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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzvm1m8zq5g

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https://www.3plearning.com/blog/20-student-engagement-strategies-captivating-classroom/

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When student engagement is going downhill, we often find ourselves reaching for the prop box.

We pull out random videos, time-sucking resources, overly complex activities... anything to get and keep attention. But even these can't compete with our students' pen tricks, doodling, and discussions of what happened at recess. And there's a simple reason why:

Our students aren't engaged by things. They're engaged by us. That's why the best (and easiest) ways to increase student engagement come from you.

We compiled 20 essential strategies that generate lasting engagement, without the flashy props and hours of post-school prep.

Let the countdown begin!

20. Connect learning to the real world

We've all heard it before: "When am I ever going to use this?" Answer this question and you'll engage students with content that they know is relevant to life beyond school. Use anecdotes, case studies, and real-life examples from outside the classroom to root your teaching in "the real world".

19. Engage with your students' interests

Find out what already engages your students and build it into the learning process.

Using mathematics as an example, you could have students chart their performance in a video game over the week. You might even get your budding social media influencers to calculate a projected number of Instagram followers.

Learning what excites your students does more than just engage them. You'll build strong relationships and rapport, too.

18. Fill "dead time"

"Dead time" is any point in a lesson where students are left without something to do. You might be handing out a worksheet, getting a presentation set up, or waiting interminably for a YouTube video to load. These are brief windows that leave just enough time for students to tune out, after which time it can be very difficult to get them back.

Fill these blank spaces with low-order activities to hold students' attention. These should be quick, easy, and require minimal follow-up. For example:

Think Pair Share: students reflect on something, discuss with a partner, and then share with the rest of the class once everyone is ready

Quickwrite: write down three questions or points that have been raised by the lesson so far

What I know already: if you're just about to dive into new content, ask students to identify three things they already know about the subject and jot them down as bullet points.

17. Use group work and collaboration

Collaborating with small groups gives students a welcome break from solo bookwork. They'll benefit from each other's perspectives and the ability to express their ideas.

Use your judgment and knowledge of who works well together when organizing group work. Engineering the groups might avoid troublesome partnerships, while allowing students to work with friends might generate the buzz you need for more productive activity.

16. Encourage students to present and share work regularly

Giving students a regular opportunity to share their thoughts and demonstrate learning in front of their peers drives engagement in two ways:

it makes students accountable

it lets them hear from someone other than their teacher.

If your students quiver in fear at the thought of speaking in front of the class, combine presentations with group work. A few ideas:

Have students present in groups after a group task.

Let students share each other's work within smaller groups before asking them to choose one piece to share with the rest of the class.

Let students read or present their work while sitting down. It avoids the pressure of having to "stand and deliver".

Ask for one contribution from each group after discussion, with each group nominating a "spokesperson".

Above all else, make presenting and sharing a regular part of class activity. Your class will become an equitable and engaging space that echoes with the voice of every student, not just your own!

15. Give your students a say

If you don't know how to engage your students, let them tell you! Give your students a say in classroom activity by:

providing a choice of different activities (e.g. group work or solo)

seeking student input for assessment design (e.g. students can choose a final product, provided it meets the criteria)

periodic check-ins to monitor the pace of delivery (e.g. "do we need to go over this a bit more slowly or are we feeling pretty confident?").

Giving students a choice also fosters their sense of ownership over their learning. They'll move from passive consumers to active learners with a stake in classroom activity.

14. Use mixed media

Present learning content in a variety of mediums, including video, audio, and digital resources. Using such tech-rich resources is engaging for two reasons. It's a welcome change from the stacks of paper our students are usually saddled with, and it establishes a direct and relevant connection with the digital world they inhabit.

13. Get your students moving

If your students struggle to sit still for an entire lesson, get them moving. All that pent-up energy can be channelled into a learning activity that puts them on their feet. Try the following.

Have students come to the front and brainstorm together on the whiteboard.

Have students rotate through different stations around the room over the course of an activity.

Have students split into groups or arrange themselves in different areas of the room.

Take a stand: have students move to a particular area of the room to indicate their thoughts on an issue (e.g. "everyone who thinks x, move to the right side of the room; if you think y, stand on the left").

Movement works equally well to engage sluggish or weary students. A quick bit of physical activity will leave them more alert for the next phase of learning.

12. Read the room

If you're steadily losing students to doodling, off-topic chatter, and the pervasive "need to tear and ball up little pieces of paper", it's time to shake things up.

Cut the activity short if it's dragging, clarify instructions if there's confusion, or switch to a more student-centered activity for greater engagement.

Remember: it's impossible to have every student engaged 100% of the time. The next best thing we can do is to notice disengagement and respond to it quickly.

11. Scaffold tasks with checkpoints

If you dump all your instructions on students at the start of a lesson before turning them loose with an activity, confusion and disengagement will likely follow.

That's why it's important to scaffold larger tasks by breaking them into achievable steps. Each of these can be separated by brief "checkpoints" of instruction reorienting students and reminding them of what needs to be done next. They also serve as a periodic call to attention when students are liable to go off track.

10. Focus on discovery and inquiry

Sometimes the best thing you can do for engagement is to get out of your students' way.

Let them discover learning for themselves without being spoon-fed. They'll exercise critical and creative thinking, and pursue the lines of inquiry that interest them.

This doesn't mean you should retreat behind the teacher's desk. Observe your students, listen to them, and talk to them about what they're thinking. Be their guide as opposed to their instructor.

9. Ask good questions

Ask good questions of your students and you'll drive rich, engaging discussions that are open to everyone.

Good questions should be:

open-ended: to avoid "yes/no" answers

equitable: open to answers of varying depth and complexity

legitimate: asked because you want to hear students' thoughts and opinions, not because you're fishing for a correct answer.

When students answer a question, engage with their response. Even if it's incorrect or misinformed, recognize their effort and use it to refine the question further (e.g. "you're on the right track, but could we also think about...").

8. Allow for think time

It's gratifying to see hands shoot up as soon as you ask a question, but letting your students think it over has two benefits. It leads to more considered responses that drive engaging discussions, and it also makes the conversation accessible to those who don't have an instant answer.

After you ask a question, insist on a twenty-second pause and give students an opportunity to extend their standard responses further. For example, you might ask "See if you can explain how you came to your answer, too". You'll receive better answers and start to notice some new hands going up.

7. Shake things up

Predictability is safe, but it can get boring. Mix up your staple teaching strategies with new and novel activities from time to time. Talk to other teachers for ideas. In addition to engagement, you'll also be giving your students an example of what it means to take a risk and try something new.

Experimenting with some new parts of the teacher toolkit also makes it easier to differentiate your instruction. A new activity or delivery method might be the trick to engaging that student who has been a tough nut to crack all year.

6. Give brain breaks

Periodically give students a breather with brain breaks. These are short activities that allow students to stretch their legs before returning to work feeling focused. You can find a list of 20 brain breaks at Mind Bloom.

Meritopia in Mathletics is gamified learning at its best and keeps students engaged! When students earn enough points in Mathletics, they get the perfect brain break in Meritopia by discovering new lands and unlocking characters.

5. Be personable

Relationships and rapport are pillars of lasting engagement, and you can't have either without being personable. This means getting to know your students and letting them get to know you.

While enthusiasm for the learning content might ebb and flow, your smile, laughter, and conversation will engage students every time they walk through your classroom door.

4. Encourage friendly competition

Use in-class games, quizzes, or gamified learning programs to engage students with friendly competition. For example, Live Mathletics (a feature in Mathletics) allows students to test their mathematical skills by competing in 60-second quizzes against peers in their class or around the globe in real time.

"Friendly" is the keyword here. Make sure competitive activities are low stakes and put the emphasis on learning instead of winning.

3. Start lessons with introductory hooks

Engage students from the outset of your lesson with an introductory hook. This could be anything that piques interest, establishes relevance, or inspires curiosity in the subject of the lesson, for example:

a personal anecdote connected to the subject

a brain teaser or challenge question

a historical example

a multimedia source.

Keep your hooks short and segue them directly into an overview of the learning goal. It's an effective opening that engages while setting students up for the main instructional component.

2. Laugh together

Weaving humour throughout your lesson lightens the mood and makes for a more fun experience. Laugh with your students, and don't be afraid to let them laugh at you from time to time!

1. Gamify learning

Games are the most powerful source of engagement for students outside of class, and they're equally effective at driving engagement in learning. Transform activities into games by including levels of difficulty, rewards, and competitive elements. You can read more about gamifying learning here.

You don't have to invest hours in creating rules and drawing up game boards, either. Gamified learning programs can do the work for you. The learning programs in the 3P suite, for example, provide a host of student-friendly games for mathematics, literacy, and science. All you have to do is select the appropriate curriculum and grant your students access.

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20 Student Engagement Strategies for a Captivating Classroom

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Here's our list of the best student engagement strategies to help you create an engaging classroom and better connect with students.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVHiJNpvnAU

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Creativity in the classroom (in 5 minutes or less!) | Catherine Thimmesh | TEDxUniversityofStThomas

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Social-Emotional Learning: What Is SEL and Why SEL Matters

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As teachers, we sometimes make the assumption that students come to us "ready to learn." Although we'd hope students would be able to easily follow classroom procedures and routines from the get-go, that's not always the case. Student behavior can-and often does-get in the way. In a survey, 70% of educators reported that student behavior has gotten increasingly worse over the last five years. Valuable learning time is lost, whether it's getting students to pay attention or managing disruptive behavior.

So, what can we do about it? To start with, we can't continue to assume that students enter our classrooms with the emotional skills to follow classroom expectations, interact cooperatively with classmates, and engage in meaningful learning. Emotions drive behavior, so we have to start with the basics of emotions to help students with their own regulation. Do your students know how to identify what they're feeling? Can they explain what made them feel that way? The KidConnect Ready2Learn SEL Curriculum from The Connection Model provides a roadmap to help your students develop these fundamental skills while seamlessly integrating with your curriculum.

Teaching emotional regulation skills might just be the missing piece to your classroom puzzle. So, what is emotional regulation and how can we teach it?

What is emotional regulation?

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage your emotions by monitoring, evaluating, and modifying your emotional reactions (aka your behavior) in ways that are constructive and adaptive.

This particular definition underscores the reality we face. We all have emotions, but the most important skill is how we learn to manage them. While managing emotions is not a skill that comes naturally to all of us, we can all learn it.

Emotional regulation can look like the ability to:

Identify what you're feeling

Respond to feelings without overreacting

Manage changes in the environment

Control impulses

Calm down when getting upset

Handle emotions in a healthy way

How do we regulate emotions?

Psychologists break emotional regulation into three broad categories: suppression, reappraisal, and acceptance. When you suppress emotions, you push them down, refusing to acknowledge or act on them. This can be helpful in the short term, but it doesn't actually help you deal with the emotion. It's all still there under the surface, waiting to bubble up again.

Reappraisal is about reframing the situation in your mind, allowing you to deal with it calmly and rationally. We can teach kids reappraisal skills in a variety of ways, such as using mindfulness techniques. We can also urge them to simply accept their emotions, acknowledging them as valid but not letting them control their actions.

As adults, we know these skills don't come easily, but that's all the more reason to focus on teaching them. "For kids, dysregulation makes life challenging, friendships difficult, and most significantly, it can make learning impossible," warns Lori Jackson, a school psychologist who co-founded The Connections Model. "To curb that, we need to teach emotional regulation so kids can realize that they're in control of their feelings and subsequent actions."

Why is it important to teach emotional regulation?

Kids will have a much harder time learning until they can manage their emotions. Developing emotional regulation is as important as developing academic skills. In fact, children who can regulate their emotions are more likely to do well in school and get along with peers. This makes sense since, at the core, emotion drives behavior.

Good emotional regulation can help kids:

Express themselves in ways that don't involve losing their temper

Pay attention and listen to learn

Control their impulses

Maintain focus on a task

Take turns

Socialize appropriately

Reflect on choices and consequences

Bounce back from setbacks

Stop themselves from getting overwhelmed

Manage being upset

Feel calm and in control

What's the best way to teach emotional regulation?

We talked with Lori Jackson, school psychologist and co-founder of The Connections Model. Here's a summary of her recommendations: We have to teach students the basics of emotions to lay the foundation for the development of higher-level skills like empathy and interactive social skills. These skills are what will allow our students to succeed in the classroom by building their own emotional management and driving their own learning. The good news is that every student is capable of learning these skills and it can start in a simple way. For guided lessons and curriculum using this model, check out the The KidConnect Ready2Learn SEL Curriculum for grades 1-5.

Try this framework:

Teach students to name and be able to identify typical emotions.

Teach them to connect the emotions with the events that "trigger" or elicit their reactions.

Teach them to "replace" or change the behavior that comes from the emotions by learning new strategies and simple mindfulness techniques.

Is emotional regulation SEL?

Emotional regulation falls under the umbrella of SEL (social-emotional skills). SEL skills include self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

We like to think of the skills that build emotional regulation as the foundation of SEL. Without the ability to regulate our emotions, we have a harder time regulating ourselves. And since emotions drive our behavior, we have a hard time responding appropriately to social situations and building relationships. So, the first step in regulating emotions is learning how.

Read more: What Is SEL?

Ideas for practicing emotional regulation in the classroom

Now knowing how important emotional regulation is, what are some ways to teach students this essential skill in the classroom?

1. Learn to identify emotions

Teaching students to identify their emotions is at the forefront of the KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum. In teaching students emotional regulation, the first step of their curriculum across all grade levels includes learning to name specific emotions. Lori Jackson, a school psychologist, and Steve Peck, a special education teacher, developed the KidConnect Ready2Learn curriculum, which explicitly teaches children to manage their emotions. "We noticed that so many of our students were having issues learning, socializing, and succeeding because they lacked the skills needed to manage their emotions. So we developed a process that was both easy to teach and easy to learn and teaches the underlying principles but then allows kids to apply and practice those skills in the classroom and everywhere they go."

Talk to students about different emotions and how those emotions can cause us to act. For instance, many kids will realize that they cry when they're sad. But not everyone cries under those circumstances-some people get very quiet or even show anger instead. Start with simple emotions, and ask students to name situations where they might feel those emotions. Then, ask them how they behave when they feel a certain way.

2. Think about emotions in advance

Begin the school day by asking your students a question to find out how they are feeling or what might be bothering them. Writing the question on the whiteboard and having students write their answers on sticky notes is an easy way to implement it into your routine. "Ask your students about their homework or what they ate for breakfast. Ask if anyone fought with their brother or sister," suggests Jackson. "The idea is to discuss any event that likely elicited a feeling and have everyone share. This sets the tone for the day, giving you the heads up on who might have a tough day and why."

3. Use books to teach emotions

Stories can be great examples of handling emotions in a responsible way. They can serve as safe and inviting ways to start the conversation about the range of feelings we have and how to handle each. By reading and talking through how the characters' emotions connect with their actions, students can start to talk through how emotions drive behaviors. Check out these children's books for teaching SEL skills.

4. Make sure emotions are a focus in your classroom

Build your students' emotion vocabulary by giving them direct access to those words and feelings. Try creating a word wall filled with feelings words. Then, when kids are demonstrating certain behaviors, ask them to look at the wall and choose the words to describe how they're feeling. This helps them connect those actions and emotions and consider what coping strategies they can try.

5. Integrate emotions into your academics and activities

One of the easiest ways to integrate the teaching of emotions is to make it a part of your daily schedule and routine. When you go through your daily schedule with your students, ask them to tell you the emotions they think they will feel. Does math make them anxious? Bored? Tired? Will recess make them nervous because they don't always have someone to hang out with? Spending a few minutes anticipating what emotions might emerge allows you to help your students think about how they will manage those emotions. What strategies can they come up with to manage their emotions? Write them down so that you can remind them to use those strategies in the moment. This process isn't magic, but over time this activity helps to build the emotional regulation process, allowing them to become better able to focus on their learning.

6. Act it out

Role-play how to handle different situations, especially those that your students struggle with. Write each scenario on a note card. For example: You get invited to a birthday party. You slip and fall while walking home from school. You open a birthday present you don't like. Then, have students talk them through or act them out. How would they feel? What would they do? How does their feeling connect with their behavior?

7. Teach mindfulness strategies

According to Mindful.org, mindfulness is "the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us." There are dozens of mindfulness strategies, from meditation and deep breathing to journaling and drawing. As kids learn a strategy that's useful to them, they can add it to their own emotional regulation toolkit. Explore 50+ mindfulness activities here.

8. Create a calm-down corner

Set aside a dedicated, positive reflection space in your classroom where kids can go to practice their emotional regulation skills. A calm-down corner, sometimes known as a peace corner, gives kids a positive, safe place to recenter and refocus so they can join the learning again. You can stock it with helpful tools like emotion charts, fidget toys, social-emotional books, and more. Learn how to create your own calm-down corner here.

9. Watch a video

Share this helpful video that explains big emotions to kids. It can help reinforce the topic using a different medium while providing three simple steps to get students thinking about their own emotional regulation.

10. Focus on progress, not perfection

Emotional regulation isn't about being perfect-it's not about responding to every change and frustration without emotion. No adult is even expected to do that. It is about learning and practicing all the ways kids can respond to emotions, and adjusting as they grow and learn over time.

Why do some kids struggle with emotional regulation?

We all struggle with emotional regulation at some point (anyone who has sat in a meeting that went on 10 minutes too long can relate), but how much we struggle with emotional regulation depends both on temperament and learned behavior. A child's temperament is innate. Even as babies, some children have more trouble self-soothing. Other kids seem to be able to manage any emotion with no problem. How adults respond to kids' big reactions impacts the behaviors that children use to manage their emotions, for good and bad. For example, if a child has a temper tantrum because it's time to leave the park, and the adult gives in and lets them have 10 more minutes to play, the chance that the child will scream and kick the next time they are given a limit and feel unhappy is pretty high. Whereas, if the adult sets the limit and coaches the child through their unhappiness, the child learns how to manage disappointment without throwing a tantrum.

Additionally, many kids with disabilities, like ADHD and autism, have deficits in emotional regulation. So, in order for them to learn, they need to manage their emotions first.

But the good news is that everyone can learn emotional regulation. With practice and the right methods, everyone can learn to be their own emotional manager. Not only will that help your students become better learners and happier people, but you'll have a more engaged classroom overall!

Check out KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum to get the tools you need to help learners identify, understand, and manage their emotions, which allows them to be in control of their behavior and engaged in learning.

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What Is Emotional Regulation? Plus Tips for Teaching It

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Controlling your emotions is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Get teacher-tested ideas for helping students learn emotional regulation.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

A writing unit for first grade can help develop prosocial classroom behaviors, a reliable indicator of future academic success.

Allison Shelley for the Alliance for Excellent Education

Social and emotional learning is gaining traction in schools across the United States as educational organizations and inquisitive teachers rethink, adapt, and reinvent traditional classroom practices to find ways to integrate SEL into academics. There's still large-scale work to be done; traditional curricula that teachers have access to and are routinely expected to follow often don't offer comprehensive support for developing emotional awareness or social skills. Nor do they scaffold strategies for emotional regulation or how to resolve conflicts.

With creativity and research, however, and the gumption to back it up, teachers can integrate SEL into virtually any lesson.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is at the forefront of helping to make research-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education from preschool through high school by working with schools, districts, teachers, families, communities, and legislators. On the federal and state levels, CASEL engages with policy makers and promotes legislation that supports evidence-based SEL policies. CASEL works directly with educators in partner schools, offers workshops, and provides a plethora of free resources for schools.

SEL: A Base for Academic Success

As a first-grade teacher in a Title 1 elementary school in Central Los Angeles, I witnessed this dynamic firsthand. Some of my brightest students and highest readers had the most meltdowns that prevented them from completing work, accessing lessons, or participating. Where might they be academically in three or five years with the same behavior? Fortunately, my school believed in the value of SEL and encouraged teachers to incorporate this learning as we saw fit.

CASEL provides a framework for educators to reference and use as guidance for implementing age-appropriate SEL in their classrooms. The CASEL framework "addresses five broad and interrelated areas of competence and highlights examples for each: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making." Educators take the stage of their students' development and skill level into account in applying the framework to lesson design.

A Writing Unit for SEL Integration

I designed a writing unit incorporating the CASEL framework, focusing on the self-awareness competency: the ability to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. As a school, we used Lucy Calkins's Units of Study in our English language arts curriculum. These units include reading and writing workshops that are essentially inquiry-based and interwoven with state literacy standards.

Carefully swapping out books and altering writing prompts while maintaining the structure of literacy skills development (reading comprehension, phonics, writing components), I designed a four-week-long narrative unit to explore emotional awareness.

During our Writer's Workshop block, we read four different picture books from the acclaimed Trace Moroney's Feelings Series (also available in Spanish) that explore emotions一how to identify our or others' emotions and strategies for changing how we feel. We read When I'm Feeling Happy, When I'm Feeling Sad, When I'm Feeling Angry, and When I'm Feeling Nervous. Our week began with a read-aloud and opened into days of discussions, writing, and art. Through those weeks, I watched my students' writing come alive and their relationships blossom.

Earlier in the year, I had already introduced my students to Zones of Regulation, a curriculum that educators use to teach students about emotions and emotional control, which set the foundation for some emotional vocabulary and more academic exploration. We discussed which feelings zones our emotions fall into and the times we felt these emotions. I was amazed by how passionate my students were in their verbal sharing and writings. Everyone was bursting to participate.

Validating Emotions

"When was a time you were angry?" I asked during our Anger week. "Have you ever gotten in trouble for something you didn't do?" My students poured out stories about being framed and blamed by siblings, about being embarrassed by a parent; they listened to each other intently and even laughed at the right moments. It was important to me to give them space to share their own stories, for them to not feel that they had to give me a "right" answer.

Once we exhausted sharing about what made us feel a certain way, we discussed what made us feel better either at home or at school. My students described taking a break at the Calm Table, focusing on their breathing, talking to an adult or friend, coloring, being alone, reading a book, and more. Midweek, I initiated a Shared Writing lesson, and we made a book together about our "emotion of the week" based on student responses. I also added their ideas to a Strategy anchor chart that was filled with ideas for regulating emotions in the classroom.

To conclude the week, students wrote and drew independently about the emotion. I collected their writings each week and bound them into a big book that stayed on our Calm Table for students to read. When I presented the books to them, students glowed with pride.

I began noticing that when my students needed a break to calm down when frustrated or when they needed cheering up, they would often read through these books on their own to get support from their classmates' stories. Interestingly, before our unit there had been a culture among my students, most notably the boys, that talking about feelings was taboo or babyish. As our unit unfolded, all my students began talking to each other about how they felt, and there was a softer tone in the classroom.

In tandem with our other SEL work, my class transformed over months from a space rife with meltdowns and arguments to a more friendly, functional place. I watched my students use the strategies they generated together in the classroom when they needed them. References to this work showed up in our morning circles of emotional check-ins. My students also began helping remind other students to use strategies to cope when they could tell someone was upset or sad.

It can be intimidating for educators to deviate from standard, traditional curricula, and some schools won't allow teachers to do so. However, if teachers understand state learning standards, the skills that students need to master, and effective teaching strategies, there is room for creativity. Often, teachers do versions of this regardless; veteran teachers know that the exact lessons and activities that worked for a class of students one year may not work at all for their next year's students. Why not redesign certain lessons with SEL goals in mind?

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Integrating SEL Into Writing Instruction

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A writing unit for first grade can help develop prosocial classroom behaviors, a reliable indicator of future academic success.

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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth | TED

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5 Incredibly Fun GAMES to Teach Self-Regulation (Self-Control) | Social Emotional Learning

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https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/study-shows-simple-intervention-helps-build-emotional-resilience-during-covid-19/

Also relate to the EFRAT model in my opinion

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As a measure of potential practical impact, the data revealed that the magnitude of emotional benefits driven by reappraisal was equal to, or even greater than, the emotional harms caused by such extreme conditions as being in lockdown or self-isolation during the pandemic.

Study methods included showing participants photos about the pandemic and measuring their emotional responses after learning reappraisal techniques briefly in an online survey and comparing the findings to the responses of an active control group - reflecting on thoughts and feelings - and a passive control group - responding naturally - that did not learn any reappraisal techniques.

The authors also tested two methods of reappraisal intervention, namely reconstrual and repurposing. Reconstrual involves changing how a person construes or mentally represents a situation to change the emotional response. The other method, called repurposing, calls for focusing on a potentially positive outcome to change the emotional response, such as thinking that the pandemic helps us recognize who are the most important people in our lives.

Overall, the study found little difference between the effectiveness of the two reappraisal methods - they both had marked positive impact. The report concludes that "both approaches significantly decreased negative emotional responses and significantly increased positive emotional responses across all primary outcome measures."

Importantly, they also found that the improved emotional response to the pandemic did not reduce subjects' intentions to practice preventive health behaviors. One expectation going in was that improved emotions about the pandemic might encourage people to let their guard down about prevention. The data did not bear out that concern.

For those in the behavioral sciences, the study's analysis of the two forms of reappraisals offers nuanced insights into those specific interventions. But for policymakers, the primary takeaway is the broader conclusion that reappraisal interventions work - and are worth investing in where resilience is important for public welfare.

For all those who seek to help others respond to emotionally distressing events with resilience, the study provides clear, low-cost, scalable strategies. Rather than rely on intuition or anecdotal evidence, public health leaders can now rely on hard data from scores of countries documenting that reappraisal heightens improvements in emotional resilience.

"Essential workers, nurses and doctors, students, patients, and many other populations whose work and life are highly affected by the pandemic could potentially benefit from reappraisal interventions," the authors write. "Because these interventions are inexpensive, brief, and scalable, they could be implemented through a variety of media and communication mechanisms, such as advertising campaigns, speeches, courses, apps, and mobile games."

Read Full Story

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Emotion regulation strategy reduces negative, increases the positive

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As a measure of potential practical impact, the data revealed that the magnitude of emotional benefits driven by reappraisal was equal to, or even greater than, the emotional harms caused by such extreme conditions as being in lockdown or self-isolation during the pandemic.

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How to Teach Failure, Grit, and Growth Mindset

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https://thehighlyeffectiveteacher.com/how-to-promote-resilience-in-your-students/

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Is resilience the key to student success? How to develop resilience in our students is a hot topic in education and health at the moment and for a good reason

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyPUY38blZQ

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Check-In / Check-Out: Providing a Daily Support System for Students

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6NmegdUK-I

I just had to add something about Whole Brain Teaching because I think it is the epitome of Academic Engagement.

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Whole Brain Teaching 5 Step Lesson: Middle School Science

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I am a big fan of creativity!!! It does make life more enjoyable and let's students get the feeling that there is more than one way to do something and how to look at things from a different perspective. Very fun ideas here.

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I think this would be an incredibly important and eye opening topic to showcase/discuss with high school students. Personally, I try to live by this rule:). Hope everyone finds it as helpful as I did.

