Connected Educators – Online

Explore evidence-based tools for well-being, including mindfulness, empathy and compassion exercises, tools that help educators protect against stress, and boost resilience and emotional intelligence.

The course is experiential and interactive – we progressively build our capacity to care for ourselves and others. And we experiment with practical, fun ways to share well-being tools with children and young people.

Dates: September 19, 26; October 3, 10, 17, 24; November 7, 14, 21
Please Note: No class on Oct 31st (mid-term)

WHAT TOPICS WILL I COVER?

• Investigating stress, wellbeing and their causes
• Recent scientific research into well-being tools
• Changing our relationship to challenging thoughts and emotions
• Nurturing emotional balance to support us when emotions are triggered
• Cultivating a sense of calm and presence, enabling us to function at our best
• Building self-care and emotional health
• Communicating with emotional intelligence
• Empathy, boundaries and healthy relationships
• Mindfulness in the classroom

WHAT WILL I ACHIEVE?

• By the end of the course, you’ll be able to…
• Identify the causes of stress and wellness in your experience
• Practice mindfulness and connection exercises
• Learn how to bring relaxation, presence and awareness into daily life
• Establish a ‘go-to’ practice that supports you in challenging situations
• Find a kinder way to speak to yourself – an ‘inner coach’ rather than ‘inner critic’
• Access tools for finding calm and communicating with emotional intelligence
• Reflect on your role as an educator and how you wish to engage your students
• Embody a more mindful and connected presence in the classroom

Watch a short video testimonial from two teachers:

Content Summary – What to expect

WEEK BY WEEK

WEEK 1: TAKING CARE OF MYSELF
Exploring wellbeing: what are the causes of stress and wellbeing?
Introducing mindfulness; analogies for the mind
Qualities of mind: Relaxation, Presence, Awareness, Kindness

WEEK 2: CONNECTING WITH MY BODY
Connecting with the body: deepening discovering of physical sensations
Mindful mandarin & auto-pilot
Two types of happiness

WEEK 3: NOTICING REACTIONS
Mindful speaking; mindful listening
Connecting with feelings and impulses: can I experience challenging feelings and not react habitually?
The brain: three brains in one and neuroplasticity

WEEK 4: RECOGNISING THOUGHTS
Identifying thoughts, mindfulness of thoughts,
Changing our relationship to thoughts, ‘thoughts are just thoughts’
The negativity bias and remembering kindness

WEEK 5: DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL HEALTH
Cultivating emotional health
Practising non-judgemental acceptance of our thoughts and emotions
Mindfulness & self-compassion for our challenging emotions the ‘R-A-I-N’ practice

WEEK 6: BEING A FRIEND TO MYSELF
From self-criticism to self-compassion
Exploring nourishing and depleting activities
Compassion exercise: loving kindness for myself

WEEK 7: CONNECTING WITH OTHERS
‘Educating’ our connection with others, developing emotional and social intelligence, Recognising emotions in others; the work of Paul Ekman
Guiding a mindfulness exercise for young people
Compassion exercise: ‘Just like me’

Week 8: BECOMING A ROLE-MODEL
How to introduce mindfulness to children & young people
Deep listening: Communicating in tough situations
Compassion exercise for a challenging person in my life

WEEK 9: STRENGTHENING SCHOOL CULTURE
Guiding students
How to continue personally and professionally
Mindfulness exercise: Simply Being

WEEK 10: OPTIONAL CERTIFICATION SESSION
Mind With Heart Certification in guiding students

How to prepare for the online event

To prepare for the live streaming please see here.

We look forward to seeing you on-line!