On this episode of Graduating Anxiety, Alex is joined by Becky Rabassa, Executive Director of Links Academy, an adaptable, interactive and supportive school for students in Grades 6-12. She is also a licensed clinical social worker with over thirty years of experience in social service organizations and independent schools. Alex and Becky discuss tactical learning solutions for managing anxiety and other learning challenges, the importance of integrating social emotional learning into education, and what we as teachers and caregivers can learn from students.

 Key Takeaways:

• The best professional development as teachers or just personal development as parents can be understanding how to better relate to our kids. Sometimes we get blinders on trying to build the best future for our kids and we forget simple things about meeting them where they are.
• We don’t need to fix every problem, especially when it comes to our kids. It might seem crazy, but sometimes children don’t need solutions. Sometimes, what they need more than anything is someone to listen, to acknowledge their feelings and to, again, relate.
• A great tactic for managing anxiety, whether in ourselves, or in our children is breaking something down into small, manageable steps. Anxiety can make any task seem daunting, so this helps our kids build the confidence that they are capable and that all they ever have to do is take the next step.

 Learn more about Becky here: https://www.linksacademy.org/facultyLearn more about Links Academy here: https://www.linksacademy.org/