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Daily or weekly social emotional check-ins with students provide a quick way to include student voice, encourage self-awareness, and teach social awareness. Social emotional check-ins are an important part of the classroom environment, as they provide students with a safe and secure space to express their feelings and emotions while also helping teachers understand their students on a deeper level, allowing them to better meet their needs. Additionally, social emotional check

We all know that teaching is a profession that truly is a calling. Teachers who stay in the profession for a long-time care deeply about the students and the subject they are teaching. I know, I was in the classroom for over 33 years. We also know that the demands on teachers have increased greatly over recent years. Here in Indiana, this year is especially hard on teachers with a completely new set of academic standards that were adopted in June. There are new high-sta

In the realm of education, one of the greatest challenges faced by teachers, parents, and students alike is student apathy. Apathy can manifest in various ways, such as lack of interest, disengagement, or a general feeling of indifference towards academic pursuits. However, overcoming student apathy is not an insurmountable task.

I’ve listed four books below that I believe address some of the biggest struggles I’ve seen in the areas of social emotional learning this year. From student apathy to educator burnout, these are great resources for creating positive change!  

Summer is both a time of relaxation and preparation for teachers. As educators, we are always looking for ways to improve our instruction. We put together a summer reading list for teachers that are perfect for poolside reading.

Whether you are a classroom teacher, physical education teacher, or school principal, chances are you are looking to add something fun and engaging to your playground or gym equipment for recess. Look no further than the amazing Pindaloo. 

It is extremely important for Administrators, Teachers, Parents and especially Students to understand exactly what the SAT Assessment is and how it is written. Knowing how the test is written as well as strategies on how students can perform at their very best is essential to overall success for this assessment.  

MTSS, or multi-tiered systems and supports, encompasses a tiered approach to academics, behavior, and social emotional learning giving us a better picture of the way these components all work together for our students. Tier 1 includes services that ALL students receive. To learn more about building a strong tier 1, check this out! By setting up a solid foundation and clear process, we are able to shift to a preventative lens, intervene earlier, and benefit ALL students. Today

Conflict resolution is an important skill to teach students. It’s important to teach children how to communicate effectively, how to problem solve, and how to manage their emotions when they have a disagreement. There are many strategies that can help with this. One strategy is to have students brainstorm a list of conflict resolution steps. This can help them become aware of the options they have when they are dealing with a disagreement.

Many people make New Year’s Resolutions each year. They usually do not last due to the goals being unreasonable or way too ambitious. I was reading ways to keep resolutions and found this article: 10 Secrets of People Who Keep Their New Year’s Resolutions. As I read the article, I realized that the 10 ways the author listed were a perfect blueprint for teachers. 

As we return to school after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we soon realize that there is a long stretch of cold and dark days ahead of us. Our dreams of a white Christmas are on hold until next December and the dirty slushy roads feel more dreary than magical. In anticipation of what might be referred to as the winter blues, we can create a plan to build fun, connection, and play into our days! What are the Winter Blues? Less sunshine, colder temperatures, and

Check out my free one hour session to gain a better understanding of the importance of a solid MTSS foundation and leave with a plethora of resources to support your efforts no matter where you are in building your school’s or district’s system! All of the resources mentioned in the video are linked below.  Click here or on the image below to access the video!

What if someone offered you a FREE 5 minute per day strategy that boasted the following benefits for you AND your students? Would you take it? Read on to learn 7 simple ways to practice gratitude in the classroom.

Employability skills are a set of skills outside of technical or academic competencies that are considered imperative to being a successful employee and team member. In an effort to ensure these skills are integrated into academic settings, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has arranged these competencies into four categories: mindsets, work ethic, learning strategies, and social emotional learning.

Employability skills are a set of skills outside of technical or academic competencies that are desired by potential employers and considered imperative to being a successful employee and team member. This set of skills might include things like: communication, teamwork, initiative, problem solving, planning and organizing, self-management, and more. You may have heard them referred to as “soft-skills.”

Many students experience test anxiety at varying levels. When kids are anxious, they aren’t always able to think as clearly as they might when calm. It may be difficult to sustain attention for long periods of time when anxious thoughts consume the mind. Students may also sweat more, have increased heart rate, become emotionally upset, begin to doubt themselves or become agitated. This is even more prevalent for students who have struggled in a school setting in one way or an

As you begin your career, mentors are invaluable. They help you stumble through all that you do not know when you start. They are there to listen to your ideas, without judgement. They share thoughts and ideas that help you figure out exactly what you need to be doing. They support you by sharing their materials, ideas, errors they have made in the past, suggestions, and what has worked well for them over the years.

As the world around us gets busier and busier, there is an increased need for understanding how to manage our time and tasks. Below we will discuss why it is important, give some quick tips, learn how to prepare the mind and environment, and discuss how to make the lessons stick! 

Many teachers are finding it hard to get excited about teaching these days. There are many reasons for this, but you can bring that excitement back for you and your students! 

By William Reed Right now, teaching, and basically any job in education, can seem overwhelming. There are so many things we could be doing. It is very easy to lose sight of the big picture and not see the forest for the trees. One of the best ways to keep everything in perspective is to self-evaluate and set goals.    You need to write some Professional Goals and some Personal Goals . Yes, it is important to have both professional and personal goals. Professional goals impro