Self-Regulation Matters — Not Only for Students, but for Teachers too!
The beginning of May marks the launch of Mental Health Awareness Month, and I am again reminded of just how much children’s mental health is at the core of the work I do as a begin to ECSEL educator. All of my interactions with and responses to the children I teach comes from a place of sensitivity […]
Emotional Intelligence from Birth: 5 Foundational Mental Health Benefits
There is a growing appreciation that emotional intelligence is more than a wish list of optimal social skills. Emotional intelligence is a set of competencies that enable you to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others—a critical prerequisite to lifelong learning, relating and relationships, and personal and professional growth. But perhaps the […]
“Just One of Those Days”: Helping Teachers Cope One Step at a Time
Let’s face it, we’ve all had “one of those days” where things seem to go from bad to worse to completely overwhelming in a matter of minutes. If you are a teacher, you definitely know what I’m talking about, especially now. What defines a day like this is different for everyone. There are so many […]
Acknowledging Your Uncertainty Shows Your Kids the Way to Resilience
We’re hitting a strange anniversary this month. It’s been a year since the pandemic’s first reported deaths in the U.S., and this week, we crossed the dark threshold of a half-million deaths due to COVID-19. With the vaccinations available to more and more people, there’s a sense of light at the end of the tunnel. […]
Helping Children Develop Healthy Habits with Technology Use
We limit how much technology our kids use at home.” — Steve Jobs My feeling about technology in general is very Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Having too little exposure isn’t good, but too much – a few hours turns into six — is detrimental to their brain development and mental health. The temptation for […]
Finding Gratitude in a Tumultuous 2020
2020 has been quite a rollercoaster for us all! This year has tested the best of us and unfortunately meant great pain for so many while the relentless onslaught of troubling news does not seem to be letting up. With a global pandemic, racial injustice, economic hardships, storms, fires, political unrest, where do we look […]
Building Empathy and Kindness Through Emotional Understanding
“Is that your lunch? It looks kind of weird…” “Well, if your favorite color isn’t purple then I don’t want to be your friend.” “Girls can’t play this game, only boys.” “I don’t want to play with you, I only want to play with her. She’s my best friend.” As educators, our first reaction when […]
Navigating the Relentless Storm Part II: Taking Care of Yourself so You Can Take Care of Your Children
As educators and parents, we know how important routine is for the children we love and care for, but what about our own? The back-and-forth of school environments in 2020 have caused us all to lose our footing. Our new norm is a revolving door of in-person school, Zoom classes, and remote learning with no […]
Helping Children Say Goodbye to a Beloved Pet and Handle Their Grief
A child’s relationship with their pet is a cherished one, filled with constant companionship and lifelong memories. Pets become part of the family – a comforting presence that provides affection, protection, and reassurance in times of need. For children especially, pets bring unconditional love along with the opportunity to share all of their feelings without […]
4 Teacher Tips for Modeling Healthy Emotional Responses
Teachers are incredible. You consistently go above and beyond in providing quality education for your students. Each day you take on the role of caregiver, advocate, cheerleader, guidance counselor, and mediator rolled into one… and now you do all of this while trying to keep yourself and those around you safe. And it doesn’t stop […]
Self-Care for Educators Should Be a Priority
Self-care describes a conscious act one takes in order to promote one’s own physical, mental, and emotional health. Teachers often shelf self-care. Even more challenging, is that teachers feel the necessity of doing so with the same level of excitement, encouragement, and creativity that they would during normal times to help ease their students’ anxieties. […]
Teacher Burnout and Stress – Helping Teachers Help Themselves
2020 has been a year we all would like to forget. With an unprecedented and ceaseless string of events from natural disasters, racial and societal injustice and unrest, economic uncertainty, and of course a global pandemic. Stress is on everyone’s doorstep. For those who were already dealing with difficult and anxiety producing experiences, the current […]
Masks & The Return to School
As we approach mid-summer, many parents are anxiously planning for their children’s return to school. Though going back to school presents a small step towards a sense of normalcy and routine, it also gives rise to many legitimate questions about how to protect your child from COVID-19 when they return to class. Many schools are […]
The Power of Play: Building Young Children’s Resilience, Healthy Development and Learning
For all children, play is a child’s “work” and is essential in developing the foundation for social, emotional, and cognitive skills. A wealth of research shows that unstructured play is a fundamental necessity for children to thrive physically, emotionally, mentally and socially. The importance of play is something that I have stressed repeatedly in my […]
Staying Safe and Sane Amidst Social Distancing
While many of life’s enjoyed moments and cherished simple pleasures are being put on hold, that voice in our head continues to call out with moment-to-moment reminders about when we were able to take care of our kids and also to take care of ourselves. The longer we continue to be socially distanced because of […]
Staying Emotionally Connected on a Physically Distant Mother’s Day
Among other important life lessons, this global pandemic is highlighting just how much we depend on social relationships. As social animals, some of us are struggling to establish a new normal while learning how to maintain relationships in this bizarre time of social distancing. Some of us may still be trying to figure out how […]