George Lucas Educational Foundation

Mental Health

Find compassionate perspectives and evidence-based strategies to foster school environments that promote psychological well-being and support students experiencing behavioral, emotional, or social challenges.

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  • 3 Tips for Making Your Classroom More Gender Inclusive

    Helping gender-expansive students feel seen and included doesn’t have to be complicated—and it benefits everyone in the class.
    272
  • Self-Regulation Strategies for Transitions

    To help young students learn to manage transitions between activities, consider these simple whole class exercises.
    Lauren Brukner
    5
    2.9k
  • Making Students Feel Safe

    A trauma-informed approach ensures that students feel safe, supported, and nurtured—to improve their chances of academic success. 
    129.6k
  • What to Do About Increasing Dysregulation in the Early Grades

    Conflict at school is a normal part of learning how to interact with others—and early-grade teachers have always had to manage misbehavior in class. But not at the levels they’re seeing now.
    2.4k
  • A side profile of a young woman. Part of her face is comprised of triangles that are breaking off of her face.

    When Students Are Traumatized, Teachers Are Too

    Trauma in students’ lives takes an emotional and physical toll on teachers as well. Experts weigh in on the best ways to cope.
    113.3k
  • A Daily Support System for Students

    Students who need extra social and emotional support have a quick check-in with an adult at the start and end of each day.
    89.8k
  • 6 Ways to Promote Emotional Well-Being in Tweens

    Teachers can encourage these students to develop skills that help ease stress and improve their sense of self-confidence.
    2
    598
  • Illustration of an achievement gap concept

    Covid-19’s Impact on Students’ Academic and Mental Well-Being

    The pandemic has revealed—and exacerbated—inequities that hold many students back. Here’s how teachers can help.
    28k
  • 60-Second Strategy: Snowball Toss

    A quick, fun classroom activity fosters open dialogue while releasing pent-up energy.
    44.6k
  • Illustration concept showing teen under stress

    A De-escalation Exercise for Upset Students

    A simple technique that takes just a few minutes can help an agitated student regain the state of mind needed for learning.
    25k
  • A black and white illustration of a young woman looking distressed

    The How and Why of Trauma-Informed Teaching

    In an extraordinary Twitter chat, educators discuss building trauma-informed social and emotional learning environments.
    33.4k
  • Illustration concept for confronting emotions

    6 Ways to Help Students with ODD

    Offering kids choices, safe spaces, and positive reinforcement can help teachers avoid problems—or manage them when they arise.
    17.1k
  • Illustration of a boy with scribbled lines on his head that indicate stress and anxiety.

    In High School, the Kids Are Not All Right

    With social and academic pressure mounting, a teacher shares what he’s learned about tracking his students’ mental well-being.
    33.4k
  • Helping Students Reacclimate to Being With Others All Day

    Many students are still a little overwhelmed at being around their peers, though they’re also excited. Some simple strategies can help them adjust to being back in school.
    10.5k
  • Teacher talking to a student about her oppositional behavior

    Addressing Persistent Defiance

    Any student may refuse to cooperate at times, but handling students with oppositional defiant disorder requires that teachers have a plan.
    27.1k

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.
Edutopia® and Lucas Education Research™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries.