Teaching students who have lost parents or grandparents to the pandemic

A startling number was released in a new study published in the Oct. 7 issue of the journal Pediatrics: At least 140,000 children in the United States lost a primary or secondary caregiver – either a parent or a grandparent – to COVID-19 between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. And today, a little more than ...

Teaching Executive-Function Skills

How You Can Help Your Students

One student has trouble remembering to bring her homework back to school, even though she’s finished it. Another student constantly bothers his peers while the teacher is speaking, and sometimes has outbursts in class. And a third seemingly has no motivation ...

Creating Calm in a Trauma-Informed Classroom

Their homes have changed. Their parents are worried. Their world has changed. They can’t play with their friends as easily as they used to. People are wearing masks, and some familiar places are now off-limits. Their schools have changed. After a spring that was cut short ...

Students with anxiety and depression: How teachers can help

The statistics tell the story: More students of all ages – from elementary through college – are living with anxiety and depression than ever before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The statistics are worrisome: Think about the changing world we live in. There have always been parents who ...

Mindfulness in the classroom: Does it work?

The teacher writes numbers on the white board in front of the class, preparing a lesson on fractions and decimals. Two girls are passing notes. A couple of kids in the back row are laughing about a secret joke. Several students have lost focus entirely, distracted by the windows, the ...

Farm to School for a Healthy Future

Farm to school is the concept of accessing and understanding the benefits of embracing locally grown food. It is about emphasizing ideas such as shopping local for fresh ingredients and not processed foods. Farm to school is about expanding knowledge about food while placing an emphasis on healthy eating and ...

Spotlight on Student Trauma

The mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Feb. 14 left 17 students dead and 17 more injured. It has put student trauma in the spotlight like never before. Since the tragedy, survivor students from the school have led a national movement for gun reform that has captivated the ...

A Teacher’s Guide to Health and Wellness

As a teacher, stress is part of the job. A focus on health and wellness, however, has been shown to work wonders for the mind, body and classroom. It is well established in the business world that healthy people will be better at their jobs, leading to a healthier bottom ...

Keep Calm and Meditate

Schools today can be fraught with anxiety and stress, which is why introducing meditation and mindfulness into a classroom can instill much-needed calm. Sound a bit hokey or hippy dippy? No way, say proponents of mindfulness practices. Such techniques can apply to a classroom at great scientific and educational benefit ...