The Braemar Life Skills Academy Podcast

Miss Rebecca Bitton is an entrepreneur, educator, and mental health speaker. She has been the panelist speaker and former President of the MDAO (Mood Disorders Association of Ontario). She’s also been a panelist speaker at the OPSEU (Ontario Public Service Employees Union) Work Life Balance Conference, Sunnybrook Hospital and many others.

Rebecca addresses student and client needs by leveraging their strengths, building confidence, curing overwhelm and preventing burnout.

Amirah Gilani is an outstanding Braemar student who has participated as a Student Leader in numerous programs dedicated to student wellness. She is also the founder of SoulSparks, an interactive course for kids and teens that uses Positive Psychology techniques to encourage authenticity and self-esteem.

In our conversation with these two wellness advocates, we discussed a range of perspectives on how Mental Health may be preserved and improved. We touched on a number of related concepts, including “work/life balance”, stress management, toxic productivity, and the connection between personal interests and altruistic efforts.

Whether teen or adult, student or teacher, we all need help keeping ourselves well. Give your wellness efforts a boost.

Mr. Dov Shapiro is a long-time educator, camp director, and is the founding CEO of ConnectU*, a digital Social-Emotional Learning platform that provides educators with the tools to nurture and assess Growth Mindsets, Self-Awareness, Empathy and Metacognition in their students.

Our conversation digs deeper into topics like the nature of Social-Emotional learning, the “EdTech” (Education Technology) industry, Fixed vs. Growth Mindset, and how schools can become more integrated into their local communities, all in service of addressing one of BLSA’s primary questions: why are today’s teenagers so much more likely to suffer from poor mental health, and what can we do about it?

*ConnectU is currently being used at Braemar College to assist and track new students as they seek to establish their identities within our vibrant and diverse student culture.

Jess Paul – Bringing Braemar to Life

Miss Jessica Paul is one of the longest serving teachers at Braemar College, and one of the most dynamic! A lover of theatre, fashion, language, travel and cooking, she brings her passion and talents to everything she does. Over the years, she has been responsible for designing and coordinating a truly massive range of events, trips and student clubs, and has helped untold numbers of students to discover new routes to wellbeing and personal fulfillment.

In our conversation, Miss Paul helps to outline the types of extra-curricular programs offered to students at Braemar, and the developmental theories that underpin them. She shows us how what looks like simple fun on the outside can be transformative on the inside, for students and teachers alike.

Check out this episode if you’re interested in finding inspiration for your next project with your children, students or friends!

Miss Jessica Paul is one of the longest serving teachers at Braemar College, and one of the most dynamic! A lover of theatre, fashion, language, travel and cooking, she brings her passion and talents to everything she does. Over the years, she has been responsible for designing and coordinating a truly massive range of events, trips and student clubs, and has helped untold numbers of students to discover new routes to wellbeing and personal fulfillment.

In our conversation, Miss Paul helps to outline the types of extra-curricular programs offered to students at Braemar, and the developmental theories that underpin them. She shows us how what looks like simple fun on the outside can be transformative on the inside, for students and teachers alike.

Check out this episode if you’re interested in finding inspiration for your next project with your children, students or friends!

Mr. Dov Shapiro is a long-time educator, camp director, and is the founding CEO of ConnectU*, a digital Social-Emotional Learning platform that provides educators with the tools to nurture and assess Growth Mindsets, Self-Awareness, Empathy and Metacognition in their students.

Our conversation digs deeper into topics like the nature of Social-Emotional learning, the “EdTech” (Education Technology) industry, Fixed vs. Growth Mindset, and how schools can become more integrated into their local communities, all in service of addressing one of BLSA’s primary questions: why are today’s teenagers so much more likely to suffer from poor mental health, and what can we do about it?

*ConnectU is currently being used at Braemar College to assist and track new students as they seek to establish their identities within our vibrant and diverse student culture.