by Lisa McKenzie
Children feel threatened and lacking a sense of safety when an adult is out of control. When adults are conscious, aware, and mindful children feel safe.
As adults we have hurtful patterns that can affect children in a negative way. As we become conscious of these patterns with a willingness to change them we create more and more of a feeling of safety for children who are in our presence. As we become conscious we become more aware of our own wisdom while being able to remain calm in the midst of chaos and confusion. The conscious awareness of these patterns is the foundation of our willingness to make choices and changes for the good of all.
As we become conscious and mindful adults we connect with our many powers that are within each of us. Connecting with these powers allows adults to feel empowered with an ability to regulate ourselves.
Self-regulation involves the awareness and managing of our own thoughts, feelings and actions. It is the foundation of a successful life.
Many people who have limited awareness of consciousness have an impaired ability to change old limiting programmed behavior patterns leading to the ability to create meaningful connections with other people.
The internal powers provide a basis that facilitates our access to the integrated executive brain state where all higher-order thinking occurs. In this integrated higher brain state, we can override any tendencies to react or to act from an impulsive place. Any classroom management or discipline system that fails to address the conscious awareness and emotional intelligence of the adult is ultimately doomed. The internal powers that are present within adults who are aware and conscious create long-lasting success by allowing adults to become conscious, present, aware and responsive to the needs of ourselves and children. The internal powers that we possess include:
1. Perception – No one can make you angry without your willingness. Awareness: Take responsibility for your own emotion and be a role model for children to be responsible for their own behavior.
2. Unity – We are all one and working together. Awareness: To be in an awareness of compassion all the time by feeling compassion for ourselves and for all others.
3. Attention - What we focus on, we get more of. When we are upset, we are always focused on what we don’t want. Awareness: To internalize within the child what is expected behavior
4. Free Will – The only person you can change is yourself. Awareness: The ability to connect with children while guiding them instead of using force and coercion.
5. Acceptance – Accepting the moment. The moment is as it is. Awareness: To learn to respond to what life offers instead of attempting to make the world go the way we want it to go.
6. Love – to always see the highest and best in others. Awareness: Seeing the highest and best in others keeps us connected to higher centers of our brain so we can be in a state of conscious awareness and respond instead of reacting to events in our lives.
7. Intention – we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Awareness: To teach a new skill rather than punishing others for lacking skills we think they should possess by now.
Discipline Skills: The Keys to Problem-Solving
Some difficult issues facing adults when working with children include defiance, power struggles, physical aggression, temper tantrums, and bullying.
There are certain skills involving discipline. These skills are almost all that is needed to transform these everyday discipline issues into teaching opportunities instead. These opportunities are to teach children the social-emotional and communication skills necessary to manage themselves, resolve conflict, prevent bullying and develop pro-social behaviors.
These skills are composure, encouragement, assertiveness, choices, empathy, positive intent and consequences.
These discipline skills are related to the powers of conscious awareness for adults. As adults become more conscious of our reactions to conflict, we can choose a different response. These skills teach adults to respond to conflict in a way that helps children move to more cooperative higher brain centers from the resistant, lower centers of their brain.
When the discipline skills are consciously utilized by adults, there are core values and life skills that are being practiced. Here are the skills with their life skills and values:
Conscious Skill Life Skills Value
Composure Anger Management, Integrity
Gratification delay
Encouragement Kindness, caring, helpfulness Optimism, gratitude,
Interdependence
Assertiveness Healthy boundaries Respect for self & others
Bully prevention
Choices Impulse control, Persistence
Goal achievement
Empathy Regulating emotions Honoring diversity, honesty
Positive Intent Problem solving, Compassion, generosity
Cooperation
Consequences Learn from your mistakes Responsibility
When we utilize the awareness powers and the discipline skills together, we are able to stay in control from a place of conscious awareness. Then we can be role models for children as we seek to teach them the same skills we are practicing from a conscious level. This is a way to empower children to learn and internalize these lifelong skills to be successfully practiced as a way of life.
These methods of conscious awareness and development of lifelong skills apply to the success of all human interactions.
Lisa McKenzie is a teacher with an Arizona state certification for Kindergarten through 8th grade. Lisa has many years of experience teaching many different ages and grades, from toddlers through high school. She enjoys working and interacting with children of all age groups. Lisa believes that building a foundation of values from an early age and continuing an ongoing practice of these values improves the ability to learn as well as creating a strong basis in which to live a fulfilling and enriched life. Lisa also teaches skills for parents and adults in order to positively respond to children instead of reacting.
lmckenzieatpeace@msn.com
602-579-9461
Children feel threatened and lacking a sense of safety when an adult is out of control. When adults are conscious, aware, and mindful children feel safe.
