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Start Here!! This is the main NMUSD Distance Learning Toolkit

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Parents: Please click on your child's current grade level band to access resources for at home support.

Padres: Haga clic en el nivel del grado actual de su hijo para obtener aceso a los recursos de apoyo en el hogar.

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Parents: Please click on your child's current grade level band to access resources for at home support. Padres: Haga clic en el nivel del grado actual de su hijo para obtener aceso a los recursos de apoyo en el hogar.

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Wide Open School's mission lives on at Common Sense

With schools back in person, we have closed this dedicated distance-learning site designed to guide families and educators through the sudden shift to remote learning.
Discover More Great Resources for Families & Educators
Common Sense is dedicated to providing teachers and families with free resources to help kids learn, grow, and thrive with media and technology. Join our community for more tips and resources to support kids' learning and healthy development.

More Resources You'll Love

Get more free content like what you found on Wide Open School.
For Families For Educators
Thank You to Our Supporters & Partners

We are grateful to our supporters and partners for helping to bring these resources to kids, families, and educators everywhere during a global crisis. It is a testament to the power of creativity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to education and digital access for all.

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Wide Open School's mission lives on at Common Sense With schools back in person, we have closed this dedicated distance-learning site designed to guide families and educators through the sudden shift to remote learning. Discover More Great Resources for Families & Educators

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Listening to stories read aloud is proven to help improve kids' reading skills. At Audible, parents can download the best children's audiobooks for road trips, fun, and learning for babies, elementary, and middle school kids.

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Skip to main content

The internet is an amazing tool for teaching and learning. But, before we can teach students to harness its power and become good citizens of the web, we need to understand the intricacies of how it works and how it can be manipulated to mislead and even harm users.
Learning the Landscape of Digital Literacy

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Digital and Civic Literacy Skills The internet is an amazing tool for teaching and learning. But, before we can teach students to harness its power and become good citizens of the web, we need to understand the intricacies of how it works and how it can be manipulated to mislead and even harm users.

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How to Plan Your Kid's Schedules During School Closures

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If you are developing a schedule for your children to follow at home during school closures, I want to encourage you not to get too stressed out about academics. Since stress depletes the immune system, if you are fighting with your children about academic work, and they are fighting back with you, it might make things very difficult.

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5 Ways to Create Calm from Chaos

There are many books, podcasts and articles about the benefits of mindfulness (links?). Research shows it reduces stress and anxiety, improves immune function and increases attention and performance. The critical element is daily practice, which can be challenging to integrate into an already busy schedule. During this time of uncertainty, we invite you to download the Inner Explorer family app, and begin practicing with your children every day.

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5 Ways to Create Calm from Chaos There are many books, podcasts and articles about the benefits of mindfulness (links?). Research shows it reduces stress and anxiety, improves immune function and increases attention and performance. The critical element is daily practice, which can be challenging to integrate into an already busy schedule.

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Overview

Like our physical health, our mental health can be strengthened or diminished through daily habits. Mental Wellness Basics is a digital resource that introduces middle and high school students to mental health education. Stigma associated with mental health can have serious and negative impacts on help-seeking behaviors, and many mental health conditions and symptoms can be significantly lessened through prevention. Placing importance on mental health education in schools leads to less stigma and improves the overall mental health of students.

As such, the mental wellness activities and lessons in this digital program focus on:

1. Supporting students in identifying threats to mental health early, and taking measures to increase factors that protect mental health.

2. Introducing students to the experiences of others in order to develop awareness and empathy, reduce stigma, and provide facts on the prevalence and symptoms of mental health conditions.

3. Fostering a mental health mindset to help students develop feelings of self-efficacy and skills that promote and model advocacy for self and others.

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Basics of Wellness & Mental Health Education | EVERFI

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Like our physical health, our mental health can be strengthened or diminished through daily habits. Mental Wellness Basics is a digital resource that introduces middle and high school students to mental health education. Stigma associated with mental health can have serious and negative impacts on help-seeking behaviors, and many mental health conditions and symptoms can be significantly lessened through prevention.

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To find what you need quickly, sort the practices by age level and duration.

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Parents: Parenting News & Advice for Moms and Dads - TODAY.com

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Parenting stories, trends and tips for every stage of parenthood

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Character Lab is a nonprofit organization that advances scientific insights to help kids thrive. We provide actionable advice for parents and educators.

