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Blogs on Social and Emotional Learning

Social and Emotional Learning

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Find out how you can develop or support learning that teaches collaboration, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.

1
Five Tips for Supporting Grieving Students
Christine ParkMay 17, 2013
Tags Best Practices, Mental Health, Professional Development, Teacher Development, All Grades

This blog was co-authored by David Schonfeld, MD, director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement.

As our previous post highlighted, most teachers interact daily with grieving students. A recent poll we conducted in conjunction with the American Federation of Teachers found that the vast majority of teachers would like to help the grieving children in their midst but feel that they lack the proper training. The good news is that teachers don't require extensive training to prepare them for making a positive difference in the lives of their grieving students. This post is intended to introduce some of the basic information.

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2
Transition Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Administrators
Matt DavisMay 16, 2013
Tags Classroom Technology, Open Education Resources

The end of the school year can be a nervous time for students, especially those that will be making the jump into elementary school, middle school, high school or college next fall. These transitioning students are left with a variety of questions -- from curiosities about academic rigor to managing a social life and coursework, to worries about using a combination lock. (It took me more than a couple tries.)

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2
In Newtown's Wake: How Grief Is Handled at School
Christine ParkMay 14, 2013
Tags Mental Health, Professional Development, Teacher Development, All Grades

In the months since the horrific Newtown school shooting, a media spotlight has glared on the nearly 450 surviving students at Sandy Hook Elementary who are grieving for their friends, teachers, classmates, school staff and, in some cases, their siblings. Their stories serve as an enduring reminder of the overpowering grief and loss left in the Newtown tragedy's wake.

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Restoring the Soul and Skill of Educators Through Engaged Teaching
Maurice EliasMay 9, 2013
Tags All Grades

In the aftermath of the testing regimen, or just the headlong rush to the end of school, educators are loosening their collars, breathing heavy sighs of relief (or resignation), and contemplating whether there is a little time in the remaining weeks to return to their first love: being an educator of young people.

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3
Building Social and Emotional Skills in Elementary Students: So Similar
Randy TaranMay 2, 2013
Tags Diversity, Mental Health, Primary (K-2), , Upper Elementary (3-5)

This is part eight of the nine-part series from the Project Happiness curriculum. We are looking at important factors that influence the happiness and social and emotional learning of elementary school age children, helping students learn life skills, manage emotions, and increase empathy. Each blog features one letter of the acronym HAPPINESS:

  1. H = Happiness
  2. A = Appreciation
  3. P = Passions and Strengths
  4. P = Perspective
  5. I = Inner Meanie/Inner Friend
  6. N = Ninja Mastery
  7. E = Empathy
  8. S = So Similar
  9. S = Share Your Gifts

In this post, we will explore recognizing what we have in common.

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A Year at Mission Hill: Like a Family and Behind the Scenes
Amy Erin Borovoy (aka VideoAmy)May 1, 2013
Tags Community Partnerships, Parental Involvement, Primary (K-2), Professional Learning Network (PLN), , Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), Massachusetts

The video series A Year at Mission Hill has continued to encourage discussion, gather support, and inspire offshoots of wonderful new content, like "Line One, Page One," a compelling and poetic video produced by UK Filmmakers Veez Nixon and Christian Britten for Ashoka's Start Empathy Initiative, as part of a video series to complement Mission Hill. And if you haven't seen it yet, it's also worth a visit to the excellent Prezi on Mission Hill, which continues to expand as more chapters are released.

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1
Social, Emotional Learning: Instructional Support Goes Online
Maurice EliasApril 30, 2013
Tags Primary (K-2), Professional Development, Teacher Development, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8)

The community of implementers of SEL and related programs is growing. And the capacity of individuals to leave their workplaces to congregate for extensive training and sharing opportunities seems to be diminishing. These and other realities are creating an imperative to use the Internet as a vehicle for providing support for instruction and other aspects of implementation necessary to sustain and reinforce instruction.

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4
Building Social and Emotional Skills in Elementary Students: Empathy
Randy TaranApril 26, 2013
Tags Classroom Management, Mental Health, Primary (K-2), , Upper Elementary (3-5)

This is part seven of the nine-part series from the Project Happiness curriculum. We are looking at important factors that influence the happiness and social and emotional learning of elementary school age children, helping students learn life skills, manage emotions, and increase empathy. Each blog post features one letter of the acronym HAPPINESS:

  1. H = Happiness
  2. A = Appreciation
  3. P = Passions and Strengths
  4. P = Perspective
  5. I = Inner Meanie/Inner Friend
  6. N = Ninja Mastery
  7. E = Empathy
  8. S = So Similar
  9. S = Share Your Gifts

In this post, we will explore Empathy.

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1
Support for Implementing Social, Emotional Learning
Maurice EliasApril 24, 2013
Tags Teacher Development, All Grades

Everyone carrying out some kind of social, emotional learning (SEL) or related program encounters a common set of problems while trying to adapt even proven program materials to their unique and often fast-changing reality. And all program developers realize that their ability to support those using their programs is ultimately at least as essential as their actual materials.

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4
The Digital Lives of Teens: The Internet Never Takes a Rest
Matt LevinsonApril 15, 2013
Tags Mental Health, Parental Involvement, , Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

In the introduction to her new book, Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy, author Emily Bazelon shares the story of when her friends "fired" her in middle school. She was devastated and went home from school disconsolate and in despair. But, she explains, at least she could go home to find solace and separation from the incident at school. It was a different time and place. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat or texting could not trail her home and make the pain inescapable.

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