I'm So Vulnerable!
How to Become Resilient in a Chaotic World
3 credit hour Iowa license renewal course (What's this?)
Course Dates: March 22nd to May 5th
(Registration is open!)
(Registration is open!)
"This course had a great impact on my life. The timing of it for me was perfect and I appreciate how we had the opportunity to reflect personally. If we don’t first understand how we think, behave, and react, then how are we going to apply it to our students and other relationships? There was great meaning in the reflections and how they apply to our own lives.
Some takeaways for me included learning about how our brain processes, the synchronicity of partnerships, and ambition versus aspiration. It was interesting to go through the process of how our thoughts worked in the brain, and then move on to convert those experiences into meaningful, lasting synapsis to retrain our brains to be more positive. I realized that this is a practice and not an answer. It is a journey.
I have already started to apply this practice in my daily life. I realized that during my daily devotions, I was unconsciously focusing on negative thoughts. I was praying for the safety, health, and happiness of my loved ones, but I was thinking about all the horrible things that could happen to them at the same time. I have changed my thinking during my daily devotions now to be more grateful for them and celebrate how blessed I am. It has been impactful.
I would highly recommend this class to everybody I know. It touches upon the many different parts of what makes a happy life. The only feedback I would give is that the reflections did not include much of the book. They seemed to be more about the videos, which I loved."
~Julie Pfeiffer, Linn-Mar CSD
Some takeaways for me included learning about how our brain processes, the synchronicity of partnerships, and ambition versus aspiration. It was interesting to go through the process of how our thoughts worked in the brain, and then move on to convert those experiences into meaningful, lasting synapsis to retrain our brains to be more positive. I realized that this is a practice and not an answer. It is a journey.
I have already started to apply this practice in my daily life. I realized that during my daily devotions, I was unconsciously focusing on negative thoughts. I was praying for the safety, health, and happiness of my loved ones, but I was thinking about all the horrible things that could happen to them at the same time. I have changed my thinking during my daily devotions now to be more grateful for them and celebrate how blessed I am. It has been impactful.
I would highly recommend this class to everybody I know. It touches upon the many different parts of what makes a happy life. The only feedback I would give is that the reflections did not include much of the book. They seemed to be more about the videos, which I loved."
~Julie Pfeiffer, Linn-Mar CSD
Resiliency is the ability to recover quickly from life’s problems. Psychological resilience is the ability to emotionally cope with a crisis or to return to pre-crisis status swiftly. In order to do that, we humans have to dig deep into our coping skills and internal strength and safeguard and defend ourselves from the negative impact of tension and strife; and, tension and strife can get pretty horrible.
As adults, we deal with the aging process in ourselves and our parents. We deal with each developmental level our children go through and hold on for the long ride through their adolescence. It’s tough enough when things go right, when we are healthy, our children are healthy and our parents are healthy. It is a real balancing act when things go wrong and we are caught in the cross fire of dual or even triple tragedies.
How do resilient people, adults and children, make it through? Why do some people get through trauma relatively unscathed and others end up with a life time of debilitating mental and physical problems? We will explore these questions and more in this class.
I’m So Vulnerable: How to Become Resilient in a Chaotic World is a class designed to help participants define what it means to be vulnerable and how to achieve resiliency. The class will explore:
As adults, we deal with the aging process in ourselves and our parents. We deal with each developmental level our children go through and hold on for the long ride through their adolescence. It’s tough enough when things go right, when we are healthy, our children are healthy and our parents are healthy. It is a real balancing act when things go wrong and we are caught in the cross fire of dual or even triple tragedies.
How do resilient people, adults and children, make it through? Why do some people get through trauma relatively unscathed and others end up with a life time of debilitating mental and physical problems? We will explore these questions and more in this class.
I’m So Vulnerable: How to Become Resilient in a Chaotic World is a class designed to help participants define what it means to be vulnerable and how to achieve resiliency. The class will explore:
________________
Basic brain functioning and how neurons and synapses work to form our habits, as well as the neuroscience behind our thoughts.
*
The key elements for building a healthy self-image and creating a resilient and strong self.
*
Managing anger, calming our minds and bodies, and using the red zone vs green zone strategy to understand how to control defensiveness.
