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We are committed to sharing what we're learning in order to help educators act on what is known today about social-emotional learning and whole child development.

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Prosocial Academic Instruction for All Contents!

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Prosocial Academic Instruction for All Contents!

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Academic Instruction | Greater Good In Education

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Practices for integrating social-emotional learning, mindfulness, ethics, kindness, gratitude, and other prosocial qualities into academic content and pedagogy

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Teaching in the COVID Pandemic Resources

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Teaching in the COVID Pandemic Resources

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The novel coronavirus is disrupting the way we live, work and experience school. To halt the spread of infection, to be physically safe, we must distance ourselves from many of the people in our lives. But to be emotionally safe, we need to maintain connections to our family, friends, teachers and peers. In other words, to the people we trust. Th e following is a curated list of resources for parents and caregivers, teachers, educators and leaders-for any adult who has a trusting, supportive relationship with a child-and for children and young people themselves.

Resources from Turnaround for Children

Turnaround for Children offers free access to Stress and the Brain, a resource for educators selected to complement The 180 Podcast episode Coronavirus: Keeping Our Children And Ourselves Safe, With Pamela Cantor, M.D.

RELATIONSHIPS:

ROUTINES:

RESILIENCE:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
7 Tips for Parents and Caregivers: Reassuring Children During the Coronavirus Outbreak
The most powerful tool that we as adults have to manage stress and to help our young people manage stress is the human relationship. Because relationships that are strong and trustful release the hormone oxytocin and oxytocin can restore a child's sense of safety.

Back to Basics Blog Series

In the Back to Basics blog series, Sheila Ohlsson Walker, Ph.D. illuminates how and why a handful of synergistic, simple, and scientifically grounded lifestyle choices offer protection from the novel coronavirus and fortify mental and physical health for life.

The Upward Spiral

Webinars and Events

The Science of Learning and Development Alliance

FOR SCHOOL REOPENING:

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Resources | Turnaround for Children

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The novel coronavirus is disrupting the way we live, work and experience school. To halt the spread of infection, to be physically safe, we must distance ourselves from many of the people in our lives. But to be emotionally safe, we need to maintain connections to our family, friends, teachers and peers.

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As educators across the country prepared to welcome students and adults back to school in Fall 2020, they faced the layered impact of school closures, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial inequities exacerbated by the pandemic and amplified by the nationwide mobilization for racial justice. The return to school this year will be unlike any other in our history. This moment called on all members of our school communities to deepen our social and emotional competencies and create equitable learning environments where all students and adults process, heal, and thrive.

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Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening School - CASEL

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As educators across the country prepared to welcome students and adults back to school in Fall 2020, they faced the layered impact of school closures, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial inequities exacerbated by the pandemic and amplified by the nationwide mobilization for racial justice.

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This is enough.

The deep, gaping wounds in our country stemming from centuries of racist ideology and practices have resulted in the senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and too many others from the Black community at the hands of law enforcement. The dehumanization that stems from "othering" one another has led us to this painful and pivotal moment in our history. Our Black family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, fellow citizens are suffering and not safe, and treated as if they don't matter. For those of us outside this community, the time to act is now.

The GGSC Education Team stands by the Black community-seeing and supporting every member in their full humanity.

We are committed to doing our part in eradicating dehumanization in our society by promoting, practicing, and embracing research-informed anti-racist practices and beliefs. We start by acknowledging systemic barriers like poverty, inequitable opportunities, and racist institutional policies. These barriers exist not only in society broadly, but are deeply ingrained in our school system as well. Though such barriers may seem insurmountable, we must work toward dismantling them; we must also change the hearts of people-starting with ourselves by unearthing unconscious biases, stereotypes, and racist thinking.

To that end, the GGSC Education Team commits to:

Applying an anti-racist lens to our work in social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and ethical development.

Acknowledging the limits of our awareness as educators and researchers.

Engaging in continuous and lifelong learning in our field to address racism in our work as teachers and researchers.

Embracing a strengths-based, student- and healing-centered approach to learning and development that serves as a counter to deficit thinking and exclusionary discipline practices.

Incorporating trauma-sensitive practices and approaches in our work to foster safety and a sense of belonging in classrooms and schools.

Acknowledging implicit bias as a barrier in anti-racist education by engaging in and promoting practices that enhance self-awareness and social awareness.

