Tag Archives: education

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.

Causes and Friends, Classes and Courses, Mental Health

October 10 is World Mental Health Day

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October 10 is World Mental Health Day, and this year, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) has announced the theme as, “Dignity in Mental Health – Psychological & Mental Health First Aid for All.” The goal of this year’s theme is to bring mental health to the forefront of the global conversation so people feel more confident and comfortable speaking up, reaching out and getting the help they may need.

Compare the number of people trained to perform CPR with the number of people trained to provide mental health first aid. Poor mental health can be just as life threatening as poor heart health.

Read more about this year’s World Mental Health Day theme in The Huffington Post and find a Mental Health First Aid course near you by visiting  the NAMI website. If you need some help locating a course, just let me know! You can also sign up for one of my  and visit my Resource Page.

My bias is that while suicide awareness and prevention are important topics, ultimately the fundamental issue is mental health–one reason I became a certified mental health first aid specialist for adults and youth. But research also shows that a “barely trained” person can deter suicide. You don’t have to be an expert. Students who’ve attended my two hour Suicide Awareness and Prevention Class report

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

You can make a difference.

Classes and Courses, Mental Health

I Might Be Crazy…

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Every so often I find myself in a position where I ask myself, “Why did I do that, am I crazy?” While you may not be interested in my mental health, if you’re on the site looking for something, you might find things a bit out of whack. Let me explain. (The good news is, I can explain–so I’m not irrational. At least at the moment.)

My two primary sites are currently undergoing significant changes. This Brain Leaks and Musings site is in the process of being migrated to a different server. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that migration means lots of updating and changes are required because not everything migrates. I’m discovering lots of opportunities (not using the word “problems”) for change. Some will improve the visitor’s experience, some will make my job easier. All will take some time. So, in short, if you can’t find something on the site or find something broken, please let me know.

The reason I might be crazy is that I selected absolutely the worst month of the year to undertake this. This is the month when fall courses must be scheduled and planned. It’s also historically the month I do much of my course development and improvement work. Taking on an additional project of this magnitude might be crazy, right?

In an interesting way, the decision to do this at such a “crazy” time is linked to mental health. As most will know, I teach a number of subjects in addition to real estate and, in my spare time work with kids. Several years ago I became a NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) certified mental health specialist for youth and adults. Since I am also gatekeeper trained, I began offering a suicide awareness and prevention course. Suicide is a serious public health concern. Maine is not an exception. Our state averages 196 deaths by suicide each year; in 2009 alone, 2,800 high school students and 4,000 adults attempted suicide while 6,700 high school students and 27,000 adults considered suicide.

In part because of this, a law was passed several years ago that request anyone receiving a paycheck from a Maine Public School system to complete this research-based course. Since I also teach a substitute teacher’s course, it made sense for me to offer the required Suicide Awareness Course through several adult education programs where I teach the Substitute Teacher’s Course.

This year one of those adult education programs opted not to offer the program and I needed to find a different venue. In that I have succeeded– and I’m really excited about the possibilities it will create. However, since the courses I’ll be offering at that venue will be sponsored by my company, Abbot Village Press. That means I will be handling the course administration responsibilities usually handled by the course “provider.”

So I need to develop an “online” system that will allow students to register for those courses. I’m working on it. But in the interim things might look a little messy and confusing. One of my many goals is to avoid creating confusion. So bear with me… and if you have any questions or suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

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

Fall Class and Course Information

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Because there’s some chaos on the site, here’s a quick and easy way to get some detailed information. Download

 — this page flyer/poster lists all of the Suicide Awareness and Prevention Classes I have scheduled for this fall.

 — this is a print version of my Learning Opportunities Newsletter. Lots of information including summary information about all courses (including real estate) I have schedule for this fall.

Remember that you can always get course dates, times, and locations by visiting the .

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.