WHY SHOULD I USE HEARTSMART IN MY CLASSROOM?

B R I D G I N G A C A D E M I C A N D E M O T I O N A L L E A R N I N G

M y s t e r i e s o f t h e H e a r t

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Leah Smith and Roxanne Morley Anderson

STATISTICS FROM CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH

ANXIETY DISORDERS ARE ON THE RISE

• 25.7% of eight year old children

• 15.7% of twelve year old children

• 21.4% of seventeen year old children

• The total number of 12-19 year olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million.

IN OUR FAST PACED, INCREASINGLY COMPLEX WORLD YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN ABOUT THEMSELVES. THEY ALSO NEED TO LEARN NEW SKILLS TO SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATE AND ADAPT TO THE CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT

NECESSARY SKILLS FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS INCLUDE:

• WORKING TOGETHER IN SMALL GROUPS

• PROBLEM SOLVING

• CREATIVITY

• SELF REGULATION

At the core of the Heart Smart program are key social and emotional competencies.

Research has shown that children who are educated in social and emotional skills:

• Perform better at school

• Develop better relationships

• Experience greater confidence

• Persevere with challenging tasks

• Communicate their needs better

Social and emotional Learning

• Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which we learn to recognize and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviors

(Elias et al., 1997).

School Performance, Behaviors and AttitudesWhat Does the Research Say?

Students who experience SEL:

Better problem solving and planning ability

Higher achievement test scores and grades

Fewer absences and improved attendance

Participate in class more

Better understanding of consequences of behavior

More positive attitudes towards school and learning

The Time is Right

• Preschool to age nine is a time of great intellectual and emotional development.

• The early years are an ideal time for children to learnand practice these effective, age appropriate skills.

• This learning can help children move from the stress zone to feeling more relaxed, confident, and in control.

• http://www.ohpe.ca/node/6813/ Ontario Health

How Can You Help Children Manage Everyday Stress?

Recognize symptoms of stress

Deep breathing

Stretching

Relaxation

Imagery

Problem solving

Positive self-talk

Be Creative

Humour

Be Active

Stick up for yourself

Healthy Lifestyle lelelle

A final thought…

Resources

• The Canadian Mental Health Association has a great site with a lot of information about maintaining good mental health http://www.cmha.ca/ 

• http://www.mymentalhealth.ca/ also has great ideas on maintaining good mental health.

• http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/1652.asp  This site features the Bounce Back Books that provide some great activities to help build resiliency skills at home. (Some of these activities are easily adapted to the classroom.) I have a few copies of this book in hard copy that I can drop off at the school tomorrow afternoon if you would like them for the meeting.

• Even primary students suffer from stress (Australia)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-10-17/even-primary-school-students-suffering-from-stress/701654

• The Mental Health Help Line is 1-877-303-2642