成人黑料

It is well established that post-secondary students are experiencing elevated levels of stress, anxiety and loneliness. Teachers are also experiencing heightened levels of stress in their workplace.

Kindness and well-being can feed and fuel optimal learning, Dr. John-Tyler Binfet told an audience of about 150 participants during his keynote talk at Intercollegiate Ped Day on Jan. 13. Describing himself as 鈥渃overed in dog fur most days,鈥� Dr. Binfet is a professor in the Okanagan School of Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Trained as an educational psychologist, Dr. Binfet鈥檚 research focuses on understanding how students conceptualize and enact kindness in schools; and the effects of canine-assisted interventions on student well-being, particularly around stress reduction.

Tiny shifts toward a kinder environment
Through stories and examples, Dr. Binfet shared many practical ways to be more kind to ourselves, our students, our colleagues and how to create kinder classrooms as well as apply kindness to various aspects of college education, such as assessments.

He proposed adopting some 鈥渓ow cost, high yield鈥� interventions, such as greeting students at the door of the classroom, scaffolding each class by letting students know what is coming to reduce anxiety, using students鈥� names in classroom discussions, setting an intention for yourself and inviting students to set intentions or expectations for the class. These do not have to take much time or effort, just intention. 鈥淭hese tiny shifts will create learning environments that are good for both the instructor and learners,鈥� he said.

Dr. Binfet is always on the lookout for kindness, and he aims to celebrate and acknowledge kind acts. 鈥淏eing kind promotes well-being and bolsters mental health,鈥� he said and listed some of the specific benefits: helps develop favorable perceptions of others, curbs rumination, gives one the helper鈥檚 high, and fortifies relationships. 鈥淪tudents need connection as well as content,鈥� he said.

Benefits of kindness
Specifically for students, engaging in acts of kindness leads to more favorable self-perception, more favorable perception of school, their teachers and classmates, and it boosts their happiness. One way to be kind to students and for a teacher to show they care about them is by practicing 鈥減edagogical kindness.鈥� He gave an example of a student who had opted to perform a song instead of doing a presentation. The day of the performance she had stage fright, so he decided to let her record the song instead of performing it in front of the class.

Many students have increased anxiety and fear of presentations, he said. 鈥淏e flexible and create options for students,鈥� he encouraged teachers.

Dr. Binfet鈥檚 prescription for kindness
Dr. Binfet prescribed three acts of kindness per week to see these sorts of results. To be kind means to take initiative and sometimes it requires bravery. Dr. Binfet said that being kind can be perceiving a need or opportunity and responding to it, like holding a door for someone, or it can be quiet, like forgiving someone or holding back an insult.

An exercise he suggested for everyone is to create a mental health plan. Many people can share their work out plan, why not a mental health plan, he said.

鈥淒evelop and adhere to a ,鈥� he challenged the IPD audience. 鈥�(It could include) one hour of physical fitness, making time for meaningful interactions with people who are close to you, regular expression of emotions, curbing negative self-talk, weaving stress reduction into our workday.鈥�

鈥淧racticing mindfulness is taking care of yourself in a professional manner,鈥� he said. 鈥淏e open to grounding yourself in mindfulness. Be calm, clear, intentional and supportive.鈥�

Dr. Binfet cited the and said 鈥渄o not underestimate the power of kindness.鈥