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Welcome to our supplemental Social Emotional Learning Activities page!

As you will see below, many of the supplemental SEL activities and lesson plans include characters from our game-based, social emotional learning interventions. And when you use the online programs with your students, these activities will reinforce the learning that occurs during game play.

These supplemental resources - lessons, activities, and worksheets - are in the following SELskill areas: Communication, Cooperation, Emotion Regulation, Empathy, Impulse Control, and Social Initiation.

These resources are age-appropriate for elementary and middle school students and are typically used in a classroom or a small group setting. And in most cases, if materials are required for the activity, they are items that you already have in your classroom or office.
Note: Please share this page on your school website so other educators may also benefit.
Social Emotional Learning at Home

Additional Resources for Social Emotional Learning

Our classroom management plan is a step-by-step guide and includes proven strategies, tips and printables for elementary school teachers, and it covers four key components for establishing a successful, well-managed classroom.

These free downloadable posters will decorate your classroom and be great teaching resources, reinforcing social and emotional skills in your classroom and reminding students to practice their skills like emotion regulation, impulse control, empathy, and more.

Social Emotional Learning Quotes

For each of the topics below, we have curated a list of quotes. You can incorporate these quotes in your social emotional learning lessons, add them to social media images, create classroom posters, or write one on your whiteboard each day.

Need Something More Engaging And Effective For A Few Students?

Simply request a FREE Centervention educator account and start using our online programs!

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95 Free Social Emotional Learning Activities

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95 free social emotional learning activities, worksheets, and lessons to help students in elementary and middle school. Most are no-prep and ready to go.

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It's impossible to miss the news about coronavirus, but you probably still have lots of questions. What exactly is it? How does it spread? Can I protect myself? In this episode we'll breakdown what we know about this new virus and tell you how to stay safe. Plus, we'll listen to a podcast hosted by two chatty viruses to learn how these germs spread (and how our bodies fight back). We've also got a special message from some super tough hand washers. Plus a Mystery Sound and a Moment of Um that ...more

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children kids podcast ios apps education science discovery sharing

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Kids Listen: Understanding coronavirus and how germs spread

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From Brains On! Science podcast for kids. It's impossible to miss the news about coronavirus, but you probably still have lots of questions. What exactly is it? How does it spread? Can I protect myself? In this episode we'll breakdown what we know about this new virus and tell you how to stay safe.

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Our curriculum is based on innovative research that pulls from positive psychology, organizational development, neuroscience, behavioural science, and contemplative philosophy.

The KIDEVOLVE IMAGINARIUM PODCAST & CREATIVE MIND JOURNEYS™

Highly imaginative audio stories that deliver key mindfulness training

Built especially for kids aged 6-12 (not repurposed adult materials and no adults needed for motivation)

Innovative blend of music, sound fx, incredible voice talent and pure whimsy

Stories double as smart guided practices, tackling a unique challenge or opportunity and helping kids with different psycho-social-emotional skills

Kids listen independently and replay favourites

Stories span 10 cool learning categories that kids love:
Course 1 - Self-Control Training Course 2 - Sleep Zone Training
Course 3 - Resilience Training
Course 4 - Empathy Training Course 5 - Anxiety Control Training Course 6 - Gratitude Training Course 7 - Joy & Energy Training Course 8 - Pain Management Training
And coming soon:
Course 9 - Animal & Nature Empathy Training Course 10 - Social Justice Training
6 week, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

Six, engaging 50 minute Mindfulness courses, built just for kids aged 6-12

Delivered in intimate groups of no more than 12 kids

Based in a partner studio, school or Kidevolve host-parent's home

Goal-directed with weekly learning objectives (such as Loving-Kindness, Emotional Awareness, and Mindful Listening)

Integration of age-appropriate mindfulness techniques with interactive exercises, movement, yoga and/or qigong, story-telling, music, compassion training and Social & Emotional Learning

Geared towards defined learning goals while also offering the flexibility to accommodate children's unique contributions

Kidevolve is all about exploration and empowerment.
Our programs and tools offer a unique opportunity for seeding, supporting and nurturing kids to discover
their own path to self-regulation, inner calm and feeling more joyful.

