2020 is loading....

2020 is loading....so let's start as a team! It's one for all and all for one! The first Wednesday Advisory of the new year revisits community and team-building activities. Choose from a collection of team-building ideas based on length of time from quick 5 minute energizers to multi-day activities or feel free to use your own!

Also, we're looking for some willing advisories to be featured on our InstaGram account - Take a short video and/or photos about your advisory's team-building experience!

Community-building in our classrooms can be as quick as 60 seconds. Check out a couple of strategies to try from this blogpost: https://www.edutopia.org/article/10-powerful-community-building-ideas .

Questions, thoughts, and new ideas are always welcome. Please feel free to share with the Wednesday Advisory Team!

Let it Go! Let it Go!

We're continuing on the path of learning about stress and responses- particularly coping strategies! Take a look and discuss some positive and negative coping strategies. Do you use any of the ones listed below? Think about what stressor occurs? What else could be added to the list?

After reviewing the list, then use it to practice identifying your own effective coping strategies by completing this Coping Strategy Activity and hopefully, you can begin to create your own action plan of coping strategies.

Source: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/ta5463

WEDNESDAY'S ADVISORY: WHAT IS STRESS?

LEARNING ABOUT STRESS

1. Read the article below out loud or have students read quietly about stress.

STRESS

Reviewed by: D’Arcy Lyness, Phd

Have you ever felt sick to your stomach during a test? Have you had days when you were so loaded down with homework that you had trouble sleeping? Have you ever been so worried about something that you ended up with a terrible headache?

If so, then you know what it's like to feel stress. You've probably heard people say, "Wow, I'm really stressed out" or "This is making me totally stressed." Maybe you hear adults say those kinds of things all the time. But kids have lots of things going on in their lives that can cause stress, too.

What Is Stress?

Stress is what you feel when you are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in your mind can make your body feel bad. You may feel angry, frustrated, scared, or afraid — which can give you a stomachache or a headache.

When you're stressed you may not feel like sleeping or eating, or you might sleep or eat too much. You also may feel cranky or have trouble paying attention at school and remembering things at home.

What Causes Stress?

Plenty of things can cause stress in a kid's life, and there are such things as good stress and bad stress. Good or normal stress might show up when you're called on in class or when you have to give a report. Have you ever gotten butterflies in your stomach or sweaty hands? Those can be signs of good stress — the kind of stress that can help you to get things done. For example, you may do a better job on your book report if the anxiety inspires you to prepare well before you have to read it to the class.

But bad stress can happen if the stressful feelings keep going over time. You may not feel well if your parents are fighting, if a family member is sick, if you're having problems at school, or if you're going through anything else that makes you upset every day. That kind of stress isn't going to help you, and it can actually make you sick.

Once you recognize that you're feeling stressed, there are several things you can do. You can try talking about what's bothering you with an adult you trust, like a parent or teacher. Bring up what's been on your mind and how it makes you feel. An adult may have ideas about how to solve whatever is worrying you or making you uncomfortable.

Are You Too Busy?

If you're feeling tired and stressed because you have too much going on, like lots of after-school activities, you might feel better if you drop something, even if it's just for a semester or so. Sometimes lots of activities — even if they're all fun — can make you feel stressed by keeping you busy all the time. On the other hand, if problems at home are bugging you, some (but not too many!) after-school activities may actually help you relax and feel better.

Getting enough sleep and eating healthy food are two great ways to help handle stress.

You also can use relaxation exercises to get rid of stress. The easiest one to do is to inhale (breathe in) slowly and deeply through your nose, and then exhale (breathe out) slowly through your mouth. Do this two to four times, but don't take in too much air too quickly because it can make you feel lightheaded and dizzy.

You can do exercises like this anytime, without anyone noticing. You can even do breathing exercises in class if you're nervous before a test.

Finding a Balance

The best way to keep stress away is to have a balanced life. That means making good decisions about how to spend your time. If you're only dealing with school stuff and have no time to play, you can get stressed. Make sure you keep yourSELF in mind: Sleep, Exercise, Leisure (something fun), and Food.

If you take care of yourself and get enough sleep and food, and if you exercise and leave time for fun stuff, you'll probably be less stressed out!

Link to article: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/stress.html

2. Options:

Investigation into stress: https://www.learnpsychology.org/student-stress-anxiety-guide/

The 3 Different Kinds of Stress

Stress Quiz

Symptoms and Signs

-Have students look at the above website to learn about the different kinds of stress, how it can affect them and a quiz to recognize if they are stressed about something.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (May work well with 6th grade)

1. A big test, an annoying little brother, and a bad haircut can all add up to a lot of stress! What stresses you out? How do you feel when you’re stressed?

2. Everyone deals with stress differently. How do you deal with it? Do some stress management methods work better for you than others? Why do you think some strategies are more effective in reducing your stress level?

3. What's the difference between good stress and bad stress? Give an example of a situation in which stress could be helpful. When does stress become a problem?