Learning and Wellbeing: Resolving Emotional Stressors in School
GUEST WRITERS: Theresa Virgona and Jo Barker are Primary School teachers based in Australia with over 30 years of experience who bring Tapping into schools through their Tap Happy programs. They bring a shared wisdom of how emotional stressors can impact a child’s learning and wellbeing.
In this article they talk about:
- why they started working to bring EFT Tapping into Australian schools
- some of the benefits classroom teachers and school administrators have observed from implementing their EFT Tapping programs in their school
- the “how” part of their tapping in schools journey to date
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a fast and simple evidence-based self-help tool. Also known as ‘tapping’, EFT has been around for more than 40 years and researched now for more than 20 years. It’s currently being used in school settings all over the world to assist teachers, students, and parents with resolving emotional stressors.
LEARNING AND WELLBEING: WHY TAP IN SCHOOL? (PART I)
EFT is a technique that helps to achieve freedom from emotional issues that are creating stress, and preventing us from leading happy and fulfilled lives. Examples of how Tapping can be used in schools for learning and wellbeing include:
- helping students calm and settle (by lowering general anger, frustration, anxiety and stress levels, by lowing test anxiety, and much more)
- improving the quality of the learning and working environment (e.g. by improving peer and teacher relationships, moving towards a collaborative classroom, improving student focus and productivity)
A key point with EFT is that it is simple to learn, teach, and use which is why it has been so successful when working with children’s issues. It is self-administered, and involves using the fingers to tap on a set of specific acupressure points on the body. This tapping action sends a calming message to the amygdala (the fight, flight or freeze centre of the brain), which leads to soothed emotions, allowing the “Tapper” to approach the issue at hand from a more centred and mindful perspective.
We’ve found children enjoy EFT as it is a self empowering tool that helps them help themselves. In using it they will feel more relaxed and better about themselves. They can use it anywhere, anytime and it can be fun too.
Meanwhile, EFT for staff wellbeing assists staff in dealing with the demands and challenges of school in support of their own wellbeing. Staff wellbeing is a crucial element of bringing an EFT program into schools. As teachers we know the demands and challenges of teaching. This has been further intensified with the events of the last two years (2020-2022). So introducing staff to Tapping is the first step.
Once teachers have experienced and felt the calming effects of Tapping, noticing their own stress levels and ability to think clearly improve, they are keen to pass this simple technique onto their students. Teachers don’t need an extra time consuming program to squeeze into their already busy day. One of the huge benefits is that Tapping is simply infused into the day and takes no time. In fact, in time, children will use it independently as required.
Finally parents experiencing EFT themselves provides them with a technique to support their children through life’s challenges in a simple and practical way. The demands and pressures on today’s parents can be overwhelming. Introducing Tapping to parents provides them with a simple technique they can use to help themselves. In lowering their own stress levels they create a ripple effect that benefits the whole family. Tapping with their children strengthens relationships whilst providing emotional stability, a sense of calm, and resilience to tackle life’s challenges.
Schools, parents and students working together with Tapping will ensure that families of today are better equipped to cope with whatever pressures life presents. Alleviating challenging issues whilst children are young, empowers them to be independent, resilient and in control of their emotions that could otherwise hold them back from being the best person they can be. Tapping is at their fingertips anywhere, anytime.
LEARNING AND WELLBEING: WHY TAP IN SCHOOL? (PART II)
So what feedback have we gotten from teachers we’ve trained about the benefits of Tapping in the classroom for student wellbeing? Here are examples of the sorts of observations school teachers and administrators who are already integrating Tapping into their school and classroom practice at St Joseph’s in Crib Point primary school (in Victoria, Australia).
BULLET POINT BENEFITS: EXAMPLES OF TEACHER FEEDBACK REGARDING STUDENT WELLBEING
- “Students enjoy tapping.”
- “Students appear much calmer.”
- “Students enjoy tapping and readily join in.”
- “The quiet time with tapping is beneficial and focus has improved.”
- “Students settled down calmly.”
- “Calming. Our room is quieter.”
- “I don’t have to speak. As soon as students see me tapping my fingers, they join in.”
- “Students calmed and issues seemed less important.”
- “Students enjoyed tapping and appear to be getting along better after tapping.”
- “Students enjoy the quiet time that goes along with tapping.”
- “Have noticed some students finger tapping during the day.”
- “We’re becoming much more confident and it is easier to fit into our routine.”
MORE IN-DEPTH FEEDBACK: EXAMPLE 1 (FROM A CLASSROOM TEACHER)
“Hey Jo and Theresa, Sorry for the late update on how the tapping has been going. In my class we have been doing the tapping 3-4 times a day with the script, which most students are happily joining in on. A few are reluctant to join in, keeping a bit of a Fixed Mindset on it, but I’ve noticed over this week, them doing some of the tapping points.
The issues my class has mainly been tapping on have been around missing parents, particularly for a few that have their dad deployed on the other side of the country. We have also been doing it anytime that things are going to be different, and I’ve found that has really settled the children who have anxiety. I’ve also been using the tapping points with no script during transition times to keep the noise level down and the kids calm.” – David
MORE IN-DEPTH FEEDBACK: EXAMPLE 2 (FROM A TEACHER AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR)
“Hi Theresa and Jo, Just a little message to say I have noticed in my wellbeing role a few students tapping to de-stress which has been wonderful! I spoke to a little girl in the junior school last week, she said she was feeling frustrated but had chosen to sit down in a quiet spot and do some tapping to reset. How wonderful! Well done on this initiative.” – Kate
HOW WE BRING TAPPING INTO SCHOOLS (PART I: OVERVIEW)
We have been working towards getting Tapping into schools since late 2019. We commenced with parent workshops which led us to a school staff presentation. From here we were invited to work with junior classes. But then COVID, with all of its restrictions hit and we were no longer able to access schools.
When restrictions dropped for the first time, we were able to work with the little ones, followed by working with adults doing presentations and presenting stress relief workshops for teaching staff. By 2022 we’d brought tapping into 4 schools with much success and were then invited to give another workshop for over 60 children (12-year-olds) and to present a 4-week program for groups of children with social and emotional challenges.
Our Tap Happy programs for schools can cater for individuals, groups and whole classes of children and teenagers. We also provide parent programs to introduce parents to EFT so that they can experience the many benefits of EFT for themselves. We also have a program that trains teachers and support staff and guides them in the implementation of using EFT in the school environment for staff wellbeing.
HOW WE BRING TAPPING INTO SCHOOLS (PART II: RESOURCES)
In order to Tap, you need to know where the Tapping points are located. We created these tapping resources (see images below) for a reminder of where to tap.
Another example of a resource we bring into schools to teach younger kids how to resolve emotional stressors and tap into learning and wellbeing is our wonderful puppet, Tootsie. We use Tootsie along with the book Tootsie the Tapping Fairy, written by Jo, when we are working with the little ones up to 9 years old.
Children are immediately attracted to Tootsie the puppet. We use her to interact with the children as we read the book. This helps to encourage questions and discussions about feelings about emotions in a non-threatening way.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Theresa Virgona and Jo Barker are the founders of Tap Happy, a business specialising in working with children and adults to resolve emotional stressors and anxieties for learning and wellbeing. Their EFT Tapping programs for schools equip participants (students, staff/teachers, or parents) with the lifelong skill of the Emotional Freedom Technique that they can apply to any of life’s stressors. You can learn more about their work by visiting their official website at: https://taphappy.com.au/