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Our curriculum is based on innovative research that pulls from positive psychology, organizational development, neuroscience, behavioural science, and contemplative philosophy.

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A new one each day!

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Remote Learning Plans - Homeschool Ideas and Schedules

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Free daily lesson plans, designed for all learners (UDL). Universally designed schedules and guides for homeschooling, snow days, COVID-19, and more!

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Pete the Cat Breathing Video

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Podcast recommendations and a collection of resources to keep kids busy and educated over the Coronavirus break.
With the school closures from Coronavirus/Covid 19 now coming in fast and furious (and yes, that includes my three kids' school), parents and caregivers are scrambling. Suddenly, we have weeks of unplanned time before us, with no real guess at when the kids will be back at school, and no real desire to park our kids in front of the tv for hours at a time.

The podcasters at Kids Listen have put together this collection of podcast episodes to help ease the pain somewhat. We've gathered together episodes that will keep your kids learning (including about the corona virus), laughing, and even letting loose a little. We've also included some other resources at the end outside of the Kids Listen universe because - we're all in this together. And we've got this.
Knowledge is power. In these episodes, kids can learn about the coronavirus and Covid-19 in an age-appropriate way.
This post will be updated as more episodes come in. And we will be turning this into a Kids Listen playlist as soon as possible, so check your Kids Listen app for updates!

is a science podcast for curious kids and adults from American Public Media. In the episode Understanding Coronavirus and How Germs Spread, the podcast tackles coronavirus in its usual deft way, leaving kids feeling empowered rather than scared. Relatedly, Brains On! also put out this episode on how flu vaccines work.

Tumble Science Podcast for Kids explores stories of science discovery - how science actually works. In this special episode,Answering Kids' Coronavirus Questions, they share questions from listeners with an infectious disease pediatrician. Dr. Juan Dumois provides clear answers and explanations of how we know what we know about coronavirus, and what kids can do to protect the people they love. Tumble also has a great episode about viruses and two scientists who teamed up to make vaccines faster. It's called The Sign of the Ninja Virus.
School's out, but don't let those brains go to mush!
The podcast ! is another great one to add to your list. Shabam! is a new type of science show that blends fictional stories with real science. The first season is all about the spread of disease. You can find the first episode here.

Book Power for Kids, another kid-driven podcast, reviews books in a fun, friendly, accessible way. Here, Book Power for Kids swoops in for the rescue with two great episodes about having an adventure without leaving home. What better time than now to have a pile of books waiting to be read! In this episode, Leilani reviews Hilo: The Great Big Boom, by Judd Winick. And in this episode, Chaska review The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander.

The Good Words Podcast is for kids and grownups to take a deep dive into words while learning together to use words better and to use better words. Since school closings have become Ubiquitous, you can learn more about that word here. And while your whole family is stuck together at home for a while, you also might want to learn about the word Magnanimous!
A break for your kids, a break for you. Win-win.
Of course, I have to put in some episodes from our podcast, Cool Facts About Animals - a podcast by kids and for kids. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Justin Schmidt, made famous for his Schmidt Pain Index Scale, about what the most painful stings are. And in this Earth Day episode, we talk about animals facing extinction and what kids can do to help.

Unspookable, best for kids ages 8-12, is a spooky look at the histories and mysteries behind your favorite scary stories. In these two hand-picked episodes, Momo and Media Literacy, and Friday the 13th, you'll get hooked on Unspookable's unique approach to storytelling, blending modern context to history- and science-based storytelling.

Grammy and the Star Soup, from the lively and silly storytelling podcast April Eight, is the first in a series of three interrelated stories ending in a leprochaun tale for Saint Patrick's Day, Birdie and the Unexpected Guest. These are stories of sibling relationships, unexpected friendships, magic, and mystery. They are filled with lovely songs and silly limericks!

This Week in the Multiverse is a serialized storytelling podcast. In the episode Fortnite of Many Earths, hear a tale about video games from other Earths that will make the video games of this Earth seem boring it will inspire your kids to do something else!

Buttons and Figs, a podcast for kids about playing with words, is a treat for the whole family. In Nonsense Play, with Calef Brown, use nonsense to take your minds to other places. This helps you focus attention on things you may not have seen before and encourages laughter, the best medicine. Also check out A Colony of Collective Nouns because, although we may not be able to join a crowd right now, we can still play with collective nouns!

