Description

There are so many ways to  build healthy belonging in schools... ways that require little to no formal training in order to implement.  This episode suggests just a few of the wide-ranging options available:

Therapy dogs in the classroom are dogs specially trained to provide both physical and emotional health benefits for students. According to one study published by the National Institutes of Health(NIH), having a dog present in the classroom promotes a positive mood and provides significant anti-stress effects. The simple act of petting a dog lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Pet therapy also lowers stress hormones, like cortisol, and increases happiness hormones, otherwise known as endorphins. In other words, just being in contact with a therapy dog calms kids down when they’re upset and helps to reduce their anxiety... enabling them to better focus on getting along with others, while increasing actual learning ability.

Additionally, the NIH study states that interacting with a therapy dog leads to “increased stimulation of social behavior.” These relationships build trust and trustworthiness in children and help them develop a greater capacity for empathy. https://www.weareteachers.com/dogs-in-the-classroom/

And then there’s the phenomenal value of genuine, honest-to-goodness laughter in the classroom … https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/laugh-and-be-thankful-its-good-for-the-heart-20101124839

According to research (yes, they even do research on laughter) … laughter induces real, measurable, physical changes in the body. Laughter stimulates the heart, lungs and muscles, while increasing endorphins (those naturally-produced ‘happy’ hormones.)

• Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations, and … this is important … when shared in a group, laughter helps people of all ages to connect with each other. And connection is what we all want and need to feel and act in ways that work better for everyone.  
  
• There are so many ways to bring laughter into a classroom, and since it’s been shown to relieve stress and help people connect … why not do a little research on some of those ways … books, videos, games, songs … once you start looking you’ll be amazed at what’s out there on the internet ….
  

Visit the website for Dr. Greene’s non-profit organization, LivesInTheBalance.ORG  This website includes general information about Dr. Greene’s model - which can be initially  summed up with the understanding that ‘kids do well if they can/when they know how’. The website provides answers to lots of questions about applying Dr. Greene’s model in school settings; as well as LOTS of other info, articles, and research papers.  The website also provides streaming video, which is fantastically helpful and hope giving.