After over a full year of school closures, several teachers and school administrators are busy preparing for the long-awaited return to in-person classes this fall. But while worries of student learning-loss, momentum, and social-emotional well-being remain at the forefront of parent and school administrators’ concerns, the significant impact that this past year had on teachers cannot be overlooked.
After a turbulent 2020-2021 school year, it is more important than ever that educators have feasible and effective options to support students’ foundational social-emotional skills. Prior studies have found that students who participate in social-emotional learning (SEL) programs improve their behavioral and academic functioning and reduce their challenging behaviors.1 When selecting an SEL program, educators … Continue reading Social-Emotional Learning Program Study: Tools for Getting Along
Did you know? The recent influx of federal COVID-19 relief funds provides an opportunity to fund early childhood educational mental health supports and services!
State agency leaders and early childhood educators can use infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) to meet children’s social and emotional needs during and beyond the pandemic.
What strategies can educators use to facilitate safe and meaningful discussions on race, racial (in)justice and racism? This toolkit from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) offers specific strategies, as well as tips for managing student responses, in order to create a safe environment for difficult conversations. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2015/toolkit-for-talking-about-racism-and-police-violence-with-students
As schools begin a post-pandemic transition, educators should consider how to strengthen the social, emotional, and behavioral supports for students. Three foundational components are important to keep at the forefront of efforts to support students, regardless of the learning environment…
We celebrated National School Social Worker week from March 7 – March 13, 2021 as part of Social Work Month. This school year provided unique challenges for school social workers (SSWs) as well as opportunities for innovation.
Due to COVID-19, educators have been tasked with finding new ways to continue teaching their students virtually with little time to prepare. In particular, since the start of the school closures, federal requirements for (IEP) compliance have changed
Spring 2020 school closures left teachers and district officials scrambling to restructure their classrooms with as few disruptions as possible. High school teachers faced the difficult task of trying to preserve their students’ motivation to finish strong and stay on track to graduate, despite the looming anxiety and uncertainty that students had about their futures. … Continue reading How to boost wellness for high school students during distance learning
Teaching preschool is simultaneously joyous and challenging. Students differ widely in their temperaments and their experience sharing space and resources with peers. Although many children adapt quickly to a group care environment, for others it can be challenging. Some early educators can access related professional development or external specialists that can help them better support … Continue reading A lifeline of support: Arkansas’s innovative program to help early childhood educators support young children
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted strategies from the “Common trauma symptoms in students and helpful strategies for educators” handout to help educators address student’s social-emotional and mental health needs associated with trauma in virtual settings.