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Love the Process | DON'T Follow Your Passion

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Do The Hula

Do The Hula is played in a circle, with all children holding hands.

First, demonstrate how to get your body through a hula hoop without using your hands. Make sure that each child has a space in the circle.

Then, play the game as follows:

1. Place the hula hoop over two people’s interlocked hands so it cannot escape the circle.

2. Tell the children that the goal of the game is to get the hula hoop all the way around the circle without anyone letting go of their neighbors’ hands.

3. Start the game, and have everyone cheer on the children that are currently trying to move the hula hoop.

4. Once the game has been played for one round, discuss the group’s successes and challenges and try it again.

This game is a great way to show children that when conflict or challenges arise, there are ways to deal with them. Even if they face seemingly insurmountable challenges, together they can find a way to overcome them.

Variations on this game include challenging the group to beat a chosen time, playing with eyes shut, or dividing the circle into two circles and having them compete against each other.

https://positivepsychology.com/resilience-activities-worksheets/

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You may think you're not very resilient.

The word "resilient" might bring to mind all the struggles and setbacks that have plagued you in your life.

You might be thinking about how hard it is to recover from some of the worst ones. You may be thinking, "I'm not resilient at all. Look at how often I've struggled to get back up!"

If you're thinking any of these thoughts, then you are probably one of the most resilient people. You have suffered, you have struggled, you have waded through a seemingly unstoppable tide of difficulty - and you have survived.

The human capacity for burden is like bamboo - far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance.

Jodi Picoult

We tend to think of resilient people as those who are unaffected by the challenges of life, or who take a setback with a smile and laugh in the face of their obstacles. But this is not resilience.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back, again and again, with every obstacle we face.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Resilience Exercises for free. These engaging, science-based exercises will help you to effectively deal with difficult circumstances and give you the tools to improve the resilience of your clients, students, or employees.

The person showing little emotional distress in difficulty is not necessarily displaying resilience. The person who fails and feels intense negative emotions, yet tries again the next day, is displaying resilience.

Put simply, resilience is the ability to adapt and we can all demonstrate resilience. Granted, some people may be more resilient than others, but it is not an immutable trait or characteristic that you either do or don't have. Resilience is a learned ability and one that you can build.

Resilience is not the absence of distress or difficulty. Resilience is the ability to adapt and grow following adversity.

Some of these resilience activities and exercises may help you develop your resilience, while others might make you realize how resilient you already are.

Either way, the outcome is more confidence in your ability to bounce back.

Read on if you're ready to learn more about how to boost your resilience and meet challenges with confidence in yourself and your ability to succeed, even after failure.

4 Resilience Activities for Adults

We'll provide several resources for building resilience, but first, let's take a look at what the American Psychological Association has to say about building resilience.

According to the APA (American Psychological Association, 2009), there are 10 ways to build resilience, many of which will be applied in the training, exercises, and activities listed later:

Making connections and building your social support network;

Avoiding the tendency to view crises as insurmountable challenges;

Accepting that change is a natural and unavoidable part of life;

Moving towards your (realistic) goals;

Taking decisive actions that will help you face your challenges;

Looking for opportunities for self-discovery;

Nurturing a positive view of yourself and your abilities;

Keeping things in perspective and in context;

Maintaining a hopeful outlook on life;

And taking care of yourself.

These ten basic principles of improving resilience can be applied on your own, in a guided therapeutic relationship, or in training and courses on resilience.

PositivePsychology.com Realizing Resilience Coaching Masterclass

If you're a helping professional seeking a comprehensive resource to help your clients build resilience, take a look at our Realizing Resilience Coaching Masterclass.

In this course, you'll gain science-backed tools to show your clients how to navigate life's ups and downs with poise and resilience, enabling them to improve their overall wellbeing.

The course comprises six modules.

1. Positive Psychology 2.0

You'll begin by delving into the darker side of the human experience, often triggered by adverse events. In doing this, you'll gain the skills to teach and apply positive psychology principles in a holistic and balanced way.

2. Resiliences

Next, you will discover the characteristics that make up a resilient person and the four key elements of resilience. The modules that follow explore these four elements in more detail.

3. Attention

In Module 3, you will learn about the first element of resilience-attention. In this module, you'll develop an understanding of how resilient people direct their attention to positive and negative life events.

4. Thoughts

The second element of resilience you'll learn about regards thoughts. In this module, you'll gain a range of practical tools and exercises to help your clients direct their thoughts in constructive ways based on the best scientific practice and theory.

5. Action

Resilient people are quick to adopt adaptive coping strategies in the face of negative events. Module 5 will teach you to arm your clients with these strategies.

6. Motivation

What drives resilient people to persist and engage in positive coping in the face of adversity? This final module will answer this question and teach you about the last key element of resilience-motivation.

The Realizing Resilience Coaching Masterclass© includes a range of useful materials, including live recordings, a workbook for your clients, PowerPoint presentations, and extended usage rights to save you time developing your own materials.

Adult Resilience Program

This program is intended for teenagers and adults over the age of 16. It is offered online and is especially helpful for older students dealing with stress or pressure from school, family, and upcoming transitions.

This program will help participants:

Identify their feelings and develop empathy;

Control and regulate difficult or intense emotions;

Learn relaxation techniques;

Practice mindfulness;

Prevent bullying, for both bullies and victims;

Resist peer pressure and develop positive relationships;

Compromise in difficult situations and avoid conflict;

Choose appropriate role models;

Set realistic and achievable goals;

Learn organizational and focus skills;

And develop non-internet-based friendships and relationships.

This course is delivered through five sessions of 2 to 2.5 hours and guided by a facilitator. Click here to learn more about this training endorsed by the World Health Organization.

Samaritans Resilience Training

The Samaritan's organization trains for adults in their "Building Resilience and Wellbeing" course.

This course helps participants:

Explore the connection between emotional health and resilience, and understand how resilience can positively impact our lives;

Assess their own resilience skills;

Recognize the indicators of stress and identify sources of support;

Learn the Keys of Resilience;

Identify practical steps they can take to build resilience;

And build a personalized action plan.

The course generally takes place over one day and can be delivered at locations throughout the UK.

Click here to learn more about this course.

Reaching In Reaching Out (RIRO)

If you're a parent, coach, therapist, or mental health professional seeking a more structured approach to helping clients or children build resilience, the Reaching In Reaching Out Resiliency Skills Training program can help.

It consists of 12 hours of training divided into two parts:

Part 1 helps adults build their own foundation in resilience and learn resiliency skills they can model and encourage in their children. These skills include:

1. Identifying and strengthening resilience abilities.

2. Using strategies to stay calm and focused when experiencing stress.

3. Recognizing how thoughts can affect the ability to cope.

4. Challenging thinking patterns that hinder resilience.

5. Generating alternative ways to deal with conflict and stress.

Part 2 teaches participants how to apply these skill to children, through:

1. Modeling the skills and fostering resilience in children.

2. Using their own resiliency skills to help them understand their children's or clients' behavior.

3. Incorporating resiliency skills into their work by using child-friendly approaches.

This training can be completed in two full days, four half-days, six after-work sessions, or 10-12 brief sessions.

To access the RIRO skills training, click here.

4 Resilience Worksheets for Youth and Students

There are many resources to help students and youth build resilience, including worksheets they can work through on their own or with the guidance of a trusted adult.

A few of these worksheets are listed below.

1. Coloring in for Emotional Clarity

The goal of this worksheet is to help children and students explore their feelings through color.

At the same time, it's a good way to help them gain some insight into the feelings they experience in different situations.

To guide students through this worksheet, ask students to recall a recent emotional experience. This could be positive, such as an exciting birthday party, or negative - like an argument with a friend.

The instructions are simple: have the students close their eyes and try to reconnect with their feelings during that situation, color in the Mandala in a way that represents how they feel.

They can use a variety of colors or just one color, as well as their own choice of materials - however it should best represent their feelings.

After they have colored each section in, discuss the color(s) with them. Ask them to reflect on why they chose the color or colors they used, and use questions and active listening to open up more dialogue if you feel it will help.

This Coloring in for Emotional Clarity worksheet can help students discover and express their own feelings, as well as help parents or teachers, learn about how the student or child is doing with each area of their life. Before issues can be addressed and learned from, they must first be discussed.

You can access the full worksheet with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit© and you can also click on the image to print the mandala.

2. My Gifts - Traits and Talents

Completing this exercise can help children and students recognize and appreciate the talents, strengths, and positive traits they have. Encouraging kids to see them as "gifts" adds a fun twist to the whole activity as your child creates a creative "gift box".

To guide you through this exercise, you will need:

1. Gift box template (find this in the worksheet)

2. Scissors

3. Glue

4. Markers

5. Craft items to decorate with (such as stickers, sequins, glitter, etc.)

6. Small pieces of paper with different gifts, traits, and strengths written on them.

Begin by explaining that this exercise will focus on who you are inside.

The first step is identifying the gifts, traits and talents that students feel they have. These include qualities like:

There is also space at the end of this page to write down a few qualities or characteristics not already listed, so encourage students to be creative if they think some of their " gifts" or good qualities are missing.

The second step is for students to share these traits and talents that they chose. Students should describe why they chose each gift or quality and give examples of how these qualities fit them.

Step Three is to give students the gift box cutout provided. Have them cut along the dotted lines and arrange the box, then decorate it with their name, their favorite color(s), or any of the craft items they would like to use.

Click the link to download My Gifts - Traits and Talents.

3. Learning From My Work

This exercise helps students learn from how they did on a particular assignment or task and learn how to improve in the future.

In order to develop resilience, it's important to be realistic about setting and striving towards goals, learning from one's mistakes, and trying again.

This worksheet presents nine dichotomous pairs of statements with a scale in between. The student should be instructed to indicate on the scale how they feel in regards to these two opposite statements.

The statements include:

"I did better than I thought I would" vs. "I didn't do as well as I imagined"

"I pushed myself and worked hard" vs. "I could have tried a bit harder"

"I took a chance by trying out something new" vs. "I stuck to what I knew, because that's what I feel sure of."

"I changed my work as I went along" vs. "I stuck to my approach throughout"

"I listened to others' feedback" vs. "I kept going using my own approach"

"My work and ideas were my own" vs. "I had help from other sources"

"I was clear on the task" vs. "I was unsure what I was supposed to do"

"I'm satisfied with my results" vs. "I'm not content with my results"

"I was working on a deadline" vs. "It was a continuing project"

Use the students' responses on this Learning From My Work exercise to help them discover where they are satisfied with their work and where they could devote more attention. Encourage them to do better next time, and emphasize that their performance is always a work in progress.

If they feel they have failed themselves or their teacher, help them to see that failure is a crucial part of life and not the end of the world when we learn from it.

4. What Is Hope?

This simple worksheet can help students learn to develop hope and build resiliency.

It will guide students through a thought exercise in what hope is, how they tend to think about and experience hope, and how to facilitate greater hope in their lives.

This worksheet includes a series of questions to help students explore this topic, including:

Aristotle once said: "Hope is a waking dream." What do you feel this means to you, personally?

Have your own hopes changed throughout your life? How?

What are three of your biggest aspirations right now?

How has being hopeful, or feeling hopeless, influenced choices you've made?

Has anything happened to you that caused you to lose hope?

What kind of things, people, or activities give you hope? Where do you feel your hope, or your hopelessness, comes from in life?

In what ways do your surroundings give you more or less hope? How have they given you more or less hope in the past?

What kinds of things need to occur for you to feel more hopeful about your life?

You can find this worksheet here.

4 Resilience Building Games for Kids in Primary School

Primary or elementary school is an excellent time to begin building resilience.

Children are so adaptable already, that introducing the idea of resilience is much easier than teaching resilience to adults.

Games are certainly one of the best ways to build resilience. Listed below are some of the best games for teaching resilience in primary or elementary school.

1. I Love My Classmate

This is a great game for helping foster kindness in children. Kindness is important on its own, but learning kindness for others in addition to the self is also vital as a piece of resilience.

This game is played with a number of chairs formed into a circle. Make sure there is one less chair than the number of players.

The game is played in the following steps:

1. The person standing in the center of the circle begins by saying "I love my classmate, particularly my classmate who...", completing the sentence with a piece of information that is true for him- or herself. For example, the player could say something like "... particularly my classmate who has a cat" or "... especially my classmate who plays hockey."

2. As soon as s/he is finished, everyone who this applies to (including the person in the center) moves from their chair to an empty one that is not right next to them.

3. The person who remains in the middle begins a second round of the game.

This game will help children get to know each other if they don't already know each other well, learn about what they have in common with others, and practice kindness towards one another by repeating the phrase "I love my classmate."

Download the instructions for I Love My Classmate.

2. It's Not a Secret...

This game can be played with only several pairs of children and some space. If there is an odd number of children, you can play with them to make an even number.

To play, separate students into pairs of two and designate one of them as student A and the other student B.

Instruct student A to listen to student B for a specified amount of time, perhaps 15 seconds for very young children or a minute for older children.

Instruct student B to finish the sentence " It's not a secret that..." They can finish this sentence with any information about themselves, whether it's their family structure, the classes they like best in school, their hobbies, their pets, their favorite or least favorite things or anything else they'd like to share.

Student B repeats this sentence several times, completing it with a new piece of information each time.

When the time is up, have students A and B switch roles, so A speaks while B listens.

This game is another good way for students to get to know each other and to practice active listening. It may even help strike up a few friendships! Having meaningful relationships and practicing kindness is a great way to build resilience.

Download the worksheet to read more about It's Not a Secret.

3. Shuffle

Shuffle is played with a four-square court or four markers forming a square with an additional cone in the middle. Review rock-paper-scissors with the children before you begin.

The steps of the game are:

1. Five players can play at a time, with each player occupying either a corner or the middle. All other children should be in a line, ready to play when their turn comes.

2. The game begins when the person in the middle says "Shuffle."

3. At this point, all players must find a new corner or cone to occupy, but no one can go to the center cone.

4. If two players arrive at a corner at the same time, they must play rock-paper-scissors for the corner. The winner stays in the corner, and the loser is "out."

5. The next person in line becomes the person in the middle and begins the next round.

This game helps children learn how to deal with conflict. Meaningful connections are vital to developing resilience, but conflict arises in all relationships at some point. While most conflicts cannot be solved with only "rock-paper-scissors," this teaches children that conflict can be solved. Although they may be disappointed by being "out" of the game, they will quickly learn that, in life as in the game, their turn will come again.

You can read about this game and its other variations at this link: Shuffle.

4. Do The Hula

Do The Hula is played in a circle, with all children holding hands.

First, demonstrate how to get your body through a hula hoop without using your hands. Make sure that each child has a space in the circle.

Then, play the game as follows:

1. Place the hula hoop over two people's interlocked hands so it cannot escape the circle.

2. Tell the children that the goal of the game is to get the hula hoop all the way around the circle without anyone letting go of their neighbors' hands.

3. Start the game, and have everyone cheer on the children that are currently trying to move the hula hoop.

4. Once the game has been played for one round, discuss the group's successes and challenges and try it again.

This game is a great way to show children that when conflict or challenges arise, there are ways to deal with them. Even if they face seemingly insurmountable challenges, together they can find a way to overcome them.

Variations on this game include challenging the group to beat a chosen time, playing with eyes shut, or dividing the circle into two circles and having them compete against each other.

To see more about this game, click Do The Hula.

4 Exercises for Developing Resilience

There are many resources for developing resilience in adults aside from courses. For example, there are several exercises that can help build resiliency skills. A few of these exercises are listed below.

1. The Brief Resilience Scale

The Brief Resilience Scale is an assessment for understanding your current resilience. While this may not build your resilience directly, it can give you a general overview of your current resiliency skills and abilities. In order to increase your resilience, it's important to know where you stand.

Designed to be compact, the scale itself includes only six questions. Each self-report item is answered on a five-point Likert scale, where 5 indicates "Strongly Agree," and 1 represents "Strongly Disagree."

Example items include:

It does not take me long to recover from a stressful event; and

It is hard for me to snap back when something bad happens.

Doing this exercise will help you to recognize where you are in terms of resilience and begin to identify where you can improve from your current state of resilience.

You can access the Brief Resilience Scale with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit©.

2. Exploring Past Resilience

This exercise focuses on your past experiences with resilience.

Start by thinking about a time in your life that was particularly challenging or demanding, especially one that was emotionally draining or difficult emotionally. Think about how you handled that situation and eventually came through on the other side.

Next, answer some questions to consider the different resilience skills and strategies you applied. For example:

What was your objective at the time?

What challenges did you need to overcome?

What difficult thoughts and emotions do you recall experiencing at the time?

What skills were helpful to you in dealing with the situation? What perspectives or mindsets in particular?

Going through Exploring Past Resilience and answering these questions will help you to realize the resilience skills you already possess, which can aid you in further building on those skills.

Use this exercise to remind yourself that you have already practiced resilience many times before and that you are fully capable of handling whatever comes your way.

3. The Resilience Plan (The 4 S's)

This exercise can help you set goals on improving your resiliency and making sure you keep your resilience-building on track.

First, identify a recent experience in which demonstrating resilience helped you overcome adversity. Working through the sheet, you'll then learn about the 4 S's of resilience and how they helped you cope at the time:

Supportive people - People who gave you advice, or perhaps helped you develop a new, more helpful perspective

Strategies - Methods and approaches you implemented to deal with difficult thoughts and feelings

Sagacity - Wisdom and insights that may have been helpful

Solution-seeking behaviors - Planning, for instance, or searching for useful information.

Next, identify a current challenge you'd like to deal with by applying your resilience plan. The exercise will guide you through the steps of crafting a plan, and the worksheet includes examples and templates to get you started.

Finally, you're invited to apply and evaluate your 4-S Plan so that you can continue developing resilience for the future.

Resilience is like many other skills or abilities, in that you cannot put forth effort once and consider your learning done. To truly build meaningful resilience, it must be a practice rather than a crash course. Use this goal-setting exercise to facilitate your goal striving.

You can access the exercise in full detail with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit©.

4. It Could Be Worse...

This is an exercise that you can use for yourself or guide your clients through when they are feeling down or excessively worried.

"It Could Be Worse" refers to thinking about three ways that their situation could be worse, specifically for yourself or your client).

For example, if a friend flaked on your plans, you might feel upset or disappointed, which could lead to feeling abandoned or even to feelings of worthlessness. Instead of focusing on what happened in this situation, think about three ways that it could be worse.

For instance, you could think " I could have no friends at all," "I could have no family members to talk to," or " I could have nowhere to sleep tonight."

Spend a few minutes truly imagining each scenario. Think about what you would see, hear, and physically feel in each scenario.

It may seem counterintuitive to imagine things being worse, but thinking through these three ways can actually remind you of what you already have and instill gratitude for the good things in your life.

You can read more about this exercise here: It Could Be Worse.

Integrating the Science of Resilience in Schools: 5 Lesson Plans

As mentioned earlier, school is an excellent place to begin building resilience.

While parents can and should help their children develop resilience, a classroom setting with their peers and a qualified teacher guiding the way can be an excellent place to learn.

A few resources for resilience lesson planning are below.

Lesson Plans for Primary/Elementary and Middle School

Elementary or primary school is an excellent time to begin teaching resilience to children. The earlier children begin building resilience, the more likely it is to "stick." However, resilience is not something that can only be built in young children; children in middle school can also benefit greatly from resilience building.

The PDF from Lynne Namka and Talk, Trust, and Feel Therapeutics in Tucson, Arizona is an excellent source for lesson plans for young students. To access the PDF click here. It covers teaching a growth mindset, stress inoculation, giving effective praise, helping children deal with emotional trauma, and "bouncing back" after a setback.

There are tons of exercises, tools, and lesson plans in this PDF that teachers can use to help young students develop resilience.

Another great resource for lesson plans and suggestions for resilience building in young children comes from Professor Helen McGrath's Bounce Back! program.

"Bounce Back!" is an acronym for some of the foundational principles of resilience, specifically:

B - Bad times don't last, and things get better.

O - Other people can only help if you share with them.

U - Unhelpful thinking only makes you feel worse.

N - Nobody is perfect - not you, not your friends, not your family, not anybody!

C - Concentrate on the good things in life, no matter how small.

E - Everybody suffers, everybody feels pain and experiences setbacks; they are a normal part of life.

B - Blame fairly - negative events are often a combination of things you did, things others did, and plain bad luck.

A - Accept what you can't change and try to change what you can.

C - Catastrophizing makes things worse - don't fall prey to believing in the worst interpretation.

K - Keep things in perspective. Even the worst moment is but one moment in life.

McGrath applies these principles to building these components of resilience:

1. Courage

2. Managing feelings

3. Humor

4. Relationship skills

5. Self-knowledge

6. Goal setting skills

7. Optimistic thinking

8. Helpful thinking skills (avoiding cognitive distortions)

You can access a slideshow on the Bounce Back! program here to learn how to apply McGrath's resilience building principles and activities to each of these areas.

Additionally, the PDF from Connect with Kids provides a lesson plan for children in grades 3 to 5 called "Resilient Voices." It can be found on page 6 and guides students through listing problems they face in their lives, defining resilience, and building a foundation for resilience. To access the PDF click here.

Another lesson plan that can help students develop resilience can be found in the previous PDF on page 8 or in the PDF from Connect With Kids and the Drug Abuse Prevention Program in New York. To access the PDF click here. There is great information throughout this PDF, or skip to page 4 to see the Resilient Heroes lesson plan.

Lesson Plans for High School

While it's best to begin early, high school is still a time that is ripe for building foundational skills like resilience.

High school teachers should not be discouraged from incorporating resilience exercises and activities into their lesson plans, as high school students may be one of the groups that need resilience the most!

The website reachout.com provides excellent tools and lesson plans for teaching resilience to adolescents. These plans can be incorporated into classes to help high school students deal with difficult situations, including:

Illness;

Changing schools;

Transitioning from primary/elementary to middle school/junior high, middle school to high school, and high school to life beyond;

Difficult family situations like divorce;

Changes in friendship groups;

Conflict with peers;

Conflict with family members;

And a heavy student workload.

The lesson plans you can find here will help students to explore and build seven elements of resilience:

1. Emotional awareness and self-regulation

2. Impulse control

3. Optimism

4. Flexible and accurate thinking

5. Empathy

6. Self-efficacy

7. Connecting and reaching out

Exercises and activities are provided for each element, with tips for implementing resilience building and encouraging students along the way.

This lesson plan will help students learn about the Seven Resiliencies (insight, independence, relationships, initiative, creativity, humor, and morality) and explore the life of a historical hero, as well as apply the Seven Resiliencies to their own life.

If you are a school counselor, therapist or teacher, you would appreciate this excellent resource which will teach you how to teach resilience to others. Aptly named the ' Realizing Resilience Masterclass© ', the course consists of six modules that cover positive psychology, resilience, attention, thoughts, action, and finally motivation.

Highly recommended, this online course will enable you to empower others and make an impactful difference in their lives.

Bonus: 4 Shame Resilience Theory (SRT) Exercises

Aside from the benefits and advantages we know resilience can bring, there is another type of resilience that can greatly enhance the quality of life.

The Shame Resilience Theory was developed by author and researcher Brené Brown. Brown noticed that the fear of being vulnerable hindered meaningful connection with others, and one of the many reasons we fear vulnerability is the feeling of shame.

Shame is an intense and negative feeling of being hopelessly flawed and unworthy of love and acceptance, and it affects all of us at one point or another, but it can be especially gripping for some people.

Shame resilience is a specific kind of resilience to this intensely negative feeling, and building it can do wonderful things for our self-confidence, empathy, and human connection.

According to Dr. Brown, there are four elements of shame resilience:

1. Recognizing shame and understanding our shame triggers (physical sensations like elevated heart rate or shaking).

2. Practicing critical awareness, of ourselves and of our environment and the way things work.

3. Reaching out to others and sharing ourselves and our stories (building a social support network).

4. Speaking shame to keep it from flying under the radar (Graham & Graham, 2015).

When we recognize shame and understand our triggers, practice critical awareness, share with others, and keep shame out in the open, we lay the groundwork for a type of resilience that will greatly improve our connections with others, our self-esteem, and our overall wellbeing.

There are a few exercises that can be especially helpful for building shame resilience. A few of these are listed below, but many more are out there if you're interested in learning more.

Self-Compassion Exercises

Developing self-compassion can be an excellent way to combat shame and build resilience to its effects.

Dr. Kristin Neff is the pioneer of self-compassion research, and her website offers several guided meditations and exercises to increase compassion for the self.

1. How Would You Treat a Friend?

For example, a simple exercise that can set you on the right path is "How would you treat a friend?" This is a quick and easy exercise that anyone can do. All you need is a piece of paper, a pen, and a willingness to answer honestly.

To give this exercise a try, use your paper and pen to answer these questions:

First, think about the times when a close friend feels really bad about him or herself or is really struggling in some way. How would you respond to your friend in this situation (especially when you're at your best)? Please write down what you typically do, what you say, and note the tone in which you typically talk to your friends.

Now think about the times when you feel bad about yourself or are struggling. How do you typically respond to yourself in these situations? Please write down what you typically do, what you say, and note the tone in which you talk to yourself. Did you notice a difference? If so, ask yourself why. What factors or fears come into play that leads you to treat yourself and others so differently?

Finally, respond to this prompt: Please write down how you think things might change if you responded to yourself in the same way you typically respond to a close friend when you're suffering.

To see this exercise on Dr. Neff's self-compassion website, click here.

2. A Letter of Self-Compassion

Writing a self-directed letter can help you express your emotions and recognize that you are your own most important source of support. It gives you a chance to exercise self-kindness and keep in touch with yourself in a more understanding, forgiving way.

All you need to start journaling is paper, a writing instrument, and a willingness to write honestly.

Here is the Letter of Self-Compassion exercise.

3. Taking Care of the Caregiver

This exercise is intended specifically for those in a healthcare profession or those who take care of a family member.

People who spend so much time providing care for others often have a greater need for self-compassion and self-care.

The beautiful thing about this exercise is that you can practice it, however works best for you - the only requirement is that you do something for yourself that will meet your needs and help you recharge. This could be getting a massage, taking a long and leisurely walk, going to a yoga class, or spending time relaxing and doing nothing at all.

If you just can't find the time to do any of these in a specific moment of need, practice "on the job" self-care. When you're feeling overly stressed or overwhelmed in your caregiving, use soothing words or touch, or take a quick self-compassion break. Only you know what will work for you in the moment, but above all, give yourself permission to be human-with all of the flaws and pain that come with being human.

To read more about taking care of the caregiver, click here.

4. The Daring Way

This isn't so much an exercise as it is a program, one that requires committing time and energy in order to engage and reap the benefits. The Daring Way is an experiential methodology, facilitated by certified professionals and appropriate for individuals, couples, families, teams, and organizational leaders.

