This week’s QTA is brought to you by Smata App’s individual student graphs. When you review them with students you get to talk about learning strengths and plot with them a path to awesomeness.
A Quote
So what does a sense of control have to do with all of this? The answer is: everything. Quite simply, it is the antidote to stress. Stress is the unknown, the unwanted, and the feared. It’s as minor as feeling unbalanced and as major as fighting for your life. Sonia Lupien at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress has a handy acronym for what makes life stressful - N.U.T.S.
Novelty Something you have not experienced before Unpredictability Something you had no way of knowing would occur Threat to the ego Your safety or competence as a person is called into question Sense of control You feel you have little or no control over the situationSOURCE: Stixrud and Johnson, The Self-Driven Child, p.9
A Thought
Boy, anyone else tick off all four?
How many do you reckon your students would tick off?
At the moment things aren’t just novel, they’re dangerously novel. And so, the temptation is to look for safety, security. Adults say things like, Kids need routine in times like these.
That’s true. Routine does help.
But remember, a sense of control is the antidote to stress.
So who gets to set the routine is an important consideration.
And don’t forget about play. Play is how kids, well anyone really, gets to feel in control. Play is an antidote to stress.
An Action
Go for a walk, maybe even together with ...