Tag Archives: school

Classes and Courses, Mental Health, Suicide Prevention

October Learning Opportunities…

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Here are some learning opportunities coming up in October!

Thursday, October 13: Suicide Awareness and Prevention Workshop at Nokomis High School in Newport from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. For more information or to register contact RSU 19 Adult Education.

Tuesday, October 18: Is There a Book in You? at Warsaw Elementary School in Pittsfield from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. For more information or to register contact MSAD 53 Adult Education.

Thursday, October 27: Suicide Awareness and Prevention Workshop at Guilford United Methodist Church from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. For more information or to register,
contact . 

Real Estate related:

Friday, October 7: I will be teaching the two “new” core courses (continuing education) at the Ramada Inn in Bangor. For more information or to register, contact the Arthur Gary School of Real Estate.

Saturday, October 15: I will start the Associate Broker Course at the Ramada Inn in Bangor. For more information or to register, contact the Arthur Gary School of Real Estate.

Classes and Courses, Mental Health, Suicide Prevention

Craig Colson and I Talk…

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For those who missed it “live,” here is a link to the brief talk Craig Colson and I had on the WVII Monday Noon Newscast. (I haven’t been able to embed the broadcast here… you can also find this link on Mr. Boomsma’s Facebook Page.)

I’m grateful to Craig for reaching out with his invitation and the opportunity to share some thoughts. For more information about the workshops visit the … or just ! (Registration is not absolutely required–we have plenty of room, but it will help us plan handouts and seating.)

 

Teaching

Pop in a Marshmallow!

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One of the concerns we sometimes discuss in the Substitute Teacher’s Course is “How do you quiet an entire class?”

Yelling is not an option.

Age is certainly a factor–some of the more common techniques involve ringing a bell, flicking the lights on and off, using hand gestures. When I’m in a strange school or class, I try raising my hand first–it seems to be somewhat universal.

Today I read one to use with the littles that I just might have to try because it’s fun! The instruction to “pop in a marshmallow” tells everyone to pretend they are putting a big marshmallow in their mouth. (Don’t hand out real marshmallows!) This means lips are closed and cheeks are puffed out. It’s pretty hard to talk with a big marshmallow in your mouth! I’m thinking it might also work with kids in the back seat of the car.

For at least 29 more ideas, check out this post on Edutopia.

Classes and Courses, Learning, Mental Health, Mental Hygiene, Personal Growth, Suicide Prevention

A Few Course Updates…

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Spring’s just started, but the learning opportunities continue!

I’ve conducted my newest course offering on Suicide Awareness and Prevention twice and the results have been rewarding and exciting! Not only have educational professionals attended, but students have included church employees, agency employees, and several who simply wanted the information for their own use—one attendee came all the way from Hermon!

My ego enjoys the ratings of the instructor and positive comments, but there are a couple of observations that are far more important. As a result of attending these two classes:

  • 85% of participants either agreed or strongly agreed they feel more comfortable talking about suicide.
  • 93% of participants either agreed or strongly agreed they feel more confident in their ability to recognize suicide warning signs and risk factors.
  • 85% of participants feel better equipped to help someone who might seem suicidal.

Currently, there are two more classes scheduled:

  1. Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at the Penquis Higher Education Center in Dover Foxcroft, sponsored by PVAEC, 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Call 564-6525 for information and to register.
  2. Thursday, April 14, 2016 at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, sponsored by RSU 19 Adult Education, 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Call 368-3290 for information and to register.

As promised in the classes already taught, I’ve started a .

April is a busy month with Real Estate Classes–both licensing and continuing education. You can find a .

Due to increasing requests for learning opportunities, RSU 19 Adult Education is adding a second wave of classes in late spring and this summer this year. By request, I’ll be developing and offering an overview course, The Why’s and Where’s of Blogging.  The course is scheduled for Thursday, May 19 at Nokomis High school in Newport. We’ll also be offering the Substitute Teacher Course late in the summer.

The best way to avoid missing an opportunity is to sign up for the Learning Opportunities Newsletter. Since I know how annoying a flood of email can be, you’ll only hear from me about once a month at the most!

If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.

Bullying, Classes and Courses, Mental Health, Mental Hygiene, Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention… an awareness session focused on youth!

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Yes, this is about suicide prevention… but it’s also about mental health! Learn some of the signs that a person is troubled and how you can make a difference. You’ll also receive resources available and materials produced by the Maine Suicide Prevention Program. (Click the image to see a larger size.)