Circle Round remains an enduring favorite in our household, and our go-to car-trip podcast for stories from around the world. In the Mountain Spring, a magical folktale from Japan and Korea, listeners will be whisked away to a faraway mountainside, where a kind, generous old man and woman discover the proverbial fountain of youth. The episode stars real-life husband and wife Greg Naughton (an actor/writer/singer-songwriter) and Kelli O'Hara (a Tony Award-winning Broadway legend). Also check out The Beggar and the Baker's Daughter. Comedian Margaret Cho headlines this English tale about a greedy woman who bites off more than she can chew. Children will love the enchanting story and grown-ups will love the hilarious Margaret Cho!
Things can feel a little overwhelming. It's good to take a breath.
is a fictional serialized podcast featuring the Ventura twins, who are yanked into another dimension where they receive the mission to preserve their culture's true history. Check out the episode "," where the twins seek an invisible danger with the help of Monsi Roman, a primary school student on campus for a local science fair. The character of young Monsi is based on NASA microbiologist Monserrate Roman. You can find an interview with her here.

Be Calm on Ahway Island helps kids learn to meditate and relax. In the episode , learn to meditate around the big feelings of going to the doctor, beecause kids might feel nervous about being sick or going to the doctor. In Robot Build, kids will get their imaginations going while staying in.

is another great podcast for relaxing and meditating that helps children calm down by being guided through visualizaton and breathing exercises. In the episode Mycelium Mindfulness, kids will explore the hidden and fascinating world of fungi. They also introduce a loving kindness practice, sending friendly wishes to yourselves and others. In this uncertain time, it's even more important for us to be kind to those around us. The episode is perfect for this period, because some children may be feeling increased anxiety during this time listening to news or overhearing their adults talking about the coronavirus.

And a few other podcasts we recommend -

The Show About Politics and The Show About Science, hosted by the effervescent and knowledgeable Nate.

Six Minutes - my son's fourth grade class listened forward to this podcast in class, a sci fi, robot-filled adventure.

Activist, You - a podcast dedicated to interviewing and learning from young activists.

Captain Ryan Stories - adventure stories for kids.

Professor Theo's Mystery Lab - superhero, timetravelling, adventure-loving fun.

The Fifth Grade Futurists - A podcast created by 5th-grade students from Troy, Michigan about our global goals for a better future.

The Fourth Grade Innovators - A4th grade class in Michigan sharing their learning with the world. From wise word quote discussions to book reviews, this podcast will help inspire listeners to level up their life.

Here are some other educational and fun things to consider to keep the kids entertained:
New! DIY science experiments from Physics Girl.
New! Angela from Story Spectacular is providing all sorts of free printables to keep your littles ones busy. Make an April Fool's pop-up card here, and find free activity pages, song downloads, and more here.

New! Mark Rober will be doing regular livestreams on YouTube explaining science topics in simple terms with demos.

New! Free stories on Audible! The Terrible Two is a favorite in this house if you like pranks and shananigans.

Listen and Learn. Kids Listen is starting a podcast y'all! It's called the Kids Listen Activity Podcast. On it, you'll find podcasts from your favorite podcasters (like Tumble Podcast, What if World, Noodle Loaf, and others), and follow it up with an activity - a great way to spend an active hour of learning and listening.

Beloved author Mo Willems will offer daily drawing clinics with his Lunch Doodles videos. Catch it live, or view the archived version.

Tumble Podcast Resources. Curriculum packages, worksheets, transcripts & music for some of Tumble Podcast's most popular episodes are available for free at their Teacher Store. Use COVID at checkout. As long as schools are shut down, the code will be up!

Animal Learning Activities with Scientist Olivia Sanderfoot. Learning modules on owls, honeybees, monarchs, and more plus an offer to be a pen pay. Amazing.

Picture book read-alouds. Compiled by Pernille Ripp, lots of links to creators of books reading their stories.

More kid lit read-alouds. Including read-alouds in non-Engish languages, from KidLit.tv.

Jess Keating offers writing lessons. Ten videos to help tackle writing projects.

Aquarium viewing. Tune into the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium via numerous webcams. You can see the coral reef cam, jelly fish cam, and others.

