Easy and Effective Strategies for Teaching Behavior Regulation to Students
As a teacher, I have seen an increase in the number of students who struggle with regulating behaviors, emotions, and other soft skills. I know I am not alone in experiencing the students who are struggling with behaviors and demanding more time and attention than the classroom teacher can give. So what can we do […]
What is Growth Mindset? Strategies to Empower Students to Overcome Setbacks in the Classroom
Elementary classrooms are full of challenges for young learners. Students may have big feelings and emotions when they encounter a setback in their learning. Teachers can help students overcome those challenges and persevere through obstacles by introducing the growth mindset approach in their classrooms. This blog post will explore what a growth mindset is, how […]
Effective Ways to Implement Emotional Regulation Strategies in the Classroom
Students are growing up in an ever-changing world where many children carry invisible baggage with them each day. Family stress, social media, world events, or community challenges can all impact how they show up to learn, and when emotions take over, learning takes a back seat. Supporting students in regulating their behaviors and emotions teaches […]
Creating a Positive Learning Environment with SEL: 6 Effective Classroom Management Strategies
Classroom management is essential for a teacher to be effective and be able to teach the students. However, student behaviors can be a major barrier to learning in the classroom. When students have big feelings, engage in disruptive behaviors, or need extra social-emotional support, it can take away from the learning time. Here’s where incorporating […]
7 Amazing Benefits of Teaching SEL in the Elementary Classroom
You might have heard of the term SEL or social-emotional learning in some way, shape, or form already if you are in the world of education but why is it so important and why should you be teaching it? Social-emotional learning is the process through which people develop skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, […]
Nurturing Social-Emotional Skills: A Guide for Elementary Classroom Teachers
Supporting the whole child through education includes teaching social and emotional skills in the classroom. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, […]
Understanding Social Emotional Learning: What is SEL and Why is it Important?
The modern classroom takes a holistic approach to teaching students that goes beyond just academic skills. Teaching the whole child includes the “soft skills” or “life skills” that students need to be successful in the world and become responsible, caring individuals. A classroom that is focused on developing the whole child is a classroom that […]
Emotions Mentor Texts to Teach Emotional Intelligence
Emotions Mentor Texts are a powerful tool to help students understand and articulate their feelings. I’ve put together a list of my favorite Emotions mentor texts to help students learn to name and process their emotions. These books not only tell engaging stories but also provide valuable lessons on recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions. Use […]
5 Positive Benefits of Teaching Yoga to Elementary Students
Introducing yoga into the classroom can have a profound positive impact on the students and the teacher. Yoga practice in the classroom can introduce numerous benefits such as improved physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends yoga as a safe and potentially effective therapy for children coping with emotional, […]
Teaching Kindness: 5 Powerful Ways to Encourage Students to Be Kind
Kindness is a value that is essential in the lives of young students and the classroom community. In the elementary classroom, kindness must be taught explicitly to instill the values of compassion, empathy, and generosity. Teaching kindness to young students is essential to nurturing empathetic, supportive, and emotionally intelligent individuals. In this blog post, I […]
No-Stress Ideas for Achievable Goal Setting in the K-2 Classroom
The New Year brings an opportunity for new growth and self-improvement. Adults worldwide ring in the new year by setting goals and making resolutions to help them become the best versions of themselves and your students can too! CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) states that working toward personal and academic goals aligns […]
Easy and Fun Ideas to Support Growing Gratitude in Classrooms
Gratitude has numerous benefits for the classroom environment. Teaching students the concept of gratitude can lead to an increase in positive emotions, and help students recognize the kindness and generosity of others. Focusing on gratitude in the classroom helps support a positive learning environment and fosters a sense of community in the classroom. Creating a […]
7 Simple Strategies to Support Mental Health in the Classroom
As teachers, we are responsible for supporting students academically, teaching them the standards and what they need to know to move on to the next grade. But teaching the whole child means we are also responsible for the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health of our students. We have so much on our plate that […]
Top 5 Tips to Prevent Teacher Burnout and Overcome the Overwhelm
This blog post is coming to you from a teacher who has been there, and done that. Overwhelm was my middle name during my first few years of teaching, and then again when Covid hit, and once again as we all adjusted back to “normal”. Here I am finally finding my groove after I’ve been […]
The Power of a Classroom Calm Down Space and How to Start One
Has this Happened to You? You are in the middle of what you think is an engaging lesson, students are engaged, and everything is going great when all of a sudden a student erupts out of nowhere. That student is having a full-blown meltdown, other students are staring and the lesson just crumbled into pieces. […]