Categories
Subjects
Sort By
The Importance of Interest and Motivation Recent research about brain functions demonstrates the value of interest and motivation in the development of academic skills, specifically for secondary students. FMRIs have allowed researchers to study the activation of different areas of the brain during specific tasks. This research suggests that students need to be interested and
Learn Strategy
Explore implementing social emotional competencies within a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PIBS) framework. This resource details 4 key areas to support social emotional learning through a school wide systematic implementation.
Read Article
Understand how to help students face challenges in school. This article for CHADD by Jerome Shultz outlines why students with ADHD and other learning challenges can often have a flight response to fear created in the learning environment. The article also offers suggests for teachers to use to help student learn to face challenges in
Read Article
Understand the importance of student voices in the classroom. This Mind/Shift article highlights the research behind the benefits of including the students in the learning process and outlines ways educators can increase engagement in their classrooms and argues that by giving students voice and agency, educators can support diverse learning styles in their classroom
Read Article
by Laura Polvinen and Helene Dionne, PhD
Read Blog
Understand more about ADD and emotions and motivation. Dr. William Dodson explains the powerful, but often overlooked characteristics of ADD. He explains that popular textbooks definition often fail to fully capture ADD’s features that shape perceptions, emotions, and motivation.
Read Article
Learn more about neuroplasticity and learning. Bruce Perry for Ed Week writes about how the neuroplasticity in the brain can allow us to learn, adapt and innovate which drives our society forward; however, he also asserts that this same ability in the brain can also have deep impacts in the way students respond and react
Read Article
Learn about The Compassion Project. The Compassion Project is a national initiative to provide compassion education to elementary school students. The site includes links to lessons and other social emotional resources.
Explore Website
Watch this lesson on teaching grit. Edutopia presents their new video series, Research Made Relevant, where each episode explores cutting-edge ideas about teaching and learning and showcases educators who are putting them to the test classrooms.
Watch Video
Edsurge writes about the importance of evaluating SEL programs. The article urges schools to explore how their initiatives are impacting students and gives educators suggestions on how to use this data.
Read Article
Understand the link between growth mindset and confronting challenge. Carol Dweck writes for Scientific American about her research related to growth mindset. She outlines that adults/teachers should praise the effort and work students put forth as a way to inspire students to persevere when confronted with challenges.
Read Article
Learn 3 tips for how to integrate social emotional learning into everyday literacy instruction. This EdSurge article outlines the power of cross-curricular social emotional learning to help young people build resilience.
Read Article
Watch this video from Edutopia to learn about the importance of social interaction in learning. The video outlines several studies and examples to support the idea that face-to-face interaction is key in the development of language skills during childhood.
Watch Video
Why Teach Social Emotional Learning Skills? Research suggests that Social Emotional Learning skills (self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness, and responsible decision making) are a core component of student success. Learning is a social process, and schools are often the hub of students’ social interactions. If student progress is hampered by emotions, then learning cannot
Learn Strategy
Learn how to help students mitigate and manage anxiety. Mind/Shift discusses the growing trend of anxiety in students and shares some strategies that schools and teachers can use to help students build resilience and manage the anxiety that can come in this fast-paced world.
Read Article
What is anxiety? Anxiety is a sense of fear and worry, and it is not uncommon among students with language-based learning disabilities. According to understood.org, this anxiety stems from a fear of not being able to keep up with peers, as well as feeling different and worrying about the future. These issues can oftentimes interfere with
Learn Strategy
Learn emotional regulation strategies to help students with ADHD. Lori Desautels recounts her experiences working with students who have ADHD and outlines strategies that she has used to help them regulate their emotions throughout the school day.
Read Article
What is Responsible Decision Making? Responsible decision making is defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as “the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.” Essentially, all aspects of a potential decision and its consequences must be considered
Learn Strategy
Learn about the importance of implementing social emotional learning routines. Mind/Shift outlines two schools – a high school and an elementary school – that have used social emotional routines to help students feel safe and supported in their learning environments. The article includes links to interviews and profiles of these schools.
Read Article
What are Relationship Skills? Relationship skills are an important component of Social Emotional Learning. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), relationship skills pertain to “the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.” To demonstrate appropriate relationship skills, students must learn to: Communicate clearly:
Learn Strategy
What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist practice meaning, “to live fully in the present moment with intention and without judgment” (Kriyonich, 2017). It’s the act of paying attention to what you are doing while you are doing it (Buck, 2017) or being present in the moment. Why Teach Mindfulness? Study outcomes suggest that
Learn Strategy
What is Self-Management? Self-management is an essential component of social emotional learning. Building from the foundation of self-awareness, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines self-management as, “the ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.” This regulation is achieved by effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself.
