Curriculum and trainings for teachers, parents, other supportive adults, and children.
Offerings
Training for Teachers & Adults
- In-person or virtual
- 6 hours of course material
- Full day or shorter sessions
- Usually spread out over four 90-minute sessions
- Ideal for teachers, parents, families, counselors, etc.
Schedule & Other Options
CLICK HERE
to schedule a call and set dates.
We can customize trainings for:
- Professional development – Training educators and counselors.
- Parent/Family Groups
- Shorter Workshops – Focusing on specific practices. Ideal for:
- Lunch and Learns
- Introduction to the body of work
- Customized workshops for particular groups
- Hybrid trainings – Some in-person and some virtual training
Please contact us to discuss how we might collaborate to integrate this curriculum into your life and/or work.
Classes/ Groups with Children
- Ages 3-9
- 20-30 minute sessions
- 4-6 sessions to complete the full curriculum
- Ideal for classrooms and homeschool groups
- Western NC or Eastern TN
Schedule a Group
We look forward to hearing from you. Click here to schedule a conversation to learn more.
Children & Adults Play Groups
- All ages
- 30-45 minute instructional time
- After school progams, family engagement, library story time, neighborhood group, etc.
- A meal or activity can be added to the time
- Western NC or Eastern TN
Learn More
We look forward to hearing from you. Click here to learn more and schedule a group.
Adult Practice Groups
- 30 minute virtual groups (can be longer)
- Practice inviting more ease, calm, and stress relief into your body
- Simple movement and breathing practices
- Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
Learn More
We look forward to hearing from you. Click here to learn more and schedule a conversation.
The Curriculum
Self-Regulation for Early Learners is a curriculum for the supportive adults in children’s lives and for the children themselves. It uses trauma informed strategies and practices to teach people of all ages how to use their smart bodies to experience:
- Relaxation
- Regulation
- Stress relief
- Optimal learning
- Playful connections with others
- Positive mental and physical development for children
Using simple movement and breathing exercises, children and adults are able to strengthen neural pathways of ease and grow muscle memory that increases one’s ability to send signals of relaxation and safety to the brain and body.
Self-Regulation is a skill and capacity that children develop in relationship with the adults around them through co-regulation. Children mirror adult stress and relaxation behaviors, language patterns, emotional states, and postural reactions. Since approximately 95% of brain development occurs by the age of 6, for early learners, every interaction is an opportunity for brain building.
The function of self-regulation skills:
- Influence brain and nervous system development
- Cultivate feelings of calm and relaxation
- Prepare children for learning and social engagement
- Guide the body to be able to mitigate the impacts of trauma, toxic stress, digital devices, and a seated culture
This curriculum uses animal characters, stories, and experiential exercises to introduce children to the super powers of their smart bodies. Ease Keys are simple exercises and playful practices that children and caregivers can do (quickly) to support their physical and mental health, readiness to learn, and self-esteem (unlocking the smart body’s super powers). These self-regulation movement and breathing practices develop nervous system flexibility and can aid in smoother transitions through the rhythms of the day.
This curriculum is co-authored by Teresa Posakony and Ashley Cooper.
Learn more about Teresa and Ashley
Learning From Animals
Testimonials
A preschool teacher
(in an area impacted by a natural disaster)
A Kindergarten teacher
(who has been teaching for more than 25 years)
Using animals to learn about our “smart bodies” and how to unlock our “superpowers” has been beneficial to all of us – myself, my teaching partner, and our students. It has been wonderful seeing how students connect to certain animals, which connects them to a tool that helps them self-regulate whenever they need to. We are able to use the Ease Keys as a class with choices available to meet each child’s needs and some students employ their superpowers without needing a prompt. This is certainly a tool for my classroom toolbox that will be used for years to come. It is easily implemented, quick, and accessible to all learners.
A 2nd grade teacher
Self-Regulation for Early Learners is part of a larger body of work, The Power of Ease, by Teresa Posakony.
Objectives for how this course will impact your body:
Learn to relax the body
When our bodies relax and find more ease, our brain knows it is a good time to rest, digest food, restore our health, soothe our nerves, learn new information, or connect with the people and world around us. Discovering our relaxation reflexes helps to build muscle memory to more easily return to calm and restorative states.
Care for the brain & spine
(Central Nervous System)
Lengthening and mobilizing the spine and caring for the top and bottom of the spine allows oxygen and circulation to get to the whole brain and move throughout the body. This supports neurodevelopment, social engagement, nervous system flexibility, and more.
Mitigate the impacts of devices and a seated culture
Digital devices, and other tasks done with repetitive sitting and focusing in the same direction, negatively impact our posture, breathing, circulation, and the development of our social engagement and learning systems. Self-Regulation for Early Learners counter balances these unhealthy habits and strengthens habits that are supportive to the brain and body’s ability to sit, move, breath, stand, and learn.
Activate full body breathing
Our brains, organs, and cells love and need oxygen. These simple movements activate the ability to get as much oxygen and circulation throughout the brain and full body as is possible in order to empower physical and mental health. Our posture, ribs, diaphragm, jaw, neck, muscles, all work together to support our lungs and breathing.