SEL & Mindset

work refusal interventions

The Most Effective Work Refusal Interventions

There’ s nothing more frustrating for elementary teachers than when you take the time to plan an engaging lesson and then have to convince a student to participate. When this behavior begins, it’s important to use the correct work refusal interventions, such as a student work completion chart, to put a stop to it quickly …

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manage-classroom-behavior

10 SEL Skills To Manage Classroom Behavior

Manage Classroom Behavior Through SEL Instruction  We often think of the need to teach social and emotional learning (SEL) and manage classroom behavior as two different things. In all reality, teaching SEL is essential for improving classroom management and student behavior. When teachers consistently implement SEL into their instruction, they are being proactive in helping …

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kind-kids-club

Kind Kids Club

Why you should start a Kind Kids Club Every elementary teachers says it daily: “How do you think that made ______ feel?” Usually, this is followed by a long face and a shrug … occasionally even a smirk (grrr) … or if I’m having  a lucky day, I might get the answer “bad”. This leads …

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self portraits and diversity

Diversity Classroom Activities: Self-Portraits

  Looking for One of the Best Diversity Classroom Activities? Try self-portraits! I teach in an incredibly diverse school. My classroom typically has children with families from all over the world – spanning at least 6 cultures. Creating self-portraits is one of my first diversity classroom activities every year. It teaches the kids to not …

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Kindness Cafe Part 3: Day of Cafe & Revealing the Total

The day of our cafe my littles came in buzzing! They were so excited to finally see all of their hard work come into play! We started by having a quick “mock” cafe with another class. The servers pretended to take orders and money. The cashiers went through the motions of organizing the money in …

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10 Powerful Black History Month Picture Books

10 Powerful Black History Month Picture Books Looking for inspiring  black history month picture books to share with your children during this February … or any other month of the year? Check out this list of 10 must-read titles. 1. Under the Same Sun This book is about a family split between two countries – Tanzania …

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Should You Teach Black History in Second Grade?

Let’s start by being honest. Black History Month content is heavy.  First, African families were kidnapped from their homes. They were chained and crammed into ships where many died on the way to America. Next, those who survived were forced into slavery. We all know the inhumane treatment that came along with slavery. At this …

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Teach your students to get their minds right!

We all know about the stresses that junior high and high school students are facing these days. Some examples are increased social pressures compounded by social media, high expectations for success in extra curriculars, and extremely rigorous academic courses with hours of homework. As an elementary teacher, it’s easy to think, “Thank God that’s not …

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