Dr. Poland's new virtual programs are sorted by topic below.. Click each title for a summary.

Coping With the Pandemic: the C. A. L. M. Approach

60-minute keynote + Q&A

Many adults– and especially parents– are struggling to manage their own stress and maintain a positive outlook for their family. They are unsure what to say to children, and it becomes tougher when you have several kids, each at a different level of development. Children are now doing schoolwork and extra-curriculars at home, while the adults are trying to establish a home-office. With so much turmoil, it is critical for adults to remain calm and to model coping for children—and that’s where the C.A.L.M. Approach comes in.

As he explains the meaning of that acronym and how to apply it to your own day-to-day life, Dr. Scott Poland discusses how to develop and maintain a schedule for children, as well as the importance of conducting family meetings. Children who are being home-schooled need structure, balanced activities, and active engagement. Even amidst a pandemic, it’s more than possible for children to recall their time spent at home with positive memories of family togetherness.

Scott brings 26 years of experience as a school psychologist to the topic, and has led multiple crisis teams in the wake of tragedies, including the Oklahoma City Bombing and 9/11, along with school shootings and suicide clusters. He recently received the Helping Parkland Heal Award from the city of Parkland, Florida.

School Re-Entry After Covid-19: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Managing Wellness

COVID-19 forced all schools to go virtual in March 2020, creating unprecedented times for educators and students. Educators, parents and students all experienced high levels of stress, fear and anxiety. Resuming school and attending to the safety and social and emotional needs of students will be a challenge. Every student has a story to tell about their experience being quarantined at home. Many students will have anxiety about returning to schools and self-care strategies for students are very important. Additionally all students missed out on many important school activities that were scheduled for the spring of 2020. This session by a former national school crisis team leader will focus first on helping school staff with their anxiety about school resuming. The presentation provides action steps for school administrators as they plan for reopening school. All registrants will receive a Teachable Moment Lesson Plan that outlines for all teachers how to conduct classroom discussions to restore a sense of safety and security for students as they reenter their schools for the fall semester of 2020. The keys to resiliency and how to help students develop a self-care plan to deal with their stress and anxiety will be shared.

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