The focus of this training is on helping people build shame resiliency skills and become braver, more vulnerable individuals who accept their worthiness and live a fuller, more authentic life.

To learn more about The Daring Way, visit thedaringway.com.

A Take-Home Message

This article covered several ways to help build resilience in adults, young adults, adolescents, and young children. There are many more ways to build resilience, so don't feel constrained to these resilience activities.

I hope you find these exercises useful. How do you think resilience can shape the mind and strength of yourself and those around you? Did you try any of the exercises? Please leave us a comment below and let us know how it went. We love hearing from you.

Thanks for reading, and happy resilience building!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Resilience Exercises for free.

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27 Resilience Activities for Students and Adults (+PDF)

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Here are resilience activities, PDF worksheets, games, and exercises for youth, students, & adults who want to develop resilience. Enjoy!

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The Unwelcome Party Guest - finding a silver lining in the darkest of clouds.

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The Unwelcome Party Guest - finding a silver lining in the darkest of clouds.

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I hope you love this outlook on life as much as I do.

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It's the "how" practice of education. instructional techniques and strategies. Strategies we use to teach effectively. https://helpfulprofessor.com/pedagogical-skills/

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Examples of pedagogical skills include:

Alternating your tone of voice.

Asking students questions to find out their prior knowledge.

Rewards for effort.

Changing up the classroom layout.

Setting high expectations.

Differentiation.

Spaced repetition.

What is Pedagogy?

Pedagogy is 'the art of teaching'. It is a term that describes all the strategies we use to teach effectively.

Imagine someone who has absolutely no teaching skills. They might stand in front of the class and speak in a really monotonous voice. They won't pay any attention to the students' reactions. They won't think about what skill level the students are at. They'll just get up there with no preparation and talk.

By contrast, skilled teachers will use pedagogical skills such as the ones below:

Examples of Pedagogical Skills

1. Pausing for Effect

Skilled teachers know how to use their voices.

They ensure they speak slowly and clearly enough that students can hear them. They will emphasize key words in sentences and alternate tone to engage listeners.

Often, a pause in speech is a great teaching strategy.

Consider a teacher whose class starts chatting while the teacher is giving instructions. Have you ever seen a teacher just stop mid sentence and ... wait? Students might keep chatting for 5 - 10 seconds before silence starts to fall around the group. Here, the teacher has used the 'pause for effect' method to bring the class back to a settled, attentive state.

2. Scaffolding Tasks

Scaffolding is a term created by Jerome Bruner. Traditionally, we would think of a scaffold as the temporary structure that holds a building in place while it is being constructed. Once the building is ready to stand on its own, the scaffolding can be removed.

What's this got to do with education?

In education, we provide support while a student is learning a topic. We'll sit behind them and give them prompts, suggestions and advice to ensure they get through a task. We might give them a 'cheat sheet' that provides the steps required for completing the task.

Then, once a student has demonstrated some competency, the teacher withdraws the support and encourages the student to do it alone.

We'll also often call this method the ' I Do, We Do, You Do ' method of teaching.

3. Providing Rewards and Punishments

Rewards and punishments are used to encourage students to stay focused on their task and remember correct answers. A reward is offered as an incentive for completing a task. A punishment is offered as a disincentive for certain behaviors.

This strategy can be very effective for toilet training, for example. A parent will give a child a chocolate or toy when the child has made the decision to go to the toilet when they feel they need to go.

However, the strategy is also criticized as promoting extrinsic motivation at the expense of intrinsic motivation. Using this method, students don't do tasks because they want to - they do it for the reward. They also want to get the 'correct' answer that the teacher wants them to provide, rather than using critical and divergent thinking to 'think for themselves'.

4. Chunking

Students often struggle with too much information at once. If you give a student a list of 10 to 15 instructions to follow, they might get to step 4 or 5 before ... forgetting the rest!

When a student has been given too much information to remember, we call it 'cognitive overload'.

To overcome cognitive overload, we use a strategy called 'chunking'.

Chunking involves presenting a student with a small, manageable amount of information. Then, you help the student achieve mastery over that information before getting them to move on to the next 'chunk' of information.

5. Classroom Layout

The way you set up your classroom matters.

A classroom layout that is in rows will promote individual learning. Students will all be facing the teacher, suggestion a teacher-centered approach.

A group desks setup will have students facing one another in small groups. This is more common for children in the younger years. With this layout, you'd expect students to be communicating with one another and sharing resources. This may be great for a social learning task, but not so great for a standardized test. The teacher needs to pause and have a think about what sort of learning they'd like to see, then set up the classroom according to their preferences.

6. Assessment

Yes, effective assessment is a skill to be learned! One of my preferred ways of assessing students is to use the 'constructive alignment' approach by John Biggs.

This approach ensures you align your teaching with assessment. You have to explicitly tell students: "This will be in the exam!"

Constructive alignment encourages students to pay close attention, because they'll know that they're going to be assessed on this information later on.
Another excellent assessment strategy is to provide a 'formative' and 'summative' assessment.
Formative assessments are assessments mid-way through instruction. They help you gather a student's progress. You can change your teaching to focus on the student's weaknesses so that they'll do even better in the final (summative) assessment task.

7. Scanning the Classroom

This is a really important skill for teachers. A teacher must always have good oversight over their whole class. They should constantly scan their eyes around the room to see whether students are looking like they need support. It can also help with classroom management by identifying behavior problems and nipping them in the bud.

I also like to walk around the classroom so I can get closer to the students and see what they are all up to.

I find that when students know I'm actively scanning, they're also much more likely to engage with their work and focus.

8. Prompting

Good teachers know how and when to provide prompts to students. A prompt is a little nudge of assistance that gets students thinking deeper about a topic.

For example, a student may be struggling with a reading task. They will be looking at the words and having a nightmare of a time trying to comprehend what they're reading. The teacher might say: "Have a look at the picture on the other page. Might that help you comprehend the story better?"

Here, the teacher has provided a prompt that might help the student get past a point where they're struggling at their work.

9. Transitioning

Moving between tasks and lessons is hard.

Task transition is a period of time when students often get unsettled, silly, and distracted. If you do the transition poorly, you lose the attention of the students and waste a lot of time trying to reel them back in.

Skilled teachers think long and hard about how they are going to achieve a smooth transition.

They may, for example, play a game to get the transition to occur in absolute silence. Or, the teacher might get students to transition in smaller groups to control the transition more efficiently. You may have heard a teacher say "Anyone who's name starts with an A can now get up and collect their books." This is designed to give the teacher greater control over the transition between activities.

10. Asking Open Ended Questioning

Many new teachers (and parents!) learn very quickly not to use closed ended questions. These are questions that could be answered with a "Yes" or "No".

We tend to find that if a student can answer with just a "Yes" or "No" will only use a Yes or No to answer it.

But ... with a Yes or No answer ... students don't need to explain themselves! They don't need to break points down, critique them, formulate thoughts into words, or express nuanced positions on issues.
So, we try to ask questions that require full sentence answers.
For example, change:

"Did the main character in the book learn his lesson?"

To a better open-ended question:

"What lesson did the main character in the book learn?"

11. Setting High Expectations

A skilled teacher knows that they need to set very high expectations for their students.

This means expecting every student tries their very best each and every day.

It does not necessarily mean that you expect a student to get top grades in every exam. It just means the student should try their hardest and push their own limits at every opportunity.

High expectations is more about attitude than grades. A teacher with low expectations tends to have a class of students who are chatty, lazy, and careless.

By contrast, a teacher with high expectations will have a class of engaged, busy and focused students - because that's the atmosphere the teacher has set.

12. Differentiating Instruction

Differentiation is the ability to give each student a personalized lesson so that it best meets the needs of that individual. Many teachers just teach every student the exact same thing. This is still probably the most common form of teaching.

But a skilled teacher differentiates.

They might:

Get students into three groups and give them different tasks depending on their skill level.

Give a student who is a visual learner a video to watch, while giving a student who is a kinaesthetic learn a physical task. The students may meet the same curriculum outcomes, but in different ways depending on their learning styles.

Ensure a lesson is taught using all the learning modalities to make sure students have multiple ways to learn the same topic.

13. Spacing Repetition

Teachers need to repeat things - a lot.

Homework is often the time when students practice through repetition. Students will be given a list of 20, 40, 100, etc. quiz questions, math questions, etc. to work through. These tasks are all about practicing a skill through repetition.

However, a good teacher spaces repetition cleverly.

Good spaced repetition involves repeating new information regularly.

As students become more comfortable and competent with information, teachers won't repeat it quite as much - students have learned that topic!

But, re-introducing a concept a week, month, or even several months later is useful because or minds start to forget things.

So, spaced repetition is about constantly reviewing past content that you've previously learned to reinforce information into long-term memory.

Difference between Pedagogy and Curriculum

Even many teachers can't really tell the difference between pedagogy and curriculum.

The difference is this:

Pedagogy is HOW we teach. It involves all the strategies listed above.

Curriculum is WHAT we teach. It is all the subjects we teach, like math, science, English, history, geography, and son on.

Final Thoughts

Many people think teaching isn't anything special. They have seen teachers their whole lives when at school. They think "Oh, I could do that!"

...Then you give it a go yourself...

And you realize that teaching is a real art. You need to develop strong pedagogical skills that can only be built over time. The small, subtle skills like knowing when to pause, where to stand, and what facial expressions to use are really, really important.

Teachers of course have different pedagogical strategies. Some might be skilled at a more conservative type of pedagogical approach (like behaviorism) while others might use 21st Century educational approaches (like humanism).

Pedagogical skills are linked to both helping students learn better, and ensuring students are well behaved. But remember, it's all linked: students need to be well behaved in order to learn more effectively!

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What are Pedagogical Skills? - 15 Examples (2020)

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Examples of pedagogical skills include: Alternating your tone of voice. Asking students questions to find out their prior knowledge. Rewards for effort. Changing up the classroom layout. Setting high expectations. Differentiation. Spaced repetition. Pedagogy is 'the art of teaching'. It is a term that describes all the strategies we use to teach effectively.

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Investment in learning and teaching. understanding knowledge. Engaging students in the learning process. contribute a safe, positive and creative atmosphere. 3 types of student engagement. emotional, behavioral and cognitive. https://www.classcraft.com/blog/evidence-of-student-engagement/

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You stand before a group of students preparing to start the day's lesson. You enjoy teaching and love your students - like all great teachers, you want what's best for them. And part of that means being able to lead and guide them through the day with engaging lessons.

But how do you know if your students are actually engaging with you in the classroom? How do you know if your strategies are working?

Fortunately, there are some indicators that can give you a pretty good idea of whether you're on the right track or not.

Three kinds of engagement

In its most basic definition, the Glossary of Education Reform refers to student engagement as "the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught."

A more comprehensive definition encompasses three different types of student engagement: emotional, behavioral, and cognitive.

Emotional engagement refers to students' feelings about their teacher, classroom, and general school experience, as well as their sense of belonging and how valuable they view their work to be.

Behavioral engagement includes how attentive and active students are in the classroom and with school in general (eg., their involvement in any extracurricular activities).

Cognitive engagement refers to how intrinsically motivated and invested students are in the learning process and how much they regulate and take ownership of it.

Works such as Jennifer A. Fredricks' book Eight Myths of Student Disengagement argue that students learn best when all three areas of engagement are met.

At first glance, this can seem like a lot to take in. However, if you break down these areas into outward, observable indicators, they become much easier to comprehend. And once you know what to look for, you can more easily assess the degree of engagement that each student is demonstrating.

5 opportunities to detect student engagement in the classroom

1. Beginning of class

Student engagement (or lack thereof) begins the moment students walk through the door. Many teachers can get a pretty good idea of how their class time might go based on how the students appear and behave at the onset.

Indicators of Emotional Engagement:

Students give you a genuine smile.

They greet you when they walk into your classroom. Regardless of the kind of day they may have had up to this point, they are demonstrating enjoyment and trust in having you as their teacher.

They establish eye contact as they receive any instructions you give.

Indicators of Behavioral Engagement:

Students come to class with all their books and materials.

They sit down and immediately begin working on any review seat work you have assigned.

When you introduce the lesson with your incredibly funny (or not-so-funny) anecdote, they really listen to you and perhaps respond positively.

They respond according to the nature of the story (perhaps by laughing or groaning in good humor).

Their eyes track your animated account.

Indicators of Cognitive Engagement:

The student sits down and immediately sets out any materials that may aid him in the learning process (notebook, pen, etc).

Photo credit: Google

2. During teacher-directed instruction

Many begin their class with teacher-directed instruction. But this time doesn't have to be as boring as the name suggests. When presented with enthusiasm, visual aids, relevance, and occasional discussion points, this form of instruction can be very engaging. From personal experience, I know that it's easy to get wrapped up in your subject and focus on the students who are obviously mirroring your enthusiasm. However, to gain a fuller picture, you'll want to keep your attention on all your students and watch for the following indicators of their engagement with you.

Indicators of Emotional Engagement:

The expressions on the students' faces show that they're interested in the lesson.

They react, according to the lesson, with expressions of happiness, surprise, concern, etc.

They respond to questions with enthusiasm.

They eagerly offer their own input when invited (and sometimes, even when it isn't).

Indicators of Behavioral Engagement:

Students are alert and listening.

They track the lesson with their eyes.

They take notes and ask questions.

They answer questions on a basic surface level.

They respond promptly to your directions.

Indicators of Cognitive Engagement:

Students ask in-depth questions that go beyond the material presented.

Students make connections to other ideas and offer insights accordingly.

Photo credit: Google

3. During group activities

One of the best ways to engage students is to break them up into groups, each of which has a specific learning goal that you want to meet. As you're walking around and monitoring the work of each group, keep your eyes out for the following indicators of each student's engagement.

Indicators of Emotional Engagement:

Students interact well with the rest of the group. They seem to fit in.

They eagerly offer their input during group discussions.

Members of the group speak to each other kindly and with respect.

Their facial expressions and tone of voice indicate their interest in and enthusiasm for the assignment.

Indicators of Behavioral Engagement:

Students contribute to group discussions according to the parameters set by the teacher.

They listen attentively to others in the group.

They each complete their share of the work.

They work hard at excelling in their assigned roles.

They focus on the group activity.

Indicators of Cognitive Engagement:

Students take notes of what the group is discussing and do anything to better grasp and build upon the concept.

They offer insightful comments, pulling information from the content they previously learned.

4. During independent work time

At some point, each student must demonstrate an individual understanding and mastery of the lesson objective. This usually takes the form of independent work time. As you are walking around and monitoring student progress, keep your eyes out for the following indicators of each student's degree of engagement with the work.

Indicators of Emotional Engagement:

The student appears interested in the work.

The student is focused and seems to be enjoying the work.

Indicators of Behavioral Engagement:

Students work carefully and diligently, doing their best.

They are persistent, even with difficult material.

They complete the assignment and turn it in on time.

If they have questions, they seek you out for help.

Indicators of Cognitive Engagement:

Students use any tools or methods (such as using a highlighter or pen) that best enable them to process the material and make notes of important information.

They go beyond the basic requirements and do what will best enable them to complete their assignment (such as planning out the steps, drawing a picture, making a diagram, etc.).

They may do a couple of extra problems or examples to better master the concept.

They ask questions that go beyond the material and connect to other ideas.

They check their work after they've finished the assignment to see if they missed anything.

They seek out extra material on the subject to learn more (this one may not be evident until later - for example, if you see a student with a book on a topic you recently covered).

5. At the end of class

As you arrive at the last five minutes of class, give one final glance to see how engaged each student has been in your classroom and in the learning process.

Indicators of Emotional Engagement:

The students make eye contact and say goodbye as they leave the room.

They are in good spirits and don't appear to have become tired or frustrated by the material you presented.

Indicators of Behavioral Engagement:

Students follow end-of-class instructions promptly.

They clean up their work areas as instructed.

Indicators of Cognitive Engagement:

Students use an assignment notebook or other organizers to make note of any remaining work.

Progressively develop more engaged classroom

It is, of course, impossible to know what exactly is going on within the mind of each student. Fortunately, inner thoughts and feelings have a way of displaying themselves in outward indicators. If you learn how to read the signs, you can develop a pretty good idea of how well your students are connecting with you and the material, and how they are feeling about the learning process.

It's highly unlikely that you'll be able to engage all students in all three areas at all times, but at least you can use the data you informally collect to build upon and develop a progressively more engaged classroom.

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What does student engagement look like? - Classcraft Blog

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You stand before a group of students preparing to start the day's lesson. You enjoy teaching and love your students - like all great teachers, you want what's best for them. And part of that means being able to lead and guide them through the day with engaging lessons.

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Enjoyment = happiness. bring joy and passion to your subject. with humor, games, and other fun activities. Enjoyment brings positive emotions which links to successful learning.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwTpfVQgkU0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzQhiB2EOVE

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The One Thing All Great Teachers Do | Nick Fuhrman | TEDxUGA

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With this whole C. mess at a global level, personal development matters more than ever. And maybe you also have extra time or incentive to improve your skills right now.
Luckily, the 20+ great personal development activities I'll share with you today help you with that.

Self-betterment doesn't have to be tedious and hard.
Developing new skills allows you to improve yourself, change your life, and be happier.

The goal of this list is to give you plenty of personal development activities you can choose from.

So let's do this and check out some self-improvement ideas!

Personal Development Activities that expand your knowledge

1. Master a deep and narrow skill

This means you become an expert in one skillset or field.
You focus on getting better and learning as much as possible to master this one thing.

An example of this could be that you specialize in Photoshop Composites.
(That's when you blend different images together so they look like one super cool and beautiful image).

So, you put all your efforts into becoming the best Photoshop Composite specialist you can be.
And you know the best part?
Thanks to online learning it's easier than ever to get qualified or certified.

2. Broaden your horizon

You can also do the opposite (instead of deep and narrow, go wide and shallow). So instead of specializing in just one skill, you can learn several new things.

They can even be completely unrelated to what you usually do.
This will give you a wider variety of experiences that can come in handy later.

You learn a little bit about everything so you know the basics, but you don't specialize. A great example of this could be sports.

You see the difference between focusing all your energy on becoming an excellent runner... or practicing all kinds of different sports like running, swimming, yoga, tennis, and taekwondo?

3. Learn a new language

Whether you need it for a vacation, relationships, or your job: it can be really helpful to learn a new language.

And this has never been easier to do. You can actually learn a lot for free.
There are plenty of YouTube Channels, Online Courses, Podcasts, Blogs, Apps etc..

You can also partner up with somebody who wants to learn or practice your language in exchange (where I live, this is called a tandem).

This can even help with your people skills if you are rather shy.
And it can be super flexible. You can meet in person or via Zoom or Skype.

4. Manual personal development activities

Building something with your hands is good for your brain.
This can be manual activities like

Making things with your hands can decrease stress and improve your mental health.
(Unless you freak out because you think you suck).

Depending on the activity you choose, it's almost meditative and clears your mind.
Even if these are not career goals, it's a helpful activity.

A relaxed and clear mind can lead to more creativity.
And that helps you find solutions to your problems.

Personal Development Activities to pick up good habits

5. Reflect and learn from your mistakes

Okay, this may not sound like an activity...
But reflecting on your mistakes is important for your personal growth, too.

When something goes wrong, don't beat yourself up over it.
Try to look at it objectively and figure out why it didn't go as planned.

Then you can do better the next time.

Did you lack a skill?
Did you forget something? Maybe you have a few bad habits that aren't helpful.

Or maybe it was something outside your control.

"Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward" - Oscar Wilde

When you understand what went wrong, you can do better next time.

6. Build a daily reading habit

Reading every day has many great benefits.

It stimulates your brain

You get more knowledge

It can be relaxing (depending on what you read)

It improves your memory and focus

You get better writing/communication skills

It's also super convenient because you can read everywhere.
Think of e-books on your phone, blog posts, magazines, self-help books...

7. Start a success journal

Journaling can help you think about your successes. And all the things you're grateful for. It's great for reflecting back on your day or week.

A daily journaling habit has even more of a positive impact. It

Journaling will put you in a better mood because it helps you focus on positive things.

It can even help with your self-confidence.
That's because journaling makes you remember times you were proud of yourself or others complimented you.

You easily forget those moments because your mind naturally focuses on the negative things that happened...

Let me give you a few journal prompts

Three things I appreciated today

Three things my "best self" would do today

A trigger I noticed (and how I handled it)

Things and actions that moved me closer to my goals and dreams

8. Do Yoga

Yoga has many great benefits. It's good for your body and your soul.

It's also relaxing, energizing, or both.

You can do it first thing in the morning, during your lunch break, or in the evening. Whatever works best for you.

You also have several options where you can do it.
You can practice inside a beautiful room, outside, or even on a paddleboard on the lake.

Some main benefits are more flexibility, energy, and strength. Yoga decreases stress, helps you sleep, is good for your breathing, and overall well-being.

9. Meditate

Mediation is relaxing and calms your mind from all the chatter.
If you've never tried it, it doesn't mean you never think about anything.

But you become aware of your thoughts, so you can choose them more wisely.
You can find plenty of meditation videos on YouTube and apps, such as:

If you have never meditated, you could start with a guided meditation.
I find them distracting, but they can be extremely helpful if you can focus on their voice.

After a while, meditation can have a positive impact on your stress management.

Meditation helps calm your mind, improves your focus, and can increase your creativity. That's because you clean out any negative overload.

10. Practice self-care

Do you tend to overdo personal development activities? It's not all about the hustle.

Self-development activities are great to improve your skills.
But you also need to make sure that you take care of yourself.

That's how you restore your batteries.
This is so important because that's how you can tackle your next challenges and focus on your success.

And your options for some well-deserved "me-time" are endless.

Great ideas of self-care activities

drink a tasty cup of hot coffee or tea

get a relaxing massage

read a good book

watch your favorite Netflix show

eat some delicious food

apply a face mask

take a hot shower or bath

take a refreshing nap

go to the movies

get a great workout in

take a nice walk...

Personal Development Activities that improve your social skills

11. Do more teamwork

Unless you're a natural extrovert, your people skills can probably improved.
You can read books and watch videos about the subject, or you can participate in teamwork workshops.

This could either be at work or a personal workshop. I promise that you will learn a ton about yourself.

It will show you how you like to work. And if you can work well with others.

At work, you don't always get to test your teamwork skills.
You may also believe that most people think like you.

I did a workshop once, and I discovered many good things about myself.
I was very surprised that most people have a very different way of assessing, processing, and organizing tasks.

So if this is something you're interested in, I highly recommend a teamwork workshop.
Maybe you'll discover how special you actually are!

12. Improve your communication skills

Do you think you are a good communicator? Maybe even a great one?

If the answer is "no", you can improve your effective communication skills.
It can be as simple as watching a few videos or tutorials. Or you could take a real class.

It helps so much when you can communicate clearly. It's beneficial for the people you're talking to, but also for you.

And the better you communicate, the more confident you feel. It just gets easier to talk to people.

13. Network

For many, networking is the worst.

Especially if you are an introvert. Basically, you just want to get out of there as quickly as possible.

But here's the good news.
You can train this.

The more you train your interpersonal skills, the less awkward it gets.

It's bad because you're worried that people may not like you. Or because you don't know what to say.

But try to stick around and talk to people. You never know who you will meet.

So many people have an interesting story and are happy to share it. With them, the conversation flows naturally.

A lot of anxiety comes from not knowing beforehand what you can talk about. But you don't have to know that.

Simply ask a question and then you can ask follow-up questions about whatever the other person answers.

The more you talk to people, the easier it gets.
If you can just get over the initial awkwardness ...

That's where YouTube videos can help. They will give you tips and go-to topics or sentences you can use.

14. Practice a team sport

Did you know that sports can be good for developing leadership skills?

You lead by example

get more confident

learn to communicate clearly

work together in a team

Team sports also help your organizational skills and discipline. And they are naturally great to elevate your interpersonal relationships.

Personal development activities: Get help

15. Listen to Podcasts

You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with - Jim Rohn

Podcasts are greatto learn more about a topic or skill.
And it feels a bit like hanging out with more advanced, successful people.

Most podcasts are free. And you can simply listen to them while you're doing something else (like chores, exercise, or commuting).

It's a super-efficient personal growth activity if you're an auditory learner.

If you are a visual learner, YouTube videos are probably a better option for you.

16. Take (online) classes

Nowadays, you can find classes for pretty much anything online.

And you know what's even better? There are many free or inexpensive classes to get you started (for example on Udemy).

But at some point, you need to get serious about your self-development. It's important to invest in yourself and your future success.

You can only get so much from free classes and podcasts.

So if you're ready to make progress, you should consider investing in professional help!

Online classes are great for their convenience...
While in-person classes are great for additional support and motivation.

You can save years of trying on your own.
So, what class would you love to take?

FREE Ninja Goal-Setting Class (30 minutes)

17. Join a Membership site

Memberships are another way to get the information you need for the progress you deserve.

You usually pay a monthly fee to get access to

Memberships are great to give you direction and help you with your progress. The community can also help with your motivation and inspiration.

18. Get a mentor or a coach

Self-help is great. But you don't have to do it all by yourself...

A good coach or mentor can help you save years trying to figure it out on your own.
And I really mean years!

So if you truly want to do something, think about investing in help from someone who knows how to become successful.

19. Join a Mastermind

Masterminds are kind of the high-end version of an exclusive membership.

A handful of brilliant people meet regularly to exchange

It's a peer-to-peer mentoring group, like successful business owners you can join to accelerate your success.

Masterminds mainly rely on expertise, knowledge, and relationships.
It's about collaborating, brainstorming, networking, and motivating each other.

And it's expensive because you get premium support and insights you can't get anywhere else.

It may be worth the investment if you want to go all-in and accelerate your success.

Personal Development Activities that challenge yourself

Here are a few self improvement ideas that challenge you to work on yourself.

20. Sign up for a competition

A deadline is a helpful tool because it gives you direction and a goal.
You can sign up for a marathon, a triathlon, or some other competition that's related to the skills you want to improve.

A few examples are a contest for singing, cooking, designing, writing etc.

If you have a deadline it's easier to stay motivated because you signed up for real.
Then it's not just some vague idea that you should be doing something.

21. Start a 30-day challenge

Working on yourself can be fun. Especially when you are competitive by nature.

30-day challenges are all about making small changes every day that will add up to a great result.
Just make sure you don't overdo it because overwhelm will quickly make you throw in the towel.

Make sure you set goals you really feel excited about.
You can use these challenges to get rid of an unwanted habit or to build a new one you would love.

Your 30-day challenge could be about

Health (eat healthier, go to bed early)

Communication (connect with people)

Fitness (exercise more)

Decluttering (get organized)

Time Management (get more productive)

Meal planning

Finances (create a budget)

Create an action plan and stick to it

Self-care (journaling, morning routine...)

And make sure you track your progress because that's what will fuel your motivation! You want to be able to see how far you've come.

22. Personal development activities to leave your comfort zone

This tip could have be in the 30-day challenge section, too.