*
*How to fine tune and enhance our emotions for the positive with special attention given to how to deal with our negative thoughts and our inner critic.
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*How to build on the characteristics of compassion, mindfulness, grit, gratitude, confidence, motivation, intimacy, courage, aspiration and generosity within ourselves.
_________________
Basic brain functioning and how neurons and synapses work to form our habits, as well as the neuroscience behind our thoughts.
*
The key elements for building a healthy self-image and creating a resilient and strong self.
*
Managing anger, calming our minds and bodies, and using the red zone vs green zone strategy to understand how to control defensiveness.
*
*How to fine tune and enhance our emotions for the positive with special attention given to how to deal with our negative thoughts and our inner critic.
*
*How to build on the characteristics of compassion, mindfulness, grit, gratitude, confidence, motivation, intimacy, courage, aspiration and generosity within ourselves.
_________________
The world can be chaotic. Our lives can be chaotic. Teaching can definitely be chaotic! Life can throw us off our balance, make us feel ungrounded -- vulnerable. Make your self-care a priority this summer by doing something for yourself and taking a step towards living your best life.
Organization
This is a 3 credit hour Iowa license renewal course. Course goals will be met through instructor designed activities, supplemental readings, videos, reflections, and instructor feedback. This course is presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are expected to access the course and post regularly (at least once a week) and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will...
1. Understand how to develop compassion and how a compassionate mind can alleviate suffering
2. Understand how mindfulness can increase calm, improve physical and mental health and well-being
3. Know how to become responsive rather than reactive and apply strategies to manage defensiveness that improve productivity and well-being
4. Know how to apply strategies to retrain the brain to be more positive and appreciative
5. Understand to importance of grit, agency and determination in developing a strong self
6. Know how to develop better self-confidence, self-image, self-awareness and self-acceptance
7. Know strategies to improve intimacy
8. Understand the roles of happiness, materialism and generosity in contentment
9. Understand how to develop power and courage
How Does This Course Support The Iowa Core?
Both teachers and students need to be supported in classroom achievement. Teachers and students are assailed by overwhelming demands every day that damage confidence and competence; achievement suffers.
Teachers need to understand how to deal with these issues for themselves and their students; they need to develop coping mechanisms to become resilient and promote a healthy mind and body.
The connection between student and teacher is very important and the participant will learn how to build resiliency in himself and his students in a positive and productive way. Students who are supported at school and are resilient are more capable academically and behaviorally and have the impetus to go to college or post-secondary education. Teachers who are resilient are able to motivate themselves and their students and are able to enjoy teaching.
Students and teachers who build strong, healthy relationships are better at critical thinking, problem solving, are more curious and willing to take on leadership roles. They also work well with others. Research has shown that mindfulness practices help with executive functioning skills and provide students with a way to cope in this complex world.
This falls in line with the Iowa Core that states school preparation should produce the following:
1. Students who are college and career ready in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.
2. Students who are proficient in English, language arts, history, social studies, science, and technical subjects in all grade levels.
3. Students who are proficient in 21st century skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, curiosity, collaboration and leadership.
Course Topics that Support Instructional Practices and Strategies:
*The Neuroscience of Compassion
*The Connection Between Compassion, Courage & Well-Being
*Creating a Compassionate Mind
*The Benefits of Mindfulness & Meditation
*Response vs. Reaction: The effects on performance, emotions, behavior & stress
*Red Zone/Green Zone Strategy & Skills & Competencies Produced in the Green Zone
*Rewiring the Brain for Happiness & to Be More Positive
*The Role of the Mind in Our Health & the HEAL Strategy
*Determination: How Grit & Agency Affect Resilience
*Benefits of a Grateful Mindset & How to Cultivating Gratitude
*The Neuroscience of Self-Confidence
*Steps Towards Greater Self-Acceptance
*Staying Calm & Cool when Overwhelmed & Stressed; Managing Anger
*Pleasure, Addiction & Incentive-Sensitization Theory
*How Our Quest for Pleasure is Linked to Happiness
*Find Your Sweet Spot - The Convergence of Passion, Talent & Money.
