or visit register.caboces.org for upcoming opportunities.  Morrow will return to work with the region, via zoom, again on October 30th, for the session, “Living Well as a Teacher.”

By: Katie Mendell, CA BOCES Community Schools 

​Student Programs has always inspired creative problem-solving, teamwork, deep thinking, and resilience.  This year, more than ever, students, coaches, and the ISS team are challenged to apply these traits to achieve the impossible, virtually. 

​ArtsPower Theatre on Demand (CoSer 403) is available now through June 30, 2021

APTOD virtually brings teachers and students Core Curriculum-based, multiple-lesson courses built around musical theatre productions.  Designed to promote learning in the performing arts, language arts, and character education, these courses feature full-length (55 minute) musicals based on popular children’s books, plus

• Academic, literacy-building activities in fun, grade-specific Study Buddy’s
• Fun song and dance instructional videos
• Interviews with the book’s authors, actors, and set designers
• Animated book read-along videos
• Student Gallery pages where you can post your students’ artwork and videos

APTOD is an ideal resource for classroom teachers and librarians, as well as art, music, and physical education teachers.

​In addition, educators can contact Cece Fuoco ([email protected]) or Cathy Dunkleman ([email protected]) at Learning Resources to check out the books from the professional library or Interlibrary loan.

By: Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programs

​Many beliefs in American society have become politicized and school environments naturally foster discussions around such issues. As a result, opinions are freely expressed regardless of depth of knowledge.  Whether a conversation about free speech,  the upcoming presidential election, or if vaccines are necessary, just about everyone is ready to express an opinion.  Texts, statements, videos, photographs, and eyewitness accounts offer support for facts, yet constructing knowledge requires going beyond conjecturing for strengthening information literacy skills.  Here are some basic tips:

• Who is the author? 

Personal experiences and beliefs contribute to bias, whether consciously or unconsciously. Is a biography available that can provide insight into where the author was raised and educated?  Are credentials and organizational affiliations available?  What makes the author qualified to write on the topic?  Is the author expressing an opinion or simply stating facts?  Does the author cite sources or refer to un-named or anonymous sources?

• Relevancy

Who is the intended audience?  Were several articles read for comparing viewpoints? 

• Accuracy

Is the information supported by evidence?  Where did the evidence come from?  Is it free from bias and emotion?  Has the evidence been reviewed by high standards?

• Purpose

What is the purpose of the author’s work? Is it to inform, persuade, entertain, or express an opinion?  Is the author’s intention or purpose clear?  Did the author tell you what to think or cultivate further inquiry into a topic?
 
In making these tips practical for students, consider applying information literacy skills to everyday life.  Did someone send a mean text?  Well, who is the author? Who is the intended audience? What was the purpose? A discussion can then take place on what friendship is and a possible remedy for the situation.  Similarly, this conversation can take place when opinions are expressed about a sports team.
 
Challenge students to support their opinions with knowledge gained from several sources.
What is the evidence?  What are some other viewpoints?  What authority is contributing to your knowledge?  Everyone has an opinion about something but whether they can use knowledge to defend that opinion is something else.

By: Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Have you seen students who struggle with the following...
● getting started on their work, even though directions were just explained
● turning in homework when it is completed and sitting in their book bag
● planning out their time appropriately for long term assignments
● Cramming materials in their desk or folder
​
These are tasks that require executive functioning skills. According to The National Center for Learning
​Disabilities, “Executive function is a set of mental processes that helps us connect past experience with
present action. People use it to perform activities such as planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details and managing time and space.” It is quite common to have a deficit in one or more of the following skill areas: time management, task initiation, planning/prioritizing, impulse control, organization, emotional control, flexibility, working memory, and self-monitoring.

These deficits can be heightened when a student has a disability or as a child progresses in school and academic demands become too grueling. Luckily there are many strategies that can help improve or eliminate deficits and set students up for long term success. The visual below shows an example of what a deficit in impulse control could look like in the classroom and strategies that could help eliminate those issues.

When determining which strategies to implement, it is important to personalize them to the needs of the
student. We all have strategies that work for us when tackling tasks. For example, many of us prefer a paper calendar to keep track of appointments or to-do’s while electronic calendars work better for others. You may prefer to take deep belly breaths to destress while others benefit from a quick walk. Students are no different and will need strategies personalized for them and to meet their unique needs. To find a strategy that works best for your student, begin by establishing a positive relationship, trying an approach that is age appropriate and seeking student feedback. In addition, strategies should be modeled, practiced and scaffolded by the adult until the student can be independent with the approach.
As we dive into the 2020-2021 school year and contemplate how to best support learning whether brick, click or hybrid, remember to give thoughts to how explicit instruction on personalized strategies can improve executive functioning skills and set your students up for a LIFETIME of success.

For additional information on Executive Function or to set up a zoom training for your staff, please reach out to Tessa Levitt or Jessica Rose.
​
By: Jessica Rose and Tessa Levitt, CA BOCES Professional Development