To achieve goals you've never achieved before you need to start doing things you've never done before
Stephen Covey

Every day, do something that scares you. Obviously, this doesn't mean you should meet some creepy guys.

Simply do something that you normally wouldn't do because it makes you feel uncomfortable.

Typical fears we have

So, every day, try to do something that scares you.

You could give a presentation, volunteer for a new task, ask a stranger for help, post something on Social Media, respectfully disagree with someone, sing or dance in front of others, sign up for that class...

Self development activities: What's next?

Personal development activities are great to boost your motivation and help you reach your goals. When you improve your professional skills and competencies, you'll get lifelong success in return.

In just 30 minutes, learn how you...
☆ Clarify your priorities ☆ Set the right goals ☆ Make tracking fun ☆ Stay motivated

FREE Ninja Goal-Setting Class

Some of these self-improvement tips are super quick and easy to do, others take a little bit more time and effort. I hope this list gave you a few ideas on how to improve yourself.

And as we saw in The Benefits of Personal Development, even tiny changes of 1% improvement per day lead to big results over time.

The personal development activities are part 2 of a self-development series. If you like this content, make sure to read the other parts next.

Which are your favorite personal development activities from this list?
Which self-growth tips should be added?

Have a great, productive day!

★Share this with your friends★

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22 Best Personal Development Activities to Improve Your Life

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With this whole C. mess at a global level, personal development matters more than ever. And maybe you also have extra time or incentive to improve your skills right now.Luckily, the 20+ great personal development activities I'll share with you today help you with that. Self-betterment doesn't have to be tedious and hard.

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Think about your favorite teacher from elementary school. What made them so special? Maybe they were the first person who helped math "make sense" to you, or maybe they let you borrow books from their classroom library. The wisdom and mentorship that teachers provide can be life changing, especially for younger students.

Educators often focus on improving parent engagement, but student engagement is just as essential. The more self-motivated a student is as they learn to read, the better prepared they'll be to reach their potential. One of the best ways to encourage this is by building meaningful teacher-student relationships.

Want to learn why teacher-student relationships are so important and how to facilitate them in your school? Learn about the challenges facing teacher-student interaction, how positive relationships can improve your school environment, and five tips for promoting student engagement.

Challenges Facing Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

One of the greatest issues facing teacher-student relationships is that many children aren't going to class. Chronic absenteeism, or missing at least 15 days per school year, is increasingly common among students and comes with worrisome results.[1] In early grades, chronic absenteeism can predict high school dropout rates later on.[2] And if a child isn't in class, building relationships with these students can seem nearly impossible.

Additionally, students who have had poor experiences with adults in the past can have a hard time trusting teachers.[3] This could apply to students whose previous teacher treated them unfairly as well as children from abusive or neglectful homes. In many cases, you might not know everything about a child's background. If you're having a hard time reaching a student, keep in mind that the problem might be a traumatic past, not you.

Children from under-resourced backgrounds are most likely to have poor relationships with their teachers.[4] The reasons for this are varied. It could be because teachers are more likely to view these students with personal biases. Or in some cases, these children might not have access to the transportation or academic support they need to succeed. Whatever the cause, educators should be mindful of these children when determining how to engage their students.

Sometimes, behavioral or learning disorders can make it hard for teachers and students to understand each other. Children with autism spectrum disorder, for example, might have communication styles that confuse their peers. Learning disorders like dyslexia or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), too, can limit a child's attention span and frustrate their teachers. Any plans you make for how to connect with your students should include accommodations for these and other conditions.

How Positive Teacher-Student Relationships Lead to Academic Achievement

Building rapport with your students and establishing yourself as their mentor is an excellent way to combat chronic absenteeism.[5] Students are more motivated to attend classes if they know their teacher cares about them and will help them succeed. And by improving school engagement, these relationships can also improve academic achievement.

Even in elementary school, unexcused absences are linked to dropping grades, particularly in math.[6] By motivating students to work hard and miss fewer lessons, teacher-student relationships can keep struggling students from falling behind and close the achievement gap in education. It's one of the longest-lasting ways a teacher can impact student achievement and career success.

Personal connection with your students can also raise their intrinsic motivation to learn.[7] When students feel interested in their work for the sake of mastering it, they develop a love of learning that will benefit them for their entire lives. Plus, they're also more likely to have positive attitudes towards their teachers, classes, and lessons.[8] When students focus less on grades and more on mastery, they're on their way toward a successful school career.

Lastly, these relationships can even tie into your social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. Positive teacher-student connections can help children develop self-regulation skills, particularly autonomy and self-determination.[9] As students learn how to evaluate and manage their behavior, they'll be able to reach their personal and academic goals.[10] And over time, this can reduce failing grades and the need for redirection.

In short, teacher-student relationships can promote school success in the following ways:

Strengthens academic achievement

Reduces chronic absenteeism

Promotes self-motivation

Strengthens self-regulation

Improves goal-making skills

Other Ways Building Relationships Leads to Student Success

Beyond academic success, getting to know your students can improve classroom behavior management. Under-resourced students whose teachers work with them as a mentor are more likely to develop socially appropriate behavior.[11] When struggling students are treated as bad or unintelligent by their teachers, they're unlikely to change. But when teachers make an effort to care about and help them, these students are more than capable of growth.

Effective communication between teachers and students can also strengthen your school atmosphere. Because these relationships are so closely tied to self-motivation, they can lead to an engaged classroom.[12] Your classroom can transform into an ideal learning environment where students are not only prepared but excited to learn. Plus, when students engage themselves in the lesson, they're less likely to need discipline during class.

A teacher's impact on their students can last long after the end of the school year. After a student has a meaningful connection with their teacher, they're more likely to form similar relationships in the future.[13] Because these relationships can give students the guidance and support they need to succeed, it is essential to nurture them in school. This is especially helpful for older elementary children, as strong teacher-student relationships can help ease the transition into middle school.[14]

Building positive relationships with students can help teachers, too. 25-40% of new teachers are likely to leave the education field within five years.[15] But positive relationships with students can reduce this number and show teachers how their career changes lives.[16] If you're looking for a greater sense of fulfillment in your career, try interacting with your students and helping them with their individual struggles.

How to Improve Student Engagement with Meaningful Connection

One of the simplest and most effective student engagement strategies is getting to know your students on a personal level. Once you recognize how teacher-student relationships can revolutionize your classroom, you can prepare your entire school for lasting success.

Keep these five tips on how to build trust and connect with students to create an ideal classroom environment:

Remember to put your heart into your lesson plans. Try to focus just as much on getting to know and guiding your students as you do on teaching academic concepts [17]

At the beginning of the year or semester, discuss your and your students' expectations as a class. You can also hold individual meetings to help struggling students reach their goals [18]

Studies suggest that storytelling can help build teacher-student relationships. Try telling personal anecdotes during class or making storytime a regular activity to connect with your students [19]

Learn how to construct positive comments by giving specific compliments (e.g. "good job" vs "your art project is so colorful") and avoiding back-handed compliments (e.g. "you're not as bad as you used to be") [20]

Make sure you keep healthy boundaries with your students. If a student upsets or frustrates you, don't take it personally or bring it home with you [21]

Sources:

U.S. Department of Education. Chronic Absenteeism in the Nation's Schools. Retrieved from ed.gov: https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html.[1]

Sheldon, S.B., and Epstein, J.L. Getting Students to School: Using Family and Community Involvement to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism. School Community Journal, 2004, 14(2), pp. 39-56.[2]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students. Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[3]

Ibid.[4]

Sheldon, S.B., and Epstein, J.L. Getting Students to School: Using Family and Community Involvement to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism. School Community Journal, 2004, 14(2), pp. 39-56.[5]

Gottfried, M.A. Excused Versus Unexcused: How Student Absences in Elementary School Affect Academic Achievement. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, December 2009, 31(4).[6]

Reis da Luz, F.S. The Relationship between Teachers and Students in the Classroom: Communicative Language Teaching Approach and Cooperative Learning Strategy to Improve Learning. Retrieved from bridgew.edu: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=theses.[7]

Andersen, J.F., Norton, R.W., and Nussbaum, J.F. Three investigations exploring relationships between perceived teacher communication behaviors and student learning. Communication Education, 1981, 30, pp. 377-92.[8]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students. Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[9]

Reis da Luz, F.S. The Relationship between Teachers and Students in the Classroom: Communicative Language Teaching Approach and Cooperative Learning Strategy to Improve Learning. Retrieved from bridgew.edu: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=theses.[10]

Hall, P.S., and Hall, N.D. Building Relationships with Challenging Children. Educational Leadership, 2003, 61(1), pp. 60-63.[11]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students. Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[12]

Ibid.[13]

Reis da Luz, F.S. The Relationship between Teachers and Students in the Classroom: Communicative Language Teaching Approach and Cooperative Learning Strategy to Improve Learning. Retrieved from bridgew.edu: https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=theses.[14]

Sheldon, S.B., and Epstein, J.L. Building early career teacher resilience: The role of relationships. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2013, 38(4), pp. 1-16.[15]

Ibid.[16]

Pattison, P., Hale, J.R., and Gowens, P. Mind and Soul: Connecting with Students. Journal of Legal Studies Education, 2011, 28(1), pp. 39-66.[17]

Varga, M. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationships on the Academic Engagement of Students. Retrieved from mdsoar.org: https://mdsoar.org/bitstream/handle/11603/3893/VargaMeagan_paper.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.[18]

Mello, R. Building Bridges: How Storytelling Influences Teacher/Student Relationships. Retrieved from eric.ed.gov: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED457088.pdf.[19]

Lehigh University College of Education. Positive Teacher-Student Relationship Quick Reference Guide. Retrieved from lehigh.edu: https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/wordpress.lehigh.edu/dist/5/114/files/2016/11/Teacher-Student-1iceq82.pdf.[20]

Bluestein, J. The Art of Setting Boundaries. Retrieved from educationworld.com: https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/bluestein-setting-student-boundaries.shtml.[21]

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Why Strong Teacher Student Relationships Matter - Waterford.org

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Learn about challenges facing teacher-student interaction, how good relationships can improve your school, and five tips for promoting student engagement.

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As teachers, we sometimes make the assumption that students come to us "ready to learn." Although we'd hope students would be able to easily follow classroom procedures and routines from the get-go, that's not always the case. Student behavior can-and often does-get in the way. In a survey, 70% of educators reported that student behavior has gotten increasingly worse over the last five years. Valuable learning time is lost, whether it's getting students to pay attention or managing disruptive behavior.

So, what can we do about it? To start with, we can't continue to assume that students enter our classrooms with the emotional skills to follow classroom expectations, interact cooperatively with classmates, and engage in meaningful learning. Emotions drive behavior, so we have to start with the basics of emotions to help students with their own regulation. Do your students know how to identify what they're feeling? Can they explain what made them feel that way? The KidConnect Ready2Learn SEL Curriculum from The Connection Model provides a roadmap to help your students develop these fundamental skills while seamlessly integrating with your curriculum.

Teaching emotional regulation skills might just be the missing piece to your classroom puzzle. So, what is emotional regulation and how can we teach it?

What is emotional regulation?

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage your emotions by monitoring, evaluating, and modifying your emotional reactions (aka your behavior) in ways that are constructive and adaptive.

This particular definition underscores the reality we face. We all have emotions, but the most important skill is how we learn to manage them. While managing emotions is not a skill that comes naturally to all of us, we can all learn it.

Emotional regulation can look like the ability to:

Identify what you're feeling

Respond to feelings without overreacting

Manage changes in the environment

Control impulses

Calm down when getting upset

Handle emotions in a healthy way

How do we regulate emotions?

Psychologists break emotional regulation into three broad categories: suppression, reappraisal, and acceptance. When you suppress emotions, you push them down, refusing to acknowledge or act on them. This can be helpful in the short term, but it doesn't actually help you deal with the emotion. It's all still there under the surface, waiting to bubble up again.

Reappraisal is about reframing the situation in your mind, allowing you to deal with it calmly and rationally. We can teach kids reappraisal skills in a variety of ways, such as using mindfulness techniques. We can also urge them to simply accept their emotions, acknowledging them as valid but not letting them control their actions.

As adults, we know these skills don't come easily, but that's all the more reason to focus on teaching them. "For kids, dysregulation makes life challenging, friendships difficult, and most significantly, it can make learning impossible," warns Lori Jackson, a school psychologist who co-founded The Connections Model. "To curb that, we need to teach emotional regulation so kids can realize that they're in control of their feelings and subsequent actions."

Why is it important to teach emotional regulation?

Kids will have a much harder time learning until they can manage their emotions. Developing emotional regulation is as important as developing academic skills. In fact, children who can regulate their emotions are more likely to do well in school and get along with peers. This makes sense since, at the core, emotion drives behavior.

Good emotional regulation can help kids:

Express themselves in ways that don't involve losing their temper

Pay attention and listen to learn

Control their impulses

Maintain focus on a task

Take turns

Socialize appropriately

Reflect on choices and consequences

Bounce back from setbacks

Stop themselves from getting overwhelmed

Manage being upset

Feel calm and in control

What's the best way to teach emotional regulation?

We talked with Lori Jackson, school psychologist and co-founder of The Connections Model. Here's a summary of her recommendations: We have to teach students the basics of emotions to lay the foundation for the development of higher-level skills like empathy and interactive social skills. These skills are what will allow our students to succeed in the classroom by building their own emotional management and driving their own learning. The good news is that every student is capable of learning these skills and it can start in a simple way. For guided lessons and curriculum using this model, check out the The KidConnect Ready2Learn SEL Curriculum for grades 1-5.

Try this framework:

Teach students to name and be able to identify typical emotions.

Teach them to connect the emotions with the events that "trigger" or elicit their reactions.

Teach them to "replace" or change the behavior that comes from the emotions by learning new strategies and simple mindfulness techniques.

Is emotional regulation SEL?

Emotional regulation falls under the umbrella of SEL (social-emotional skills). SEL skills include self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

We like to think of the skills that build emotional regulation as the foundation of SEL. Without the ability to regulate our emotions, we have a harder time regulating ourselves. And since emotions drive our behavior, we have a hard time responding appropriately to social situations and building relationships. So, the first step in regulating emotions is learning how.

Read more: What Is SEL?

Ideas for practicing emotional regulation in the classroom

Now knowing how important emotional regulation is, what are some ways to teach students this essential skill in the classroom?

1. Learn to identify emotions

Teaching students to identify their emotions is at the forefront of the KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum. In teaching students emotional regulation, the first step of their curriculum across all grade levels includes learning to name specific emotions. Lori Jackson, a school psychologist, and Steve Peck, a special education teacher, developed the KidConnect Ready2Learn curriculum, which explicitly teaches children to manage their emotions. "We noticed that so many of our students were having issues learning, socializing, and succeeding because they lacked the skills needed to manage their emotions. So we developed a process that was both easy to teach and easy to learn and teaches the underlying principles but then allows kids to apply and practice those skills in the classroom and everywhere they go."

Talk to students about different emotions and how those emotions can cause us to act. For instance, many kids will realize that they cry when they're sad. But not everyone cries under those circumstances-some people get very quiet or even show anger instead. Start with simple emotions, and ask students to name situations where they might feel those emotions. Then, ask them how they behave when they feel a certain way.

2. Think about emotions in advance

Begin the school day by asking your students a question to find out how they are feeling or what might be bothering them. Writing the question on the whiteboard and having students write their answers on sticky notes is an easy way to implement it into your routine. "Ask your students about their homework or what they ate for breakfast. Ask if anyone fought with their brother or sister," suggests Jackson. "The idea is to discuss any event that likely elicited a feeling and have everyone share. This sets the tone for the day, giving you the heads up on who might have a tough day and why."

3. Use books to teach emotions

Stories can be great examples of handling emotions in a responsible way. They can serve as safe and inviting ways to start the conversation about the range of feelings we have and how to handle each. By reading and talking through how the characters' emotions connect with their actions, students can start to talk through how emotions drive behaviors. Check out these children's books for teaching SEL skills.

4. Make sure emotions are a focus in your classroom

Build your students' emotion vocabulary by giving them direct access to those words and feelings. Try creating a word wall filled with feelings words. Then, when kids are demonstrating certain behaviors, ask them to look at the wall and choose the words to describe how they're feeling. This helps them connect those actions and emotions and consider what coping strategies they can try.

5. Integrate emotions into your academics and activities

One of the easiest ways to integrate the teaching of emotions is to make it a part of your daily schedule and routine. When you go through your daily schedule with your students, ask them to tell you the emotions they think they will feel. Does math make them anxious? Bored? Tired? Will recess make them nervous because they don't always have someone to hang out with? Spending a few minutes anticipating what emotions might emerge allows you to help your students think about how they will manage those emotions. What strategies can they come up with to manage their emotions? Write them down so that you can remind them to use those strategies in the moment. This process isn't magic, but over time this activity helps to build the emotional regulation process, allowing them to become better able to focus on their learning.

6. Act it out

Role-play how to handle different situations, especially those that your students struggle with. Write each scenario on a note card. For example: You get invited to a birthday party. You slip and fall while walking home from school. You open a birthday present you don't like. Then, have students talk them through or act them out. How would they feel? What would they do? How does their feeling connect with their behavior?

7. Teach mindfulness strategies

According to Mindful.org, mindfulness is "the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us." There are dozens of mindfulness strategies, from meditation and deep breathing to journaling and drawing. As kids learn a strategy that's useful to them, they can add it to their own emotional regulation toolkit. Explore 50+ mindfulness activities here.

8. Create a calm-down corner

Set aside a dedicated, positive reflection space in your classroom where kids can go to practice their emotional regulation skills. A calm-down corner, sometimes known as a peace corner, gives kids a positive, safe place to recenter and refocus so they can join the learning again. You can stock it with helpful tools like emotion charts, fidget toys, social-emotional books, and more. Learn how to create your own calm-down corner here.

9. Watch a video

Share this helpful video that explains big emotions to kids. It can help reinforce the topic using a different medium while providing three simple steps to get students thinking about their own emotional regulation.

10. Focus on progress, not perfection

Emotional regulation isn't about being perfect-it's not about responding to every change and frustration without emotion. No adult is even expected to do that. It is about learning and practicing all the ways kids can respond to emotions, and adjusting as they grow and learn over time.

Why do some kids struggle with emotional regulation?

We all struggle with emotional regulation at some point (anyone who has sat in a meeting that went on 10 minutes too long can relate), but how much we struggle with emotional regulation depends both on temperament and learned behavior. A child's temperament is innate. Even as babies, some children have more trouble self-soothing. Other kids seem to be able to manage any emotion with no problem. How adults respond to kids' big reactions impacts the behaviors that children use to manage their emotions, for good and bad. For example, if a child has a temper tantrum because it's time to leave the park, and the adult gives in and lets them have 10 more minutes to play, the chance that the child will scream and kick the next time they are given a limit and feel unhappy is pretty high. Whereas, if the adult sets the limit and coaches the child through their unhappiness, the child learns how to manage disappointment without throwing a tantrum.

Additionally, many kids with disabilities, like ADHD and autism, have deficits in emotional regulation. So, in order for them to learn, they need to manage their emotions first.

But the good news is that everyone can learn emotional regulation. With practice and the right methods, everyone can learn to be their own emotional manager. Not only will that help your students become better learners and happier people, but you'll have a more engaged classroom overall!

Check out KidConnect Ready2Learn Curriculum to get the tools you need to help learners identify, understand, and manage their emotions, which allows them to be in control of their behavior and engaged in learning.

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What Is Emotional Regulation? Plus Tips for Teaching It

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Controlling your emotions is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Get teacher-tested ideas for helping students learn emotional regulation.

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https://education.seattlepi.com/ways-increase-selfdetermination-skills-students-5964.html

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Self-determination pushes a student to achieve based on intrinsic motivation rather than relying on external rewards. A self-determined student takes action based on an understanding of options and with specific goals in mind. Self-determination instruction is often used with students who have special needs and may improve success as an adult, according to the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. Students need a supportive environment to develop self-determination skills.

Implement Goal Setting

Students face a number of standards and expectations set by teachers, but they may not have a chance to set their own goals. Letting the students take an active role in goal setting makes those aspirations relevant, personal and motivating. A student is more likely to achieve a goal he helps create, according to the American Psychological Association. Effective goal setting involves breaking down the big goal into measurable and actionable steps. For example, if a student's goal is to become more involved in class, the steps might be to clear the student's desk, have all necessary materials on hand and focus attention on the person who is talking.

Give Choices

Making choices and asserting preferences is a key component to self-determination. In learning to make choices, students take control over learning and actions. Students often lack choice in the classroom, with specific assignments that follow strict guidelines. While structure and consistency is necessary in the classroom, giving students some choice improve self-determination. One example of incorporating choice into the classroom is to list several project options, with the students choosing one of the options to demonstrate learning. To effectively make choices, students need to identify the options, compare them and make a decision.

The classroom provides students with a safe place to learn, but students also need a chance to take risks within that safe environment. Students with disabilities in particular are often sheltered or protected from the chance to fail, but kids often learn from actions that aren't considered successful. Instead of shying away from a child's limitations and keeping the student from certain activities, the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition recommends discussing those issues with the student. With an understanding of how his limitations might affect him, the student is better able to evaluate situations and take risks.

Problem Solve

Teaching students how to solve problems on their own gives them the tools to become self-determined. If teachers and parents constantly resolve situations for students, those kids never get a chance to compromise or think of their own solutions. Role playing is a way to practice problem solving in the classroom. Kids get a chance to try out different solutions to common situations, such as bullying or having a disagreement with a friend. When a real-life problem happens in the classroom, walk the students through the situation without solving the problem for them. You might say, "You two are fighting over the same book. What do you think we should do about this? Can you think of a way that both of you can feel satisfied?" Help the students talk through the consequences of potential solutions.

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Ways to Increase Self-Determination Skills in Students

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Ways to Increase Self-Determination Skills in Students. Self-determination pushes a student to achieve based on intrinsic motivation rather than relying on external rewards. A self-determined student takes action based on an understanding of options and with specific goals in mind. Self-determination instruction is ...

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I love this idea: " The ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi" ! Also, the reflective questions for the students later are great for those students who worry more about what will be on the test than if they are learning.
https://positivepsychology.com/teaching-resilience/

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Teachers who teach resilience might change the trajectory of their student's lives. It is not easy to teach resilience in the classroom, but it is crucial.

Teaching resilience is beyond memorization, calculation, and other traditional learning methods. It requires interaction and engagement.

Resilience is about the process of becoming, which children understand once they develop a firm belief about their place in the world.

When students believe that they are worthy and capable of overcoming challenges, they become resilient. But how do teachers teach this belief in the classroom?

We've written another article on the topic of resilience if you want to begin with a deeper understanding of its relevance. The article also has great resources, including videos and exercises, to explain the importance of this concept.

If you are ready to delve into the classroom, continue reading on how to shape resilient learners in school, and thereby shape students who are not afraid of a challenge.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Resilience Exercises for free. These engaging, science-based exercises will help you to effectively deal with difficult circumstances and give you the tools to improve the resilience of your students, clients, or employees.

Fostering Resilient Learners

Humans need other humans to shape our beliefs and identity.

As Aristotle once wrote, ' man is a social animal. ' Even today, social sciences agree that most of our beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, rituals, and ideas, are shaped by our surrounding social world.

Besides the social norms we adopt, the stories we tell ourselves also determine our life perspective. Personal beliefs, towards ourselves and what we view as possible, are made solid by the narratives we hold true. We can think of this as the narrative of "I" inside of our heads.

Our identity exists at the intersection of these personal narratives and our social reality.

Childhood molds a lot of our core ideas and habits. Every interaction or relationship has an impact on us, including dynamics between parents, close relatives, siblings, and teachers.

How a student responds emotionally to a situation may be a relic of childhood experiences. Because of this, traumatic scenarios in childhood can have large consequences in adulthood.

This also applies pressure to parenthood, and cultures differ in expectations of how parents might respond to stressors. Parental beliefs about whether the world is a safe place, or whether others are trustworthy, can also shape how children experience situations.

Parenting culture and resilience

Culture, like parenting, influences the formation of resilience in children. Additionally, norms and social constructs define specific parameters that either maximize or minimize a child's potential for wellbeing, success, and happiness.

For one example researched by Gonzales et al. (2008), many Mexican families living in the U.S. carry a deep cultural notion of familism. This places a high value on the family as a unit and the obligations that an individual owes their family.

According to the authors, these tight-knit familial networks "serve as a buffer against adverse social circumstances." This protects Latinx youth from the adversity they may face as a person of color in certain areas in America.

These familial bonds provide strength and foster resilience among individuals.

Not all socio-cultural factors build resilience however, like Reyes, Elias, Parker, and Rosenblatt (2013) articulate. This recent shift shows how in the U.S., for example, the rise of 'helicopter' and overprotective parenting, may inhibit personal growth.

Childhood norms have also changed dramatically since the 1970s (Rosin, 2014). Overall, parenting styles that would have been deemed paranoid, now appear normal.

Today, 'overparenting' is often viewed as "good, responsible parenting." According to Locke, Campbell & Kavanagh, overparenting is a serious concern (2012).

What causes this shift towards overparenting? As Locke, Campbell & Kavanagh cite, the widespread belief that the modern world is more dangerous fuels the increasing trend of overparenting. Media-blasted cases of child abduction also do not alleviate parental concern.

Increased parental anxiety is also explained by the changes in the American family and its communities. The prevalence of divorce, women in the workforce, single-parent families, and the frequent moving of homes, has changed the trust within neighborhood social structure.

Rosin calls this change a 'loss of cohesion,' which may explain why parents compensate by over-parenting (2014).

With the shift in neighborhood and family structure, parents have " sought to control more closely what they can - most of all, their children " (Rosin, 2014).

Children in the past had more responsibilities.

As Hart writes, children in the past,

"crossed the road, went to the store; eventually some of them got small neighborhood jobs. Their pride was wrapped up in competence and independence, which grew as they tried and mastered activities they hadn't known how to do the previous year "

(Rosin, 2014).

Today, most middle-class American children are not expected to do errands independently. For many parents, it is viewed as unsafe.

As Rosin fears, when children are not treated as adults and able to spend time in the company of adults who trust them, they do not build " the confidence to be truly independent and self-reliant " (2014).

This desire to "protect" children can backfire since overparenting prevents children from navigating the outside world on their own terms.

Benoit describes overparenting (2013) among his student populations, describing how some parents would do the homework of his pupils. The parents explained that they wanted to protect their children from the stress or overwhelming nature of the work.

Even if well-intended, this overparenting attitude has counterproductive effects. Children develop learned helplessness when faced with a challenge, instead of developing coping mechanisms or confidence in their ability to negotiate a challenge.

Overparenting can crystallize in low self-esteem, confidence, anxiety, and depression.