*Elements of Healthy Intimacy
*Self-Determination Theory: How a Degree of Autonomy Can Improve Relationships
*Autonomy & Empathy
*It Takes Courage to Build Healthy Relationships
*Characteristics of Healthy Relationships
*What It Means to Aspire: The Difference between Aspirations & Ambitions
*The Power & Biology of Generosity
Grading
This is a 3 credit hour Iowa license renewal only course. Grading is Pass/Fail. Students are required to participate in and complete all assignments and/or activities. Participants must earn scores of 80% or better to receive Pass score and receive credit.
Required Text:
Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness (2020)
By Rick Hansen
Harmony Publishing, NY
ISBN-10: 0451498860
ISBN-13: 978-0451498861
This is a 3 credit hour Iowa license renewal course. Course goals will be met through instructor designed activities, supplemental readings, videos, reflections, and instructor feedback. This course is presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are expected to access the course and post regularly (at least once a week) and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will...
1. Understand how to develop compassion and how a compassionate mind can alleviate suffering
2. Understand how mindfulness can increase calm, improve physical and mental health and well-being
3. Know how to become responsive rather than reactive and apply strategies to manage defensiveness that improve productivity and well-being
4. Know how to apply strategies to retrain the brain to be more positive and appreciative
5. Understand to importance of grit, agency and determination in developing a strong self
6. Know how to develop better self-confidence, self-image, self-awareness and self-acceptance
7. Know strategies to improve intimacy
8. Understand the roles of happiness, materialism and generosity in contentment
9. Understand how to develop power and courage
How Does This Course Support The Iowa Core?
Both teachers and students need to be supported in classroom achievement. Teachers and students are assailed by overwhelming demands every day that damage confidence and competence; achievement suffers.
Teachers need to understand how to deal with these issues for themselves and their students; they need to develop coping mechanisms to become resilient and promote a healthy mind and body.
The connection between student and teacher is very important and the participant will learn how to build resiliency in himself and his students in a positive and productive way. Students who are supported at school and are resilient are more capable academically and behaviorally and have the impetus to go to college or post-secondary education. Teachers who are resilient are able to motivate themselves and their students and are able to enjoy teaching.
Students and teachers who build strong, healthy relationships are better at critical thinking, problem solving, are more curious and willing to take on leadership roles. They also work well with others. Research has shown that mindfulness practices help with executive functioning skills and provide students with a way to cope in this complex world.
This falls in line with the Iowa Core that states school preparation should produce the following:
1. Students who are college and career ready in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.
2. Students who are proficient in English, language arts, history, social studies, science, and technical subjects in all grade levels.
3. Students who are proficient in 21st century skills such as critical thinking/problem solving, curiosity, collaboration and leadership.
Course Topics that Support Instructional Practices and Strategies:
*The Neuroscience of Compassion
*The Connection Between Compassion, Courage & Well-Being
*Creating a Compassionate Mind
*The Benefits of Mindfulness & Meditation
*Response vs. Reaction: The effects on performance, emotions, behavior & stress
*Red Zone/Green Zone Strategy & Skills & Competencies Produced in the Green Zone
*Rewiring the Brain for Happiness & to Be More Positive
*The Role of the Mind in Our Health & the HEAL Strategy
*Determination: How Grit & Agency Affect Resilience
*Benefits of a Grateful Mindset & How to Cultivating Gratitude
*The Neuroscience of Self-Confidence
*Steps Towards Greater Self-Acceptance
*Staying Calm & Cool when Overwhelmed & Stressed; Managing Anger
*Pleasure, Addiction & Incentive-Sensitization Theory
*How Our Quest for Pleasure is Linked to Happiness
*Find Your Sweet Spot - The Convergence of Passion, Talent & Money.
*Elements of Healthy Intimacy
*Self-Determination Theory: How a Degree of Autonomy Can Improve Relationships
*Autonomy & Empathy
*It Takes Courage to Build Healthy Relationships
*Characteristics of Healthy Relationships
*What It Means to Aspire: The Difference between Aspirations & Ambitions
*The Power & Biology of Generosity
Grading
This is a 3 credit hour Iowa license renewal only course. Grading is Pass/Fail. Students are required to participate in and complete all assignments and/or activities. Participants must earn scores of 80% or better to receive Pass score and receive credit.
Required Text:
Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness (2020)
By Rick Hansen
Harmony Publishing, NY
ISBN-10: 0451498860
ISBN-13: 978-0451498861