Caring for the Caregiver: Self-Reg for Early Childhood Educator Resilience
Facilitated By: Rebecca Leslie, MEd, BEd - MERIT Centre Consultant and Self-Reg Presenter
“The well-being of children is inseparable from the well-being of the critical adults in their lives.” - Dr. Stuart Shanker
Dr. Shanker’s quote reminds us that, in order to best serve the needs of young children, we must also address the needs of the adults who care for and teach them.
The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have placed new demands on the shoulders of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and other Caregivers of young children. Accordingly, this online event will focus the Self-Reg lens on the well-being and resilience of Early Years Professionals and ECEs.
Rebecca Leslie will offer practical Self-Reg strategies educators can use to become aware of and address stressors that affect their energy, tension and, as a result, their relationships and work with children.
In the Self-Reg framework, resilience is not simply a trait within individuals. It consists of personal awareness and resources that develop within supportive relationships and communities. What’s more, resilience is not just about bouncing back from challenges, but more about our overall health, well-being, relationships and being able to use these and other resources to come back to calm and energy balance after dealing with stressors of all kinds.
Topics included are:
Self-Reg starts with the self: looking after our own well-being and resilience so that we are able to lend our calm and support those we care for
Anxiety: Understanding and reframing anxiety related to the new daily realities of life and work during the COVID-19 pandemic
Self-Reg: How Dr. Shanker’s process for enhancing self-regulation by understanding and dealing with stress can enhance caregiver resilience in the face of various challenges
Reflecting backward and forward: What have you learned in the past that will help you in this situation? What has changed? What do you need to learn?
Energy and exhaustion: How can Self-Reg help us maintain and restore the energy we need to connect with and support children and adults in the face of current boundaries and demands?
Drawn to Self-Reg as a way to understand stress, both negative and positive, she is particularly interested in the brain-body connection and applying Dr. Shanker’s framework in classrooms, families, and the workplace. With a BEd and graduate studies at McGill University, she also holds an MEd in Developmental Psychology & Education from the University of Toronto. Her research interests revolve around neuropsychology and exploring evidence-informed practices for enhancing teacher-student relationships.