Submit a question to an author. GRACE LIN YOU GUYS is creating a 5-10 minute podcast featuring other children's authors. Submit a poem, book review, or question here.

Free Art Lessons from NY Times Best-Selling Author/Artist Jarrett J. Krosoczka. These will be streamed live on his youtube channel at 2 pm ET, and lessons will be archived.

From Scholastic Learn at Home - Day to day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing. "Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin!"

From Ask a Scientist. Learn live via Skype from a scientist studying super cool things across all disciplines. To be on the list about when sessions occur and updates, fill out the Google form here. Find the schedule here.

From National Geographic Kids. The " Explore " section of the National Geographic Kids website is filled with projects, tips, videos, and enhanced learning experiences for kids.

From Kiwi Crate. Kiwi Crate's DIY section has lots of simple projects that teach your kids about science in a hands-on way, with minimal supplies needed.

Seattle Symphonyis sharing free rebroadcasts of their concerts. Check here often as they update their schedule.

Crazy Aunt Lindsayis a tried-and-true favorite for DIY science projects. Check out her site here.

Go Noodle. Free movement and mindfulness exercises to restart and reenergize the kids.

Take a Virtual Museum Tour. Thanks to Parent Magazine for curating this list of 12 museums that you can tour from the comfort of your couch.

Please comment below with other resources! We need all the help we can get!

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Podcast recommendations and a collection of resources to keep kids busy and educated over the Coronavirus break. With the school closures from Coronavirus/Covid 19 now coming in fast and furious (and...

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Going into a self-quarantine can have many complex issues and complications beyond having enough food and supplies for two weeks. In terms of entertainment, it also probably means you're in for a lot of boredom, a lot of Netflix, and a lot of browsing the internet.

But there is a way to get a little culture and education while you're confined to your home. According to Fast Company, Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world..

Now, you get "go to the museum" and never have to leave your couch.

Google Arts & Culture's collection includes the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, and literally hundreds of more places where you can gain knowledge about art, history, and science. This collection is especially good for students who are looking for ways to stay on top of their studies while schools are closed.

Take a look at just some of Google's top museums that are offering online tours and exhibits. Museums around the world are also sharing their most zen art on social media to help people cope with staying home. And if that's not enough culture for you, New York's Metropolitan Opera will be offering free digital shows every night at 7:30 p.m. from March 16 through March 22. Now you can even go "outside" with incredible virtual tours of some of America's best national parks.

British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies. You can also find hundreds of artifacts on the museum's virtual tour.

Guggenheim Museum, New York

Google's Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim's famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary eras.

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This famous American art museum features two online exhibits through Google. The first is an exhibit of American fashion from 1740 to 1895, including many renderings of clothes from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. The second is a collection of works from Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.

Musée d'Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848 and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among others.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul

One of Korea's popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google's virtual tour takes you through six floors of Contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany's largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer - even if you can't physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you're actually wandering its halls.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who is a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close) by virtually visiting this museum - the largest collection of artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the 8th Century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

This less well-known gallery houses the art collection of one of Florence, Italy's most famous families, the de'Medicis. The building was designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 specifically for Cosimo I de'Medici, but anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world.

MASP, São Paulo

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is a non-profit and Brazil's first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear perspex frames make it seem like the artwork is hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

Built in 1964, this museum is dedicated to the archaeology and history of Mexico's pre-Hispanic heritage. There are 23 exhibit rooms filled with ancient artifacts, including some from the Mayan civilization.

Sadly, not all popular art museums and galleries could be included on Google Arts & Culture's collection, but some museums are taking it upon themselves to offer online visits. According to Fast Company, the Louvre also offers virtual tours on its website.

To see more of Google Arts & Culture's collection of museums, visit the collection's website. There are thousands of museum Street Views on Google as well. Google Arts & Culture also has an online experience for exploring famous historic and cultural heritage sites.

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Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

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Going into a self-quarantine can have many complex issues and complications beyond having enough food and supplies for two weeks. In terms of entertainment, it also probably means you're in for a lot of boredom, a lot of Netflix, and a lot of browsing the internet.

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When we are overly stressed and worried, like many of us have felt lately with threats like the coronavirus, it becomes even more difficult to regulate our emotions with effective strategies.

But what exactly is effective emotion regulation?

