Teachers supporting teachers

Episode 6 with Roz Rimes, Flash and Rafa

Say hello to Roz Rimes who works with Positive Education dogs, Australian Labradoodles, Flash and Rafa both of whom have advanced Canine-Assisted Therapy qualifications. She an educator, coach and founder of social enterprise ‘Live with Zest’ whom works across a number of sites including universities, schools, and Royal Melbourne Hospital, (Rehabilitation, Mental Health and Eating Disorders) and St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

Roz, Flash and Rafa in this episode she details about how they visit schools and universities throughout the term and semester. Highlighted is how as a team they engage with small and larger groups, with the dual purpose of soothing and strengthening via canine-assisted education and savouring. Positive interventions include: observation and storytelling, intentional interactions such as patting, care giving i.e. water, giving treats, seeking volunteers to perform tricks with the dogs, building High Quality Connections (HQCs) which can lead to increased feelings of belonging and overall well-being and help them to function optimally.

As we navigate our own wellbeing, and the wellbeing of students during COVID-19, Roz invites us to consider how we might engage with our dog or other pets to support us to slow down, be present and savour. Roz suggests:

I'll answer with reference to dogs and feel free to adapt your practice for other pets and animals.
Taking the pet's welfare into consideration, if you can, keep them close by.
Allow them to sit by your side or at your feet or wherever they are comfortable.
Observing pets and being in their presence (as long as they are not burping or snoring loudly) can be calming and reduce anxiety.
Imagine that you are a scientist or investigator and study every part of your pet, use your senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch but perhaps not taste...notice the little bumps on their nose, their whiskers, eye lashes, coat, perhaps curls, paws, nails, teeth, heartbeat, warmth and weight on your leg or lap.
Gently hold them so that you can feel each other’s heartbeats, chest to chest or ventral to ventral.
Perhaps if the dog is comfortable with it, pat it for between 5-24 minutes, this is the optimum time for anxiety or cortisol to drop and oxytocin to increase. This can be mutually beneficial for you and the dog and is known as the oxytocin effect. You may feel calmer and more focused afterwards.
Take note of when the dog sleeps and rests, is it time for you to do the same?
Take note of when the dog nudges you for food or to go outside or for a walk, is it time for you to do the same?

Find out more

Live with Zest

Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience

10 Steps to Savoring the Good Things in Life

Explore Bryant's 10 evidence based savouring strategies and definitions. These are used by Dr Tom Brunzell in the Berry Street Education Model course and with his permission I have included it on the Live with Zest website under services.

Teachers supporting teachers: Episode 6 with Roz Rimes, Flash and Rafa