Benoit highlights the pivotal role of teachers in tackling the issue. In fact, he argues that the fundamental duty of teachers is to teach children a resilience skillset. Benoit explains this pedagogical approach, saying,

"we teach responsibility, organization, manners, restraint, and foresight. These skills may not get assessed on standardized testing, but as children plot their journey into adulthood, they are, by far, the most important life skills I teach."

In other words, as Marilyn Price-Mitchell (2015) articulate,

"children who develop resilience are better able to face disappointment, learn from failure, cope with loss and adapt to change. We recognize resilience in children when we observe their determination, grit, and perseverance to tackle problems and cope with the emotional challenges of school and life."

It is therefore essential that teachers substitute for bad parenting strategies, and also implement a framework that fosters resilience.

How are children supposed to navigate the achievement-focused and competitive culture that dominates much of adulthood if they are not allowed to build this skill?

The metaphor of Kintsugi

The ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi offers a rich metaphor around this idea of resilience.

Kintsugi means ' to join with gold. ' It is a crafting method that consists of assembling "broken pieces of an accidentally-smashed pot" (The Book of Life, 2018).

With roots in the Zen philosophy of wabi-sabi, kintsugi celebrates imperfection.

The broken pieces of the pot are glued together with "lacquer inflected with a very luxuriant gold powder" (The Book of Life, 2018). The visible fractures are adorned with gold rather than hidden.

Symbolically, the golden cracks represent the worth of the bowl because of its imperfections rather than in spite of them. The bowl is like a human, cracked by the contingency of life.

The gold endows the pot with unassailable beauty, uniqueness, and strength. Kintsugi and wabi-sabi can teach Western culture about the process of becoming oneself.

There is a lesson for embracing failures and experiences that crack our spirit. How do we turn those life cracks into gold?

This relates back to our idea of building resilience in schools, especially for younger students who are traversing the most pivotal years of their lives.

Kintsugi means ' to join with gold.' It is a crafting method that consists of assembling "broken pieces of an accidentally-smashed pot" (The Book of Life, 2018). With roots in the Zen philosophy or wabi-sabi, kintsugi celebrates imperfection.

The broken pieces of the pot are glued together with "lacquer inflected with a very luxuriant gold powder" (The Book of Life, 2018). The visible fractures are adorned with gold rather than hidden.

Symbolically, the golden cracks represent the worth of the bowl because of its imperfections rather than in spite of them.

The bowl is like a human, cracked by the contingency of life.

The gold endows the pot with unassailable beauty, uniqueness, and strength. Kintsugi and wabi-sabi can teach Western culture about the process of becoming oneself.

There is a lesson for embracing failures and experiences that crack our spirit. How do we turn those life cracks into gold? This relates to our idea of building resilience in schools, especially for younger students who are traversing the most pivotal years of their lives.

7 Characteristics of Student Resilience

Resilience is misunderstood as an individual skill gained only in adulthood. It is not common to imagine responsible children who juggle their own lives.

This view of childhood and adulthood are problematic. When we perceive resilience as a trait that develops naturally in adulthood, we assume that everyone will find their strength on their own. Yet these skills do not develop without being nurtured and trained.

Hence, teachers who teach resilience in the classroom are changing many lives.

The age we might acquire resilience is not fixed, but rather, is cultural and socio-economic. For instance, Masten (2009) and Garmezy (1981) found that many African-American children from low-income households still have independence and an ' internal locus of control. '

This was not true across other socio-economic and cultural groups and prompts further study.

Researchers Cahill, Beadle, Farrelly, Forster, & Smith (2014) have found that there are many factors of resilience. Resilience can be seen as a combination of:

1. Social competence and pro-social values

2. Optimism

3. Purpose

4. An attachment to family, to school and learning

5. Problem-solving skills

6. An effective coping style

7. A positive self-image

When these combine into the lives of children, resilience builds. Outside of the classroom, a sports team can also teach these skillsets.

In sum, resilience operates within the social framework of daily life. It is an ability to develop positive bonds with peers, manage small challenges, and trust one's responsibility.

Together, these traits help individuals deal with unforeseen circumstances linked to change, challenge, and adversity (Bernard, 2004). In a classroom, it is easy to notice which children have gained these attributes.

How do teachers create a classroom culture of resilience? How do we equip children and teenagers with the ability to strive in their adult lives and recover from adversity?

These questions beget further reading.

How to Teach Resilience in the Classroom?

In Western thought, we often link resilience to achievements. When we think of examples of resilience, adults and their achievements may come to mind first.

For example, we might visualize resilience with the image of a single parent of two children who always smiles despite financial stress. Maybe it is the CEO who is working seventy hours a week and still finds the energy to keep their business growing.

Indeed, children are the tabula rasa of society. Their brains are flexible and develop quickly at a young age, thanks to neuroplasticity.

This capacity to learn is also children's biggest vulnerability: early experiences in life will shape the way they relate to others and themselves for the rest of their lives.

This is great if young experiences center around love, safety, and security.

Unfortunately, not all children have nurturing conditions. Social, cultural, racial and economic factors influence opportunities and experiences for children.

Certain family systems perpetuate undesirable behavioral patterns that might hinder a child's development. Eventually, this can amount to social and psychological problems.

Many children become resilient when faced with adversity. But resilience does not have to stem from trauma; it can also grow from supportive home environments and classrooms.

Starting with the classroom dynamic

Classroom dynamics and teaching methods can shape a classroom culture of resiliency.

School plays a huge role in children's lives, a setting in which they spend at least 15,000 hours on average (Rutter, Maughan, Mortimore, Ouston & Smith, 1979).

As Namka (2014) illustrates, a school may be the only haven they have. As one teenager partaking in her research acknowledges, the:

"only positive adult attention I got was in school from some of the teachers. I knew which teachers liked me and I learned more from them. At home, there weren't any adults who were interested in me so school became my favorite place to be. "

Furthermore, Pianta & Walsh (1998) highlight how "schools have historically been the great equalizer in the American landscape - the 'ticket out' for youth struggling to overcome conditions of adversity and poverty."

In the traditional school system, teachers tend to reward children when they obtain good grades or behave in an expected way.

Often, educators punish students when they do not succeed academically, or when they display an attitude deemed inappropriate.

Not all school systems operate with this "good or bad" dichotomy.

For example, the Finnish educational system is famous for its progressive educational reforms, lack of standardized forms of assessment, and individual grading of students. This holistic environment fosters equality and cooperation, as opposed to competition (Colagrossi, 2018).

While it is impossible to reform the entire American educational system, there are ways to incorporate a framework that promotes the values highlighted in the Finnish framework.

When resiliency is embedded in the classroom culture, teachers transform the lives of students.

In the past, teachers gave a lot of attention to deficit-based approaches, where disciplinary measures and punishment were used to manage behavioral problems (Cahill, Beadle, Farrelly, Forster, & Smith, 2014).

Times are changing. A new approach, influenced by positive psychologists, highlights a strength-based model, with much classroom success.

Instead of focusing on undesirable traits, teachers are asked to focus on student's strengths, while promoting wellbeing and resilience (Cahill, Beadle, Farrelly, Forster, & Smith, 2014).

One of the overall aims of positive psychology is to allow people's strengths and capacities to shine through their weaknesses or vulnerabilities (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi 2000).

In the school setting, this can be achieved when the following elements are incorporated:

A safe, stable and secure physical environment

A psychologically safe space

Supportive relationships and a tight-knit community

A sense of belonging and identification

Positive social norms

Opportunities for skill-building, decision-making, and planning

Social and cultural integration of the family and the community

Once combined, these elements provide an ideal context for children to thrive in the learning process-and in their social and psychological inner lives (Bernard, 2004).

A classroom culture of resiliency is not impossible.

We can learn from many examples of this concept also extends beyond the classroom.

Examples of Promoting Resilience at School

How can teachers convey the beauty of Kintsugi art to students, and the significance of the gold that emerges from the cracks of the broken pot?

The metaphor is somewhat complex to communicate with children, but there are easy ways of reinforcing positive attitudes and resilience.

It is important to remember that the objective is not about encouraging success or perfection. The purpose is to value the attempt over the outcome and challenge over victory.

Experts in the field like Namka (2014) use models before introducing a new psychological framework to a classroom. In her work, Namka helps children in classrooms and people in psychiatric hospitals with emotional, social, and vocational growth skills.

In her work, Namka relies on the following model:

1. Determine which psychological skill is most useful for your group to learn

2. Use a language which matches the general vocabulary of your students and their understanding of specific life issues

3. Start a discussion on the concept or skill using relatable life examples that the children feel at ease discussing

4. Choose a book, a video, film, activity or creative project that will give the students a practical idea as to how this skill might show in their daily life.

5. Throughout the discussion, ask students to reflect on how they connect with the introduced concept. Reward students who demonstrate a clear understanding of the significance of the concept.

This approach introduces a specific psychological skillset, but there are also ways to incorporate resilience into school culture before discussing it in the classroom.

For instance, Carol Dwek (2015) urges teachers to ask students to reflect on personal growth often. He recommends the following statements and questions for teachers to ask students:

You can control your thoughts. If you use them in the right way, you can strengthen your mind.

Wow, that was a really good grade. You must have worked really hard to be able to achieve it.

What have you learned today?

What is a mistake today that you learned from?

What were you persistent at today?

What can you learn from this?

What will you do the next time you are in this situation?

When asked to children on a regular basis, these questions may help students gain insight into their experiences, track their progress, and plan ahead of time. Over time, this reinforces the value of growth over the value of perfection.

The result of this process can include a sense of self-worth and independence for pupils.

As Namka (2014) also emphasizes, when the message "comes through again and again" that student's attempts towards autonomy are met with unconditional support, then students might develop the "self-fulfilling prophecy of " someone believes in me so I must have what it takes to work out the threatening situation! "

When educators believe in their students and prioritize growth, students are able to reflect on their own progress and develop resilience.

Lesson Plans for Teaching Resilience to Students

High-quality and classroom-relevant resources abound. We've picked some of the best lesson plans for you, starting with a lesson plan from the organization called Reach Out.

Lesson plan from Reach Out

Reach Out, one of Australia's online mental health organizations offers six different lessons for rethinking failure.

'Embracing the F Word' ('F' referring to failure) draws a parallel between failure and growth. Together, the six lessons aim to develop resilience.

Here is an example lesson called "Setting Goals - 'Mastery' and 'Not Yet' Tracking" (p. 38):

Duration: 50 min

The main takeaway is to encourage a growth mindset where students conceptualize their educational experiences in terms of 'mastery' or 'not yet' (Carol Dweck). This approach allows students to view failure as a positive and natural part of learning.

Reach Out emphasizes that ideally, school is a space where students pursue specific skills or tasks until they have mastered them. Since not all students have the same pace with learning and developing skills, it makes sense to reward the process rather than the outcome.

Unfortunately, constraints with time and student numbers make this difficult. But even starting the process of working towards mastery can build resilience.

Key messages for students (by the end of the lesson):

'Mastery' and 'not yet' are measures that can be used to assess one's competence in a specific domain. Until mastery is achieved, we are always in the 'not yet' phase. That doesn't mean that we have failed, but rather that we need to push and learn more in order to improve our performance.

Insight and a shift in perspective around failure and success are key in the pursuit of any skill mastery.

When things get difficult, others are there to help. Peers or teachers can facilitate one's development, technique or practice.

Learning cannot take place without failures. When others experience success, some people feel envious. However, the work and time that someone devoted to a certain skill may be less visible.

Growth-oriented questions to ask students

For teachers, responses and questions that encourage growth will help their class overcome difficult tasks and moments. Well-phrased questions may help students perceive a situation as a growth-based opportunity.

These questions include:

What did you learn during this task? In what way was it difficult?

Did you make any mistakes? If so, which ones?

What skills did you have to use during this activity? Had you used any of these previously?

If you had to start it all over again, would you do anything differently next time?

What advice would you give a student just starting this task?

'You can't do it... yet'.

Activity 1: Opposite hands

Put the students in pairs and tell them to them to use their non-dominant hand to write words linked with mindsets backward, for the partner to guess them. Mindset words are the following: mindset, growth, fixed, yet, feedback, failing, learning.

Activity 2: Backward mapping & tracking mastery

Ask the students to complete the 'Backward Mapping & Tracking Mastery' worksheet (as seen below)

Activity 3: Learning pyramid

Tell the students to fill in the learning pyramid (as seen below) for them to reflect on the lesson.

Samaritans lesson plan

In addition to lessons from Reach Out, the organization Samaritans also provides material for teaching resilience in the classroom. Here is one of the lessons they offer:

Duration: 50 min

The goal of this lesson is to teach students about how challenges and resilience work together.

Teachers also gain skills on how to spread awareness that distress and hardship are shared experiences and part of being human. In the face of adversity, students also glean different coping strategies that help towards growth.

Key messages for students (by the end of the lesson):

When facing adversity, there are in-built coping skillsets that help. These develop slowly and over time.

When things feel like they are too difficult, or you are feeling lonely or isolated, it is important to seek and receive support.

Growth-oriented questions to ask students:

Which coping strategies will I try to use in future challenges?

What different concepts can I take away from this lesson?

What are two coping strategies that someone else uses that I would like to try?

Additional tools:

coping cards

blank cards

situation cards

'My five' (handout)

room labels - helpful, harmful and useless (prepare in advance)

"Building Resilience" film

building resilience - film discussion point handout

character profile cards

Activity 1:

With your students, watch this resilience video clip. After the screening, start a student-led discussion about the movie.[be]

Divide the students into small groups, distribute the printed out discussion points, and assign one character per group.

The teams should work on the completion of a character profile (see handout), and focus on their assigned character from the movie clip.

While doing this, encourage the group to think about what the character can do to build resilience, and what they might advise them to do if they were friends.

When completed, ask one team leader to volunteer and share with the group's reflections with the rest of the class.

Activity 2:

On a piece of paper (or even colorful sticky notes), ask students to write any challenging situations that come to mind.

Let students know in advance that these sticky notes will be collected and placed on the board.

Collect these notes and stick them on the board.

Read them out loud and ask the students what they would do if exposed to that situation or problem.

Then, take the coping cards and distribute either one or two as well as a blank card to each student. Tell the students that on the blank card they can add their own ideas. Among the three, tell the students that they should choose one to hold up where everyone can see it.

In the room, label three areas as helpful, harmful or useless.

One by one, read the situations that the students wrote on the notes.

Ask students to move to the labeled areas that best fit the chosen coping strategy they selected.

Once students are spread out in different areas of the classroom, ask students one by one to discuss why they believed that their position was the best one to choose.

Compare the different ideas and thoughts that students offer.

As Samaritans point out, you can also ask the following growth-oriented questions:

Who thinks that one coping strategy isn't enough?

What would render a coping method harmful or useless?

What should we take into account when considering how we are coping?

How can one find out if the chosen coping strategy is helping?

What things may 'get in the way' and prevent us from adopting the most helpful strategy?

Is what is helpful the same as what is the easiest option?

Is it always easy to find out which approach is helpful in a given situation?

Try to think of an example where this may prove to be difficult.

How could this difficulty be overcome?

Lecture:

To build resilience, individuals need a set of coping abilities that allow them to confront adversity when it arises and keep a sense of harmony in their lives.

You can incorporate some examples and the ideas that emerged from the video clip you watched.

Sometimes, a belief in one's ability to cope is not enough. Specific plans and strategies are necessary to deal with unexpected hardship and stress.

These plans can serve as a toolkit that helps us find our best approach to handle challenges.

A Hundred Activities for Teaching Resilience

If you're looking for activities that will help you teach resilience to your students, you are in luck. There are fantastic resources out there that are tailored to the needs of specific age groups.

Additionally, Lynne Namka has over a hundred activities for instilling resilience in classrooms in a fun and dynamic way. The previous link offers many activities from her website that can be found from pages 30 to 167.

Namka's activities fit the format of an A4 page. They also outline an objective, discussion, activity, helper words, and tips. These also contain a range of age-appropriate materials (such as videos and mindfulness exercises) that can solidify the concept of resilience to children.

Lastly, Namka's work has inspirational and colorful quotes that can be printed out and distributed freely, or hung on the classroom's walls.

After all, a classroom culture of resilience is a classroom culture of growth and strength.

Specific Resilience Programs for Schools

Outside of the classroom, entire schools can foster a culture of resilience.

School-wide programs can build positive social norms and generate a sense of connectedness between teachers, peers, and the academic goals of the school.

This systemic approach aligns with a philosophy within positive psychology that change is also needed at the school level, and not solely in classrooms.

School-wide programs usually involve skill training for parents and teachers. Most programs have the same goal in mind, but they may differ in their methods and focus. Furthermore, programs tend to be country-specific. Before enrolling in one, make sure you find the right one for your school within close geographical proximity.

If you cannot find a program that would suit your locational needs, you can always try to contact one of the following organizations, and schedule skype-training sessions or consultancies.

You can also browse their websites for inspiration on developing a resilience-based model for your own school.

International resiliency program

The Realizing Resilience Masterclass© is an online course perfect for teachers, counselors, therapists, and psychologists. Highly recommended, this course will provide you with textbooks, presentations, videos - all the material you would need to teach resilience in the class, with a few other bonuses.

Resiliency programs in the United States

The Penn Resiliency program offers workshop and training courses to teachers and parents.

The program is said to teach children the skills of "assertiveness, negotiation, decision-making and coping with difficult situations and emotions and social problem-solving and relaxation" (Namka, 2014).

Resiliency programs in Australia

The Resilience Doughnut is a two-year whole-school model that includes training, development and evaluation. The main aim to " raise the wellbeing and resilience of staff, students and community. "

Adopting a systemic multilevel approach, the program offers a growth-based school climate at the heart of its curriculum.

No matter where they teach, the educators who teach resilience to students are building the next generation of powerful and confident people.

With resilience skillsets, we can learn to equate challenge with growth, and growth with living.

Resiliency outside of the classroom

What would a world look like that shared the classroom values of resilience? How do we create a culture of resiliency that thrives within and beyond the classroom walls?

Perhaps by starting with changing our classroom and school cultures, we can begin creating microcosms of perseverance through challenges.

More articles on resilience:

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Resilience Exercises for free.

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Resilience in Education & How to Foster Resilient Students

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Teaching resilience is a skill for all teachers. Here we'll provide knowledge and resources to help you develop resilience in children.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GPss6swg88

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Teaching Grit Cultivates Resilience and Perseverance

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How to Make Education Fun for Everyone | Alan Fishel | TEDxTysons

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image attribution flickr user syrianliteracyapp

contributed by Aziz Ghannaj, Teacher of English, Morocco.

Overview: Low student Participation in EFL classrooms: causes and suggested solutions.

In the context of language learning, active verbal participation on the part of the students is essential.

It is widely believed that when students are encouraged to speak the foreign language in the classroom setting, either with their teachers or classmates, they find themselves participating in the 'negotiation of meaning.' In other words, they are forced into clarifying their thoughts, intentions, and opinions by expressing them.

As a practitioner, I have observed many students abstaining from active class participation. This phenomenon in language learning classrooms is widely recognized by teachers and practitioners. Opinions vary but many teachers agree that the reasons for this phenomenon are complex and multi-leveled.

It stands to reason that the solutions will need to be just as complex and multi-leveled to be successfully understood and implemented. By choosing this topic for discussion I hope to pinpoint the main causes behind the phenomenon and humbly put forward possible solutions to help increase students' level of classroom participation.
The Classroom: Where Pedagogy And Culture Merge
The classroom is the most formal setting where teaching and learning processes occur. This is the form in which the interaction phenomenon whereby the teaching and learning goals are achieved and organized by teachers and students. In the classroom, both teachers and students perform a variety of different actions designed to accomplish classroom activities.

Among these actions, classroom participation is an important interactional and pedagogical task through which students display their involvement. Classroom participation in this paper refers to student-teacher talk; the extent to which students are involved in classroom discussions. In this respect, many practitioners and experts in the field of English language teaching have stressed the importance of students' oral participation in the classroom.

Interestingly, Petress (2001) contends that student's low-participation in language learning classrooms is not appreciated because it might negatively influence classroom learning by reducing the teacher's effectiveness and students' benefits. Furthermore, Jackson (2002) argues that classroom participation provides the setting in which students can construct and shape identities as members of the classroom.

To wit, when students do participate in class and have a say in whatever is going on; they feel that they are being appreciated among their peers and that what they say is important to the teacher. Thus, participation is of utmost importance in language classrooms for it adds interest to the learning and teaching process. Sometimes it's hard to maintain student's attention when all they hear is the professor talking. It helps to hear another point of view that comes from a voice other than the teacher's.
Causes of Lack Of Student Engagement In Language Learning Classrooms
Liu (2001) elaborated four types of student behavior in the classroom as full integration, participation in the circumstances, marginal interaction, and silence observation. In this context, we are not concerned with the other three types of students' behavior; but we are primarily concerned with the second type which is participation.

Accordingly, participation occurs when students are influenced by factors, that are socio-cultural, cognitive, affective, linguistic, and environment. These often lead to decreased students' participation and interaction with other students and instructors, resulting in them speaking up in class only when given no alternative.

In this part, I will try to list some of the causes that make students reluctant when it comes to participation.
6 Factors That Influence Student Engagement In A Language Learning Classroom 1. Lack of language fluency
First, many students are not really linguistically well-equipped to hold a discussion and express themselves freely. They find it hard to express themselves in English. Many of my students began this year of study with me not having attended English class regularly the previous year because, as some of them said, they lost interest in the subject matter.

This has unfortunately made them ill-prepared to carry on discussions in English at the level they should be at by now. They simply aren't linguistically prepared, which makes their reluctance to participate in class understandable. They aren't capable yet of holding even a short conversation, let alone give their opinions and express themselves freely in front of the class. In fact, they are always telling me that they don't understand what I am saying. How can they be expected to interact in class? The majority of students can't and, sadly, they can't be expected to either.
2. The approach of the teacher
The second reason is the teacher's elicitation or questioning system. When the school year began, I would ask students questions, not paying attention to diction. Session after session, I realized that I had to simplify my language and even noticed I was beginning to use my body language appropriately to try and convey the meaning of what I was saying to my students. Clearly, when students don't understand the question, they play it safe and abstain from participating in the classroom.
3. Personality types
Third, shyness is another reason for students' limited participation. When I ask my students a question, I feel and I'm convinced that some female students know the answer, yet they remain silent. Indeed, shyness is an influencing factor which could affect students' participation. However, shyness is a behavior that could be the result of any or a combination of the following factors: social introversion, lacking confidence in the subject matter, and/or communication apprehension.

The latter is defined "as the level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person'' (MacCroskey, 1977). In other words, some students can't raise their hands and speak in front of their peers and in the presence of the teacher because they are afraid of others' reactions.
4. Pronunciation and oral fluency
Fourth, Poor Pronunciation is another factor behind students' low-participation in the classroom. In fact, this appeared to be a huge source of stress for learners in my class. It is an important issue across language groups because of its immediate effect on interaction. When you sense somebody does not understand you, your reaction is immediate. You feel you need to improve your pronunciation within a second, which is often hard and stressful.

As a result of this performance anxiety, learners become self-conscious about their pronunciation when they speak in the class and I have noticed that they feel embarrassed if they mispronounced a word. There are times when I asked my students to read a passage of text from one of their textbooks out loud. No one volunteers because they are afraid of being laughed at or of being criticized by others due to inaccurate pronunciation.
6 Strategies To Increase Student Participation In EFL/ESL Classrooms
Suggested solutions for students' low participation:

As far as solutions for the issue of low classroom participation are concerned, it has to be admitted that the teacher as a single entity cannot be held accountable for the issues inherent in the Moroccan educational system in general; among them is limited students' participation in the classroom. The best the teacher can hope for is to create an atmosphere in his/her classroom that is separated from any negative challenges mentioned in the causes section.
1. Create a 'safe' classroom culture
First and foremost, students at school need to feel good about being in the classroom. The way to start creating this feeling is for the teacher to establish from the first day of class that this room is a safe place for everyone. The idea of being in a classroom is to learn. If students already knew everything, there would be no need to be there. It should go without saying that perfection is not expected, especially in the beginning. The teacher should present himself or herself to the students as a guide, someone who is there as a facilitator to learning.

All students should consider themselves to be starting the school year at exactly the same spot, square 1, so to speak. It's my belief that when students see themselves and their classmates on the same level from the first class, they will begin to relax about presenting a perfect exterior.

It's also critical for the teacher to set ground rules in the class that establish it as a safe zone for everyone. Zero tolerance on ridiculing students who participate, because of a missed pronunciation or a misinterpreted meaning, will create a more comfortable place for the students to participate in. If there is no fear of criticism, walls of shyness and apprehension collapse, and students feel encouraged to participate actively. Like a party where no-one is dancing, it only takes one brave soul to get it started. Soon the dance floor is full and everyone is enjoying the experience, so to speak. Learning should feel the same way.
2. Watch body language
When teachers are presenting the lesson to students, it's important to pay attention to their body language. Are they following you? Are you using the vocabulary they understand? Their faces will tell you everything. When you notice you are losing them, simply stop and take a reading on the class. Ask if they are following, ask what needs clarification. In my classroom, I won't continue until I know I have got them all back with me.

There are still a handful of students who will struggle with shyness, no matter how safe a teacher makes their classroom environment. Sometimes these kids will need one-on-one encouragement from the teacher; that is to say, the teacher has to approach these students face to face and tell them that there is nothing they should fear and that they should feel free to make mistakes.

The teacher can do that but in a low key way, so as not to call attention to it so that they don't feel spotlighted by the rest of the class. They should be quietly encouraged to feel relaxed when they make mistakes. The teacher has also to assure those shy students that mistakes are learning tools they need to make friends with.
3. Make it fun
Teachers can also help inspire language learning classroom participation by creating fun, interactive activities to present the curriculum. Education is a serious business, to be sure, but there is a lot to be said for bringing in activities to shake what can become predictable, staid lessons such as suggesting competitions and using humour in the classroom.

I have tried these fun activities and came to the conclusion that I had more students participating in class than ever. As long as the curriculum obligations are met, teachers should try to introduce games, fun competitions, and role-plays into the class to get students excited. Sometimes when they are having fun they don't even realize they have learned something until the class is over.
4. Build relationships
In the case of tests or exams, teachers should create a bonus system for extra grades to help motivate them to reach beyond what they think they are capable of. In addition, I had some students who misbehaved at the beginning of the year, but session after session I managed to get close to them, I talked to them and they shared their problems with me. After that, those students felt that I care about them and they appreciated that.

They told me that they want to change their lives and want to study, I encouraged them and they started doing all the things I told them to do, like bringing their copybooks and textbooks. They started participating in my class though they have very poor English, I kept encouraging them though.