Prioritizing teacher burnout as a potential barrier to anti-racist education by providing science-based practices for developing educators' social-emotional competence, well-being, and resilience.

Deepening empathy, compassion, and relationship skills by offering practices for staff and students designed to build trust and bridge differences.

We strive for intellectual humility-both personally and professionally. We also humbly stand next to educators around the country and the world who are taking action to undo the racism within themselves, encouraging their colleagues to do the same, and teaching and supporting their students in forming anti-racist identities.

We have compiled a list of resources to assist educators in this crucial work, and invite you to share your reflections and learning with us so that we may all become better human beings.

As UC Berkeley professor john a. powell wisely said at the GGSC's recent Bridging the Divides conference:
We are conflicted inside ourselves, which we almost never talk about, and we project that out. Part of the struggle is not just "getting along" or "fixing the other person," but getting along with different aspects of ourselves. So this becomes not just a political or psychological journey, but a profoundly spiritual journey.

We are committed to this journey.

(Photo by Allison Acosta is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Resources to Support Anti-Racist Learning | Greater Good In Education

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This is enough. The deep, gaping wounds in our country stemming from centuries of racist ideology and practices have resulted in the senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and too many others from the Black community at the hands of law enforcement.

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Trauma-informed SEL is an approach to fostering youths' social-emotional development with practices that support all students, but is particularly inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and youth who have experienced trauma. This approach calls for creating reliable learning environments where students who have experienced adversities and trauma

feel supported and connected;

are welcome to explore their strengths and identities;

can exercise their agency;

can develop meaningful, positive relationships with adults and peers; and

have access to the mental health supports they need.

Learn More about Trauma-informed SEL

Below, you can download our Trauma-Informed SEL Toolkit - a 120-minute professional development session designed for educators seeking research-based strategies to create a healthy classroom environment for students who have experienced adversities and trauma.

Why Download the Trauma-informed SEL Toolkit?

The research-based toolkit is rich with resources to explore, strategies to implement in the classroom, and prompts for reflections aimed at facilitating educator learning and engagement with the material. The toolkit includes:

More information about trauma and how it impacts students' success;

A range of strengths-based strategies educators can integrate into their classroom;

Overview of secondary traumatic stress and strategies for educator self-care;

A list of research articles, papers, and videos for further review; and

A facilitator's guide (including an abbreviated guide for a 60-minute session).

The download link includes a multimedia presentation, a three-page overview handout, and a brief facilitator's guide.

Trauma-Informed SEL Webinar & Accompanying Slides

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A full recording of our Trauma-Informed SEL Webinar is located below! What is Trauma-Informed SEL? Trauma-informed SEL is an approach to fostering youths' social-emotional development with practices that support all students, but is particularly inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and youth who have experienced trauma.

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According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional, Learning ( CASEL), social-emotional learning (SEL) is "the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."

Self-awareness and self-management are two of the five components that make up CASEL's model of SEL.

Self-Awareness is simply the ability to be aware of one's inner life -one's emotions, thoughts, behaviors, values, preferences, goals, strengths, challenges, attitudes, mindsets, and so forth-and how these elements impact behavior and choices.

A new teacher who is self-aware notices his fearful emotional response on his first day of teaching. He feels his heart beat faster and his stomach clench as he worries about making a good first impression on students. He wants to run out the door before the students enter the classroom, but then recognizes that this behavior is a result of his emotions and thoughts running amok, and he accepts that these reactions can occur when he experiences anxiety.

Skills that develop self-awareness include:

Labeling and recognizing one's emotions

Identifying what triggers own emotions

Analyzing emotions and how they affect others

Understanding the relationship between one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors

Recognizing one's needs, values, judgments, and biases

Identifying personal strengths and areas for growth

Practicing self-compassion

Cultivating self-confidence, positive self-regard, a "growth" mindset, and optimism

Self-management is the ability to navigate and shift one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in a healthy way in order to make decisions and reach goals that benefit oneself and others.

A new teacher who was anxious about her first year of teaching remembered learning from her mentor that when she felt the terror of facing her students for the first time, she could change how she felt by thinking differently about the situation. So, instead of dreading her new profession, this teacher decided to look at it as an adventure-one that might bring her supportive colleagues, wonderful students, and exciting opportunities.