Emotion regulation is how we deal with the feelings we experience from moment to moment to have wellbeing, build positive relationships, and achieve desired goals. When we're feeling disappointed or joyful or anxious or motivated, what do we do to feel more or less of that feeling? What do we do to hang onto that feeling or shift to feeling something different? Importantly, from an emotional intelligence perspective, emotion regulation involves accepting feelings as they come and go - which they mostly do - so we are not overly attached, reactive or overwhelmed by them.

It's helpful to think about emotion regulation in two parts: goals and strategies.

The first part is our goal. Goals we have for our emotions are like goals in many sports: we look at the net or goalposts, and we decide where we want the ball or puck to go. When we set a goal for regulating our emotions, we are deciding where we want our emotions to go. Do we want them to go up-like feeling even more joyful about a party we're planning? Or, do we want our emotions to go down-like feeling less anxious about our ability to control what's happening in our environment with the coronavirus. In sports, we have a goal that includes where the ball or puck is now and where we want it to be. With our emotions, we do the same-we set a goal by asking ourselves "what am I feeling now, and how do I want to feel?"

The second part of managing emotions is the strategy we decide to use. We know where we want the ball or puck to go, but how will we get it there? Will we hit it straight in? Or will we pass it to another player first? That is our strategy. Strategies are how we will achieve our goals. If we're feeling anxious or worried about what's happening around us, and we really want to feel less nervous... or calmer, what would our strategy be? Maybe we could take some deep breaths?

Mindful breathing is perhaps the ultimate prevention strategy. As we've learned, daily practice enhances our ability to be present, accept feelings as they come and go, and not be overly reactive or overwhelmed by them.

An additional and very effective strategy is to simply adjust our thinking. It's convenient because our thoughts happen in our head, so we can change them pretty much anytime and anyplace. When we want to feel less anxious, we can ask ourselves, "Is there another way to think about this situation? Or we can say something positive or supportive to ourselves in our heads.

One way to help you get better at this is to consider what you might tell a close friend or loved one who is feeling anxious. Try it. List out 3-5 things you might tell a friend who is feeling worried or anxious about the coronavirus. Now, can you apply those same strategies to yourself?

But how do we get good at it?

Just like in sports, managing our emotions takes time and practice. The very first time Lionel Messi stepped onto the field or Wayne Gretzky entered the rink, they probably weren't really sure what to do. They may have known that they wanted to aim for the net but little else. They probably missed a lot of goals and tried a lot of strategies before they became pros. In fact, Wayne Gretzky is known for his famous quote, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." That's his strategy--what he says to himself when he wants to feel less discouraged.

Because emotion regulation requires brainpower-it depends on seemingly unrelated factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep. When we eat poorly, our minds don't function properly. Too much sugar causes our blood glucose to spike and then plummet, which affects cognitive functioning and self-control, especially around healthy eating. So make sure you have some healthy snacks in your desk at work or set a reminder on your phone to ensure you nibble every three hours or so.

Too little physical activity also has a negative effect on our mental capacity and moods. In one study, subjects were exposed to a stressor, and then half of the participants did aerobic exercise while the others did not. The exercisers reported feeling significantly less negative than the other group. Even anxiety and depression can be reduced by exercise. So make sure you are getting in some movement!

Poor quality or insufficient sleep has similar effects on our emotions-when we're tired, our defenses are down and our ability to function mentally is low. Sleep serves a restorative function. When we don't get enough, or we get too much, we show more symptoms of anxiety and depression, greater fatigue, and hostility. Inadequate sleep is associated with reduced connections between brain regions responsible for cognitive control and behavior and the use of effective emotion regulation strategies.

Do things you love. Spend time with family and friends, pursue passions and pastimes, get in touch with your spiritual side, immerse yourself in nature, read a good book, or watch a funny movie. We build up cognitive reserves that way, which can help us during these emotionally challenging times. We are hardwired to seek social contact and support-people who lack it are prone to anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease. Social distance, which we know will help spread the coronavirus does not mean we have to socially disconnect!

Finally, in these trying times, there are a few additional things you can do. And specifically, some things to help with situations you might face with coronavirus:

First, control the amount of information you take in. Take breaks from reading the news and social media.

Second, don't be afraid to say no. It's okay not to hug, kiss, or shake hands right now. If you're at a loss for words, you can use the namaste symbol.