In brief, teachers have to get as much as close to students and make them understand that the teacher is there to guide them and help them learn.
Jackson, J. (2002). Reticence in second language case discussions: Anxiety and aspirations. System, 30,65-84. Liu, J. (2001). Asian students classroom communication patterns in U.S. universities: an emic perspective Westport, CT. U.S.A: Greenwood Petress, K. (2001). The ethics of student classroom silence. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 28,104-107.

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How To Improve Engagement In The Language Learning Classroom

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contributed by Aziz Ghannaj, Teacher of English, Morocco. Overview: Low student Participation in EFL classrooms: causes and suggested solutions. In the context of language learning, active verbal participation on the part of the students is essential.

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Cookie Monster Practices Self-Regulation | Life Kit Parenting | NPR

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I especially liked the Do's and Dont's section. It was clear and helpful

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Cite This Webpage

Rimm-Kaufman, S. (2015, March 9). Improving students' relationships with teachers. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/relationships

Positive relationships can also help a student develop socially

Improving students' relationships with teachers has important, positive and long-lasting implications for both students' academic and social development. Solely improving students' relationships with their teachers will not produce gains in achievement. However, those students who have close, positive and supportive relationships with their teachers will attain higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in their relationships.

Picture a student who feels a strong personal connection to her teacher, talks with her teacher frequently, and receives more constructive guidance and praise rather than just criticism from her teacher. The student is likely to trust her teacher more, show more engagement in learning, behave better in class and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and promote their desire to learn (assuming that the content material of the class is engaging, age-appropriate and well matched to the student's skills).

High quality academic instruction

High quality academic instruction is designed to be appropriate to students' educational levels. It also creates opportunity for thinking and analysis, uses feedback effectively to guide students' thinking, and extends students' prior knowledge.

What do good teacher-student relationships look like and why do these relationships matter?

Teachers who foster positive relationships with their students create classroom environments more conducive to learning and meet students' developmental, emotional and academic needs. Here are some concrete examples of closeness between a teacher and a student:

A high school student chooses to share the news that he recently got a part in a community play with his teacher because he knows that his teacher will show genuine interest in his success.

A fourth grade boy who is struggling in math shows comfort in admitting to his teacher that he needs help with multiplying and dividing fractions even if most of the students in the class have moved beyond this work.

A middle school girl experiences bullying from other students and approaches her social studies teacher to discuss it because she trusts that the teacher will listen and help without making her feel socially inept.

Positive teacher-student relationships contribute to school adjustment and academic and social performance

Positive teacher-student relationships - evidenced by teachers' reports of low conflict, a high degree of closeness and support, and little dependency - have been shown to support students' adjustment to school, contribute to their social skills, promote academic performance and foster students' resiliency in academic performance (Battistich, Schaps, & Wilson, 2004; Birch & Ladd, 1997; Curby, Rimm-Kaufman, & Ponitz, 2009; Ewing & Taylor, 2009; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Rudasill, Reio, Stipanovic, & Taylor, 2010).

Teachers who experience close relationships with students reported that their students were less likely to avoid school, appeared more self-directed, more cooperative and more engaged in learning (Birch & Ladd, 1997; Decker, Dona, & Christenson, 2007; Klem & Connell, 2004). Teachers who use more learner-centered practices (i.e., practices that show sensitivity to individual differences among students, include students in the decision-making, and acknowledge students' developmental, personal and relational needs) produced greater motivation in their students than those who used fewer of such practices (Daniels & Perry, 2003).

Students who attended math classrooms with higher emotional support reported increased engagement in mathematics learning. For instance, fifth graders said they were willing to exert more effort to understand the math lesson. They enjoyed thinking about and solving problems in math and were more willing to help peers learn new concepts (Rimm-Kaufman, Baroody, Larsen, Curby, & Abry, 2014). Among kindergarteners, students reported liking school more and experiencing less loneliness if they had a close relationship with their teachers. Further, kindergarteners with better teacher-student relationships showed better performance on measures of early academic skills (Birch & Ladd, 1997).

The quality of early teacher-student relationships has a long-lasting impact. Specifically, students who had more conflict with their teachers or showed more dependency toward their teachers in kindergarten also had lower academic achievement (as reflected in mathematics and language arts grades) and more behavioral problems (e.g., poorer work habits, more discipline problems) through the eighth grade. These findings were greater for boys than for girls (Hamre & Pianta, 2001). Further work indicates that kindergarten children with more closeness and less conflict with teachers developed better social skills as they approached the middle school years than kindergarten children with more conflictual relationships experiences in the past (Berry & O'Connor, 2009). A recent study examining student-teacher relationships throughout elementary school (first through fifth grade) found that teacher-student closeness linked to gains in reading achievement, while teacher-student conflict related to lower levels of reading achievement (McCormick & O'Connor, 2014).

What do positive teacher-student relationships look and feel like in the classroom?

This video clip shows a third grade teacher facilitating positive communication among peers by conducting a "Thoughtful Thursday" activity in which students discuss thoughtful actions or words they have experienced from classmates throughout the week. The student talks about the "safeties" (student safety-patrol members) outside the school and how they welcomed him to the school.

In this video clip, a preschool teacher is facilitating positive peer interactions by communicating with students in a warm, calm voice and making encouraging statements, such as "Very good teamwork!'

How to develop positive relationships with your students:

Show your pleasure and enjoyment of students.

Interact with students in a responsive and respectful manner.

Offer students help (e.g., answering questions in timely manner, offering support that matches students' needs) in achieving academic and social objectives.

Help students reflect on their thinking and learning skills.

Know and demonstrate knowledge about individual students' backgrounds, interests, emotional strengths and academic levels.

Avoid showing irritability or aggravation toward students.

Acknowledge the importance of peers in schools by encouraging students to be caring and respectful to one another.

In contrast, what do negative teacher-student relationships look and feel like?

Teachers who have negative relationships with a student show evidence of frustration, irritability and anger toward that student. Teachers might display their negativity through snide and sarcastic comments toward the student or describe the feeling that they are always struggling or in conflict with a particular student. Often, teachers will describe a specific student as "one who exhausts them" or "a student who leaves them feeling drained and burned out."

Negative teacher-student relationships can amplify when teachers show irritability and anger toward several or many of the students in the classroom. In these types of classrooms, teachers may find themselves resorting to yelling and harsh punitive control. Teacher-student communications may appear sarcastic or disrespectful. Student victimization or bullying may be common occurrences in such negative classrooms (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2006).

Negative teacher-student relationships are stressful for both teachers and students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Lisonbee, Mize, Payne, & Granger, 2008) and can be detrimental to students' academic and social-emotional development (McCormick & O'Connor, 2014; O'Connor, Collins, & Supplee, 2012).

Do's:

Make an effort to get to know and connect with each student in your classroom. Always call them by their names, find out information about their interests and strive to understand what they need to succeed in school (Croninger & Lee, 2001; Whitlock, 2006).

Make an effort to spend time individually with each student, especially those who are difficult or shy. This will help you create a more positive relationship with them (Pianta, 1999; Rudasill, Rimm-Kaufman, Justice, & Pence, 2006; Spangler Avant, Gazelle, & Faldowski, 2011).

Be aware of the explicit and implicit messages you are giving to your students (Pianta, et al., 2001; Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2002; Hemmeter & Conroy, 2012). Be careful to show your students that you want them to do well in school through both actions and words.

Create a positive climate in your classroom by focusing not only on improving your relationships with your students, but also on enhancing the relationships among your students (Charney, 2002; Donahue, Perry & Weinstein, 2003; Wentzel, 2010).

Be aware that you are modeling behavior for your students, whether intentional or not.

Students notice your interaction style. They notice whether you show warmth and respect toward them, to other students and to adults at your school. Often, they will model their own behavior after your behavior.

Students notice the methods you use to manage strong emotions. They notice positive strategies, such as taking a deep breath or talking about your frustrations. Likewise, they notice negative strategies, too, such as yelling at students or making mean or disrespectful jokes about colleagues (Jones, Bouffard, & Weissbourd, 2013). Be aware that students will often adopt the strategies that you use.

Don'ts:

Don't assume that being kind and respectful to students is enough to bolster achievement. Ideal classrooms have more than a single goal: teachers hold students to appropriately high standards of academic performance and offer students an opportunity for an emotional connection to their teachers, their fellow students and the school (e.g., Gregory & Weinstein, 2004; Wentzel, 2010).

Don't give up too quickly on your efforts to develop positive relationships with difficult students. These students will benefit from a good teacher-student relationship as much or more than their easier-to-get-along-with peers (Baker, 2006; Birch & Ladd, 1998; Hartz & Williford, in press).

Don't assume that respectful and sensitive interactions are only important to elementary school students. Middle and high school students benefit from such relationships as well (Allen et al., 2013; Meece, Herman, & McCombs, 2003; Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, White, & Salovey, 2012).

Don't assume that relationships are inconsequential. Some research suggests that preschool children who have a lot of conflict with their teachers show increases in stress hormones when they interact with these teachers (Lisonbee et al., 2008).

Don't wait for negative behaviors and interactions to occur in the classroom. Instead, take a proactive stance on promoting a positive social experience by including students in discussions about prosocial interactions and consistently modeling those positive interactions for them (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009).

How to cultivate positive relationships in your classroom

Know your students

Knowing a student's interests can help you create examples to match those interests.

If a student who loves basketball comes to you with a question about a math problem, you might respond to her with a problem involving basketball.

If a student who speaks Spanish at home comes to you with a question about English vocabulary, you might answer his question and then ask him what the word is in Spanish and how he'd use it in a sentence. This type of specific responding shows that you care about your students as people and that you are aware of their unique strengths (i.e., fluency in another language).

Knowing a student's temperament can help you construct appropriate learning opportunities.

If a girl in your class is particularly distractible, you can support her efforts to concentrate by offering her a quieter area in which to work.

If a boy in your classroom is very shy, appears engaged but never raises his hand to ask questions, you can assess his level of understanding of a concept in a one-on-one conversation at the end of class.

Give students meaningful feedback

Notice the way that you give feedback to your students. If possible, watch a video of your own teaching.

Are you giving students meaningful feedback that says you care about them and their learning, or are you constantly telling your students to hurry?

In your conversations, are you focusing on what your students have accomplished or are you concentrating your comments on what they have not yet mastered?

Does your body language, facial expression and tone of voice show your students that you are interested in them as people too?

Are you telling them to do one thing, yet you model quite different behavior? For example, are you telling your students to listen to each other, but then look bored when one of them talks to the class? Be sure that the feedback you give to your students conveys the message that you are supporting their learning and that you care about them.

Are you paying more attention to some students than to others?

In this clip, a third grade teacher is monitoring and assisting her students during an independent reading activity. She kneels down next to one of her students and asks him questions to determine if he comprehends the story. The teacher positions herself in close proximity to the student and speaks to him with a calm and respectful tone of voice, which conveys the message that she is here to support him.

Make sure to provide social and emotional support and set high expectations for learning.

Be respectful and sensitive to adolescents

Supportive teacher-student relationships are just as important to middle and high school students as they are to elementary students. Positive relationships encourage students' motivation and engagement in learning. Older students need to feel that their teachers respect their opinions and interests just as much as younger students do. Even in situations where adolescents do not appear to care about what teachers do or say, teacher actions and words do matter and may even have long term positive (or negative) consequences.

How to improve relationships with difficult students

Develop positive discourse with students with challenging behavior

Think about what you say to the difficult students in your classroom. Are you constantly bombarding your more challenging students with requests to do something? Do you find yourself constantly asking students to stop doing what they are doing? No one likes being badgered and pestered, and your students are no exception.

Try to find a time or place when you can have positive discussion with the problem student.

Notice and mention the positive behaviors they exhibit.

Remind yourself that even if a challenging student appears unresponsive to your requests, she is hearing the messages that you are giving her. Her responses may not change her immediate behavior but may matter in the long term.

Make extra effort to develop and sustain relationships with difficult students

Difficult students require more energy on your part. For example, you may need to spend time with them individually to get to know them better - to understand their interests as well as what motivates them. This will not only allow you to tailor your instruction to their interests and motivation, but the time spent will also allow them to develop trust in you. Recent research on high school students who have frequent and intense discipline problems shows that when adolescents perceive their teachers are trustworthy people, they show less defiant behavior (Gregory & Ripski, 2008). Persistent teacher-student conflict throughout the elementary years increases the likelihood that children will exhibit negative externalizing behaviors (O'Connor et al., 2012), so it is important for teachers to build close relationships at an early age with children at-risk for behavioral issues.

This video clip highlights a teacher talking about how developing positive relationships is particularly important with behaviorally difficult children.

Forming positive relationships with behaviorally difficult students

These video clips show two teachers talking about the ways positive relationships with their students helps to reach and motivate them.

Theoretical perspectives to explain student behavior

Three theoretical perspectives - attachment theory, social cognitive theory and self-system theory - help to explain why students behave in certain ways in your classroom and how you can use your relationships with them to enhance their learning.

Attachment theory

Attachment theory explains how students use their positive relationships with adults to organize their experiences (Bowlby 1969). Central to this theory is that students with close relationships with their teachers view their teacher as a "secure base" from which to explore the classroom environment. In practice, students with this "secure base" feel safe when making mistakes and feel more comfortable accepting the academic challenges necessary for learning. Strong teacher-student relationships can even act as a buffer against the potentially adverse effects that insecure parent-child attachment can have on students' academic achievement (O'Connor & McCartney, 2007).

Social cognitive theory

Social cognitive theory posits that students develop a wide range of skills simply by watching other people perform those skills. Thus, modeling behavior can be a positive and effective modality for teaching (Bandura, 1986). Applied to the classroom environment, teachers play a critical role as live models from which students can learn social behaviors and positive communication skills. Social cognitive theory also sheds light on the importance of feedback and encouragement from teachers in relation to student performance. Teachers serve as role models and help regulate student behavior through interactions and relationships.

This video clip shows a 16-year-old boy describing one way his teacher is modeling behavior. Given the relationship he describes, it is easy to see the influence that this teacher has on the student.

Self-System theory

Self-System theory emphasizes the importance of students' motivation and by doing so, explains the importance of teacher-student relationships (Harter, 2012; McCombs, 1986). Students come to the classroom with three basic psychological needs - competence, autonomy and relatedness - all of which can be met in a classroom through students' interactions with teachers and with the learning environment (Deci & Ryan, 2002).

Classroom practices that foster the feelings of competence, autonomy and relatedness are likely to produce the engagement and motivation required for academic learning and success.

Competence refers to a student's need to feel capable of academic work.

Autonomy suggests a feeling that he or she has some choice and ability to make decisions.

Relatedness implies that a student feels socially connected to teachers or peers.

Positive teacher-student relationships help students meet these needs. Teachers offer feedback to students to support their feelings of competence. Teachers who know their students' interests and preferences, and show regard and respect for these individual differences, bolster students' feelings of autonomy. Teachers who establish a personal and caring relationship and foster positive social interactions within their classrooms meet their students' needs for relatedness (or social connection to school). Taken together, effective teacher-student relationships confirm to students that teachers care for them and support their academic efforts.

These video clips shows competence and autonomy from an 8-year-old child.

The students in my school have severe emotional and behavioral problems and my school has few economic resources - can good relationships really help?

Teacher-student relationships contribute to students' resiliency. Often, we assume that hard-to-change factors such as class size, teacher experience or availability of instructional supplies are crucial for predicting student achievement. In fact, these factors are not as important as having positive relationships.

In one study of almost 4,000 students (who were ethnic minority groups and from poor families), the presence of positive relationships with teachers and the experience of a positive and orderly school environment in elementary and middle school were strong predictors of gains in math outcomes - much stronger than class size, teacher experience, or availability of instructional supplies (Borman & Overman, 2004).

In another study, urban high school students with behavior and emotional problems were assigned to an intervention involving weekly interactions with teachers, monthly calls to the students at home and increased praise from adults. Those students involved in the intervention showed higher grade point averages over the five-month intervention period compared to their peers who were not receiving the intervention (Murray & Malmgren, 2005). Studies like this point to an important message - across ages and in all content areas, students will be more engaged and motivated if teachers meet students' essential need for social connection.

Can positive teacher-student relationships help to reduce the prevalence of bullying behavior in students?

The behaviors and emotions that young children display when interacting with peers play a critical role in their involvement with bullying throughout the school years. Teachers have the ability to reduce bullying behaviors that occur in the classroom by establishing a positive climate in which pro-social actions are both encouraged and rewarded (Hanish, Kochenderfer-Ladd, Fabes, Martin, & Denning, 2004). Through teacher-student relationship, teachers can assist students in understanding how to better understand and regulate emotions they are feeling. Teachers can also involve students in discussing alternative strategies to deal with social conflict and in establishing prosocial rules for the classroom (Allen, 2010; Fraser et al., 2005).

How does the importance of the teacher-student relationship compare to other important relationships, such as parent-student relationships, in students' lives?

From early childhood through adolescence, positive teacher-student relationships appear to complement the other important relationships in students' lives.

For young students, increased parental engagement (i.e., warmth and sensitivity, support for autonomy, involvement in learning) is associated with greater social bonds with other caregiving adults, including teachers (Sheridan, Knoche, Edwards, Bovaird, & Kupzyk, 2010).

In middle school students, the perception of their teacher (whether they felt that their teacher was supportive toward them or not) predicted students' interest in learning and their engagement in the classroom. At this level, parental support plays a complementary role by predicting youths' motivation in school (Wentzel, 1997).

In high school, parent and teacher supportiveness (combined with parent and teacher monitoring and high expectations) contribute to gains in mathematics achievement (Gregory & Weinstein, 2004). At this age, parent and teacher monitoring of behavior as well as high parent and teacher expectations play an important role in achievement.

This video clip is of a teacher talking about the complementary role that her relationship with the child and the family plays in managing a child's behavior in the classroom.

What are the factors contributing to positive teacher-student relationships?

Multiple factors determine teacher-student relationships: teacher characteristics and student characteristics each play an important role in predicting the quality of interactions that teachers have with individual students. Although less well-studied, other factors (school social climate, school policies, etc.) also contribute to the quality of these relationships.

Will more positive teacher-student relationships improve the peer relationships in my classroom?

Yes, positive teacher-student relationships can promote improved peer relationships in your classrooms through direct and indirect approaches. Teachers can directly promote positive social behaviors by orchestrating the relationships within a classroom in a positive manner (Battistich et al., 2004). Teachers can use positive teacher-student relationships indirectly to promote peer relationships as well. Students tend to be more accepting of peers who show engagement in the tasks of school (e.g., show attention, participate in classroom activities), and positive teacher-student relationships enhance students' engagement. Positive teacher-student relationships improve student-to-student acceptance in both current and future years (Hughes & Kwok, 2007).

Are positive teacher-student relationships easier to form in some situations than others?

Some situations (such as in elementary school, where each teacher is assigned only twenty or so students) provide more opportunities for the development of close teacher-student relationships. Other situations (such as the middle school or high school levels, where teachers routinely provide instruction to four or five groups of twenty-five or more students) make it more difficult to form positive teacher-student relationships with all students (Feldlaufer, Midgley, & Eccles, 1988; Meece et al., 2003), and thus, it takes more effort.

It is also easier to focus attention on positive teacher-student relationships in schools where the administrators believe that trust and positive relationships are important for improving students' performance (Bryk, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, & Easton, 2010 ). A distinguishing characteristic of schools with high performing students is the presence of an adult school community that works together in a coordinated manner to create a social environment that supports teachers' efforts to establish good relationships with students (Allensworth & Easton, 2007).

If teacher-student relationships reflect both characteristics of the teachers and characteristics of the student, how stable are these relationships over time?

The quality of teacher-student relationships is surprisingly stable over time. In other words, if a kindergarten teacher has a conflictual relationship with a student; it is likely that the child's first and second grade teachers will also experience conflict in their relationship with that same child. This stability is more evident when the relationships are conflictual rather than when the relationships are close or dependent (Howes, Phillepsen & Peisner-Feinberg, 2000; Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004). Most likely, the stability stems from the "internal working model" that students create in their mind about how relationships with adults typically ought to work.

Here is a video clip of a 16-year-old boy talking about a high school teacher. The teen talks about a teaching method that complements his learning style and motivates him to ask questions. The teacher allows students to question his thinking, a type of questioning that fosters learning, as the student describes. The quality of this give-and-take between the teacher and students provides one example of a teacher-student interaction that appeals to adolescents and enhances the teacher-student relationship.

Are there any unintended consequences associated with creating positive teacher-student relationships?

Ideally, classroom environments need to be nurturing while at the same time holding students to high academic standards (Curby, LoCasale-Crouch, et al., 2009; Stuhlman & Pianta, 2009). Classrooms that focus on nurturance without offering opportunities for academic learning do not produce increases in students' achievement (Allensworth & Easton, 2007; Lee & Smith, 1999).

Do positive teacher-student relationships work for all school subjects?

Positive teacher-student relationships play an equally important role in students' success across all subjects (McCombs & Miller, 2006). Students' social and emotional needs are present throughout the day and the year, regardless of the subject area.

Can positive teacher-student relationships support students' self-control?

In the past decade, there has been increased interest in methods to support students' development of self-control. Executive functioning is one component of self-control that refers to students' working memory, ability to direct attention, and the ability to control their responses in different situations. Through their relationships and interactions with students, teachers can help to develop and improve students' executive functioning skills and the behaviors that emerge because of those skills. For example, a higher degree of emotional support provided by the classroom teacher is associated with a reduction in students' off-task behavior (Rimm-Kaufman, Curby, Grimm, Nathanson, & Brock, 2009). Additionally, students with low effortful control perform similarly to children with high effortful control (i.e., the ability to substitute an automatic or immediate response for a more appropriate one, such as raising one's hand instead of calling out) on tests of reading and mathematics if they experience positive relationships with their teachers (Liew, Chen, & Hughes, 2010). Teacher-student relationships help students develop executive functioning skills regardless of whether they are low or high in these skills in the beginning of the school year. (See Willingham, 2011, for more useful information.)

This video clip provides an example of how a teacher's supportive interactions with an eight year old boy helps him get back on track and show more self-control in his behaviors.

How do you evaluate teacher-student relationships?

Several common and readily available instruments have been developed to assess teacher-student relationships. Although used primarily for research, these instruments can also serve as diagnostic tools to identify strengths and weakness in your own teaching. Some of these instruments rely on teacher reports of relationships, others are observationally-based measures of teacher-student interactions in the classroom, and yet others rely on students' reports of their relationships with teachers. One particularly innovative technique to use with young children relies on children's drawings of their teachers.

There are less formal ways to assess your relationships with students:

Invite a school psychologist into your classroom to observe your interactions, take notes and reflect with you about the child with whom you have a challenging relationship.

Set up a video camera and analyze your own interactions with the student who is causing you difficulty.

Give your students anonymous questionnaires (on paper or on-line) or ask small groups of students about how they feel while they are in your classroom.

Through this process, it is important to realize that even the best teachers have difficulties with a few students from time to time. The reasons for these difficulties are numerous and getting help from a collaborating teacher, the school psychologist, or a supportive administrator may offer you an outside view of what is occurring and help you improve your relationships with the challenging students in your classroom.

Are positive teacher-student relationships a "magic bullet"?

No, positive teacher-student relationships are only one part of a teachers' repertoire of classroom management and discipline strategies. High quality relationships complement high quality classroom management. Furthermore, it is not possible to develop positive relationships with every student. As a teacher, you can strive toward accomplishing that goal but realize that having an ideal relationship with each student may be unobtainable.

How are positive teacher-student relationships linked to classroom climate?

Improving teacher-student relationships constitutes only a first step toward creating a classroom community that is conducive to student's social and academic development.

Several student characteristics are risk factors for problematic relationships

Boys typically have more conflict and less closeness in their relationships with teachers than girls (Baker, 2006; Howes et al., 2000; Hughes, Cavell, & Wilson, 2001).

High levels of teacher-student conflict may affect girls and boys differently. For example, teacher-student conflict appears to affect math achievement more negatively for girls than for boys (McCormick & O'Connor, 2014).

Students with more internalizing problems (e.g., depression, anxiety) show greater dependency on their teachers than their average counterparts (Henricsson & Rydell, 2004), whereas students with more externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, problem behaviors) show more conflict with teachers (Murray & Murray, 2004; O'Connor et al., 2012).

Students who exhibit more problem behaviors at home and school tend to develop more conflictual and less close relationships with their teachers (Birch & Ladd, 1998; Murray & Murray, 2004; O'Connor et al., 2012).

Students with emotional disturbances or mild intellectual disability have more negative relationships with teachers than students without these problems (Murray & Greenberg, 2001).

Bold preschool students with poorly developed language skills are perceived by their teachers as having more conflictual relationships. Shy preschool students with better language skills are perceived by their teachers as more dependent upon them (Rudasill et al., 2006).

For students at risk for problematic teacher-student relationships, teachers needed to make extra efforts to offer the social and emotional support likely to help them meet the challenges they face in school.

Teachers vary in their ability to create positive teacher-student relationships. Some teachers simply have an easier time developing positive relationships with students - personality, feelings toward students, their own relationship histories may all play a role. A few personal characteristics of teachers have been identified as important predictors of positive teacher-student relationships in elementary schools. Research has found that preschool and kindergarten teachers are more likely to develop close relationships with students who share their same ethnic background. In contrast, it was found that Caucasian pre-service teachers working in their 10-week field placement sites perceived African-American and Hispanic students as more dependent than these same teachers perceived White students. Asian-American and Hispanic pre-service teachers perceived African-American students as more dependent upon them as compared to Asian-American or Hispanic students (Kesner, 2000).

Pre-service teachers who recall their own upbringing as caring and nurturing were also more likely to experience closeness with the students in their field placement classrooms (Kesner, 2000). Teachers' beliefs and the types of practices that teachers prefer also appear to be important. Kindergarten teachers who use more age-appropriate, student-centered teaching practices reported less conflictual relationships with their kindergarten students than those who use more didactic, teacher-centered strategies (Manticopoulous, 2005). Much less is known about the teacher characteristics that contribute to positive teacher-student relationships at the middle and high school level.

Measures of teacher-student relationships

Student-teacher relationship scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001) is a teacher-report instrument designed for elementary school teachers. This instrument measures a teacher's perception of conflict, closeness and dependency with a specific child. Another instrument designed for teachers of middle and high school is the teacher-student relationship inventory (TSRI, Ang, 2005). It measures teachers' satisfaction with their students, the help they perceive they are offering to their students and their level of conflict with their students.

Classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS; Pianta, La Paro & Hamre, 2006) examines the presence of supportive relationships in the classroom. This system measures teachers' sensitivity as well as positive and negative climate in the classroom. Different forms of this instrument are available for preschool through twelfth grade.

Assessment of learner-centered practices (ALCP) is a set of validated survey instruments designed for teachers and students. These surveys, each designed for a different age group (grades K-3, 4-8 and 9-12), provide teachers with tools for self-assessment and reflection (McCombs, 2004). The emphasis of this work has been to identify discrepancies between teacher and student perceptions in order to assist teachers as they reflect upon and change their practices (McCombs & Miller, 2006). The ALCP process focuses on student learning and motivational outcomes, as well as the classroom practices that contribute most to maximizing these outcomes.

