Gerry🧠🌱

For schools & organisations contacting me regarding workshop presentations. My school email is offline now until 13th August. You can DM me on here, or my email is in my bio.🧠🌱

Nearly half the tickets are gone after being released nearly 2 weeks ago. I am delighted to be welcoming attendees from Canada who will be joining us on Wednesday, the 24th of September. 7pm-8.30pm.🧠🌱

Pupils are often punished for being emotionally dysregulated. While their brains are still developing,they struggle to manage big emotions & the ability to control impulses. Punishing them for these behaviours won't improve their development. It will fuel frustration & shame.🧠🌱

They may also not have received emotional attunement or co- regulation at home.Instead of feeling safe, they grow up scanning for danger. We must give them coping strategies, emotional regulation,window of tolerance awareness. Punishment doesn't teach emotional regulation. 🧠🌱

Cycle point this morning.Nice & calm. Even when it is overcast, it's still beautiful. 🧠🌱

How many of you have told a pupil," You need to act your age?" When a pupil experiences trauma, it creates developmental gaps(non-meeting of needs) .The trauma will attach itself to the developmental age of when the child experiences the trauma. Educators need to know this. 🧠🌱

We need to look at pupils behaviours through a curiosity mindset ."What is leading to this behaviour?" They child may be doing the best they can at the level of their nervous system & may just need the relationships,the right tools & techniques to make behavioural changes.🧠🌱

You cannot build a school culture of connection that only values compliance. 🧠🌱

Brains are like hearts,they go where they are appreciated. This is why relationships are the key to learning,teaching & supporting young people's well-being. 🧠🌱

Feelings are only visitors.🧠🌱

Toxic stress derails brain development,it is also frozen in the nervous system.The behaviour that we see is the way that their brain has developed & adapted to their environment.That behaviour works well in that environment but does not work well in school,then we punish them🧠🌱

When pupils amygdala is active (brains fear centre),the hippocampus is shut down & vice versa. This can have a major impact on the ability of the pupil to absorb,learn & retain information.We need to make sure their brain & nervous system are calm to switch the amygdala off.🧠🌱

Who said, "All behaviour is trauma driven?"Any examples? You need to look at the pupils history of adversity. Timing and nature. What was lacking when it happened? Current functioning. All behaviour is not trauma related, just like ACEs always do not equate to trauma.🧠🌱

This is exactly what happens to your brain & body during a stress response (flight) This pupil is biologically responding to a threat. Tension,adrenaline ,dysregulated & impacting her thinking (survival mode) due to the threat of being isolated from her peers. Awful. 🧠🌱

30 miles done today on the bike.🧠🌱

Let's stop punishing pupils for having underdeveloped & under connected brain functios ,especially self-regulation & impulse control. They're not signs of defiance,they're signs of a pre frontal cortex still under construction. 🧠🌱

Pupils make mistakes because their brains are underdeveloped, trying to manage impulses & regulate emotions. This shouldn't be controlled and managed, which creates fear & disconnection,but is taught with compassion & guidance 🧠🌱

Consequences & punishment are not the same thing.Punishment is based on severity, not safety.This creates disconnection & short term results.Consequences allow us to deal with the root causes,collaboratively problem solve,support,connect,guidance & someone genuinely to listen🧠🌱