If you were one of the many who watched in disbelief as the infamous “Officer Slam” rough-handled a 16-year girl in a classroom, you probably thought “there must be a better way.” If so, then you are in the company of therapist Pamela Little, founder of the SENS’RE 3 Rein Stick, a revolutionary approach to classroom discipline.
Little, who is a licensed therapist, came upon the idea of the Rein Stick when she realized that, when it comes to regulating the impulsive urges and emotions of students, there was a shortage of options for educators, counselors and school administrators that did not include either counterproductive discipline measures, medication or, in some cases, outright violence.
According to Little, “I definitely saw the need for a alternative approach for students who feel estranged in their own surroundings, and who are often unable to regulate their emotions. Rather than suspension, now educators now have a tool that helps the students to SELF-regulate.”
The Rein Stick is a hand-made, hollow tube partially filled with a special mix of small pebbles. When the device is upended, the pebbles fall from one end to the other, and in the process, creates the sound of falling rain. This soothing and familiar sound creates a calm and relaxed feeling among its users.
According to Little, “children, as well as adults, are bombarded by a constant deluge of messages and influences, some of them positive, but many of them are the exact influences we should avoid. Unfortunately we don’t have the option of totally unplugging, due to obligations of school, work and life in general. The Rein Stick provides a drug-free and violence-free recess from the stress, anxiety and debilitating influences we are likely to encounter on any given day.”
In addition to offering the Rein Stick as a revolutionary approach to school discipline, therapist Little also offers art therapy to children and adults as an additional mindfulness method.
To find out more about the Rein Stick or to contact therapist Pamela Little visit www.sensre3.com, email plittle@sensre3.com or call 240-573-7155.