As adults we have hurtful patterns that can affect children in a negative way. As we become conscious of these patterns with a willingness to change them we create more and more of a feeling of safety for children who are in our presence. As we become conscious we become more aware of our own wisdom while being able to remain calm in the midst of chaos and confusion. The conscious awareness of these patterns is the foundation of our willingness to make choices and changes for the good of all.
As we become conscious and mindful adults we connect with our many powers that are within each of us. Connecting with these powers allows adults to feel empowered with an ability to regulate ourselves.
Self-regulation involves the awareness and managing of our own thoughts, feelings and actions. It is the foundation of a successful life.
Many people who have limited awareness of consciousness have an impaired ability to change old limiting programmed behavior patterns leading to the ability to create meaningful connections with other people.
The internal powers provide a basis that facilitates our access to the integrated executive brain state where all higher-order thinking occurs. In this integrated higher brain state, we can override any tendencies to react or to act from an impulsive place. Any classroom management or discipline system that fails to address the conscious awareness and emotional intelligence of the adult is ultimately doomed. The internal powers that are present within adults who are aware and conscious create long-lasting success by allowing adults to become conscious, present, aware and responsive to the needs of ourselves and children. The internal powers that we possess include:
1. Perception – No one can make you angry without your willingness. Awareness: Take responsibility for your own emotion and be a role model for children to be responsible for their own behavior.
2. Unity – We are all one and working together. Awareness: To be in an awareness of compassion all the time by feeling compassion for ourselves and for all others.
3. Attention - What we focus on, we get more of. When we are upset, we are always focused on what we don’t want. Awareness: To internalize within the child what is expected behavior
4. Free Will – The only person you can change is yourself. Awareness: The ability to connect with children while guiding them instead of using force and coercion.
5. Acceptance – Accepting the moment. The moment is as it is. Awareness: To learn to respond to what life offers instead of attempting to make the world go the way we want it to go.
6. Love – to always see the highest and best in others. Awareness: Seeing the highest and best in others keeps us connected to higher centers of our brain so we can be in a state of conscious awareness and respond instead of reacting to events in our lives.
7. Intention – we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Awareness: To teach a new skill rather than punishing others for lacking skills we think they should possess by now.
Discipline Skills: The Keys to Problem-Solving
Some difficult issues facing adults when working with children include defiance, power struggles, physical aggression, temper tantrums, and bullying.
There are certain skills involving discipline. These skills are almost all that is needed to transform these everyday discipline issues into teaching opportunities instead. These opportunities are to teach children the social-emotional and communication skills necessary to manage themselves, resolve conflict, prevent bullying and develop pro-social behaviors.
These skills are composure, encouragement, assertiveness, choices, empathy, positive intent and consequences.
These discipline skills are related to the powers of conscious awareness for adults. As adults become more conscious of our reactions to conflict, we can choose a different response. These skills teach adults to respond to conflict in a way that helps children move to more cooperative higher brain centers from the resistant, lower centers of their brain.
When the discipline skills are consciously utilized by adults, there are core values and life skills that are being practiced. Here are the skills with their life skills and values:
Conscious Skill Life Skills Value
Composure Anger Management, Integrity
Gratification delay
Encouragement Kindness, caring, helpfulness Optimism, gratitude,
Interdependence
Assertiveness Healthy boundaries Respect for self & others
Bully prevention
Choices Impulse control, Persistence
Goal achievement
Empathy Regulating emotions Honoring diversity, honesty
Positive Intent Problem solving, Compassion, generosity
Cooperation
Consequences Learn from your mistakes Responsibility
When we utilize the awareness powers and the discipline skills together, we are able to stay in control from a place of conscious awareness. Then we can be role models for children as we seek to teach them the same skills we are practicing from a conscious level. This is a way to empower children to learn and internalize these lifelong skills to be successfully practiced as a way of life.
These methods of conscious awareness and development of lifelong skills apply to the success of all human interactions.
Lisa McKenzie is a teacher with an Arizona state certification for Kindergarten through 8th grade. Lisa has many years of experience teaching many different ages and grades, from toddlers through high school. She enjoys working and interacting with children of all age groups. Lisa believes that building a foundation of values from an early age and continuing an ongoing practice of these values improves the ability to learn as well as creating a strong basis in which to live a fulfilling and enriched life. Lisa also teaches skills for parents and adults in order to positively respond to children instead of reacting.
lmckenzieatpeace@msn.com
602-579-9461
