Social emotional learning. SEL. What is it? Seems like a buzzword these days. The concept of SEL is not new, as it has been around for decades. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL, n.d.) defines it as: “The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills [...]
Most of you are pretty adept at teaching virtually by now. In fact, many are rocking this and have the organization and delivery of teaching online down to a science. What are some of the things you are noticing about your students as you teach in this way? Are they attending regularly? Are they focused? [...]
What a different world we are living in! Who would have guessed the 2019-2020 school year would basically be “over” in March? Learning new teaching strategies on the fly. Trying to figure out how to communicate with students and their parents. Tracking emails and phone calls and homework submitted (and not submitted). No closure, no [...]
COVID-19. Social distancing. Outbreak. R-naught. These buzzwords and phrases are new to all and scary to many in 2020. “Flatten the curve” is another phrase that you might be familiar with. The intent is for individuals to use smart self-care practices and self-isolate by physically distancing themselves from others. These practices are anticipated to reduce [...]
You may have tried the whole “activity break” thing and didn’t feel like it was successful, or that students acted crazier after their break than they did before. In many instances, especially if the idea of activity breaks is fairly new to the students, the novelty may excite them, and they will need strategies for [...]
Look around your classroom at the types of desks your students sit in. Are they too big or too small? Are they confining? Do they clutter the space? Are they one size fits all? While you probably just take what you’ve been given when it comes to your classroom furniture, perhaps thinking outside the box [...]
Recent reports show that 1 out of 5 adolescents are now prediabetic, meaning they have high blood sugar levels, but not quite high enough to be diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes (Andes et al., 2019). Unfortunately, there aren’t consistent outward signs or symptoms for prediabetes, so until someone has moved to type 2 diabetes, [...]
You may be too young to remember the “This is your brain on drugs” movement in the 80s. It was an anti-narcotics campaign to try to prevent people from using drugs. The commercials featured an egg as “your brain” and a hot skillet as “drugs” and the commercial ended with the advertiser saying, “Any questions?” [...]
As colder weather approaches for most of us, it is wise to think about ways we can still provide the activity and movement breaks that children inherently need and want, even if time outdoors is not an option during school time. Research supports the notion that children are more active during spring than winter, and [...]
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2018) reports that 12 to 25% of children have anxiety disorders. That is one or more out of every eight children. This equates to potentially three or four students in your class who are carrying the weight of anxiety on their shoulders. Children with this disorder are considered [...]