Feelings about school (Valeski & Stipek, 2001) examines young children's perceptions of their relationships with teachers and their overall feelings toward school. Young children's attitudes about school can also be assessed by having a child draw a picture of him/herself and his/her teacher at school and analyzing the picture for signs of negativity (Harrison, Clarke, & Ungerer, 2007).

Loneliness and social dissatisfaction questionnaire for young children (Cassidy & Asher, 1992) evaluates students' feelings of loneliness and discontentment with peer relationships in elementary school.

Teacher treatment inventory (Weinstein & Marshall, 1984) is a self-report measure that can be used with middle and high school students to rate their perception of the frequency of specific teacher behaviors. This measure can be used along with an adapted measure of perceived social connection.

Teacher-student relationships and the classroom climate

How do teacher-student relationships relate to classroom climate?

When first grade teachers use practices that demonstrate caring toward students and practices that foster interpersonal skills among students, students are less likely to reject one another (Donahue et al, 2003). In addition, aggressive students who have positive relationships with teachers are more likely to be accepted by peers than aggressive students who lack positive relationships with their teachers (Hughes et al., 2001). Ultimately, constructive teacher-student relationships have an important positive influence on the social skills of difficult as well as typical students (Zins, Elias, Greenberg, & Weissberg, 2000). Such findings suggest that enhancing individual teacher-student relationships has beneficial and cumulative effects for other aspects of classroom life.

Improving teacher-student relationships is only the first step toward meeting students' emotional and relational needs. A teacher should also work on producing a caring community of learners. Such efforts improve the nature of interactions among students and promote students' engagement in school (Hamre & Pianta, 2005; McCombs, 2004; Meece et al., 2003; Weinberger & McCombs, 2003).

Interventions

Studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions designed to create more caring school and classroom communities; each has resulted in specific recommendations for improving teacher-student relationships as well as peer-relationships.

1. The Child Development Project (CDP) focuses on fostering caring peer relationships, including students in decision-making during classroom meetings, and teaching students to better understand the feelings, needs and perspectives of others. The goal of CDP is to promote positive development among students and build upon their strengths. Students exposed to this intervention feel more positive about school and are more motivated (e.g., showed more task orientation and greater intrinsic motivation) than their counterparts not receiving this intervention in elementary school (Solomon, Battistich, Watson, Schaps, & Lewis, 2000). Likewise, CDP appears to have some long-lasting effects; students enrolled in the CDP elementary schools were less antisocial and more prosocial in middle school as well (Battistich et al., 2004). Further, in a district that pressed for high achievement, CDP was linked to positive effects on achievement outcomes as well as gains in socio-emotional skills.

2. The responsive classroom (RC) approach is a classroom-based intervention designed to integrate social and academic learning. When RC was examined to determine whether there were links between the use of its approach and the quality of teacher-student relationships, it was found that teachers using more RC practices had closer relationships with students in their classrooms (Baroody, Rimm-Kaufman, Larsen & Curby, 2014; Rimm-Kaufman & Chiu, 2007).

3. The RULER approach is another school-based social-emotional intervention that is designed to teach students critical skills related to emotions (labeling, expressing, regulating, etc.). This intervention was developed to align with the language arts curriculum in grades K-12. Investigations of RULER'S effectiveness have revealed that students whose teachers utilize more RULER approaches in the classroom demonstrated improved social skills and emotional intelligence (Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, Elbertson, & Salovey, 2012).

4. Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) is an additional intervention intended to strengthen the social-emotional learning skills of students in pre-K through grade 6. Primary goals of the intervention include building problem-solving skills, developing conflict-resolution strategies, forming positive relationships, and increasing self-control and self-awareness. Teachers who implemented the PATHS curriculum in the early elementary grades reported increases in prosocial interactions and higher levels of academic engagement in their classrooms (Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 2010).

When does the strategy work?

What developmental differences are associated with teacher-student relationships?

Teacher-student relationships are as important to adolescents as they are to younger students. Feeling a connection and sense of relatedness to a teacher represents an essential need of all children and teens (Gregory & Ripski, 2008). However, it is worth noting that the nature of positive teacher-student relationships changes depending on the age of the student involved. In other words, the precise behaviors that might be perceived by a kindergarten child as nurturing and caring (e.g., a doting smile, a one-armed hug), in contrast, might be perceived by adolescents as over-involved and cloying. It is also important to realize that in the early years of school, students' perception of their relationship with teachers and teachers' perception of those same relationships are quite similar. As children grow and develop, the gap between their perceptions of teachers and teachers' perception of them grows and widens (McCombs & Miller, 2006).

Students experience stressors as they grow and develop. Positive, healthy relationships can help students with the developmental transitions they experience.

Do good teacher-student relationships work better for some students than others?

Teacher-student relationships are important to virtually all students. However, high quality teacher-student relationships appear to be most significant for students who are at risk for school problems based on early behavioral and learning issues (Baker, 2006; Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2002). In one study, high quality teacher-student relationships appeared to be better predictors of classroom adjustment, social skills and reading performance for students showing initial externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, hyperactivity), internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, depression) and learning problems (e.g., attention problems) (Baker, 2006) than for students without these initial risk factors.

In another study, sensitive and supportive relationships proved to be more important in predicting increased self-reliant behavior and less off task, negative and aggressive behaviors in the kindergarten classroom for bold, outgoing children. (Comparable levels of sensitivity and support of the teacher played less of a role in children's classroom behavior for shy, hesitant children [Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2002). Teacher sensitivity and emotional supportiveness played a greater role in predicting children's academic achievement gains in first grade (after taking into consideration children's earlier achievement) for children "at risk" for school failure than for those without these risk factors (Hamre & Pianta, 2005).

Similarly, a recent study on children from rural families found that high emotional support provided by teachers was associated with increased behavioral self-control and lower levels of aggression in first grade students. This study also found that attending an emotionally-supportive classroom was equally important for students regardless of whether they were from families living with poverty or not and whether they were from families headed by a single parent or two parents (Merritt, Wanless, Rimm-Kaufman, Cameron, & Peugh, 2012).

In another study, poor teacher-student relationships correlated with a reading achievement gap between African-American and White students, all of whom initially demonstrated below average literacy skills. Specifically, when Hughes and Kwok (2007) studied a group of low achieving readers, they found that first grade children who had poorer relationships with their teachers were less engaged in school and had lower academic achievement in second grade. It is very important to note that Hughes and Kwok found that African-American children had poorer relationships with their teachers than children of other ethnic backgrounds (i.e., Caucasian, Hispanic). This suggests how important it is for teachers to develop the best possible relationship with all students, regardless of their ethnic background. Taken together, such findings suggest that high quality teacher-student relationships can partially compensate for disadvantages in other facets of students' social-emotional lives.

High quality teacher-student relationships are equally important for all students, regardless of ethnicity. Students are more likely to experience positive relationships with teachers who share their ethnicity. However, other factors besides ethnicity (e.g., the teachers' skills in creating good relationships, the child's tendency toward behavior problems) are probably more important than ethnicity in predicting the quality of teacher-student relationships.

Ethnicity

Several themes emerge in relation to the study of teacher-student relationships among ethnic minority students.

Virtually all peer-reviewed studies on teacher-student relationships included students who are ethnic minorities in their samples. Many include only ethnic minority students. Such studies have found that high quality teacher-student relationships are important for all children and youth (e.g., Murray & Malmgren, 2005; Decker, Dona, & Christenson, 2007). For example, close teacher-student relationships played an equally important and positive role in influencing the behavioral competence of both Hispanic and White non-Hispanic preschool children (Ewing & Taylor, 2009).

One study shows young students are more likely to experience positive relationships with teachers who share their ethnicity (Saft & Pianta, 2001). Although this finding emerged, the magnitude of its effect is very small, suggesting that other factors besides ethnicity are more important in predicting the quality of teacher-student relationships.

Third, there is a "folk wisdom" that some children and youth, particularly African American students, will not respond well to the outwardly warm, nurturing, and supportive behaviors typical in classrooms led by White teachers. This idea is often espoused in books and articles, however, there is very little research evidence to supports this assertion. The prevalent view recommends warm and demanding behaviors toward African American students (Gregory & Weinstein, 2008). Here are a few studies to consider in thinking about your interactions with African American students.

In one study, African American high school students' inclination to cooperate with and trust teachers depended on students' perceptions of whether their teacher cared about them and held high expectations for success (Gregory & Weinstein, 2008). As stated by one African American high school student," ...when she talk to you with seriousness, she mean it, but then she also have a smile like 'I'm on your side.' I mean, 'I feel where you're coming from but I'm still your teacher' (Gregory & Weinstein, 2008, p. 470).

In another study, researchers conducted interviews of eight academically-successful African American high school graduates from single-parent, low income families. The students reflected on factors that contributed to their achievement. All of the graduates reported that having a supportive and warm mentorship relationship with a teacher, coach, or school counselor contributed to their academic success. In some cases, the mentors were very persistent in their efforts to help the students succeed (Williams & Bryan, 2013).

Student and teacher stressors

Student Stressors

Positive teacher-student relationships can offset some of the normal stressors that students experience as they grow and develop. The transition to middle school can be a stressful time for children; middle school students often show declines in motivation, self-esteem and academic performance (Feldlaufer et al., 1988).

Students who perceive greater support from their teachers experience less depression and have more growth in self-esteem between the sixth and eighth grades (Reddy, Rhodes, & Mulhall, 2003).

Students who perceive their teachers as respectful, eager to support their autonomy, focused on setting realistic and individualized expectations for performance, and offering nurturing and constructive feedback are more motivated in school (Wentzel, 1997). More specifically, if a student believes "my teacher trusts me" or "my teacher calls on me to give the answer," he or she is more likely to be interested in class, more likely to conform to the positive social norms of the classroom, and more eager to master the academic material being taught (Wentzel, 1997).

Teacher Stressors

Like other professionals in demanding roles, teachers may experience depleted energy and increased stress or "burnout." Physically and emotionally exhausted teachers struggle to sustain strong relationships with students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Teachers are developing people and their psychological health is crucial to their success in the classroom, especially their ability to create high quality relationships with students (Rimm-Kaufman & Hamre, 2010). Teachers need to take time to care for themselves and receive support from others to improve their capacity to work with students.

During difficult times, an important source of support for teachers is the adult community within the school (Bryk et al., 2010). Increased collaboration and communication among teachers and other educational personnel can provide the social support needed to reduce feelings of stress and to renew teachers' energy. Teachers who feel positively about their own ability to cope with challenging situations and to form close relationships with others are more likely to provide higher quality environments that improve student outcomes (Brown, Jones, LaRusso, & Aber, 2010). There is a growing body of research showing how important it is for teachers to tend to their own psychological health and well-being.

In this closing video, teachers and students describe qualities that make a great teacher.

Where can I get more information?

Several books designed for teachers may be useful in promoting teacher-student relationships. Most of these books address the needs of children in early and middle childhood:

Charney, R. (2002). Teaching children to care: Classroom management for ethical and academic growth, K-8. Greenfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.

Howes, C. & Ritchie, S. (2002). A matter of trust: Connecting teachers and learners in the early childhood classroom. New York: Teachers College Press.

Pianta, R. C. (1999). Enhancing relationships between children and teachers. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Several research briefs and blogs about teacher-student relationships and social emotional learning in pre-K, elementary and secondary grades:

Allen, K. P. (2010). Classroom management, bullying, and teacher practices. The Professional Educator, 34(1), 1-15.

Allen, J., Gregory, A., Mikami, A., Lun, J., Hamre, B., & Pianta, R. (2013). Observations of effective teacher-student interactions in secondary classrooms: Predicting student achievement with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System - Secondary. School Psychology Review, 42 (1), 76-98.

Allensworth, E. M., & Easton, J. Q. (2007). What matters for staying on-track and graduation in Chicago public high schools. Consortium of Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago. Retrieved from https://ccsr.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/07%20What%20Matters%20Final.pdf

Ang, R. P. (2005). Development and validation of the teacher-student relationship inventory using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The Journal of Experimental Education, 71(1), 55-74.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Baker, J. A. (2006). Contributions of teacher-child relationships to positive school adjustment during elementary school. Journal of School Psychology, 44, 211-229.

Battistich, V., Schaps, E., & Wilson, N. (2004). Effects of an elementary school intervention on students' "connectedness" to school and social adjustment during middle school. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 24(3), 243-262.

Berry, D., & O'Connor, E. (2009). Behavioral risk, teacher-child relationships, and social skill development across middle childhood: A child-by-environment analysis of change. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 31(1), 1-14.

Birch, S. H., & Ladd, G. W. (1997). The teacher-child relationship and early school adjustment. Journal of School Psychology, 55(1), 61-79.

Birch, S. H., & Ladd, G. W. (1998). Children's interpersonal behaviors and the teacher-child relationship. Developmental Psychology, 34(5), 934-946.

Borman, G. & Overman, L. (2004). Academic resilience in mathematics among poor and minority students. Elementary School Journal, 104(3), 177-195.

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Volume 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books.

Brown, J. L., Jones, S., LaRusso, M. D., & Aber, J. L. (2010). Improving classroom quality: Teacher influences and experimental impacts of the 4Rs program. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(1), 153-167.

Bryk, A. S., Sebring, P. B., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., & Easton, J. Q. (2010). Organizing schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Cassidy, J. & Asher, S.R. (1992). Loneliness and peer relations in young children. Child Development, 63, 350-365.

Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. (2010). Effects of a multiyear social-emotional learning program: The role of student and school characteristics. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 156-168.

Croninger, R. G., & Lee, V. E. (2001). Social capital and dropping out of high school: Benefits to at-risk students of teachers' support and guidance. Teacher College Record, 103(4), 548-581.

Curby, T. W., LoCasale-Crouch, J., Konold, T. R., Pianta, R. C., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., ...Barbarin, O. (2009). The relations of observed pre-k classroom quality profiles to children's achievement and social competence. Early Education and Development, 20(2), 1556-6935.

Curby, T. W., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Ponitz, C. C. (2009). Teacher-child interactions and children's achievement trajectories across kindergarten and first grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101 (4), 912-925.

Daniels, D. H., & Perry, K. E. (2003). "Learner-centered" according to children. Theory Into Practice, 42(2), 102-108.

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Decker, D. M., Dona, D. P., & Christenson, S. L. (2007). Behaviorally at-risk African American students: The importance of student-teacher relationships for student outcomes. Journal of School Psychology, 45(1), 83-109.

Donohue, K. M., Perry, K. E., & Weinstein, R. S. (2003). Teachers' classroom practices and children's rejection by their peers. Applied Developmental Psychology, 24, 91-118.

Ewing, A. R., & Taylor, A. R. (2009). The role of child gender and ethnicity in teacher-child relationship quality and children's behavioral adjustment in preschool. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24(1), 92-105.

Feldlaufer, H., Midgley, C. & Eccles, J. S. (1988). Student, teacher, and observer perceptions of the classroom environment before and after the transition to junior high school. Journal of Early Adolescence, 8(2), 133-156.

Fraser, M. W., Galinsky, M. J., Smokowski, P. R., Day, S. H., Terzian, M. A., Rose, R. A., & Guo, S. (2005). Social information-processing skills training to promote social competence and prevent aggressive behavior in the third grade. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(6), 1045-1055.

Gregory, A., & Ripski, M. (2008). Adolescent trust in teachers: Implications for behavior in the high school classroom. School Psychology Review, 37(3), 337-353.

Gregory, A., & Weinstein, R. S. (2008). The discipline gap and African Americans: Defiance and cooperation in the high school classroom. The Journal of School Psychology, 46(4), 455-475.

Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2001). Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children's school outcomes through eighth grade. Child Development, 72, 625-638.

Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2005). Can instructional and emotional support in the first-grade classroom make a difference for children at risk of school failure? Child Development, 76(5), 949-967.

Hanish, L.D., Kochenderfer-Ladd, B., Fabes, R. A., Martin, C. L., & Denning, D. (2004). Bullying among young children: The influence of peers and teachers. In D. L. Espelage, & S. M. Swearer. (Eds). Bullying in American schools: A social-ecological perspective on prevention and intervention (pp. 141-150). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Harrison, L. J., Clarke, L., & Ungerer, J. A. (2007). Children's drawings provide a new perspective on teacher-child relationship quality and school adjustment. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22, 55-71.

Harter, S. (2012). The construction of the self: Developmental and sociocultural foundations (2nd. ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Hartz, K., & Williford, A. P. (in press). Differential susceptibility to sensitivity: Maternal and teacher influences on children's kindergarten behavior problems. Infant and Child Development.

Hemmeter, M. L., & Conroy, M. A. (2012). Supporting social competence of young children with challenging behavior in the context of Teaching Pyramid model. In R. C. Pianta, W. S. Barnett, L. M., Justice, & Sheridan, S. M. (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood education (pp. 416-434). New York: Guilford Press.

Henriccson, L., & Rydell, A. (2004). Elementary school children with behavior problems: Teacher-child relations and self-perception. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 50(2), 111-138.

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Hughes, J. N., Cavell, T. A., & Wilson, V. (2001). Further support for the developmental significance of the quality of the teacher-student relationship. Journal of School Psychology, 39(4), 289-301.

Hughes, J., & Kwok, O. (2007). Influence of student-teacher and parent-teacher relationships on lower achieving readers' engagement and achievement in the primary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(1), 39-51.

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Jones, S. M., Bouffard, S. M., & Weissbourd, R. (2013). Educators' social and emotional skills vita to learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 94, 62-65.

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Lee, V., & Smith, J. B. (1999). Social support and achievement for young adolescents in Chicago: The role of school academic press. American Educational Research Journal, 36(4), 907-945.

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McCombs, B. L. (2004). The learner-centered psychological principles: A framework for balancing a focus on academic achievement with a focus on social and emotional learning needs. In E. Zins, R. P. Weissberg, M. C. Wang, & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Building academic success on social emotional learning: What does the research say? (pp. 23-39). New York: Teachers College Press.

McCombs, B. L., & Miller, L. (2006). The journey to learner-centered practices: A series for teachers and administrators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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Improving students' relationships with teachers

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Improving students' relationships with teachers has positive implications for students' academic and social development.

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When I first saw this in class, I laughed because I thought it said perms and it reminded me of the 1980's. :-)

Especially after the past few years, we could all use some positive well being.

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I am all about thinking positive. I like this graphic as it explains what thinking positive can lead too. It's all connected!

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Sunlight helps us stay positive. Being in nature helps us stay positive. I love the connection between well being, positivity and nature. Love living in Israel...I can really connect!

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Nature heals.

Just a walk in the woods or a stroll by the beach on a sunny morning can awaken the innermost feelings of happiness and peace, and Environmental Psychology has gone a long way proving this fact (Bell, Greene, Fisher, & Baum, 1996).

Our affinity toward nature is genetic and deep-rooted in evolution. For example, have you ever wondered why most people prefer to book accommodations that have a great view from the balcony or the terrace? Why patients who get a natural view from their hospital bed recover sooner than others? Or why does it happen that when stress takes a toll on our mind, we crave for time to figure out things amidst nature?

Frank Lloyd Wright had said, " Study Nature, love Nature, stay close to Nature. It will never fail you. " This article investigates the human-nature relationship in detail. Why we feel so empowered when we are close to Nature?

What happens to us when the soft breeze or the warm sun touch us? With research-backed evidence and useful environment-support hacks, this piece explores and acknowledges the sheer boon of the 'Nature Contact'.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our 3 Positive Psychology Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values and self-compassion and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students or employees.

A Look at The Positive Effects Of Connecting With Nature

Author Richard Louv mentioned 'Nature-Deficit Disorder' in his famous book ' Last Child In The Woods.'

According to Louv, nature-deficit disorder is not the presence of an anomaly in the brain; it is the loss of connection of humans to their natural environment. Staying close to nature improves physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It makes us feel alive from the inside, and we should not compromise it for recent developments like urbanization, technology, or social media.

As mentioned above, the benefits of staying close to nature are diverse. We can enjoy the positive effects of connecting to the environment at all levels of individual well-being.

Let's see how:

Nature Impacts Health

Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, as they call it in Japan, is a famous way of spending time in nature. Research has shown that people who practice forest bathing have optimum nervous system functions, well-balanced heart conditions, and reduced bowel disorders.

The Forest Bathing research also suggested that by stimulating the production of anti-cancer proteins, frequent walks or trips into the wilderness help patients in fighting terminal diseases. Although this is ongoing research and firmer evidence are awaited, this suggestion is strong enough to prove the benefits of being outdoors.

Nature Improves Psychological Well-Being

A study at the University of Kansas found that spending more time outdoors and less time with our electronic devices can increase our problem-solving skills and improve creative abilities (Atchley, Strayer, & Atchley, 2012).

Spiritual Enhancement

Environmental psychologists have argued that there is a value component added to the human-nature relationship. By staying close to nature, we feel more grateful and appreciative of what it has to offer to us (Proshansky, 1976). Seeing the wonders of the world outside automatically fosters within us the urge to protect it.

Breathing in nature gives us wholesome sensory awareness. When we spend time outdoors, we are more mindful of what we see, what we hear, what we smell, and what we feel.

A Look at The Psychology Of Environment

Environmental psychology is the study of human wellbeing in connectivity to the environment he lives in (Stokols & Altman, 1987). It is the offshoot of brain science that focuses on the relationship living beings (especially humans) have with nature and studies the dynamics of the person-environment coexistence.

The psychology of the environment is a relatively contemporary concept. It emerged as a branch of psychology following research by Proshansky and colleagues on person-place interactions in the 1970s.

Environmental psychology is rooted in the belief that nature has a significant role in human development and conduct. It believes that nature has a vital contribution to the way we think, feel, and behave with others.

A fascinating story of the role of nature in shaping human behavior was mentioned in Marco Polo's diary. It said that in 1272 when Polo was traveling through the different parts of Western Asia, he noted that the people of Kerman were polite, humble, and well-behaved, while the people in Persia, which was in the neighborhood, were cruel, unkind, and threatful.

When exploring the reason for this stark behavioral difference, the people said that it was the 'soil' that was responsible for it. And as the story goes, when the King ordered soil from Isfahan in Persia and kept it in his banquet hall, his men started to shower each other with curse words and assaulted their folks.

Environmental psychology is for the most part problem-oriented. It aims to bring to notice the ongoing hazards and the faltering human-nature connections that we need to address.

By identifying the problem areas, it opens ways for solution-focused research and explorations. The psychology of nature and environment continuously facilitate climatic moderation. It also digs into the ways we can change the physical environment that we live in, to feel more connected and coexisting with nature.

Environmental psychology promotes healthy natural ecosystem and suggests how malfunctions in habitat have and will continue to affect human behavior, demographic variants, and the society as a whole.

Basic Tenets of The Psychology Of Environment

The psychology of environment works around the following main ideas (Gifford, 2007).

Human dependence on nature validates evolution. We are more adaptive to natural settings than human-made habitats.

Contact with natural light is therapeutic and has immediate positive effects on stress, blood pressure, and immune system.

Strong connections to the environment enhance the person-space idea and increase environmental perception.

Humans are always capable of improving the environment they live in.

Humans are active adapters to changes in society and the environment. They reshape their social identities and affiliations according to the physical space they live in.

4 Examples of Nature in Psychology

Nature has a deep-rooted meaning in psychology that encompasses the core components of our existence, including our genes. The popular nature-nurture concept in developmental psychology explores all the variables that shape and influence the relationship that our internal (personality traits and genetic factors) and external worlds (physical environment that we live in) share.

The Biophilia Hypothesis delved into the human relationship with nature in 1984. The concept was initially used by German psychoanalyst Erich Fromm who described biophilia as the ' love for everything that is alive.' The idea of biophilia was later expanded by American biologist Edward O. Wilson, who proposed that the human inclination towards nature has a genetic basis.

1. Stress And Nature

A large-scale experiment conducted on 120 subjects ascertained the 'nature-connection' in stress reduction and coping. Each participant observed visuals of either a natural landscape or an urban environment. The data obtained from this survey revealed that participants who looked at the picture of natural setting had low scores on stress scales and had better heartbeat and pulse counts.

Furthermore, investigators also found that the stress recovery rate was much higher in participants who got a natural exposure than the ones who saw urbanized ambiances. The flow of this study strongly indicated the role nature plays in improving our general mental health conditions including stress (Ulrich et al., 1991).

2. Nature For Building Attention

The fact that staying close to nature improves focus and attention span, was suggested in the Attention Restoration Theory by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan (1989). The theory explains why staying close to nature re-energizes us and reduces fatigue.

Encounters with any aspect of the natural environment - sunset, beach, clouds, or forests grab our positive attention without us paying much effort to it, and the whole process restores the life energy that negative emotions had taken away from us.

3. Climate Crisis and Denial

An immensely significant example of nature in human psychology is the research on climate crisis or climate change.

Climate crisis and global warming are international concerns today, and some psychologists argue that the impact of climate change is so vast and unimaginable, that we often choose not to respond to it.

Nevertheless, the effect of climate change on human psychology and mental health is well-established now. Studies show that climate change over the years has had a dramatic impact on the way we think, behave, decide, and execute plans (Lorenzoni, Pidgeon, & O'Connor, 2005).

The Australian Psychological Society has provided some mind-boggling figures. At the time of writing, they estimate 5-8% of the population across the US, UK, and Australia denies that climate change is happening, while 97% of climate scientists accept the fact and are concerned about it.

However small the denial rate may seem, researchers suggest that it is enough to create a judgment gap that may cause people to doubt their contribution behind the climatic adversities. No matter which direction the judgment travels, it is undeniable that climate crisis has and will continue to impact human minds in some way or the other.

4. Psychology, Values, And Nature

An experiment conducted on the landowners on Pennsylvania disclosed that staying close to nature adds a sense of value toward the self, others, and toward Mother Nature.

It builds connectivity and lets the way for gratitude and appreciation.

Results showed that respondents who had higher connectivity with nature and spent more time outdoors were more environmentally responsible, concerned, and happier in their interpersonal relationships (Dutcher, Finley, Luloff, & Johnson, 2007).

What Does the Research Say?

The Human-Nature Relationship And Health

The research paper on ' Human-Nature Relationship And Its Impact On Health: A Critical Review' explores all the aspects of the interconnection we have with nature and how it affects our general health and well-being.

Author Valentine Seymour (2016) defined our relationship with nature in close association with Darwinian principles of Evolutionary psychology. The study explained concepts of evolutionary biology, social economics, psychology, and environmentalism and scouts how the interplay of all these influence human health. The interdisciplinary research model suggests that:

Staying close to nature improves physical conditions like hypertension, cardiac illness, and chronic pain.

