How to Help All Students Feel Safe to Be Themselves
Each year, roughly 30 percent of California students in middle and high school report being bullied or harassed, many because of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual identity, or some other aspect of their social identity. Read more >>
A De-escalation Exercise for Upset Students
So often we find students in a stressed or anxious state of mind. The most telltale signs are inappropriate behaviors or outbursts, negative comments, and anxiety-ridden movements such as fidgeting, leg shaking, and fist clenching. These signals should raise immediate Read more >>
Help Your Children Cope with Traumatic Events
News about catastrophic events, natural disasters, crime reports, and terrorist threats can have a profound emotional impact on children. Younger children, especially, are vulnerable in the wake of traumatic events and may experience stress, anxiety and increased fearfulness long after Read more >>
Social Emotional Learning Toolkit: Engaging Families [downloadable]
Parent and family engagement improves attitude and behaviors, attendance and overall mental health alongside academic achievement. The benefits don’t stop with the students, parent and family engagement positively impacts teachers and parents as well. Discover easy to implement strategies and Read more >>
ASD Nest Program Builds SEL for Autistic Students, Peers
The ASD Nest Program in New York City places students with autism spectrum disorders in classrooms alongside “neurotypical” students while under the guidance of specially trained teachers. Stephen Shore, a special education professor at Adelphi University who has autism, told Read more >>
School Becomes Model for How Peer Groups Can Help Students in Special Ed
South View Middle School’s Peer Insights program pairs students in special education with their general-education peers, opening lines of connection that extend throughout the school day — and beyond. Read more >>
Explore SEL: New Online Tool Explains Social-Emotional Learning Concepts [web resource]
Explore SEL from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education is designed as a navigator for the field of social and emotional learning. Explore SEL provides information and tools that summarize and connect the major frameworks and skills in the field Read more >>
Teach Kindness: A 4-Week Challenge to Strengthen School Communities [web resource] [downloadable]
Kindness is more than just “being nice” – it’s a skill. Like other skills, it can and should be taught, reinforced, and celebrated. Kind schools are more effective at helping students succeed, both in school and in life. At schools Read more >>
The number of students struggling with anxiety, suicidal ideation, and mental health issues is on the rise. A report released on December 2, 2019, by YouthTruth underscores that programs and services, as well as strong relationships with adults in school, Read more >>
Social Contracts Foster Community in the Classroom
When students and teachers collaborate to create shared behavior expectations, the whole class is invested in the norms. Read more >>