Third, be your "best self" when dealing with stigma and fears. It's always best to have compassion for compassion for those who are ill and those whose lives have been disrupted by the virus or society's response to it.

And finally, try your best to support friends, family members, and co-workers who are feeling anxious or worried. When we support others, we not only help them, but we feel better ourselves.

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Pieces of this article were e xcerpted from the new book Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive by Marc Brackett. Copyright © 2019 Marc Brackett. Reprinted with the permission of Celadon Books, a division of Macmillan Publishing, LLC.

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Managing Emotions Effectively in Uncertain Times

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When we are overly stressed and worried, like many of us have felt lately with threats like the coronavirus, it becomes even more difficult to regulate our emotions with effective strategies. But what exactly is effective emotion regulation?

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Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. (HMI) was founded in 2014 by world-renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Richard Davidson.

HMI is an external, affiliated nonprofit dedicated to supporting the mission of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is to cultivate well-being and relieve suffering through a scientific understanding of the mind.

HMI takes the discoveries and insights gleaned from the Center's research - as well as that of our own scientific team - and translates them into tools that help people around the world learn and build skills of well-being.

In addition to creating products and services and sharing them widely, HMI also manages philanthropic activities, public speaking engagements and special initiatives that bring the Center's work into the world.

Our aim is to share this work as widely as possible, reaching the farthest corners of the globe to realize the vision we share with the Center: A kinder, wiser, more compassionate world.

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Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. (HMI) was founded in 2014 by world-renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Richard Davidson. HMI is an external, affiliated nonprofit dedicated to supporting the mission of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is to cultivate well-being and relieve suffering through a scientific understanding of the mind.

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Resource Documents - Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities

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Each archived activity below includes the original prompt and, on additional pages, examples of how others responded to the prompt. There are often many ways to approach a single activity: seeing how others thought about the prompt can really stretch our thinking and help us learn!

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The exact skills you need

Planning a lesson or prepping for an exam?
We've custom-built IXL skills to reinforce each topic within your:

State standards

Virginia Standards of Learning (2016)

Textbooks

See skills that match every chapter of 80+ popular textbooks

Assessments

Use IXL for the NWEA MAP, ACT, SAT, and more

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IXL | Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish

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IXL is the world's most popular subscription-based learning site for K-12. Used by over 15 million students, IXL provides personalized learning in more than 10,000 topics, covering math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Interactive questions, awards, and certificates keep kids motivated as they master skills.

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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.

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Free Trials during Distance Learning

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Based on science since 1991

For over 30 years, Read Naturally's scientifically backed reading interventions have helped millions of students go from struggling to successful. Our programs are created by reading teachers who prioritize the needs of students. We are dedicated to better tools, better readers, and brighter futures.

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Research-Based Reading Interventions :: Read Naturally, Inc.

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Our research-based reading interventions help struggling and developing readers improve their literacy skills and become confident, independent readers.

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I love teaching middle school, especially 7th grade. The kids are goofy, energetic, and super squirrels (...squirrel!). They're also pre-teens, and trying to fit into the limbo world where they're not quite kids, but not quite teenagers. Many of my kids have faced challenging family situations that preoccupy their thoughts while in school.

Knowing things are sometimes distracting outside of class, whether it is friends, family, or both, I start my class with a warm-up. This is usually a silent individual activity that activates prior knowledge, or asks students to review what they learned last class.

In April 2015, I changed the way I did my warm-ups. And I had major positive results. Immediately.

I implemented the Daily Check-in Form. I still called it a warm-up, but the purpose expanded to ask students about their day.
Before we continue, please fill it out here.
Your warm-up questions are:

1. Who do you teach?

2. What made you interested in this blog post topic?

3. How do you currently start your class periods, meetings, or workshops?

Ok, now that you filled it out, let's continue. (If you didn't fill it out, go back and do so. It's good for you to actually go through the experience, not just open up the link!)

When students arrive for class, they line up in 2 silent, straight, and smiling lines outside. I invite them in, and they walk in silently (we don't do it right, it's back outside to do it over), and begin their warm-up on their iPad. I have a set of Slides for each lesson, and the first Slide is always the warm-up questions.

I reuse the same Form everyday and for all classes. At the end of the week, I hide the previous week's rows on Sheets.

