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Think - Reflect and Respond to Lessons You Select!

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Think - Reflect and Respond to Lessons You Select!

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Mentoring starts in October and runs through mid December 12th,

This closes down to be refreshed during winter break!

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I'm a high school teacher and I specialize in fun ways to learn about relationships and social emotional learning. I teach psychology of relationships, child and adolescent development, living on your own, and early childhood education You can see a list of all of my videos here by topic www.jeffbrownsclassroom.com/videos Check out my website for curriculum and other resources at www.jeffbrownsclassroom.com

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We know that today:

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys in the U.S. experience sexual abuse by the age of 18.

90 percent of children who are abused know the abuser.

There are more than 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse in the U.S. Yet, many child victims may never disclose their abuse.

1 in 5 children is solicited sexually on the Internet before the age of 18.

Yet, when adults collectively understand the risks and red flags of child sexual abuse, we can do more to keep kids safe. When we all take action, abuse is preventable.

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Read an article, watch a video or explore the resource - fill out the google form for EACH lesson.

1 lesson - 1 google form submission = 15 minutes

2 lessons - 2 google from submissions = 30 minutes

3 lessons - 3 google form submissions = 45 minutes

4 lessons - 4 google form submissions = 1 hour

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How College Students Can Improve Their Emotional Intelligence | JWU Online

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If you’ve been thinking about boosting your emotional intelligence, this post can set you on the right path toward developing the kind of EI or EQ you need to succeed in the workplace and in life.

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Emotional Intelligence in Children: Definition and Components

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Science-based parenting styles, child development and child psychology

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Words can't be taken back, like toothpaste...

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Words can't be taken back, like toothpaste...

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Words Can’t Be Taken Back: Toothpaste Squeeze Activity

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Preventing teasing, name-calling, and put-downs requires teaching children how to be kind and respectful to one another while still having fun. Here are nine proactive steps to promote respectful language…

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Katey Masri, Laura Hubbs-Tait, Eileen Kerrigan

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Help Kids Make Friends: Use Emotion Coaching - Oklahoma State University

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By Katey Masri, Laura Hubbs-Tait and Eileen Kerrigan. Learn about how to use emotion coaching to help children make friends.

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The Power of Mentorship and Its Importance for Children

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Strengthen family relationships with parent-child bonding activities and parenting education programs with the Up Center.

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'You didn't get it yet, but you'll make it soon I bet!" Yeah! That's catchy!

Carol Dweck coined the phrase 'the power of yet' in her awesome book, . It's a fantastic (although a little dry) read and I highly recommend you check it out.

The concepts are fab!
Do yourself a favour and score a copy here.
This is a fantastic addition to your toolbox for raising positive, empowered children!I'll say it again - YET! It's a potent little word packing a great, big punch!

"Yet." A powerful three-letter word that means, "an implied time, still, even or nevertheless". - Carol Dweck

The Power Of Yet

So what exactly is 'the power of yet'?

Remember when we talked about how important growth mindset is to incorporate in your child's learning process? Well the power of yet is a big piece of that!

Carol's premise is that we all have the ability and power to improve. Race, religion or economic status have nothing to do with it. It's our BELIEFS that empower or destroy us. Having a 'can-do' attitude will make you unstoppable.

A great way to integrate the power of yet into all that you do is to identify where you're using the word 'can't'. All you need to do is add the word 'yet' on the end and you're there.

I can't ride a bike... yet.

I can't bake a cake... yet.

I can't tap dance... yet.

See how that works?

Pretty soon, you'll be saying, 'Up until now, I couldn't fly a kite. But look how high my kite is flying now!'

Using 'yet' brings hope. It ignites a 'can-do' attitude! It creates an encouraging environment. But it isn't all roses...you have to be willing to learn from your mistakes...to persevere!! It requires patience and it requires belief in yourself. We're all on a learning journey and there's no room to give up!

Teaching your children how powerful this tiny little word can be will go a long way to moulding the superheroes you want to send out into the world. So start adding 'yet' to your 'can't' and watch the magic unfold.

Persistence and "The Power of Yet"

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Have you noticed there's a theme catching fire around the world? It has to do with an itty bitty word that's making big waves. The word I'm talking about is 'yet'. This superhero word is so super-duper that even Sesame Street had to write a song about it!

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Self-efficacy: How to foster in children

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These practical tips for parents help foster self-efficacy, so a child learns to persist when facing a setback.

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My Brother’s Keeper: President Obama Mentoring Legacy

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How do we intentionally build relationships with young people we serve?

https://searchinstitute.org/resources-hub/relationships-matter-the-five-elements-of-developmental-relationships

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Relationships Matter: The Five Elements of Developmental Relationships

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A short video where Search Institute introduces the five elements of the developmental relationships framework.

