Recent research has confirmed two things many teachers have long believed to be true. First, social-emotional benefits and academic ones don’t operate in isolation. Second, friendships in elementary school can be harnessed to drive academic growth. Read more ›
Every child feels anxious at times — but for some, that feeling persists and interferes with friendships and schoolwork.
Renee Jain, founder of GoZen!, an online platform to help kids manage their anxiety, and Dr. Shefali Tsabary, a clinical psychologist, are authors of Superpowered: Transform Anxiety Into Courage, Confidence and Resilience.
They believe anxiety is normal, but that instead of accepting it, we try and reject, diminish or get rid of the feeling. Read more ›
The term “student agency” continues to be at the forefront of the educational discourse around the world. By encouraging children to have more control over their learning, educators hope students will leave our classrooms and schools with a range of skills that will support them in being lifelong learners, engaged humanitarians and empathetic people.
As of late, this has become increasingly apparent as teachers and students have pivoted to more distance learning experiences. Read more ›
In elementary school, it’s common to have social and emotional lessons built into the curriculum, and the research shows that they have a strong, positive impact on student outcomes and school climate. But a 2019 survey of 15,000 K–12 teachers and 3,500 principals confirms what many probably suspect—that by the time kids reach high school, standalone SEL lessons are rare. Read more ›
Here’s what the research says about the things we can do every day to improve our happiness, even during immensely challenging times like the coronavirus pandemic. Read more ›
Kindergarten is designed for young children, who learn best by doing. And while pre-literacy and math skills are covered, building block towers, playing make-believe and mastering the playground equipment are also key elements of this critical grade. Read more ›
Distance learning is challenging for many learners, but can be even more challenging for students with learning, attention, or social-emotional needs.
As educators and parents, we are tasked with an unprecedented challenge: Figuring out how to reach and teach diverse learners online. It’s not easy. But it’s critical for so many of our students. Read more ›
Social-emotional learning programs can benefit from adults’ knowledge of their own SEL skills, according to a report from the RAND Corp. and the Wallace Foundation. Read more ›
As recent months have demonstrated, stress is unavoidable. Now more than ever, it’s important to understand stress and how we can manage it. While stress can be beneficial, too much of it can be harmful. Read more ›
Some days, just getting out of bed and making a cup of coffee can feel like an accomplishment. It’s all we can do to get the kids logged on to their class Zoom calls and ourselves to our first meeting on time. Bonus points for getting dressed (from the waist up), and if the whole family’s teeth are brushed? Well, it’s hard to hold back a fist pump.
And then it hits us, like the first, sharp jolt of an earthquake. It may come out of nowhere or be triggered by a news alert or the smell of smoke. The reminder that things are still not OK. Read more ›
