Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.

Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.

Dr. Betsy Kindall, Nicole Fairchild and Dr. Stacy Moore discuss Arkansas A.W.A.R.E. - a project to Advance Wellness And Resiliency in Education. Project A.W.A.R.E. is a grant program funded by S.A.M.H.S.A. (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Betsy is an educator, a licensed school counselor and the Statewide Coordinator for Arkansas A.W.A.R.E. She has worked in Arkansas schools for nearly 20 years. Nicole is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has worked in schools for about 10 years. She is the project manager at one of the Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.. remote sites. Stacy is a Behavior Support Specialist/School Psychologist with Arkansas A.W.A.R.E. and has been working in Arkansas schools over 15 years. They love working together and this podcast is a result of the creative energy synthesized through their conversations about mental health awareness. They begin by sharing a little about their previous work background and goals for this podcast series. In subsequent episodes, they focus on individual topics related to school culture and mental health. Their conversations are as witty and entertaining as they are informative. They share touching personal stories and address real-life situations that will help enable every listener to become more A.W.A.R.E. of the world around them. The episodes in this series are generally less than ten minutes long, but are packed with valuable information and commentary that will leave you wanting more! New episodes are scheduled for release weekly, every Monday. This project is dedicated to Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education. Please feel free to subscribe to this podcast and join us as we strive to help everyone become more A.W.A.R.E.! Website: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/learning-services/school-health-services/arkansas-aware Produced by Donnie Lee Music: https://www.purple-planet.com More information: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/communications/dese-podcasts

Episodes

March 10, 2025 23 mins
Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

De-escalation is one of our most frequently requested workshops and in this episode we touch on some of the high points.  How do we prevent challenging situations from getting worse?  What can we do to bring the temperature down?  Do you have a cover over your big red button?

Join Betsy Kindall and Nicole Fairchild as they discuss issues related to mental health in education. Their conversa...
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Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

Today we talk about how executive functioning skills develop, and the relationship between those skills and emotional intelligence.  When it comes to executive functioning skills, The Harvard Center for the Developing Child says, “Children are not born with these skills -they are born with the potential to develop them.”  How do we build them in our students?  Which skills are easier for u...
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February 17, 2025 18 mins
Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

Have you ever wanted a student to change their behavior?  What works?  Lectures?  Threats?  Punishment?  Incentives? Motivational Interviewing is a particular way of talking with people that strengthens their own commitment to change.   We provide a 6 hour professional development on this interesting topic and we want to give you a quick episode so you can determine if this PD is right for...
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February 10, 2025 26 mins
Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

We have a resource for you!  In this episode we introduce you to the HIPAA/FERPA primer with the help of Cheria McDonald, the state school nurse consultant.  This is a tricky issue, and we’re not lawyers, but we think the primer will be a helpful resource to turn to when you have questions. You can find it on our website!  Just click on the HIPAA/FERPA button. 

Join Betsy Kindall and Nicole...
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Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!


Do high school students need play?  The students say yes, and the staff agree.  Listen to this episode to find out some of the ways the Valley Springs School District has made their building a “work-hard, play-hard” environment.

Thank you to Dr. Kyle Mallett - Superintendent, Angie Bogle - High School Principal, and Scarlett Williams - High School Counselor, and Jared and Allie - High Schoo...
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Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

The Valley Springs School District decided to go phone-free early in the summer of 2024.  In this episode they talk about why they went phone-free, their implementation plan, and how it is going.  We also hear from them about class engagement, how the building feels and how discipline situations have been impacted.  Believe it or not, they might even be happy about the return of bottle-fli...
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Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

Wow.  Listen with us as we learn how it is going for a few local high school students from a district that went phone-free.  The students discuss school climate, bullying, stress-levels, and engagement in the classroom.  One of these amazing young people said, “Cell phones make us selfish.”  The student perspective is so important!

Thank you to Abigail, Allie, Camden and Jared from Valley S...
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November 21, 2024 23 mins
Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

We are in a series of episodes discussing The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.  How have video games and social media shaped our young people?  Is there a connection between their mental health and this technology use?  Are we truly “forever elsewhere”? 

Join Betsy Kindall and Nicole Fairchild as they discus...
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November 14, 2024 20 mins
Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

We are in a series of episodes discussing The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.  In this episode we focus on the role of free play and talk about how this applies to our everyday work in K-12 schools.  We encourage schools to consider some of the ideas from the book about recess and unstructured play.

