Internationally recognized author & educator for professionals, parents, and kids
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New Training & Book: Parenting the Challenging Child
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
The LSCI Institute offers training to meet the unique needs and challenges of parents and caregivers. Based on Signe’s brand new book, Parenting the Challenging Child: The 4-Step Way to Turn Problem Situations Into Learning Opportunities, the training:
- Provides specific skills for building more positive relationships with kids
- Teaches proven strategies for de-escalating stressful situations
- Provides a reliable 4-step framework for turning common problem situations into lasting learning opportunities
2-hour Training for Parents & Caregivers
This course presents fundamental LSCI concepts such as the Conflict cycle™, effective listening, conflict de-escalation, and “Timeline” skills through engaging activities and discussions that are relevant and accessible to parents and caregivers.
Full-day Training Parents & Caregivers
This course includes all of the content from the 2-hour course and, in addition, identifies the six most common patterns of challenging behavior in kids. The full-day training provides parents with a consistent 4-step process to address and modify each pattern, giving attendees the opportunity to practice the 4-steps and receive feedback on their new skills.
Both 2-hour and full-day training participants receive a copy of the Parenting the Challenging Child text along with a comprehensive course manual.
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For more information or to find a Trainer in your area, please visit: https://www.lsci.org/parents/course-information/
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What Parents & Caregivers Need to Know About Apps, Games, and Screen Time
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
As a follow up to a Coffee with the Counselor event at Swain this week, here are several links that parents and caregivers may find helpful as they are learning about and helping their kids navigate top apps, social media sites, age-inappropriate content and video games:
The Truth About Research on Screentime
Heavy Screentime Rewires Young Brains for Better and Worse
Electronic Screen Syndrome: An Unrecognized Disorder
17 Apps & Websites Kids are Heading to After Facebook
15 Dangerous Apps Every Parent Should Know About
The 12 Apps that Every Parent of a Teen Should Know About
6 Teen “Hookup” Apps Parents Should Know About
Fortnite Game Review from Common Sense Media
What Parents Need to Know About Fortnite
Talking to Your 8-12 Year Old About Pornography
Why Banning Social Media is Not the Best Answer for Kids
Information on Workshops for Students: https://signewhitson.com/workshop-and-speaking/friendship-other-weapons-group-activities-to-help-young-girls-cope-with-bullying/
Is it Rude, Is it Mean, or Is It Bullying?
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Originally written in 2012, in response to a real-life encounter with a worried parent, my article on Is it Rude, Is it Mean or Is it Bullying? is one of my most-read posts and has resonated with parents, professionals, and kids alike, who share the common experience of struggling for how to properly define unwanted behavior without catastrophizing the event(s).
From this original post, I have had the opportunity to speak with audiences all over the United States through workshops and trainings and to consult with administrators and educators on best practices in managing bullying in schools. Here are a few of the resources now available to help bring these critical distinctions between rude, mean, and bullying behavior to life:
Assessment Tool for those who receive reports of Bullying
Fun Activity & Answer Sheet for Students
How to Respond to Passive Aggressive Emails
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
A few months ago, Business Insider reporter, Rachel Premack, asked me to provide tips for how to respond to commonly used passive-aggressive phrases used in workplace emails. While the phrases she sites, from a survey done by Adobe, can sometimes be typed without passive-aggressive intent, it is helpful to be aware of certain red-flag phrases that may signal hidden agendas, simmering resentments, and sugarcoated hostility.
Please check out my full response, posted here on Psychology Today.
LSCI Certification Training: Aug 5-8, 2019
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
It may be snowing outside of my window, but I am looking ahead to summer and happy to announce an LSCI training opportunity in August in eastern Pennsylvania:
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LSCI Certification Training
DATES: August 5-8, 2019
LOCATION: The Swain School, 1100 S. 24th St., Allentown, PA 18103
COSTS: $495/pp before July 15, 2019; $525/pp between July 16-31, 2019
REGISTRATION CLOSES on AUGUST 1, 2019
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Life Space Crisis Intervention is an international training and certification program offering professionals advanced skills for turning problem situations into learning opportunities for young people with self-defeating patterns of behavior. For full course information, please visit www.lsci.org
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FULL ATTENDANCE THROUGHOUT THE 4 DAY TRAINING IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO EARN CERTIFICATION
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Participants will experience:
— Instructor-led teaching and modeling of intervention skills
— Real-life video sequences
— Structured and small group activities
— Realistic role-play activities
— Demonstration of skills requirement in order to earn certification
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Learn what to do with young people who:
* Act out in stress, sparking explosive and endless power struggles
* Make poor decisions based on distorted perceptions & thoughts
* Have the right intentions but lack the social skills to be successful
* Are purposefully aggressive with little conscience
* Act in impulsive ways due to feelings of shame and inadequacy
* Become entangled in destructive peer relationships
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Certification in the skills of LSCI does not expire.
