Week 3 - January 26th

Takeaways: 

• Neuroception unconsciously scans the world around us to influence the parts of our body. Neuroception is instant and automatic.

• Vicarious trauma (VT) means getting traumatised by someone else's story.

• When working with kids we must use useful questions with invitational language and cushions, e.g., "I am wondering" and "I am curious." Avoid asking why.

Reflection:

As teachers, we can help our students by paying attention to what they do and say. When we listen to them, we need to be good active listeners by paying attention, holding any judgement, reflecting, summarising, and sharing if they want to listen any advice or comments. Besides, we should always ask open questions. However, we also need to be aware of what causes us stress and how to lower it. We might get overwhelmed by a student's situations, but we need to know how to help them without being personally harmed. We need to safely hold space for our students by learning to track ourselves, e.g., asking "how do I feel?," knowing how we regulate, e.g. grounding or looking out the window, and joining with the student not merging with their story.

Activity in class

Used to check how we feel in each area of our life, if everything is okay in one area, then the petal should be colored completely.

References

Wallace, K. (2021). Counselling Skills and Self-Care. [pdf].

Wallace, K. (n.d.). Chapter One: What is Focusing? In Approaches and Expressive Art Therapy

Wallace, K. (n.d.). Chapter Two: What is Presence? In Approaches and Expressive Art Therapy

Wallace, K. & Lewis, P.J. Chapter 5:Teachers Self-Care and Resiliency. In Trauma informed teaching through play art narrative (PAN) Boston, MA: Brill/Sense.

Took Shame Test (see on section "Tests and Quizzes")