Three check-in questions with running averages.

I know some of you are asking, why are you SO strict on coming in silently? Two reasons: First, it helps my students settle in and make the transition to class time. Second, it helps me setting in and make the transition to teaching. I use that time to take attendance, quickly check in with individual students, and skim their warm-up answers.

From this daily warm-up, I have learned many essential things about my students, from death of family members or arguments with friends, to excitement over weekend plans or their deep love of tacos. These are things my students may have been too shy to tell me, or I likely would not have taken the time to listen to their needs.

Screenshot of the Sheet. I use conditional formatting

to make it easier to skim how students are feeling.

If there's a concern, I'll pull the student aside during class and chat privately about what they shared. If they rank their day as a 1, then I'll make sure I make it over to their desk more frequently, offer a friendly smile, and start a conversation. (I don't take them aside, unless they show additional signs of being upset or stressed in class.)

The day I first implemented this warm-up, I learned that my student's uncle died the week prior. Over the next three weeks, she lost three more people close to her. Because she willingly shared this with me, I was able to support her emotionally in class, and refer her to our counselors for additional support. I am 100% positive this prevented serious behaviors in my class, because she had struggled all year with attitude and off-task behavior.

When I present at conferences and workshops, I often start my session with an identical Form-I ask about participants' prior knowledge on the topic and goals for the session. I feel like this helps me connect to my participants in the limited time we have.

I'm grateful for this simple tool that has helped me build community in my classroom!

Love this idea? Here's the Form template.

Have fun with the Form, make it work for you, and please share!

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

[CC BY-NC-SA]

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I love teaching middle school, especially 7th grade. The kids are goofy, energetic, and super squirrels (...squirrel!). They're also pre-teens, and trying to fit into the limbo world where they're not quite kids, but not quite teenagers. Many of my kids have faced challenging family situations that preoccupy their thoughts while in school.

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La gran cantidad de información sobre el coronavirus que se encuentra disponible en los medios de comunicación puede llegar a ser apabullante. Es por eso que el equipo de Understood seleccionará cada semana recursos e información para orientar a las familias.

Estos son recursos gratuitos, uno para cada día de la semana.

1. Qué hacer cuando los niños están ansiosos por el coronavirus (recurso creado por Understood).

2. Cómo ayudar a adolescentes y adultos jóvenes a manejar el confinamiento (publicado por un socio de Understood).

3. Encuentre bancos de alimentos y otros proveedores de comida, así como Internet gratis o a bajo costo en PieNetwork (socio de Understood) y everyoneon (ambos recursos solo disponibles en inglés).

4. Cómo facilitar el aprendizaje desde la casasegún el grado escolar de sus hijos: PTA, EdNavigator y Learning Heroes.

5. Libros para niños gratuitos traducidos al español y leídos en voz alta: The Spanish Experiment, Unite for Literacy y Global Storybooks.

6. Películas latinoamericanas gratis que los adultos pueden ver desde casa.

7. Apps para niños de técnicas de atención plena para manejar la frustración y el estrés (recurso creado por Understood).

En dos semanas ofreceremos nuevos recursos para ayudar a las familias con los retos ocasionados por la crisis del coronavirus.

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Resumen semanal de Understood: Recursos e información sobre el coronavirus (23 de marzo)

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La gran cantidad de información sobre el coronavirus que se encuentra disponible en los medios de comunicación puede llegar a ser apabullante. Es por eso que el equipo de Understood seleccionará cada semana recursos e información para orientar a las familias. Estos son recursos gratuitos, uno para cada día de la semana.

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PARTNERS .

Coronavirus is posing unprecedented challenges to public schools around the country. To help ensure the continuity of special education services during remote instruction and to spotlight best practice approaches for schools and educators, an alliance of national education organizations has come together to ensure equity for all learners. EducatingAllLearners.org creates a hub of curated tools, strategies, tips and best practices for supporting students with disabilities online. Our goal is to both curate and creates special education resources for educators to serve students who learn differently during this time of challenge.

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PARTNERS . Coronavirus is posing unprecedented challenges to public schools around the country. To help ensure the continuity of special education services during remote instruction and to spotlight best practice approaches for schools and educators, an alliance of national education organizations has come together to ensure equity for all learners.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.