Monthly Archives: September 2020

Why Do You Come to ResearchILD’s Learning Differences Virtual Conference?

LD Conference

Are you looking for a conference where you can learn about learning differences and how executive function strategies can help mediate stress and foster persistence and resilience?

We are excited to announce that registration is open for the 35th Annual Learning Differences Conference — now presented virtually!

This year’s conference will take place over Zoom from October 8 – 10, 2020. Conference participants will:

  • Explore innovative research and the implications for effective clinical practice and classroom teaching.
  • Learn about executive function strategies that benefit all students from kindergarten into high school and the college years and span reading, writing, math, and other content area subjects.
  • Receive a Certificate of Participation for 12 hours of instruction.

This year is the 35th anniversary of our Learning Differences Conference. What brings back our attendees year after year? Stephen Stuntz, Assistant Director of Instructional Support for Woodstock Vermont area schools, shares why he attends in the video below:

To find out more, check out these posts about the LD Conference.

Register today. Hope to see you there!

  • Elizabeth Ross, M.A., SMARTS Media Manager

3 Strategies to Help Students Manage Stress

Stress

The start of the school year can be stressful for teachers and students alike. This year, with the uncertainty between remote learning, in-person instruction, and complicated hybrid models, stress is at an all time high.

How can we help our students navigate the emotional impact of this challenging time? Here are three general strategies you can teach for managing stress:

1. Identify stress

The impact of stress is not always obvious. When we are feeling stressed out, it is challenging to stop and say to ourselves, “This is stress that I’m feeling.” Instead, the effects of stress make us lash out at others or ourselves. By teaching students how too much stress feels, they will be better able to understand the effect stress has and resist self-destructive impulses.

2. Create a context to control stress

One of the easiest ways to control stress is to minimize the chances of being overwhelmed. This means paying attention to things like sleep, exercise, and nutrition, which help our body to regulate stress.

We can also help students understand their personal stressors. What tasks or situations do they find stressful? How can they control their environment to support themselves when facing  these moments? For example, if a student finds their math homework to be stressful, they could consider starting their homework with the teacher or a buddy to minimize stress.

3. Reduce stress, don’t eliminate it

The goal of managing stress is not to remove all stress. Stress is a natural part of life; it’s what makes us get to school on time and pay attention to our deadlines and obligations. Help students see that stress is an opportunity to learn more about who we are and what we need to succeed. When we understand what stresses us out and the strategies that help us in those moments, we can bring our stress level down to where it can be managed and worked through.

Interested in learning more about how to help students manage their stress in school?  David Anderson, Ph.D., the Senior Director of the Child Mind Institute, is presenting a talk titled, “Stress Management Strategies to Accelerate Student Performance” at this year’s Learning Differences Conference. You can learn more and register here.

  • Michael Greschler, M.Ed., SMARTS Director