We have created an entire classroom based upon the Neurosequential Model of Dr Bruce Perry. The Lighthouse classroom is designed to steer pupils towards emotional and physical safety through Regulate, Relate, Reason. A thread 🧵
@BDPerry
We are showing our commitment to the game-changing work of Dr Bruce Perry, that has inspired our school, by making this statement on our school windows
#Regulate
#Relate
#Reason
@BDPerry
Introducing "The Hugging Machine" a great bit of equipment to add to our Lighthouse classroom. The body bumper and roller stimulates a child's sense of proprioception as they squeeze through it. It's like a giant body hug, and it's gone down a treat!
#Regulate
#Relate
#Reason
I've created a booklet for parents to support family wellbeing. Core topics include Emotional Regulation, Containment, Regulate Relate Reason, Attachment, Boundaries & Rupture/Repair. Filled with information, strategies, tips, QR codes to videos and space to reflect.
Name it to tame it - by expressing the emotion and physical sensation causing havock inside us, we can reduce the power it has over us. Move it to lose it - by rhythmically moving our bodies, we calm our nervous system = ready to learn
#RegulateRelateReason
We have co-created a display on rupture, repair, reconnect with some of our children (based on the work of
@suzannezeedyk
) to help improve the relationships children have with peers and adults
#connections
#nurture
Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. They bring moments of joy and happiness. Noticing glimmers has a soothing effect on the nervous system and increases life satisfaction. We were exploring them today 🌟✨🌟
Our Boardmaker guru has symbolised 'Regulate, Relate, Reason' as we continue to develop and implement Dr Bruce Perry's Neurosequential model into school policy and practice
#Regulate
#Relate
#Reason
Proudly introducing "The Calm Club". These guys will be working in the playground using breathing techniques, tapping, and other soothing strategies to support fellow pupils who become upset or anxious. The best ideas come from the children.
#Wellness
#CalmClub
The hammock has been a big hit with many of our pupils. Children who normally zoom around the room slowly rocked themselves, soothing their nervous system which has supported a successful transition back to school *sound on for full experience*
#RegulateRelateReason
#BacktoSchool
Developing a Staff Well-being Planning Toolkit to support mental wellness. The booklet contains information about thoughts, behaviours, physical sensations and emotions that stem from stress. Protective steps around well-being centre around the 3Rs (Regulate, Relate & Reason)
We are absolutely passionate about normalising, verbalising, and validating mental health & anxiety. I've designed a reflective and informative workbook for children to support their understanding and help them develop healthy coping mechanisms
#MentalHealthMatters
Giving children the gift of emotional literacy can have a lasting impact on their well-being. Let's normalise, verbalise, externalise, and validate emotions to prevent the detrimental effect suppressing them has ⬇️
#MentalHealth
#EmotionalLiteracy
We are developing whole school scripting at Lynburn. I've created some visuals to support and remind colleagues. Inspiration taken from
@pauldixtweets
Fiona Jeffrey
"There is no guaranteed way to avoid mental health difficulties, but it certainly helps to instil in us a belief that, whatever emotion we experience, we are still acceptable and, however bad we may feel, it will pass." This book is unputdownable
@Philippa_Perry
I asked
@suzannezeedyk
for advice about a child who struggled with a particular transition. There was increasing upset, distress, and aggression. She suggested introducing a ritual to the transition. It has been a game changer. Here's what we did...
Today we looked at de-escalation scripting to support distressed children. We have chosen some key phrases to use throughout the school. I dipped into this gem of a book to give a clear understanding of how important it is to avoid shame induced language
@theyellowkite
Great session today supporting children to understand anxiety and how it produces physical sensations in our bodies. Our new booklets are going down a treat
#MentalHealthMatters
If you want to learn more about how we implemented Regulate, Relate, Reason in education, then sign up to a free webinar. Wednesday 17th January, 4pm - 5pm. I'm putting together a free supplementary resource pack. Sign up here ⬇️ (wellbeing & nurture)
Every movement from door to door was planned. Lots of laughter took place in the process, which buffered the fear. Then something remarkable happened. The child began to look forward to the transition. Instead of distress being communicated through behaviour, it's joy ❤
Currently working from home in self isolation. I love making displays in school, which will be one of the many things I will miss over the next few months. We made this window display today to spread a little hope.
#MondayMotivation
I'm busy preparing slides for a presentation in Glenrothes next week. I'm creating a classroom booklet to support teachers to implement regulate, relate, reason in a classroom setting.
I've created these boxes to support emotional literacy. Each box has prompts inside to facilitate discussions in groups or working with individuals. A thread🧵
We have timetabled The Lighthouse for children who communicate their distress through behaviour. They have responded positively and enjoy making circuits or making up games.
Here is the link to the pre-recorded webinar I did earlier this year. It is all about how we have implemented the science of Regulate, Relate, Reason to support well-being.
You can also sign up for a free resource pack created to support the webinar
We are using a swimming pool to create a ball pit for our lighthouse classroom. Ball pits create opportunities for gross motor development & core strength. Moving around gives the sensation of buoyancy. Children get proprioceptive feedback which calms the nervous system 👍
This brilliant book puts the work of Winnicott, Klein, Freud, Bion and others into a (teenage) therapeutic context. Lots of relevant information relating to the increasing mental health issues currently facing children & young people. Well worth a read 👍
@jeanine_connor
I genuinely feel so touched by this.
