Language Activities and Resources - Art Lessons - Other Freebies, free resources, free websites, team building activities, ontario curriculum, language lessons, write the room, subitizing, addition strategies, students, educators, parents, teachers, education Free Resources: Lifestyle & Wellness Parents Educators Students Some of My Favourite Websites Collection of language resources from Spel-Lang Tree Learning resources aligned with Ontario curriculum from TVO Learn Art lessons from Deep Space Sparkle Language lessons and resources from Read Write Think (scroll down to the bottom to select grade) Lessons, activities and resources shared by teachers from Share My Lesson (searchable by grade, subject and resource type) Check out my Facebook Group, Busy Women Finding Balance , a supportive space for women to share struggles, wins, and practical strategies for reducing stress and creating balance in our busy lives. As a bonus for joining, you’ll get free access to my 18-page goal-setting workbook, Beyond the To-Do List! It’s designed to help you reflect, prioritize, and take action—one step at a time (you can find it in the Files section). Some of My Own Freebies (shareable Google docs) Write the Room - Beginning Blends (for gr. 1-2) Personal Thesaurus (for gr. 2-5) Subitizing Dot slides (for gr. K-2) Addition Strategies Practice (for gr. 1-2) Team Building Activities (for gr. 2-5) Supply Teacher Toolkit (for gr. K-6) Sample Learning Skills Comments (for gr. 1-6) Also check out the Free Resources for Students . Click here to contact me and start a conversation about how I can support you with custom resources and strategies to lighten your workload!

Growing Hearts And Minds

Meditation & Journaling - Goal Setting & Habit Building - Motivation & Organization - Positive Mindset - Emotional Support - Coaching - Mind-Body Alignment - Meaningful Change - Personal Growth - Health Goals - Lifestyle Changes - Resilience Life Coaching My journey of personal growth has been a cornerstone of my life. Over the years, I’ve embraced transformative practices like meditation, journaling, reading, and listening to inspiring podcasts. These habits have brought me profound breakthroughs, reducing stress and anxiety while nurturing a deeper sense of love and acceptance for both myself and others. One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is the power of the mind-body connection. By aligning my mental and physical well-being, I’ve experienced greater harmony, vitality and resilience in my daily life. Whether it’s using mindfulness to ease tension, practicing gratitude to cultivate inner peace or setting intentions to stay focused, I’ve come to appreciate how deeply our thoughts, emotions and actions influence our health and happiness. As a certified life coach, I’m now channeling my passion and experience into helping others achieve their goals and create meaningful change. My coaching approach combines practical tools, emotional support, and personalized guidance to help you thrive in all areas of your life — physical, mental, emotional, and social. How I Can Help You I offer personalized coaching sessions tailored to your unique wellness goals. Whether you’re looking for ways to reduce stress, build healthier habits, or achieve a more balanced life, I’m here to guide you every step of the way. Here are some of the ways we can work together: Mind-Body Alignment Explore the mind-body connection to manage stress, ease tension, and cultivate inner peace. I’ll help you develop mindfulness practices that fit your lifestyle, making it easier to maintain calm and focus during life’s challenges. Goal Setting & Habit Building Whether you’re working on personal growth, health goals, or lifestyle changes, I provide guidance, accountability, and strategies to help you stay motivated and create lasting change. Together, we’ll break down your goals into actionable steps and celebrate your progress along the way. Motivation & Organization Struggling with time management or motivation? I provide tools and resources to help you improve organization, streamline scheduling, and stay on track with your goals. Emotional Support & Positive Mindset Coaching Sometimes, we just need someone to talk to — someone who listens without judgment and helps us see the bigger picture. I’ll help you navigate anxiety, chronic pain, and other challenges while focusing on cultivating a positive mindset and building emotional resilience. Let’s work together to help you thrive in every aspect of your life. Click here to schedule a free 30 minute consultation and start your wellness journey today!

