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To help people who help people, the organization needs to be healthy and have practices in place that consider the trauma of those they serve. Lauren Spigelmyer and Jessica Doering have helped thousands of people who help people all over the world. Each week they'll explore tools, insights, and stories to help you lead and live with more clarity, calm, and connection. If you’re looking for support as you grow your organization’s capacity for caring for staff and the community, we would love to be part of that journey.
Returning to Us
The Brain in the Palm of your Hand: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model
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In this episode, Lauren talks about how to teach your kiddos about the emotional brain and its functions by using a hand signal developed by Dr. Dan Siegel.
We talk about how powerful the upstairs and downstairs brain is in influencing learning and our fight, flight, freeze or fawn reactions. The downstairs brain keeps us safe, so we can think of it as the “barking dog” that warns us when we feel unsafe. The upstairs brain is where our logic and reasoning lives, so we can refer to that part of our brain as the “wise owl”.
To better explain how the barking dog and wise owl work, Dr. Dan Siegel developed a simple hand signal to explain to young children. This easy-to-teach hand model helps kids better understand what’s happening in their brain and why they feel the way they do in a given moment.
Try out the hand signal, teach to a child, then come back and let us know how it went!
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Lauren answers this week’s listener question during the episode:
What are the best ways to help teachers understand behaviors and PBIS? (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports)
Try-at-home tip: Try using this free app: Insight Timer
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Mentioned in this episode:
- Dr. Dan Siegel – Hand Model of the Brain
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Other related resources from The Behavior Hub:
Blog Post:
- The Brain in the Palm of your Hand: Dan Siegel’s Hand Model
- Thinking Brain: The Wise Owl
- Emotional Brain: The Barking Dog
- Reptilian Brain: Better known as the Brainstem
Our Online Courses:
- From Wild Emotions to Tamed Feelings – How to Self-Regulate (5 Needs Areas)
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- Do you have a question? I can answer it in a future episode!
Email questions to podcast@thebehaviorhub.com or send via text to 717-693-7744. - Subscribe to our mailing list and find out more about the Emotional Brain.
- Check out our Facebook Group – Raising and Teaching Respectful Children
- The Behavior Hub website
- The Behavior Hub blog
Are you struggling with behaviors and not sure where to begin? Let me help!
Schedule a free discovery call and let me be your Guide.