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The Kids Mental Health Foundation Behavioral Health Experts

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We have free bullying resources so that you can talk with kids about what they’re experiencing. Find advice on how to prevent and stop bullying.

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All Mentors: How to use the lessons in the toolkit and submit reports.  New articles and video's will be added throughout the semester!

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All Mentors: How to use the lessons in the toolkit and submit reports.  New articles and video's will be added throughout the semester!

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Serving young people in the community takes focused preparation and ongoing growth of THE MENTOR. Young people are going to approach experiences in classrooms and afterschool likely differently then you!

Below you will see a series of categories called "Lessons". Each week you can select a lesson(s), as many as you'd like. Read/view - then submit using the google form below!

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5 Practical and Meaningful Activities for Children’s Mental Health Week

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We’ve asked our team for the most practical and meaningful activities that schools could implement during Children’s Mental Health Week.

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Language, Serving scholars who are learning English. Tips from a UY student intern!

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Language, Serving scholars who are learning English. Tips from a UY student intern!

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Working with children who speak Spanish and are learning English 

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Working with children who speak Spanish and are learning English 

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Mentoring Bilingual Youth: Strategies for Undergraduate Mentors

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Working with children who speak Spanish and are learning English

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Working with children who speak Spanish and are learning English

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Check out this Presentation designed by Sarai Montano.

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January is National Mentoring Month. Get the latest statistics on mentoring and its powerful benefits to youth.

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Developmental Framework Elements

1. Express Care

2. Challenge Growth

3. Provide Support

4. Share Power

5. Expand Possibilities

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Search Institute bridges research and practice to help young people be and become their best selves. Our applied youth development research, including…

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Mentor impact on young people's emotional development

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Mentor impact on young people's emotional development

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Explore the impact of Mentoring on Emotional Development

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Discover the impact of mentoring on emotional development, fostering emotional intelligence, empathy, and resilience, essential for personal and professional success.

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Economic Inequality - Impact on outcomes of children

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Economic Inequality - Impact on outcomes of children

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About the author: Ariel Kalil is a professor of public policy at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago.

What happens in the home is paramount to children's early development. Economically disadvantaged children's limited access to cognitively enriching home environments may help drive growing gaps in cognitive and non-cognitive skills, producing a feedback cycle that leads to low socioeconomic mobility and further grows inequality. Research increasingly suggests that policy should identify new targets for programs aimed at enhancing parent-child interactions in low-income families, such as Early Head Start and Healthy Families America. All parents want to help their children flourish, but low-income parents often lack the resources to achieve their parenting goals. Parents are children's first teachers and, to equalize the playing field, governments need to invest in parents so that they, in turn, can better invest in their children.

Background

As the incomes of affluent and poor American families have diverged over the past three decades, so too has the educational performance of the children in these families. Sean Reardon documents substantial growth in the income-based gap on the test scores of children born since the 1950s. Among children born around 1950, test scores of low-income (10th income percentile) children lagged behind those of their better-off (90th income percentile) peers by a little over half a standard deviation, or about 50 points on an SAT-type test. Fifty years later, this gap was twice as large. Family income is now a better predictor of children's success in school than race.

Drivers of the socioeconomic
status-based gaps in child outcomes

Finally, how parents think about parenting has changed dramatically over the past century. In 1900, parenting experts emphasized nutrition, medical care, and fresh air as the key inputs into child development, according to a comprehensive analysis of magazine articles containing parenting advice. By the 1980's, intellectual stimulation and social/emotional development had replaced nutrition and fresh air as key topics of concern along with medical care. Yet economically advantaged parents, more so than their disadvantaged counterparts, may have responded more quickly to this advice, thus widening the parenting gap.

Why parents matter

Economically advantaged parents display more of the behaviors deemed supportive of children's development across a range of parenting domains. Economically advantaged parents display more authoritative (versus authoritarian) parenting styles, engage in more sensitive and responsive mother-child interactions, use greater language stimulation, and use greater levels of parental management and advocacy. A famous example of differential parenting by socioeconomic status is the study by Betty Hart and Todd Risley, who intensively observed the language patterns of 42 families with young children. They found that in professional families, children heard an average of 2,153 words per hour, while children in working class families heard an average of 1,251 words per hour, and children in welfare-recipient families heard an average of 616 words per hour. By age four, a child from a welfare-recipient family could have heard 32 million words fewer than a classmate from a professional family.

