Embracing Change
Students experience transitions every day. Some are as straightforward as moving from recess to instructional time or school to home, while others are more complex, like starting a new school, entering a new grade level, or shifting to fully in-person learning for the first time in more than a year. What makes times of transition challenging? How can we best support our students in navigating change? In this issue, we offer strategies for finding social and emotional growth in times of change.
Articles in this Issue
Embracing Uncertainties
There is an old joke: “Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.” The events of the past year have proven that change is indeed inevitable. Beginning in March 2020,…
Shifting Teacher Language to Communicate Effectively and Respectfully
Recall a time when an educator said something impactful to you. Was it positive or negative? How did it make you feel? Chances are, you not only can recall what…
Reconnecting: Helping Students Maintain Their Friendships
Over the course of the last year, it’s likely that the nature of students’ friendships has changed. People have smaller social networks than they had before the pandemic, and some…
Mindfulness: Resetting, After Resetting
Educators and student family members will tell you that children who are stressed will not learn, grow, or play well. When children feel unsafe, when things are unpredictable, and when…
Building a Successful Learning Community in the First Weeks of School
The first weeks of school offer educators the powerful opportunity to support students through the transition back to school and set them up for a successful year of learning and…
Leading the Way
What is something (preferably related to social and emotional learning) you are changing or doing differently in your school this year? Debra Berndt: We will be returning to the practice…