Text: Long, N., Fecser, F. and Wood, M. (1991). Life Space Crisis Intervention: Talking with Students in Conflict. Austin, TX: ProED, Inc.
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If you have any questions prior to registration, please email signewhitson@lsci.org
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To register, click here or cut and paste the link below:
ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM: https://goo.gl/forms/AUkyJdUTJqG2pFrm2
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NEW BOOK RELEASE: Parenting the Challenging Child
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
The LSCI Institute is extremely excited to announce that after more than three decades of helping professionals work with some of the most challenging children, we now bring our brain-based, trauma-informed, kid-centered approach to the unique needs of parents and caregivers.
Parenting the Challenging Child: The 4-Step Way to Turn Problem Situations Into Learning Opportunities provides readers with:
* Specific skills for building more positive relationships with kids
* Proven strategies for de-escalating stressful situations
* A reliable 4-step framework for turning common problem situations into lasting learning opportunities
This solution-focused book equips readers with new skills to identify and change six problematic patterns of behavior in young people. Even more importantly, readers will learn about how simple changes in the way they interact with loved ones during a problem situation can significantly improve the parent-child relationship and their kids’ future behaviors.
TRAINING AVAILABLE
In addition to the Parenting the Challenging Child textbook (now available for pre-order at a reduced rate), the LSCI Institute will offer both a 2-hour and a full-day training option. Biological parents and caregivers, foster care & adoptive parents, and professionals working in therapeutic foster care and adoption services will all benefit from these live training opportunities offered by certified LSCI Senior Trainers.
Click here to learn more.
PARENTING THE CHALLENGING CHILD: THE 4-STEP WAY TO TURN PROBLEM SITUATIONS INTO LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IS SCHEDULED TO BE PUBLISHED ON MARCH 1. 2019. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR TO ORDER BULK COPIES, PLEASE EMAIL signewhitson@lsci.org today!
Celebrate Kindness Week Activities
06 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
One of the most effective ways to prevent bullying in schools is to build school culture through positive activities focused on Kindness.
And soooooooo, we are CELEBRATING KINDNESS this week school-wide! With spirited, silly dress days, a door decorating contest, and other simple but meaningful activities to help keep kids’ minds on kindness all week long, our goal is to show all students that little acts of kindness can make a big difference for others.
Here’s some of the fun we’re having on Day 1, where our CRAZY FOR KINDNESS theme of the day means crazy socks and/or crazy hair!
Bullying Prevention Lessons for 5th Grade
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
Stopping bullying starts with teaching my 5th grade students how to recognize and differentiate types of bullying. Knowing key behaviors of each type of bullying empowers kids to understand what they are dealing with, so that they can best respond.
Activity instructions and extras can be found here:
Teaching Feelings & Empathy in Early Childhood Education
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
This week, I’m teaching my Pre-K and Kindergarten students about Feelings and Empathy, using Frosty & his many feeling faces. There are endless variations to this great core matching activity.
- I’ve had kids work in partners or groups of three to complete the activity. Some students have asked me if I
can leave a copy of the activity in their classroom after my lesson is over because they want to continue playing the Feelings matching game during their Quiet Time. - With pre-readers, I omit the feeling word cards and just challenge students to come up with their own original feeling words–which is a great way to build their emotional vocabulary.
- Students who like a little friendly competition have spontaneously started to time each other in matching up the faces and words correctly.
- I’ve challenged kids to copy the face on the snowman with their own face, to deepen their experience of the feeling and facial expression.
- Best of all, I’ve had kids tell each other what could possibly make the snowman feel each individual feeling. Their imaginative and empathetic responses have been amazing!
School Culture Builders: Inspirational Messages for All
07 years
by signewhitson
in Uncategorized
A positive school culture that leaves no space for bullying is best built through the dozens of “little” things that faculty and staff do on a daily basis to connect with kids and create shared values of kindness, unity and compassion. On that note, winter Mondays call for Inspiration!
Here are some of the messages I printed and shared all around our school today–on mirrors, on doors, inside bathroom stalls, on walls, and anywhere else students and faculty could use some pick-me-up messages and reminders that the most important thing we teach inside of our school walls is how to care for ourselves and others with kindness and dignity.
Hope the messages lift you up as well!