Join Bet...
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November 4, 2024 24 mins
Welcome to season 5 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

We have been reading The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.  We couldn’t wait to talk about this with you!  In this episode talk about a few of our key takeaways from this book.  Join us as we reminisce about the beginning of the internet and compare this to our experiences with technology today.

Join the conve...
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March 6, 2023 23 mins
CTSSC Academy Day


Welcome to season 4 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!


Join the conversation anywhere you listen to podcasts!


Join Betsy Kindall, Nicole Fairchild, and Stacy Moore as they discuss issues related to mental health in education. Their conversations are witty and relate-able, simultaneously shedding light on issues that can sometimes be hard to confront or understand. These episodes are chunked into small bites and packed with info...
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February 27, 2023 18 mins
Boosting Morale
Just this morning I heard, "I can't wait until Spring Break." It's that time of the year! In this episode we talk about ways we can boost morale in our buildings. Whether you are in charge or not, there are things you can do to make your school a place people want to be....even at the end of February!! We would love to hear what is working in your environment. Let us know by commenting on Facebook, or leave a review ...
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February 20, 2023 17 mins
Coaching & Self-Awareness

Coaching is a powerful way to gain more self-awareness. Too often coaching is seen as punitive, or only something you need if you're new, or if you are struggling as an educator. In so many other fields having a coach is simply a sign that you want to be better!...that you want feedback and you are looking for progress. Today we talk about how to gain more self-awareness and some of the things that get ...
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February 13, 2023 16 mins
Is it Me?
Have you ever asked yourself, "is it me?" when you're having a difficult time with a student or behavior management in the classroom? Self-awareness is critical to our ability to make the kinds of changes we're always talking about.
Today we talk about the very real struggle of managing your own shame response while managing a classroom. Does shame ever override your social skills as an adult? It takes an intentional effort...
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February 6, 2023 13 mins
Like or Value

We were iced in with you all last week and we’re coming to you from our home offices! Today Betsy joins the conversation and wants some clarification on what we mean by “like” your students. For some people, maybe “value” is a better word because “liking” every single student seems like an unattainable dream. Has our definition of “like” changed with the influence of social media? We get into it. Join us!

Welcome to sea...
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January 30, 2023 24 mins
Attention Seeking

Welcome to season 4 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

How do you know when someone likes you? Does it take a lot of emotional energy or bonding to get to that point?
"Every time you make eye contact, or you don't, your body language, all of it is relationship building. You don't have an option. You're doing it. It's not optional. It's not extra."
Listen in as we talk about what it takes to like someone, or feel liked by someone...
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January 23, 2023 21 mins
Attention Seeking

Welcome to season 4 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

Why do students seek attention? "They just want attention." Just???
Is it negative to need attention? Is it unnecessary? They shouldn't need attention?...
Let's talk about it! Join us on the Arkansas AWARE podcast.
"What's the amount that you need, that I can give, that will fill you up and not drain me?"


Join Betsy Kindall, Nicole Fairchild, and Stacy Moore as they discuss i...
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January 16, 2023 25 mins
Lagging Skills

Welcome to season 4 of Arkansas A.W.A.R.E.!

When we think about challenging behaviors in the classroom, we think about lagging skills. How does this perspective impact you as you problem-solve the best ways to intervene? Join Nicole and Stacy as they talk it through.


Join Betsy Kindall, Nicole Fairchild, and Stacy Moore as they discuss issues related to mental health in education. Their conversations are witty and relat...
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January 9, 2023 18 mins
Stories from Local Champions

Today we have four guests! We wanted to hear a little more from people who have spent their lives being champions for kids.
Ryane Owens-Sorey talks about tapping into her passion to be a champion in a local school district and now using that passion to begin her work with the AWARE team as a Regional Trainer. Andrea Fortner, Guidance and Counseling Coordinator, discusses how it is hard to be a champion al...
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January 2, 2023 16 mins
Special Holiday Episode #2

Happy Holidays Everybody! Thanks for tuning in. We wanted to bring you a little "blast from the past." This is one of our episodes that are in the archives about resiliency and we just thought it might be a relevant listen during the holiday break. We hope you enjoy!

Distinguishing Self-Care and Resilience

Last week you heard an episode that was recorded live at the Coordinated School Health Conference. Toda...
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