Self-management skills include:

Regulating and expressing one's emotions thoughtfully

Demonstrating perseverance and resilience to overcome obstacles

Sustaining healthy boundaries

Applying strategies to reduce personal and interpersonal stress

Setting and monitoring short-term and long-term goals

Advocating for oneself and one's needs

Maintaining attention

Using feedback constructively

Ultimately, self-awareness and self-management are closely linked. For example, being able to stop and calm down when one is upset (self-management), requires skills like recognizing and labeling the emotions that one is feeling and considering how they might be affecting one's behavior choices (self-awareness).
For a deeper dive into the science and practical school-based examples of this science in action, click on the following topics:
SEL for Adults: The Basics of Emotion
SEL for Adults: Emotions and Culture
SEL for Adults: Emotion Regulation

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SEL for Adults: Self-Awareness and Self-Management | Greater Good In Education

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According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional, Learning ( CASEL), social-emotional learning (SEL) is "the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."

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I recommend this five part introduction to practicing mindfulness to teenagers and parents. You will need to focus to get through these videos but it is a great introduction to the "what" & "why" of mindfulness.

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Brain Breaks for kids is the simple technique in which young students are given a short mental break taken at regular intervals. They are usually performed in a classroom or academic environment, but can also be used in similar non-traditional learning environments for largely the same effect. Most brain breaks range from around 5 to 20 minutes as a general rule, although most people prefer to keep them short and on point. For maximum success, it's usually best to include a physical activity that will compliment mental energy.

The Benefits of Brain Breaks for Kids

Benefits of using brain breaks include helping kids to be calmer, remain focused while also stimulating physical activity. As we all know, kids have a ton of expendable energy and it can often present itself at inopportune times. If you are in charge of a group of kids and find they are being especially unruly, a brain break might be beneficial for you to regain control while also re-focusing the kids minds and sense of clarity.

After a successful brain break, your kids should feel more focused, less prone to daydreaming and therefore in a better mental space to work or complete and finish activities. Furthermore, brain breaks have also shown to significantly reduce stress levels in kids, providing organic improvements to learning and higher engagement levels. When implemented at the right time and used appropriately, it's clear brain breaks are a valuable and beneficial tool. You will know your groups of kids better than anyone, and it is up to you to choose when the best time is to use brain breaks and what exactly is the desired outcome you wish to achieve.

