Self-Reg for Education Assistants Online Course with The Mehrit Centre

In Self-Reg for Education Assistants, participants take part in a 12-module course delivered over three months. The course introduces the Shanker Self-Reg® framework and focuses on reframing behaviour, recognizing stressors, understanding brain–body states, and supporting restoration of energy, focus, and relationships.The emphasis is on applying Self-Reg in everyday school contexts, with attention to learning, behaviour, and participation. The course is grounded in school-based practice and reflects the collaborative work of Susan Hopkins, The MEHRIT Centre and Kristin Wiens.

The companion book, Applied Self-Reg for Education Assistants, is recommended for course participants (see section below).

Applied Self-Reg for Education Assistants

The book Applied Self-Reg for Education Assistants is a practical, neuroscience-informed book grounded in the work of Dr. Stuart Shanker and the Shanker Self-Reg® framework. Written for those working in education support roles across K–12 schools, it offers a clear Self-Reg lens for understanding what is happening beneath behaviour and how to respond in ways that support learning, engagement, and well-being.

Through real stories, visuals, scenarios, and flexible strategies, the book walks readers through how Self-Reg is applied in everyday school situations. The focus is on approaches that can be adapted across students, needs, and contexts, helping support teams respond with greater confidence, clarity, and steadiness over time.

This book is for the people who are right there when things get hard. Education assistants. Paraprofessionals. Child and youth workers. Classroom and learning support staff. Behaviour support roles that go by many names but share the same reality: being with students in the moments that matter most.

SD62 Education Assistant Prep Course

The SD62 Education Assistant Prep Course is a five-month course designed to prepare participants for meaningful and effective work as an education assistants. This course is designed and delivered through the Sooke School District. It explores the EA role, supporting student learning and participation, building positive relationships, working collaboratively as part of a school team, and shifting from a compliance-based lens toward a regulation-informed approach to understanding and supporting students.

The course includes blended in-person and online learning, with in-person classes held at Belmont Secondary School in Langford, BC. Classes take place Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:45–9:30 p.m., with additional coursework completed online. The five-month program also includes a three-day observation experience and a three-week practicum.

Two cohorts are offered each year: September–February and February–June.