Time for personal creativity and connecting with peers is crucial to teachers’ survival and well-being. That’s what CreativePlay workshops are all about. To facilitate creativity, an Art Therapist (that’s me!) is trained to select the best activities to inspire everyone’s creativity, no matter their level of experience.
It always surprises me that many teachers don’t think of themselves as artists.
Last week, when my training for the YMCA of Long Beach came to a close, one teacher said “I’m not so creative, but you brought out the artist in me.” That made me smile…it’s my favorite kind of compliment.
All the workshops I deliver include classroom strategies on trauma-informed care. My goal is to help teachers experience relief from their own stress, and provide tools to help them deal with challenging classroom behaviors.
Colorful workshop handouts are provided for teachers to post in their classroom as a reminder of lessons learned. Take advantage of the Sample Handouts included here … simply CLICK & DOWNLOAD to print or email them to staff.
Colorful “infographics” like these make it easy to educate staff and parents on the value of art, and learn how art can help children feel more balanced and connected in times of stress.
I’d like to share an excerpt from my new book, Trauma Informed Art Activities for Early Childhood, now available on Amazon
From Chapter 9: Teachers & Caregivers
Understanding Secondary Trauma and Stress in the Workforce –
Early care and education workers are increasingly recognizing their role in helping children who have experienced trauma. “Being a teacher is a stressful enough job, but teachers are now responsible for a lot more things than just providing education,” says Sarah Soriano, Executive Director of Young Horizons and active leader in California’s early education community. “It seems like teachers have in some ways become case workers. They get to know about their student’s lives and the needs of their families and with that can come secondary trauma. When you’re learning to be a teacher, you think it’s just about lesson plans, curriculum, and nurturing children. Some teachers are blindsided by the emotional aspect of teaching and report not knowing how to handle it.”
Plenty of solutions for Secondary Stress in the Workplace are available in CreativePlayLA workshops and my upcoming book. Please take a look at the Table of Contents and consider pre-ordering a copy on Amazon. It’s been two years in the making, and written expressly with you in mind.
Schedule a CreativePlay training today and find out how important creative self expression is to teacher well being. Your teachers will thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read my ideas and share your experiences. I hope you enjoy connecting with like minded spirits as much as I do.
