by Jen Forristal | Nov 10, 2017 | Growth Mindset, Resilience
I enjoyed a fantastic talk today at the Canadian Positive Psychology Association (CPPA) conference by Dr. Michael Ungar about the value of risk.
Do you let your child take risks?
The right amount of risk can teach our children that they are trustworthy, responsible and capable and will help them build their growth mindset and resilience. Check out this Youtube video on “the school with no rules”. I love this place.
How can we do a better job of allowing kids to take healthy risks?
by Jen Forristal | Sep 29, 2017 | Resilience, Umbrella Schools
This month, I was honoured to launch the Umbrella Project at a new school that really embraces student wellbeing, the Holy Name of Mary Catholic School. Part way through the launch assembly, we spoke to an incredible student.
Brock, a 10 year old from this school, has recently undergone a liver transplant at Sick Kids Hospital and was able to leave the hospital after only 9 days. A new record for them!! The whole school celebrated with him over Skype as he prepared to return home. Brock was determined to create a new record for recovery time and used so many skills in his umbrella including resilience, optimism, grit and purpose to accomplish this incredible task. We joked that we weren’t sure his giant umbrella would fit in the school when he gets back.
The research shows that hearing stories of others using resilience helps us become more resilient. Everybody in the school gym that day learned what it looks like to be resilient and how to grow from life’s toughest challenges. Thank you Brock for making everyone you know a bit stronger!!
by Jen Forristal | Sep 15, 2017 | Resilience, Umbrella Intro
I am so grateful to be working with Great Big Story to share the human journey in the classroom, helping students learn by example and build a big bank of role models and stories they can draw from when they experience difficulties.
I love this one. It’s such a great example of resilience and the fact that we don’t have to be the victims of life’s rain.
Take a few minutes to share the video in the featured image above with your kids, A Shark Attack Survivor Jumps Back in the Water (click here to view). Can you see the umbrella skills he is using to weather the storm?
