One way to manage stress: Focus on self-care
In 1995, Robert Kegan, now emeritus professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, wrote a book entitled In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life. He…
SEL
How schools can address mental health to reduce school violence
With another school shooting just down the road from me last month, it was sobering to see parents and community members leaving positive Post-it notes and sidewalk chalk…
Calling all leaders: Hope is not a strategy
Hope is critical to greatness but not the strategy to achieve it. Hope is not wishful thinking—as in “I hope I win the lottery.” It is the core…
Can we design learning environments geared for maximum motivation?
What can we learn from human psychology about designing learning environments geared for maximum motivation? Let’s start by identifying core human motivations using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs.…
10 ways we made our school happier
After the recession hit in 2013, it was evident that something was off at Mashburn Elementary School (part of Forsyth County Schools in Georgia). I watched teachers being…
4 reasons teaching coding improves SEL instruction
Being able to recall facts may help you look good in front of your friends during trivia night, but memorizing content of the past has become largely irrelevant…
Finding the money for SEL
Effective social emotional learning (SEL) requires a thorough understanding of the student population’s needs, training to integrate SEL into everyday lessons, and the instructional resources. Although educators and…
Now is the time to redefine readiness
Today’s working adults have seen a lot of change in the employment landscape. But that change is likely to be modest compared to the changes coming between now…
Putting the SEL into PBL
In project-based learning (PBL), teachers present students with a real-world problem and challenge them to solve the problem through research and inquiry, often collaborating with each another and…
4 ways technology can improve SEL skills
Today’s classrooms are full of immersive high-tech tools—but at the same time, schools and districts are being pushed to promote social-emotional learning (SEL) and improve school climate. Since…