A strong connection to the natural environment enhances emotional well-being and alleviates feelings of social isolation. Besides, it also helps individuals suffering from mental health conditions like attention disorders, mood disorders, and different forms of anxiety.

Nature-friendly people are more environmentally conscious and responsible. They have a rational sense of using their physical space and are more proactive to enact on issues that might help in sustaining the environment they live in.

A Multi-Disciplinary Study On Human-Nature Relationship

The multi-disciplinary HNC (Human-Nature Connection) study was a vast exploration of the kinetics involving the relatability we bear with our physical environment and also why many people are still unaware about the benefits of staying close to nature.

The study included a heap of psychometric assessments and personal interviews, and the results obtained by Ives et al. (2017) provided a strong lineup of why the human-nature connection is vital for human life and sustainability.

The University Of Tasmania Study On Nature And Affective Experience

David Hayward published this thesis in 2016 and studied the effect of nature connection with enhanced mental health conditions in students.

With strong evidence and research-backed examples, he suggested that teaching students from a broad perspective is way more effective than showing them only the subject matter (Knapp, 1989).

He studied the implications of outdoor education and concluded that kids who received outdoor training were more satisfied and emotionally well-balanced.

Not only that, outdoor educators, according to the researcher, were possessors of sound mental health and loved their jobs more than teachers in a controlled setting. The study attracted many educational sectors and have encouraged educators and facilitators to embrace outdoor activities as an integral part of educational courses.

Research On Connecting Children With Nature

The love for outdoors must grow from the very beginning of life.

Instead of encouraging our children to spend 'on-screen', parents and caregivers must push them to spend more time 'on the green.'

The research ' Benefits Of Connecting Children With Nature ' (New Zealand Department of Conservation, n.d.) was an authentic initiative to support environmental conservation and increase nature awareness among youngsters today. The study explores the reasons for the disconnect that the young generation is unconsciously suffering from and suggests effective approaches that can help in improving the nature-human reciprocity.

5 Interesting Studies

1. A Study On Climatic Conditions And Its Effects On Personality Traits

A team of psychologists in the US, UK, China, and Australia investigated how climatic changes affect human personality (Wei et al., 2017). The study aimed to examine and explore the aetiological causes of why character and behavioral patterns differ with climatic variations.

The sample population for the research were individuals from China and the US, two different places in terms of climatic conditions, and the report explained personality variances concerning the Big Five Personality Factor Theory.

Results indicated that people who lived in a moderate climate, with temperature up to 22-24 degrees, score higher on personality traits such as sociableness, openness, extraversion, and agreeableness. This study was a basic authentication of the fact that the physical environment we live in plays a crucial role in shaping our personality disposition, and why there should be more awareness about protecting the Nature from mayhem.

2. A Study On Nature And Human Emotions

Scientists Ryan Lumber, Miles Richardson, and David Sheffield published this research paper in 2017 and focused on the affective components of associating with nature. The authors suggested that being close to nature evokes positive emotions.

Outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening, or birdwatching, enhance the nature-human connection and acts as a catalyst to happiness. The study used the Nature Relatedness Scale and recorded responses on a basic Likert Scale.

The results culminated from the study positively correlated outdoor experiences with positive emotions and expanded HNC (Lumber, Richardson, & Sheffield, 2017).

3. Climate Change And Its Effect On Human Personality

Charles Q. Choi (2017) published an enthralling paper on how global warming and climate crisis is expected to bring about changes in human behavior and personality traits.

The researcher argues that if climate has a role to play in framing our dispositions, then it is only logical to believe that climate crisis and the changes that follow will also impact human mannerisms significantly.

The research-based explanations and pieces of evidence of this paper, has raised questions that are yet to be answered by experts.

4. Psychological Changes Associated With Living In The Polar Areas

This study was published by Zimmer et al., in 2013 and discussed how life in polar regions might impact the physical and mental well-being of the residents.

The study, besides establishing facts about being in the Poles, also firmly ascertained that we could not escape human-nature connection when talking about mental health and well-being.

The research suggested that geographically isolated regions of Antarctica are highly prone to get affected by climatic variations and global setbacks (Bradbury, 2002).

The lack of sunlight and extreme weather conditions in these regions impact the cognitive functioning, anxiety levels, and causes a static low mood condition for its inhabitants (Paul, Mandal, Ramachandran, & Panwar, 2010a; Paul, Mandal, Ramachandran, & Panwar, 2010b).

5. Nature And Spirituality

The prime focus of this research was to spread awareness about human disconnection from nature and explain why we must reconstruct this to promote happiness.

Investigator of this study, Professor Helen Lockhart (2011), indicated that the socio-ecological crisis the world is seeing today is due to this breach of connection between humans and nature. She highlights in her study that there is a spiritual enhancement that is linked to the human-nature relationship.

Each encounter with the natural environment takes us deeper into exploring the truth behind our existence and what a happier world would look like. The subject matter of this study was that materialistic gains has blindfolded us and has made us spiritually bankrupt (Okri, 2008).

Furthermore, the research also indicated that since humans are genetically conditioned to stay in close coexistence with nature, an absence of nature-human connection creates a sense of loneliness and unhappiness within us.

It is this feeling of gloom, as the researcher suggests, that is the reason for societal disruptions and human immorality today, and while we may seek for answers outside, the real solution lies in the nature-human relationship.

The Importance of Nature to Well-Being

A 30-days campaign was run by the Wildlife Trusts of the University of Derby, with the prime focus on uncovering the crucial role nature plays in our overall eudaemonia. The study revealed that subjective feelings of happiness and wellbeing were positively correlated with natural activities such as gardening, animal feeding, bird watching, and bushwalking (Richardson, Cormack, McRobert, & Underhill, 2016).

Dr. Miles Richardson, the face of this research, cited valuable evidence on how proximity to the nature improved mood, enhanced respiratory functioning, regulated hormonal malfunctions, and impacted on the thought structure of individuals as a whole.

Just by being outdoors and using all our senses to appreciate nature, we can be more mindful of the present, gain emotional resilience, and combat stress with more vitality.

We become naturally immune to anxiety, emotional ups and downs, and thought blocks, thereby feel more lively and energetic than before.

The survey further pointed that people who lived close to natural wilderness like the beach, mountains, or parklands, had better mental health and reported of falling sick lesser than those living in congested urban settings.

Such families had fewer instances of domestic violence, said of feeling less fatigued, and showed increased productivity at the professional front.

The Relationship Between Nature And Human Health

A recent survey report launched by scholars out of Deakin University (Maller et al., 2009) demonstrated some practical points as to how human and nature are entwined with each other.

Although the study had other focal areas and did not concentrate on a massive global sample, the report that came out was used and shared widely by environmental psychologists and social scientists to explain the relationship we have with our physical habitat.

The major assertions of this report were:

Staying close to greeneries such as farms, parks and fields increase chances of related outdoor activities (walking, gardening, farming, playing, etc.). This improves mental health and physical fitness in adults and children who live there.

Nature-friendly urban settings can be useful in promoting social connections and interpersonal communication.

Contact with nature in any form enhances spiritual health and fills the mind with a deeper insight into life.

Children who are encouraged to spend more time outdoors are owners of good physical and mental health. They are less prone to problems like obesity, asthma, childhood anxiety, and depression, and are more focused on their lives than others.

Adolescents who had a close connection to nature were emotionally well-balanced and had better coping skills than other children of their age.

Aged people, who had access to green parks felt more positive and hopeful.

5 Proven Benefits of Being in Nature

Sir David Attenborough, one of the most popular nature enthusiasts the world has seen in a long time, had fairly quoted that

"We must cherish the natural world because we're a part of it and we depend on it."

It is difficult to gauge the benefits we can derive from being close to nature. Be that on the mind, body, or the soul, it leaves a lasting positive impression on every single aspect of our existence.

1. Nature provides

A day out in the sunshine can suffice us with vitamin D, a nutrient we don't get from food as much we need it.

The right level of Vitamin D in the body immunes us against diseases like osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. Besides, it also ensures the smooth functioning of the immune system.

Studies have indicated that a large chunk of the population today is deficient of the 'sunshine vitamin,' which explains the massive increase in fatal diseases today, and rather than relying on human-made supplements, a close connection to nature can help in replenishing the deficit (Naeem, 2010).

2. Nature improves

Computer Vision Syndrome (CSV) is a condition that arises from staring at the screen for prolonged hours. Naturally, such exposures take a toll on our eyesight and develop problems like dry eyes, myopia, or chronic headaches.

Spending time outdoors, especially in the greeneries is the best natural solution to this. Looking at the green grass, the trees, the flowers, and all the other aspects of the environment improve focus and eyesight.

Interestingly, studies have shown that children who spend more than four hours a day in the outdoors are four times less likely to develop eyesight problems than children who spent less than one hour outdoors every day (Rose et al., 2008).

3. Nature cleanses

The environment is a natural purifier. Spending some hours outdoors helps in releasing the toxins from our body and leave us all fresh and rejuvenated.

The amount of bad air that we breathe in because of the pollution, industrial fumes, and indoor pollutants, is potent enough to dysregulate our respiratory tract, giving birth to breathing troubles, bronchitis, and asthma.

And there is no other solution to this except for spending more time in the natural environment and getting some fresh air every day.

4. Nature builds

Mostly, the time we spend outside involves physical activity in some form. It may be walking, jogging, cycling, diving, surfing, playing, or anything alike. Any exercise in the outdoors helps in burning fat and improves the metabolism rate in the body.

Research in this area has revealed that people who exercise outdoors enjoy their workout sessions more and are more likely to practice it regularly, than people who exercise indoors (Thompson Coon et al., 2011). Besides, outdoor activities are related to longer life span and fewer health problems.

5. Nature heals

"A walk in nature walks the soul back home"

Mary Davis

Nature is undoubtedly the best healer. Spending time in nature awakens our senses and provides clarity.

Many studies have proved that people who have a close connection to the landscapes are happier from the inside - they indulge themselves in positive thinking and have better coping mechanisms than others.

A strong human-nature relationship means emotional balance, more focus, solution-oriented thinking, and an overall resilient approach to life.

A Brief Look at Psychoevolutionary Theory

The Psychoevolutionary Theory is built on the proposition that our personality, actions, and thoughts are shaped genetically by natural selection.

Roger Ulrich (1984), the face of this theory said that humans have a deep-rooted affinity towards nature, which is due to the thousands of years that early humans had spent living amid the wild landscapes. It is due to this fact that staying close to nature brings a feeling of positivity and happiness in us.

Furthermore, the PET (Psychoevolutionary Theory) asserted that staying in a human-made environment invites disorders like stress, depression, obesity, and cardiac diseases, and is a challenge to our overall well-being (Ulrich & Simons, 1986).

Spending long hours indoors is likely to bring negative thoughts and fatigue. Through extensive research and survey, scientists have proved that when we feel low and less energetic, an encounter with the natural elements can instantly make us feel better (Zuckerman, 1977).

The psychoevolutionary model of Ulrich (1983) suggested that:

Staying close to nature is a genetically influenced preference of humans.

Spending more time outdoors has a replenishing effect on emotions, memory, and cognition.

Restraining oneself in enclosed artificial physical settings can evoke anger, despair, and depression - together affecting our wellbeing.

Nature has an in-built restoration component that helps in stress reduction and emotional regulation.

Attention Restoration Theory

The Attention Restoration Theory (ART) was proposed by Rachel Kaplan and Stephen Kaplan (1989) and reflected upon the gospel that staying close to the natural environment builds focus.

The proponents of the theory first mentioned about this in their book 'The experience of nature: A psychological perspective ' where they discussed how effortlessly witnessing natural phenomena like watching the leaves move, or the clouds float, make us more observant and attentive.

They identified two types of attention:

1. Voluntary attention - where we willingly focus on something and spend our mental energy fully into internalizing the experience.

2. Involuntary attention - where we unknowingly pay attention to something and get invested into that.

The ART suggests that any attention can be built and redeemed through exposure to natural settings. By establishing a strong connection to nature, we can stay away from everyday stressors, experience positivity and joy, regain intrinsic motivation, and become more aware of our sensory stimulations (Berman, Jonides, & Kaplan, 2008; Kaplan, 1995).

The theory indicates that nature has some 'soft fascinations' that help in restoring attention when we get distracted or mentally tied down. The soft fascinations are nothing but soothing natural elements (for example flowers, breeze, or gentle sunshine) that we all love to be close to. When we stay close to these pleasant aspects of nature, we do not have to put any effort into attending to it; we effortlessly immerse ourselves into the experience.

They bring feelings of pleasure and contentment, which is why people who spend more time in nature are more intuitive, energetic, and consciously attentive (Fuller, Irvine, Devine-Wright, Warren, & Gaston, 2007; Keniger, Gaston, Irvine, & Fuller, 2013).

Several studies and large-scale surveys had been conducted to validate the theory and is still an intriguing area of research for environmentalists (Ohly et al., 2016).

Mycobacterium Vaccae: The Happy Bacterium?

The term Mycobacterium Vaccae originated from the Mycobacteriaceae, a type of soil bacteria and the Latin word Vacca, meaning 'cow' (as it was first found in a cow dung sample taken from Austria).

The reason for the popularity of this microorganism is because of the incredible links it has with health improvement and psychological well-being. Studies indicate that the Mycobacterium Vaccae, more commonly known as the 'happy bacteria' or the 'happiness bacteria' is useful for treating asthma, cancer, depression, phobia, dermatitis, and even tuberculosis.

A study conducted by O'Brien and colleagues (2004) explained how by injecting the bacteria in patients with chronic lung disease, she made them recover faster and with a better prognosis. Besides, the research also suggested that using this microbe improves mood, induces positive emotions, and produces more vitality.

Another study headed by Dr. Christopher Lowry, a neuroscientist at the University of Bristol explored the effect of the 'Happiness Bacterium' on stress and burnout by injecting the bacteria on mice and conducting a series of stress tests on them after that.

The results showed that the group of mice that received the Mycobacterium injections acted as if they were on antidepressants. But no such reaction was noticed on the group that did not receive the treatment. The research report indicated that the Mycobacterium Vaccae activates the neurotransmitters in the brain that release serotonin or the 'happy hormone,' resulting in inducing happiness and positivity (Lowry et al., 2007).

Besides boosting happiness, happy bacteria also makes us immune to flu, infections and gives a significant boost to brain functioning. Now we know why they say " The dirtier the feet, the happier the heart. "

5 Ways to Apply the Positive Effects of Nature in Our Life

1. Walk more

We know walking is good for the heart, muscles, and the overall metabolism rate. And now scientists have proved that walking in the natural environment improves our emotional health too.

A study conducted and published by Stanford University, California revealed that participants who walked in the green parklands showed increased attention and focus, more so than participants who walked in closed urban settings or on a treadmill (Bratman, Daily, Levy, & Gross, 2015).

Not only that, but the former group also showed less engagement in negative thinking and felt more confident about themselves than the other group.

2. Keep a nature journal

A nature journal is a creative and unique way of imbibing the positive vibes of nature into our everyday lives. Many people who encourage this habit express feelings of inner peace and joy. In a nature journal, we can collect and note everything about our encounters with the outer world.

For example, after a walk by the beach on a cloudy evening, we can sketch some clouds in the journal or draw the sea and write how we felt when we were walking through the breezy shore. Many people collect small things like a pebble, flowers, feathers, or leaves, and glue them in the nature journal with their thoughts poured into it.

A great way to spend some quality 'me-time,' nature journaling inevitably brings a part of nature in our usual lives.

Watch this video to get started on nature journaling:

3. Spend some working hours outside

Most working professionals today have the flexibility to access daily tasks outside (thanks to technology). We can choose to spend a part of our working day out to avoid the monotony of the cubicle and the same old office space.

It may be one conference in the garden or lunch at the local park, anything that can logically amalgamates with nature. Spending some time outside alone or with co-workers gives an instant boost of freshness to the mind, thereby reducing the stress and frustration that comes from working tonelessly for hours at a stretch.

4. Plant at home

Growing plants at home not just add aesthetic beauty to your space, it also contributes to purifying the air you breathe in.

Having plants at home balances and soothes the home ambiance and aids in respiration and breathing. Studies have proved that indoor plants or a garden are beneficial for the mental health of the people who live there. They help in improving sensory awareness, cognitive functions, and enhances focus (Orwell, Wood, Tarran, Torpy, & Burchett, 2004).

Indoor plants reconnect us to nature, please our senses, and brings a serene feeling when we stay close to them.

5. Balance the diet with more natural elements

Diet is undoubtedly a great way of establishing a strong connection to Mother Nature. By consuming more plant-based proteins, vitamins, and minerals, we can help our body maintain its optimal state of functioning and homeostasis level.

Healthcare research proved that the consumption of plant-based protein is correlated to lower mortality rates as opposed to animal-based proteins (Song et al., 2016). It is not a bad idea, after all, to replace meat with vegetables and grains - if that brings good health and long life to us!

A Take-Home Message

"All the trees are losing their leaves, and not one of them is worried"

Donald Miller

Staying close to nature, observing all the little and significant elements of it, and appreciating it from the very core, is therapeutic and self-healing.

Even by saying and doing nothing, we can learn so much from connecting to our natural surroundings. It gives us the perspective for healthier living, the motivation to carry on, and the energy to keep trying. For there is no bond more primitive and ingrained in us than our love for nature and nature's care for us.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our 3 Positive Psychology Exercises for free.

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The Positive Effects Of Nature On Your Mental Well-Being

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Nature heals. Just a walk in the woods or a stroll by the beach on a sunny morning can awaken the innermost feelings of happiness and peace, and Environmental Psychology has gone a long way proving this fact (Bell, Greene, Fisher, & Baum, 1996). Our affinity toward nature is genetic and deep-rooted in evolution.

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Christopher Emdin: Teach teachers how to create magic

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My favourite line "you know the toughest ones are never absent"

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Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

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I love the title! I love the quotes!

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Grit in Education - Activities and books

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Grit in Education - Activities and books

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Written by Holly (Teach Starter)

Is Grit Just Another Education Fad?

I remember sitting, nervously, in a panel interview for my very first teaching position. The Principal at the time asked me, towards the end of the interview, "So tell me, what are the current education fads going around at the moment?"
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I stared blankly at him wondering what on earth he meant. After an in-depth conversion about all the different 'education fads' that had been and gone before my teaching time, I finally understood!

I have since learnt that, yes, education fads come and go. However, I believe they become fads for a reason. As lifelong learners, we should learn and grow from them, give them a try and decide ourselves if it is something that is going to assist us in our teaching journey.

So let me introduce grit to you...

Grit is not a new term. This is news to me, I only found out about it a few months ago on social media when I started watching a video of Professor Angela Lee Duckworth introducing her new term 'grit' and what it meant back in October 2009.

Professor Duckworth defined it as the ability to stick with things over a very long term until you master them.

What's the Difference Between Grit and Resilience?

I can hear teachers around the world saying to themselves... how is grit different from resilience? Or what about having a 'positive growth mindset'?

To some extent, I believe they are intertwined. Resilience is the ability to get back up and dust yourself off when you have failed or have made a mistake.

Having 'true grit' is more of a long-term trait, it is the ability to take risks, power through challenging tasks and understand how to navigate frustration without giving up! It's sticking with one big goal for the long term. I believe a person that has developed a positive growth mindset can also have true grit! My opinion only, and I'm not a professor of this topic!

How to Foster Grit in the Classroom?

These terms will come and go, however, as teachers, we have the power to change the way students think about making mistakes. Encouraging a 'don't give up' attitude and helping your students navigate the different thoughts in their mind when they fail, is a truly amazing, life-changing skill. And, we have the ability to help students develop this skill, how lucky are we?

I've put together some of my most favorite ways to foster grit, build resilience and encourage a positive growth mindset in your classroom.

1. Growth Mindset Videos for the Classroom

There are a number of gorgeous videos on YouTube that are suitable for children to watch and encourage them to start thinking about the way they think and help them to learn how to deal with failure.

This first video really explains the importance of having a positive growth mindset in a simple, kid-friendly way!

This is a really cute animation that would be suited to the younger age groups and will encourage a lot of discussion about working towards a goal.

Although the goal may seem impossible at the time, you might surprise yourself, if you keep persisting and try lots of different strategies, you will reach achievable goals!

I like the idea of showing true stories of famous people who failed time and time again. This video highlights a list of successful famous people who failed in their first attempt but never gave up.

You might even like to use some of these famous people on a display board in your classroom as a constant reminder to your students.

2. Story Books for Growth Mindset

Another way to start a conversation with your students about never giving up and making the most of their mistakes is using storybooks.

Here a couple of my go-to books:

"Your Fantastic Elastic Brain" by JoAnn Deak - A fantastic storybook that explains the science behind their brains and how they work in kid-friendly language!

"Beautiful Oops" by Barney Saltzberg - This is just a gorgeous book to read to your students when talking about mistakes and learning that they are okay! On each page of the book, there is an "oops" that turns into something beautiful!

"Thanks for the Feedback, I think" by Julia Cook - This book explains how students can respond to both positive and negative feedback.

3. Provide Timely, Specific and Constructive Feedback

Find ongoing opportunities to provide your students with constructive feedback and time to reflect upon their learning. A crucial part of the journey to becoming more resilient and more 'gritty' is to learn to accept feedback and learn from it!

When providing feedback with the goal of improving student learning and performance, the feedback needs to be timely, specific and constructive.

When you can, link the feedback to set learning and behavior goals.

Use our Feedback Labels in your classroom. I would have a stack of them printed, cut out and ready to stick in books! Store them somewhere on your desk where you won't forget to use them!

3. Use Growth Mindset Affirmations

Replace those negative thoughts that your students may think when they experience frustration or failure with positive messages!

We have just created this gorgeous set of Grit Pennant Banners for the classroom. I would say this is more suited to the older age groups.

Available to download in color or in black and white for students to color!

For the younger age groups, we have this set of 10 Positive Growth Mindset posters for the classroom. The cute little purple character is featured on each of the posters which each feature positive affirmations younger students will understand.

Encourage positivity in your classroom with these gorgeous free positivity posters:

4. Daily Reminders

Rome wasn't built in a day... Grit won't happen in a lesson!

This isn't a topic that you teach once at the beginning of the year and tick it off the list. It is an ongoing way of thinking that you need to keep reminding, encouraging and discussing with your students.

Use a variety of videos, stories, even real classroom stories about students who have shown 'real grit' or dusted themselves off and tried again after they have failed.

You may even like to use our Growth Mindset Brag Tags to celebrate success! Celebrating success with the class is crucial.

What do you do in your class to foster grit, build resilience and encourage a positive growth mindset in your students?
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15 Books and Activities to Foster Grit in the Classroom | Teach Starter

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Written by Holly (Teach Starter) I remember sitting, nervously, in a panel interview for my very first teaching position. The Principal at the time asked me, towards the end of the interview, "So tell me, what are the current education fads going around at the moment?" Make your classroom buzz!

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9 Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids That Work

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Learning to support emotional regulation in children can be tricky. Here are some emotional regulation activities for kids to help.

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Resilience, or the ability to bounce back from hard situations or roadblocks, is a word that comes up a lot of education. Many of our students go through hard experiences outside of school and all of them face challenges and roadblocks inside the school. We want our students to be able to overcome these challenges and face future challenges head-on with confidence. I teach kids about resilience in classroom guidance lessons and small group counseling sessions as a way to help them develop these important skills that can help them in and out of the classroom. Keep reading to find fun, hands-on ways to teach kids about resilience.

TLDR: resiliency can be built by

Teach Kids About Resilience

1 - Supportive Relationships

The hallmark of resilience is having supportive relationships both in and out of the family unit. We want our students to have lots of people they can rely on and go to in times of struggle. I focus on directly teaching my students what supportive qualities actually look like because let's be honest: some of them are going to people for support who aren't all that supportive!

We talk about qualities like trustworthiness, honesty, loyalty, kindness, and more. Reading through scenarios and picking out the supportive or not-so-supportive qualities really helps them to grasp this concept and also evaluate where they are seeking support in their own lives.

2 - Setting, Planning, and Working Toward Goals

It's great to have goals, but helping kids actually map out goals and plan how they will get there is a must! Being able to set goals and have a future focus can also help kids when they're going through something hard now. We talk about small steps toward long-term goals, people who can help us at each stage of the goals, materials we'll need, how to keep track of goals and monitor progress and more! Graphic organizers are great for this, but also being that supportive person to check in periodically and cheer them on is huge!

3 - Confidence in Strengths & Abilities

Self-efficacy is a major component of resilience. When students believe they can succeed, they're more likely to attempt tasks perceived a challenging! Developing self-efficacy comes down to this:

learning from past experiences

learning by observing others

feedback from others with experience

imagining success

recognizing emotions connected to actions

In my counseling group, we do partner or team challenges in which students can share about their own past experiences, observe others, offer feedback to peers, and use this information to help them succeed in the moment. We also do a guided meditation to imagine success in some challenges the students are currently facing.

4 - Communication Skills

Assertively communicating needs is a must for developing resiliency. To teach this, we talk about different communication styles and then practice making assertive statements in different scenarios. Students can also share their own tough situations, and peers can offer suggestions for speaking up or responding in assertive ways.

5 - Managing Big Feelings

Self-regulation is an important life skill in all arenas. This isn't something kids pick up in one classroom lesson or one counseling session, but ideally they get practice and reinforcement daily through classroom activities, literature, and more. In groups, we practice identifying emotions associated with struggles and identify helpful coping strategies. Learn more about teaching kids self regulation skills here in this free webinar.

6 - Problem Solving Skills

Problems come up, and facing them head-on with different strategies is a must! Teach kids problem-solving strategies like:

try multiple strategies

look at the problem from different angles or perspectives

be comfortable asking for help

use mistakes to help you move forward

and learn from mistakes

In the resiliency skills group, we practice this by analyzing scenarios and identifying at least 3 possible solutions to the problem. We also do STEM challenges to practice working in teams to design things with different approaches!

7 - Safety & Security

Let's face it: many of our kids don't have a sense of safety and security at home or they may not feel that way at school. Helping kids identify safe places and safe people can help them build resiliency. In counseling group, this looks like assessing a wide range of people and places and having kids identify those places, people, and things that give them a sense of security. We also practice safety planning, especially for long breaks from school.

8 - Sense of Humor

While we don't want kids laughing through real pain, being able to find humor in little things goes a long way! In counseling group, we spend time closing with a joke from a joke book or reading hilarious stories like all of the Pig the Pug series! We also read scenarios and try to find one funny thing about it, even if it's sort of hard.

Activities Picked for You

Teach kids about resilience with these activities:
Bounce Back Resiliency Skills Group Counseling Curriculum Resiliency Skills Centers for Classroom Counseling
Read More on Counselor Keri

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Resilience, or the ability to bounce back from hard situations or roadblocks, is a word that comes up a lot of education. Many of our students go through hard experiences outside of school and all of them face challenges and roadblocks inside the school.