Back-to-school season is here. How are you feeling? Do you have a positive teacher mindset? In my twenty-five-plus years in education, my thoughts and feelings have ranged from excited anticipation to trepidation. I ask myself what accounts for that range of emotion. On the good end of the range, I was excited about my content area, … Read More
A multi tier support system is built on a foundation that focuses on basic interventions for all students. Academic and behavioral support is provided for students; both of which see significant boosts when social-emotional learning is integrated into everything at a schoolwide level. At its core, MTSS begins with building positive relationships between students and … Read More
Social-emotional learning not only works to build a positive school culture but also helps with closing achievement gap among students. More and more schools are seeing that SEL is an essential part of academic success. It is the process by which students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to manage emotions, establish positive relationships, … Read More
Communicating with parents can be a struggle! There are so many reasons why teachers may not communicate with the parents of their students on a regular basis. They are busy and so are the parents. Finding the time and actually being able to reach the parents can be difficult. Teachers know how important it is … Read More
There is a lot of buzz about implementing social emotional learning in the classroom. We constantly hear that SEL is important for development and that the benefits are endless. These statements are very true! But what is the meaning of social emotional learning, especially for adolescents? The definition provided above applies to SEL for everyone, … Read More
Have you ever witnessed your adolescent child do something in a manner that utterly confused you? Something done in such a perplexing way that you asked, “why did you do that.” Did your child answer with, “I don’t know?” Well, they’re probably telling the truth. This is because adolescents lack the fundamental executive functioning skill … Read More
Parents of children that suffer from ADHD often feel lost. You are experiencing an ongoing struggle to find answers to understand what is going on with your child. It is heartbreaking to witness your child struggling with impulse control, attentiveness, planning, and organizing. Most of all, it is heartbreaking to see your child struggling in … Read More
The Challenges of Adolescence Physical & Cognitive Development Frontal lobes may not be fully developed until halfway through the third decade of life. Home to key components of the neural circuitry underlying “executive functions” such as planning, working memory, and impulse control (which can lead to stress and anxiety). Reflecting the complexities of brain development, … Read More