We're going to list some of the most effective and fun brain breaks you can easily replicate yourself. Whether you are responsible for kids in an academic environment, or elsewhere such as home education or after school clubs, these are sure to help you and your kids unlock the maximum potential out of your activity and day.
Rub your Head, Pat your Belly!
An oldie but a goodie, have you ever tried rubbing your head and patting your belly before? Oddly this is something our brains find difficult to perform at times, usually leading to our hands replicating the same movements. Challenge your kids to concentrate and try out this technique. They will find it amusingly difficult at first, but over time and concentration will eventually be able to pull it off without too much trouble. This is a very quick and easy brain break that is sure to cause a lot of smiles and laughter as well as the eventual desire of increased concentration.
Dance Off!
There's not many issues in life that can't be solved by a good old fashioned dance off. Choose an age appropriate song to play for your kids, get them up and dancing as wildly and enthusiastically as they can to the song. Without warning, hit stop and pause the music. Everybody must freeze! Anybody caught moving or laughing is out and must sit down for the remainder of the game. Keep playing until you've got one player left dancing. This is a great brain break for physical activity and a brilliant way to re-focus.
Take a Hike!
Well, not exactly literally! But assembling your kids in a line and getting them to take a 5 minute walk around the general area, classroom, or somewhere outside is a fantastic way to stop wandering minds from heading off a metaphorical cliff. The kids will feel energized and re-engaged, ready to finish whatever it was they were suppose to be doing before you initiated the break. This is perhaps the most simple brain break of them all!
5-4-3-2-1!
In this simple but very fun game, kids are encouraged to partake in five different physical activities in descending order. For example, you could get them to do 5 jumping jacks, 4 star jumps, three sit ups, two hops and one hand clap. Mix it up and think lots of different activities you can do. Encourage activities that can be performed collaboratively as well to further add to the benefits of this brain break.
Find it Fast!
Look around the room and identify some key distinguishers of different objects. They can be colors, materials or anything distinct. Once you've got a good idea of what's available in the vicinity, start shouting out different ones. For example, "red handle". Your kids must rush towards the object that fits the description as quickly as possible. The last person to get there is eliminated. Repeat until you have a winner!
Animal Pretend
Aimed at kids towards the younger end of the spectrum, Animal Pretend is nevertheless likely to make you as laugh as much as the kids! Call out a list of animals in sequence. The kids must pretend to be the last animal you called out. Make sure to mix it up and keep it interesting. Reward and encourage kids for being more lively and putting more effort in.
Play-Doh Show
You'll need some extra equipment for this one but it's worth it for how fun and engaging it can be. Split your kids up into pairs and hand them a pot of Play-Doh. Challenge them to take it turns to create an animal. The aim of the game is their partner has to be able to guess what animal it is they've made. Prepare for many laughs and sometimes even some amazing Play-Doh masterpieces!
True or False
You can adapt this one to different age groups but it'll probably work better with more engaged older kids, although not too old! Get everyone to stand up and face you towards the front. You must call out a series of true or false statements. The kids must react by placing their hands on their heads if they think what you've just said is true, or hands on their hips if what you've just said is false. Whoever gets it wrong must sit down straight away. Keep going until you can eventually crown a winner. You can tie this into more academic questions if you want to keep it educational, or alternatively you can have fun and factor in some fun pop culture. It really is up to you.
Line Up!
Test your kids attentiveness and refocus their attention spans with this awesome brain break Line Up! The key to the game is to get your group of kids to line up in an order they have just been given. For example, you could get them to line up in descending order in terms of their height. Keep changing it up and see how quickly they can arrange themselves and whether they can do it correctly. Other good criteria include hair length, age, alphabetical via middle names and anything else you can think to add.
Keep it Up
Simple but incredibly fun, Keep it Up requires you have in your possession a beach ball. All you have to do is get the kids to throw the beach ball around the room without it hitting the floor. It sounds overly simplistic but this is an excellent game for controlling and maintaining concentration levels, as well as hand-eye coordination. It's also so easy and accessible that any kid can get involved.
Trading Places
Not the 1983 classic film with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, but we promise you it's just as fun and entertaining! Get your kids to stand up and take a position behind their chair. Call-out a specific trait. Everyone who shares that trait in common must swap places. For example, everyone with curly hair must trade places! Or, everyone who rides a bicycle must trade places! If they do not have that trait, they must remain where they are. Try and mix it up and come up with lots of different and fun traits. It's a great way for you to get to know your kids a bit better. It's also a great way for kids to find shared common interests.
Exercise Lucky Dip
Write up a bunch of exercises beforehand on different pieces of paper and put them into a bucket. Make sure they are accessible and not too difficult for your kids to perform. Mix up the bucket and put it on a table. Nominate your kids one by one to come out and do a lucky dip. Whatever exercise they pull out of the bucket they must perform straight away. Keep it simple to things such as jumping jacks, hopping, maybe a sit up at most. This is a very quick and efficient way to energize creaky bones and lighten up any slowly fading attention spans.
Keep it Clean
Make space if there isn't already and formulate a line down the middle of the area you are in. You could do this with easy to remove tape or just a row of chairs. Split your group of kids into two different teams and position them on each side of the line. Give them equipment to throw on to each others side of the room. It goes without saying, but nothing too big or dangerous! The aim of the game for the kids is to keep their side of the room tidy by throwing stuff to the other groups side. Once you've called time, whoever has the cleanest side of the room wins!

As you can see, brain breaks for kids can take a variety of different shapes and forms depending on your aims and objectives. You can take any of these ideas and re-adapt them for your own unique situations and scenarios, making changes to have them be more accommodating or perhaps even slightly more challenging. Over time you'll discover that your kids prefer some brain break activities to others. They will have favorites and you will too! Make sure to keep them varied and tailored to a specific outcome. If you are trying to get your kids to perk up it's advisable you use a more physical brain break, or at the very least something that gets them moving and out of a sitting position. If the idea is to regain a sense of control, it makes more sense to use a brain break that forces them to concentrate but also keeps them quiet. It really is up to you and how you want to make it work best for both you and your kids.

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Brain Breaks for kids is the simple technique in which young students are given a short mental break taken at regular intervals. They are usually performed in a classroom or academic environment, but can also be used in similar non-traditional learning environments for largely the same effect.

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How did President Obama manage stress?  Hear it straight from him.
Hint*He tried to keep an even keel. He took the longview and stayed focused on what he could control.