Learn Strategy
Learn about the connection between smartphone use and student distraction and anxiety. This article describes several popular and well-known studies that show the high levels of anxiety and distraction that students experience due to their phones. It also indicates that constant cell phone use deeply impacts their ability to focus and to sleep. The article
Read Article
What is Self-Awareness? The first main skill associated with Social Emotional Learning is self-awareness. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), self-awareness is the ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values, and how they influence behavior. It is the ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with
Learn Strategy
What is Social Emotional Learning? Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is “generally defined as the capacity to identify and manage emotions, resolve problems effectively, and establish healthy personal relationships” (Berman, 2016). When referring to SEL, there are five main skills included: Self-awareness Self-management Relationship skills Social awareness Responsible decision-making Why Social Emotional Skills? According to a
Learn Strategy
Learn about the connection between social emotional learning and success beyond high school. Emmanuel Felton, for The Atlantic Monthly, writes about the impact of the educational hot topic: social and emotional learning. He highlights schools whose focus on self-management and relationship skills has led to a dramatic jump in college completion rates. He also discusses
Read More
Watch this series of video lessons on learning disabilities from TEDed. Curated and developed by Karen Goepen-Wee, these lessons cover the topics of neuro-diversity, executive function development, and anxiety, as well as a video lesson that interviews children about what they need from their teachers to be successful. Click here for a link to the blog about
Watch Video
Learn how to incorporate SEL (social and emotional learning) into the high school classroom. This Edutopia article features the comprehensive approach to incorporating SEL at Summit Preparatory Charter High School in Redwood City, California, sharing 13 powerful SEL activities that their teachers incorporate into their daily curriculum.
Read Article
This article is about social thinking and problem solving from Michelle Garcia Winner’s website. She writes about how her ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition is still relevant today (ILAUGH is an acronym for different social communication skills, including: Initiating communication, Listening with our eyes and ears, Abstracting and inferencing, Understanding perspective, Getting the main idea, and engaging
Read Article
Stephen L. Chew, a professor and chair of psychology at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, outlines the importance of student’s self-awareness of their own learning strengths and weaknesses in order to persevere through the challenges of transitioning to college.
Explore Research
Ryan Griffin, a barber in, Ann Arbor, MI, encourages kids to read while they have their hair cut. The overwhelming response from the story inspired writers from nprED to write a companion piece that highlights the importance of caring, involving adults from all parts of the community in student success
Read Article
ASCD blogger Stephanie Knight offers some excellent suggestions and practical classroom ideas on how to link cooperative learning to CASELs social and emotional core learning competencies. She sees linking these two essential areas of learning as a tangible way for students to practice these skills throughout the day.
Read Article
KQED Mind/Shift explores 20 tips for teachers to help de-escalate interactions with anxious or defiant students. The article provides strategies to create positive relationships with students, as well as tips to better understand your students and their triggers as you implement strategies to support them.
Read Article
A useful article from Edutopia that outlines the importance metacognition in the classroom as a means of supporting self-awareness and student self-reflection. Additionally, the article outlines the numerous benefits this type of learning has beyond the classroom. The article also highlights 7 ways to promote metacognition and self awareness.
Read Article
This TEDxYouth video features AnneMarie Rossi, the founder of Be Mindful, a nonprofit network of qualified mindfulness instructors placed in schools, youth organizations, homeless shelters, corporations — even police departments. The talk covers the research conducted on the effectiveness of incorporating mindfulness practices into classrooms and encourages educators and students to learn more about this
Watch Video
This NPR story is part of a series on the mental health crisis in our schools. It follows Jared, a boy who suffers from anxiety, and chronicles how he and his parents manage day-to-day living. Jared attends a special school called Aspire, specifically for students whose intense anxiety prevents them from attending their local public schools.
Read Article
Pacific Standard interviews Joan Cole Duffell from the Committee for Children about the importance of incorporating social and emotional learning into our everyday teaching, not just as a remediation tool, but to inspire empathy in children.
Read Article
This Khan Academy video outlines research that asserts that the brain is a muscle, and, like all muscles, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. This video encourages students to think of challenges, not as something insurmountable, but as something that can help them improve their skills.
Watch Video
Students’ emotional responses to challenging situations can influence their concentration, perseverance, application of learned skills, and interactions with others. Abraham Maslow’s expanded hierarchy of needs explains how physical and emotional safety must be satisfied in order to allow people to address cognitive and higher levels of human needs. In order to better create space for
Learn Strategy
British college student, Theresa Awolesi, speaks about self-awareness and success, as well as how her dyslexia impacted her in her studies. In addition, she believes that it was her ability to understand her own learning needs and self-advocate that helped her find success in her desired career.
Watch Video