@LewisCapaldi
has shown the world courage and bravery getting through his
@glastonbury
set. In return, the crowd showed compassion. I have made a donation to
@TouretteScotl
to show my support 💙
A new visual ready to support children to understand anxiety. Verbalising, normalising and validating emotions is so important to help maintain and understand emotional wellbeing
#anxiety
#mentalhealth
#emotions
We have introduced a self referral process for primary 6 & 7s. I'm glad we are giving our pupils a voice and opportunities for support.
"I'm not good at explaining my emotions, I need help controlling my emotions."
"I've been crying a lot, I don't know what's happening to me."
Today, we examined anxious thoughts. Pupils were open, honest, and reflective. Understanding and challenging anxious thoughts can help us to remember that thoughts aren't facts
#Anxiety
#CopingStrategies
#AnxiousThoughts
We have many opportunities for pupil leadership at Lynburn. Mrs Raeburn created a fantastic board that shows some of the projects we are undertaking. A great visual to demonstrate how we listen to, celebrate & take forward pupil voice 🎊
I'm training up a new cohort of "the Calm Club" who support emotional regulation in the playground. One pupil asked if we could get stress balls with emotions to support children expressing emotions. Pupils have the best ideas
#Genius
#PupilLeadership
#EmotionalLiteracy
Our survival brain doesn't communicate through words, it communicates through our senses. Sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, proprioception, vestibular and interception feedback can soothe or trigger us. We can use a child's sensory seeking behaviour to help them REGULATE
Helping children to externalise the big feelings on the inside reduces the power an emotion has. It also prevents the internalisation of shame. We use the 5 Point Scale and Emotion Works to validate, empathise and normalise emotions.
@EmotionWorksCIC
Every piece of sensory information is first processed through the survival brain. The incoming information can be ignored safe/tolerable, over stimulating/dysregulating/unsafe, or comforting/soothing/a coping mechanism. Pay attention, lots to learn from
#Stimming
#SelfRegulation
If you're interested in learning about some of the work going on at Lynburn, inspired by Bruce Perry's Regulate, Relate, Reason model, I'm running a free webinar on January 17th, 4- 5pm ⬇️
@SEICollab
Visual timetables provide children with predictably that helps them through daily transitions. They help reduce anxiety by giving structure and predictably. Here are some visuals I have created for parents to use at home
#BoardMaker
#VisualTimetable
#Routines
For those who requested the Family Wellbeing booklet, I'm delighted to say I've sent it this morning. The booklet covers concepts such as attachment, containment, boundaries and emotional regulation. Inspired by the work of
@suzannezeedyk
and
@TIGERS_UK
#DaringVentures
We are over the moon to be the second school to receive this award, recognising all the work our Aquarium Ambassadors and Calm Club have contributed towards the emotional well-being of all Lynburn pupils
#Proud
#MentalHealth
#EmotionalWellbeing
"Why you matter." An inspiring visit from Suzanne Zeedyk has left us understanding the impact/imprint COVID has left on the biology of children. So much to take in from today and so much to move forward with. Thank you
@suzannezeedyk
@suzannezeedyk
One pupil asked to create "the calm club" to support children in the playgrounds who might be upset. Pupils must apply for the job, they are trained, there is a rota system in place. The peer support offered is valued by our children.
Language matters. I put our updated Relationship & Behaviour policy into a word cloud. Well-being, relationships, support, emotion, environment, understanding, restorative, rights, support, needs, calm, safe, sensory, attachment - the shame-free language embedded in our culture.
Once a child feels physically safe (regulate), emotionally safe (relate) they can communicate, play, think, plan, organise and successfully learn in school. We have accessed the cortex and can REASON 🧠
Proprioceptive activities have a soothing effect on the nervous system. Pushing, pulling, deep pressure, & cardiovascular movement accumulate in the body. This provides a sense of physical safety, and therefore regulation, allowing us to access the limbic (emotional) brain 🧠
A very happy 50th birthday to our Headteacher. Mrs McIlhatton has always believed in the power of relationships and nurturing approaches in education. She encourages and inspires leadership in both children and adults. We hope you enjoy your special day 🎂🥳🎊
Little items in our staffroom to promote self-care, wellbeing and emotional safety. From paracetamol to porridge, coffee to diet coke, hand sanitiser to snacks - sometimes it's the little things that make the big difference
#TeamLynburn
#SelfCare
#Wellbeing
#MentalHealth
We are embarking upon an exciting project with some of our p1s who (due to the impact of lockdown) simply are not developmentally ready for "traditional" learning. A multi-sensory, relational approach that supports a child neurodevelopment. More to follow...
#RegulateRelateReason
The pupils have the best ideas! A Calm Club pupil asked if they could use Mr. Calm as a mascot (genius). They left a box of them on my table showing initiative. Im so proud of the work they do to support the well-being and regulation of pupils at Lynburn Primary.
@MrMenOfficial