Growing Hearts and Minds - Life Coaching and Support - Lifestyle and Wellness - Educators - Parents - journey - path forward Your journey matters. Let's find your path forward - together! Educational Support for Students and Families: Does a student in your home need support with setting goals, time management, organizational skills or motivation? Do you need assistance with providing assessments, lessons or learning activities to help you homeschool or work with your children? I can help your child to reach their full potential. For Educators: Are you looking for assistance with long-term planning, lesson creation, custom teaching resources, or crafting thoughtful report card comments? Let me lighten the load so you can focus on your students. For Parents: Do you need help managing daily tasks, setting and reaching goals, or navigating stress and emotional challenges? I’m here to provide support and coaching every step of the way. Life Coaching : Are you ready to set meaningful goals and build healthy habits in areas like nutrition, fitness, self-care, stress management or meditation? Let’s work together to create a plan that works for you. "Barb always helps me see a different angle to the problems I face, often ones that provide a better solution than I'd been leaning towards. She helps me come to conclusions myself that were likely buried beneath my pride and guilt." ~ Alison B, Waterloo

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Prices & Hours Before school care for Shanty Bay P.S. - $ 2 0, 7:30-9:30 After school care for Shanty Bay P.S. - $20, 3:50-6:00 Morning kindergarten readiness classes - $20, 10:00-12:00 After school homework help and literacy & math support - $20, 4:00-6:00 Evening and weekend one-on-one online tutoring - $50/hr (Email for available times) PA days and March break programs - $60 per day, 8:30-4:30 ($10 to extend for one hour, either before or after) Payment can be made by e-transfer upon registration.

Contact me for a free and complimentary 30 minute consultation Click "Buy Now" to pay for a 1 hour session: Growing Hearts and Minds barb.elvidge@gmail.com

As a recently retired OCT (Ontario College of Teachers) teacher and lifelong learner, I am excited to bring my passion for helping others into a new role that aligns with my skills and experience. About Me Hi, my name is Barb. I’m a certified life coach, recently retired OCT teacher, and lifelong learner passionate about helping others reach their goals and navigate life’s challenges. Over the course of my teaching career, I mentored countless educators, supported individuals through difficult situations, and developed a deep understanding of how to foster growth and resilience. I'm always a work in progress, learning and growing as I strive to create my best life—just like the people I love to help. With 30 years of marriage and raising two wonderful children, I’ve gained invaluable insights into balancing personal and professional commitments, overcoming obstacles, and creating meaningful connections. I know firsthand how essential it is to have a strong support system — and how difficult it can be when that support isn’t readily available. Now, as a certified life coach, I’m excited to bring my experience and empathy into this new chapter. Whether you’re looking to achieve personal growth, build healthier habits, strengthen your family dynamic, or need practical support tailored to your unique situation, I’m here to help. I provide personalized guidance and create resources to empower you to move forward with confidence. Learn more about me by checking out some of my personal blog posts . Ready to take the next step? Click here to connect and discuss how I can support your goals! “I am incredibly grateful for the support and guidance Barb has provided. Her encouragement and insightful strategies have truly helped me boost my self-esteem and gain a more positive outlook on life. Barb has an amazing ability to listen, understand, and provide the right tools to help me navigate challenges with confidence. Thanks to her support, I feel more empowered and capable of achieving my goals. I highly recommend Barb to anyone looking to build self-confidence and achieve personal growth. ” ~ Nada A, Oakville, ON

managing meltdowns, self-regulation, managing emotions, kids, children, parents, teachers, overstimulation, validate feelings, calming strategies, de-escalation, triggers Managing Meltdowns As both a parent and a teacher, I’ve applied many of these strategies with success. However, every child is unique, and what works for one may not be effective for another. If your child experiences frequent meltdowns, it’s helpful to identify specific triggers, such as transitions, hunger, fatigue, or overstimulation. Keeping a journal to track these patterns—as well as the strategies that succeed or fail—can provide valuable insights. During a meltdown, it’s important to remember that the child is not in a rational state, making it an unproductive time for reasoning or lengthy discussions. A simple and supportive phrase like, “How can I help?” can sometimes diffuse the situation. Once the child has calmed down, revisiting the event can be beneficial. Hours later or even the next day, approach the conversation with a calm, neutral tone. Ask open-ended questions, validate their feelings, and collaboratively identify triggers and potential coping strategies. Focus on solutions to help them navigate similar situations in the future. Let them know you’re proud of their effort to reflect and grow, and take this opportunity to strengthen your connection with them. Graphic courtesy of Youth Mental Health Canada

