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1. Switched On For School and Loving Life 

Teacher Professional Development - 1.5 Hrs

Switched On for School and Loving Life will contribute 1 hour and 30 mins                                        of QTC Registered PD addressing Standard Descriptors 4.1.2 and 6.2.2 from the  Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficent teacher Accreditation in NSW. 

What Teachers will Gain from this Course and the Connection with the Nominated Standard Descriptors

Teachers will learn strategies to incorporate approaches and research from Neuroplasticity, Brain Gym, Mind Up- Social/ Emotional Education, Mindfulness, Anti-stress, Anti-anxiety and Relaxation techniques. These strategies can be used immediately in the classroom to help switch on and motivate, empower and nurture students enabling them to reach their full potential in their school environment. 

Course Overview

Sessions include an introduction, explanation and participation in practices mentioned above . These can be used in the classroom to assist with switching on hearing, vision, concentration, motivation, co-ordination and developing calm, self-esteem and confidence. 

 

This session will look at how the brain works and responds to movement, water and its relation to brain function and stress and calm in the body.

 

Teachers will discuss and participate in exercises and techniques for reducing stress in the body and how this information is relevant for themselves and their students.                                                                                                                     

 

An outline of the Developmental Hierarchy, where the integration of lower order primitive reflexes needs to occur, allowing the higher order thinking strategies to be developed, will be discussed for your educational setting.

 

Walk away with practical ideas and techniques you can use immediately in your classroom and at home.

 

Rationale for the course

 

Neuroplasticity research suggests that brain connections can be developed and enhanced in our students. The more brain connections students have, the easier it is for them to learn and function productively and happily within their society. Stressors in life are producing overly anxious, poor self-esteemed and low self-concept students who aren’t able to reach their full potential academically, socially or emotionally. We as their Teachers have a duty of care to encourage and strengthen all aspects of their development.

By switching students on with movement (the physical aspect of learning), educators will be able to more easily establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities.

Teachers also need to feel supported and calm in their professional workplace, enabling them to impart those qualities onto their students.   

Research Basis

 

Recent Neuroplasticity research suggests that new brain connections can be developed and enhanced, helping student’s mental, social and emotional development and showing that movement is beneficial for increasing cognitive development.

This research suggests that after participating in movement, the brain is more active and able to focus on the tasks given to the student after their exercise. 

 

Brain Gym research by Dr Paul Dennison, has found that “Brain Gym movements…foster the flexibility, eye teaming, and hand-eye co-ordination that allow learners to thrive in the classroom, along with the ability to live happily and creatively amid the stressors of modern life.” Case studies done by Teachers using Brain Gym support this statement.

                                                             

Mindfulness is simply recognising what is happening to you and around you right now. Being aware of how you feel, what you can see, hear, taste and smell. Mindfulness is noticing what your mind is thinking when certain situations occur. When you are mindful, you are open to experience a lot more in life.

                                                                 

 

Mind Up research states ‘that social and emotional skills, such as the ability to manage one’s emotions and get along with others, play an integral role in academic and life successes.’ If a student is calm in the body and mind, they are more able to listen and learn. Calm students engage in positive interactions with their peers and others. This increases engaged and supported students who produce higher quality work in an inclusive classroom and feel good about themselves for the efforts they have put in.                       

 

Research states that relaxation and meditation where people are asked to imagine certain things and then their bodily state, if it’s a pleasant thing, will respond as it does as if you were on holiday or something like that.’  This suggests that students and teachers who meditate and quieten their mind can more easily release stressors and focus on the task at hand. This produces a higher quality work output and healthier and happier mind and body.

 

This course will assist teachers in their understanding of movement having many benefits for improving student’s cognitive ability and general health and happiness. Providing strategies for their students to feel safe, calm and switched on, results in the student’s capacity for learning to be greatly increased and their memory, concentration, self-esteem and resiliency to grow. Resulting in students feeling accomplished and included . 

Costs

 

$70 Per Person* or

$450 Per School / Preschool / Setting  (GST N/A on fees)

$350 per School- Community of Schools (COS)​ sessions.

*Continuous Professional learning opportunities include take away resources & inservice notes including links to appropriate & informative websites.

NB. Parent/Community sessions provided on same day for $150.

Additional fees apply for travel outside of a 50 km radius of Redhead NSW. (In accordance with ATO rates)

 

 

 

For more information or to book this course please send your enquiry below.

Thank You! We will get back to you shortly :)

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