SERVICES
Six research-backed sessions/workshops to choose from:
You can request a singular topic or a combination. If you don’t see the workshop you are looking for, please contact me to see what we can come up with together. Workshops can be stand-alone or as a series and zoom sessions can also be created to meet your needs.
NATURE EXPERIENCES
An interdisciplinary and mindful approach
This session is for those looking for inspiration, practical ideas and capacity building for their classes and school community. This session focuses on learning meaningful and effective ways to connect with nature during the school day in relation to curricular content and competencies.
Drawing on research, we will also learn how setting up your K-12 classroom with nature in mind benefits students by:
improving focus
evoking positive emotions
reducing stress
improving mental health and wellbeing
boosting learning in all grades and subjects
Promoting equitable access to nature, we will explore how experiences can occur indoors, in transitional spaces, and outside through various activities ranging from short interactions that take mere minutes to lengthier and more involved nature interactions.
EXPLORING MENTAL HEALTH
Links to social-emotional learning and attention literacy
This session is for those interested in gaining a better understanding of mental health. We will also discuss easy and authentic ways to nurture your own mental health and that of your students and colleagues during your workday.
In this session you will learn:
how mental health relates to social-emotional learning (SEL), attention literacy, and overall wellbeing
simple strategies for weaving mental health into your existing lessons and plans
what to look for when choosing resources
ways that other school districts are attending to the mental health of their students and staff
In efforts to address stigma related to mental health, this session covers the effects of stigma, asks you to consider your own attitudes towards mental health, and highlights seven things each of us can do to reduce mental health stigma in our day to day lives.
STRESS MANAGEMENT AND RESILIENCY TECHNIQUES
Trauma-sensitive, SEL informed, EDI aware
Learn more about emotional intelligence and self/social awareness - key 21st Century leadership skills - as we delve into stress management and practice resiliency techniques. This session is grounded in research linked to mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).
Main elements of this session include:
perceptions of stress
physiology of emotion and awareness of emotion in self and others
techniques to help you ‘stay in the moment’ and calmly respond instead of react to triggers
experiential practices that support personal and professional resilience
Scientific studies show that practicing resiliency techniques improves concentration, emotional balance, pro-social behaviour, compassionate actions, and promotes overall wellbeing. These practices can be taught to students as well. Becoming more mindful isn’t just about self-help. It also helps build inclusive community connections.
BUILDING WELLNESS CULTURES
From an Organizational Perspective
Does your district or school need help developing, implementing, and/or evaluating a wellness strategy that contributes to the improved mental health and wellbeing of staff and students? I use a systems approach and a comprehensive school health framework to help you do this.
I can support your district/school by:
analyzing employee wellness challenges and strengths using data to suggest wellness initiatives based on current research/practice that align with your vision and values
facilitating wellbeing teams and committees
presenting at staff and PAC meetings
leading lunch and learns and full or half day ProD sessions to meet your unique needs
INDUCTION & MENTORSHIP SUPPORT
For mentees and mentors
Attract and keep qualified teachers through induction and mentorship support. This is key considering the shortage of teachers in many communities across BC and the recruitment challenges being experienced by numerous districts.
New Teacher Mentorship
Help your new teachers flourish!
Support for your newly hired K-12 teachers is tailored to meet their professional needs.
Using a collaborative process with feedback loops, I help new teachers:
critically reflect
articulate strengths and stretches
set personalized goals
explore wellness strategies and resources
These sessions are designed in a way to kickstart the creation of a professional learning community which is a proven practice that promotes teacher collaboration, contributes to teacher wellbeing, and increases student achievement.
District-wide Mentorship Program Development
This option focusses on mentor teachers as they are a crucial element in the success of a mentorship program.
I can provide:
empowering sessions for mentor teachers to increase their mentoring skills/knowledge
guidance to districts interested in developing/growing a sustainable mentorship program
These sessions can also be done at the school level strengthening relationships between new and experienced educators.
SCHOOL GARDENING
Growing plants and a sense of belonging
This sessional stream references current practices and pedagogies relevant to gardening with youth, and draws on my fifteen years of experience doing classroom gardening and collaboratively creating school garden sites.
Hands-on learning is emphasized in this session and links to mental health/wellbeing and First Peoples Principles of Learning are highlighted. Using a place-based lens and holding space for ‘in the moment’ teaching/learning, we will explore ways to make meaningful connections with curriculum content and competencies.
This session will cover practical school gardening tips related to:
soil preparation
seeds and growing seedlings indoors
crop planting, harvesting, and summer care solutions
classroom management
documenting and assessing learning
For those wanting to start or revive a school garden, but don’t know how to begin, I can offer suggestions for fundraising, ways to get the community involved, garden design, and garden related projects such as composting.
Pricing
Pricing is determined by the scope of work requested and varies with the number of participants. Travel costs are in addition to facilitation costs and may include fees for travel time. All sessions facilitated by Darlene include pre-session planning and communication, professional facilitation, and access to resources for participants. Please contact me here for a customized quote with your preferred dates and times.