Lesson Planning - Long Range Planning - Resource Development - Professional Mentorship - Report Cards - Coaching - Time Management - Stress Management - Boundaries - Support for Teachers - Teaching Strategies - Classroom Management - Work-Life Balance Mentoring for Educators With over 20 years of experience teaching Kindergarten to Grade 5 and ESL in the Ontario public school system, I understand the demands of education and the unique challenges educators face. I’m here to provide the support you need to thrive in your teaching career. How I Can Help You I offer tailored mentoring services to help you succeed: Lesson Planning : Create lessons customized to your specific needs and curriculum. Long-Range Planning : Develop comprehensive plans that align with your goals and requirements. Resource Development : Produce or gather high-quality resources to enhance your program. Report Cards: Help to craft meaningful and personalized report card comments that are aligned with curriculum expectations. Resumes & Interviews: Assistance in writing resumes, creating professional portfolios and preparing for interviews. Professional Mentorship : Guidance in achieving work-life balance, managing classroom behavior, and designing effective programming. Professional Coaching: Support you to set goals and achieve them, prioritize and manage your time, and develop strategies to help manage stress and maintain boundaries Let me help lighten your load so you can focus on what you do best—supporting and inspiring your students. Click here to contact me for a free 30 minute consultation and let's start a conversation about how I can support you!

Free Resources for Students - Educators - Parents - General Lifestyle and Wellness , podcasts, free websites, motivation, free meditation, nutrition, free vegan recipes Free Resources: Lifestyle & Wellness Parents Educators Students Articles by Me Reclaiming You: 8 Week Challenge Checklist - A printable checklist to go alongside the Reclaiming You 8 part blog series. This series is for the women who've spent years holding it all together and are finally ready to hold space for themselves. Reflection Questions for Reclaiming You - Reflection prompts from Reclaiming You, an 8-part blog series for women who are ready to live with more truth, intention, and self-compassion. You can find the full series under the Blog tab. Effective Communication Strategies: Attachment Styles & Crucial Conversations Check out my Facebook Group, Busy Women Finding Balance , a supportive space for women to share struggles, wins, and practical strategies for reducing stress and creating balance in our busy lives. As a bonus for joining, you’ll get free access to my 18-page goal-setting workbook, Beyond the To-Do List! It’s designed to help you reflect, prioritize, and take action—one step at a time (you can find it in the Files section). Some of My Favourite Books Untamed by Glennon Doyle (I recommend this for every woman who wants to wake up and rediscover her true self) Heart Minded: How to Hold Yourself and Others in Love by Sarah Blondin How To Do The Work by Dr. Nicole LePera A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (This is an oldie but a goodie that I always find myself coming back to.) Some of My Favourite Websites Insight Timer - Can also download the app. I have paid for a Plus membership, but there are many free meditations and guides. Mel Robbins - Make It Happen - free motivation workshop and workbook Oh She Glows - One of my go to spots for tasty, healthy meals. The recipes are all vegan (I'm not vegan but enjoy everything I make from here) Some of My Favourite Podcasts Live Awake with Sarah Blondin (She changed my life!) Unlocking Us with Brené Brown 10% Happier with Dan Harris In particular, this episode featuring Tara Brach: A Counterintuitive Strategy for Navigating Tumultuous Times This Diary Of A CEO episode about stress featuring neuroscientist Tara Swart Click here to contact me and start a conversation about how I can support you on your wellness journey!

Structured Literacy Tools - Decodable Texts - Math Games - Lessons Plans Activities - Ebook Library, free resources, free websites, language, students, teachers, parents, educators, education, Free Resources: Lifestyle & Wellness Parents Educators Students Some of My Favourite Websites for Language Structured literacy tools from UFLI Foundations Toolbox Decodable texts from Flyleaf Publishing Collection of videos featuring celebrities reading stories from Storyline Online Some of My Favourite Websites for Math Math games from Tang Math Virtual math manipulatives from Toy Theatre Math games by grade with Math Playground Math drill games with Tux Math Math challenges with nrich Some of My Overall Favourite Websites for Students Lessons, games, activities and information from TVO Kids Lessons, videos and games from PBS Learning Media Worksheets and resources organized by grade and topic from K5 Learning Extensive library of e-books, activities and resources from Oxford Owl Also check out the Free Resources for Educators. Click here to connect and discuss personalized resources and strategies to support your educational journey.