Stress and the On Campus Consideration

As a parent of three children who are enrolled in the K-12 public school system, I am torn about the issue of students returning to campus in the fall. 

Yes…it is imperative for kids to be in-school, in-person.  My wife and I noted a rapid regression in learning when education moved online in the spring.  There have also been social implications, especially for my rising first grader.

However, our inability as a country to effectively manage the current pandemic creates real and scary health and wellness issues for educators and students.  There are simply no easy answers for the current situation.

That’s why I found this blog post I penned six years ago to be relevant in today’s environment.

How the Grind of Stress Impacts Educators

3 Truths About Coyote Country

A nice "thank you" from the students at Clarksburg High School.

 Each year I have the opportunity to speak with psychology and health students at high schools throughout the Washington, DC region about hypnosis as a tool for stress management, confidence building and performing in the moment (i.e. athletics, academics, etc.).

  

One of my most favorite visits is Clarksburg High School – home of the Coyotes.  I’ve been on campus as a psychology speaker and to perform the comedy version of my Hypnotic Experience show at the end of the school year.   

Here is a write-up I published in June 2017 about the comedy show:

A Strange Face at Clarksburg High School

With so much time spent in Coyote country, I’ve come to recognize and appreciate a couple of important things about the school:

1. It is a culturally diverse student population which makes for a rich educational experience.  The kids come from all sorts of backgrounds and belief systems which, I believe, fosters an environment of open-ness and learning.  I suspect this diversity may lead to conflicts from time-to-time.  Yet, in the long run this will prepare the students to be successful in life.

2. Like most of the high school students I meet, the kids at Clarksburg are engaged and super smart.  This demographic often gets a bad rap for being self-absorbed and entranced by digital devices.  By relating the practice of hypnosis to issues in their world, I find a high level of interest. 

Plus, the questions I got from kids at Clarksburg after my talk were insightful.  It’s not easy to approach an adult you just met, look him in the eye and ask a question.  Yet, that is just what a whole group of kids did after each class period.

In my talk I relate the topic of hypnosis to specific issues students deal with every day.

3. And finally, the psychology teachers at Clarksburg who I have come to know during the past two years very much care about the success and well-being of their students.  I have found this same attribute in teachers in all of the schools where I have spoken. 

Teaching is a challenging gig as you have to manage students, parents, administration, etc.   You thrive as a teacher by loving your craft!     

Carol Sabet, Richard Nowland and Scott Mathias are an exceptional group of educators at Clarksburg HS.

  

RMHS' Psychology Curriculum Comes Alive

More than 100 students at Richard Montgomery High School learned about hypnosis and the power of visualization.

Most high school educators search for new and innovative ways to make their curriculum come alive. 

  

It’s all part of the mission to effectively engage and challenge students which, ultimately, puts them on a path for success in their academic and professional careers.

During the past four years I have been fortunate to establish relationships with teachers at a number of prominent Washington, DC-area high schools, including Whitman, Walter Johnson and Stuart.  I’m invited to campus each year as a guest speaker to give an informative and entertaining talk about hypnosis and power of visualization.

It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.  I bring a fresh perspective to the classroom and, in turn, have an opportunity to try out new comedic material in a structured environment.  This is of particular importance this time of year as I prepare for the busy post prom and all night graduation season.

On Friday, I had the pleasure of spending the day at Richard Montgomery High School (RMHS) in Rockville, MD to present to students in six Advanced Placement psychology classes. 

To write that RMHS is populated with high achievers – both students and faculty -- would be an understatement.  The school is home to one of the top International Baccalaureate Diploma Programmes in the world and has been awarded the Blue Ribbon in Education Award by the US Department of Education.

My interaction with the students did not disappoint.  They were welcoming, engaged and interested in learning about the hypnotic experience. 

Here are a few observations from a day talking visualization to more than 100 kids:

--The first class presentation is always the most challenging because the students don’t quite know what to expect.  Plus, first bell in Montgomery County is at 7:30 AM which is when I typically wake up.  Admittedly, it does take me some time to get going and deliver a high energy presentation.  Some was required coaxing to get a couple of volunteers to try a basic hypnotic induction.

--Word spreads…and fast.  Kids talk in the halls and with each class period there was an escalating level of interest in my talk and in giving hypnosis a try.  By the time the final period came around I had more than a dozen volunteers.

--I’m asked all of the time if hypnosis is real.  The simple (and truthful) answer is “yes…if a person wants it to be real.”  This was proven out today as the kids who were most excited to try hypnosis were my best volunteers.  In fact, I had a couple of students go into hypnosis during the initial visualization exercises I employ at the start of the induction.

--Athletes, artists and musicians are wonderful visualizers.  In one class period several members of RMHS’ girl’s lacrosse team volunteered and each quickly went into trance.  I was even able to perform a rapid re-induction with one of the kids which generated quite a reaction from the audience.

As I made by way down the main hall after last bell a number of students me stopped to say they had heard great things about my talk.  Three kids even asked if I had a few extra minutes so they could give hypnosis a try. 

I encouraged them to add psychology to their class list for the 2016/2017 school year.  The teachers do a wonderful job of making the curriculum come alive.

A special thanks to RMHS educators Sharon Vires, Bethany Stevenson and Mike Kellinger for hosting me.   

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Read more about my presentations about hypnosis at high schools at these links:

My Impression of Hypnosis for Health at Whitman High School

Wildcats Hypnotized

Stuart High School’s Psychology Club Learns about Hypnosis

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Update (April 11, 2016):  adding a nice Email I received from Richard Montgomery High School's Sharon Vires in follow-up to my presentations to the school's AP psychology classes.

"We just wanted to give you a huge thanks for your informative and entertaining show on Friday! The students were thoroughly engaged and entertained by your show, and learned even more about hypnosis in the process. It is always beneficial for the students to learn material in a hands-on manner, and your show made this possible. We really appreciated your flexibility throughout, and were thrilled to welcome you to RM. We will definitely look forward to having you come back next year and for years to come!"