Social-emotional learning is important. Without a doubt, it’s the foundation for everything from working well with others and building strong relationships to developing study strategies and persevering through challenges. SEL is all around us. And these are skills children and young adults need to be successful. With that said, teachers are busy. Sometimes there is […]

Being outside in the great outdoors is highly motivating for children and teens. There is so much to explore, learn, and be curious about. It’s one of the reasons why using nature to build social-emotional skills just makes sense. Spending more time outside is good for our physical and emotional well-being. Research even tells us […]

Positive self-talk is a powerful tool with big results. Essentially, it is the technique that can help us direct our thoughts in positive, encouraging, and solution-focused ways. This can be especially beneficial for children and teens learning to cope with big emotions and navigate through life’s challenges. And teaching, modeling, and practicing positive self-talk on […]

15+ SEL Activities to Strengthen Classroom Community

What do you do when a student won’t go to class? As a special educator in middle school, this was a problem I commonly encountered. The student might stay in resource room, hang down at the nurse’s office, or even worse, wander the hallways. Basically, they will do anything to avoid being in their scheduled […]

Strong feelings of anger and frustration can cause kids and teens to shut down or even act out in aggressive ways. It goes without saying that this can become a challenge in the classroom, at home, or anywhere in a child’s life. Kids and young adults might experience anger and frustration for a variety of […]