One of the most important parenting differences between advantaged and disadvantaged parents is in how much time the parent spends with the child. Annette Lareau's qualitative study of family life reported that middle-class parents target their time with children toward developmentally enhancing activities. In her study, middle-class families (whose jobs, by her definition, require college-level skills) engage in a pattern of "concerted cultivation" to actively develop children's talents and skills. By contrast, in lower-class families, Lareau identified a pattern that she calls "the accomplishment of natural growth," wherein parents attend to children's material and emotional needs but presume that their talents and skills will develop without concerted parental intervention.

What's the role for
public policy?

Few trends are more ominous than the increases in both the class gaps and achievement gaps between low- and high-income children in the United States. The rising income-based achievement gaps call into question whether the American Dream of intergenerational mobility is now beyond the reach of many children raised in low-income families.

Policy approaches to addressing increasing disparities in outcomes for children from low- and high-income families can take a number of forms. Some of these will boost families' economic security, others can help support parents' engagement in their children's development, and others can provide educational supports directly to children. Such approaches can be pursued simultaneously. These include policies such as the Earned Income Tax Credit that redistributes income and relies on parents to use the added income to promote their children's development; policies such as the Nurse Family Partnership that teach high-risk parents about positive parenting practices and about the nature of early childhood development; polices such as Pell Grants that encourage would-be parents to acquire post-secondary schooling; and policies such as state pre-Kindergarten programs that provide educational services directly to young children.

Given the importance of parental engagement in children's development, it may be especially fruitful for policies to focus on boosting parents' ability to provide a cognitively stimulating and emotionally supportive home environment. Gaps in children's skills could be narrowed if less-advantaged parents adopted the parenting practices of their more-advantaged peers. Notably, a leading family intervention for low-income children-the Nurse-Family Partnership program-is being targeted for substantial expansion by the federal government from the Administration on Children and Families' Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program demonstration. The program provides weekly in-home visits by trained nurses from pregnancy through the child's second birthday.

The Nurse-Family Partner program also yields long-run benefits for some children. By age 19, girls in the treatment group had fewer arrests and convictions; a subset of these girls had fewer children and less Medicaid use than their comparison group counterparts. Although there is room for improvement in the design and delivery of this and similar intervention programs, research underscores the merit of the new federal emphasis on supporting parenting in educationally disadvantaged families.

Important new evidence also is emerging that suggests that low-cost "light-touch" efforts can be highly successful in helping low-income parents support their young children's learning and development.

Conclusion

The United States has made little progress toward narrowing the achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children. This is in part because public policy has neglected the critical role of parenting in children's development. Parents do more than spend money on children's development; they also promote child development by spending time in cognitively enriching activities and by providing emotional support and consistent discipline.

All parents want the best for their children, but the "parenting divide" between economically advantaged and disadvantaged children is large and appears to be growing over time. The main barrier to designing and scaling up parenting interventions nationwide is the currently limited understanding of the key ingredients of successful programs. Policymakers need to become better informed on effective interventions that can motivate and support parents to engage effectively in their children's development.

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How economic inequality affects children's outcomes - Equitable Growth

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About the author: Ariel Kalil is a professor of public policy at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago. What happens in the home is paramount to children's early development. Economically disadvantaged children's limited access to cognitively enriching home environments may help drive growing gaps in cognitive and non-cognitive skills, producing a feedback cycle that leads to low socioeconomic mobility and further grows inequality.

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Think - Reflect - Respond - google form!

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Think - Reflect - Respond - google form!

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https://forms.gle/mgDhv7sWNb9pH2tV7

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National Quality Mentoring System - MENTOR

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There are many research studies demonstrating that the quality of practices and work implemented by mentoring professionals is critical to achieving the positive outcomes we associate with mentoring. Here are some recommendations for further reading:

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Mentor growth - what do you bring as a mentor, and how well do you do it?  Submit once a month!

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Mentor growth - what do you bring as a mentor, and how well do you do it?  Submit once a month!

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MONTHLY: You can submit the survey to the right, "Mentor Growth" to self-assess your growth as a mentor!

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Why talking to little kids matters | Anne Fernald | TEDxMonterey

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Ten approaches that can be integrated into classroom or program activities that build the Challenge Growth element of the developmental relationships…

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The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring

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The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring

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The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring

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Why Schoolwide SEL?

A growing body of research indicates that schools that promote social and emotional learning are critical to students' academic, social, personal, and professional success (Durlak et al., 2011). Additionally, a systemic, schoolwide approach to SEL:

Improves the school environment, which results in better social and academic outcomes for students. An evaluation of CASEL's Collaborating District Initiative (CDI)-a multiyear, systemic SEL initiative in multiple school districts-showed a variety of positive outcomes both for the school as a whole (improved climate and increased attendance) and for students (academic performance, social and emotional competence, and fewer disciplinary referrals) (CASEL, 2017).

Helps schools coordinate diverse services and programs (Elias et al., 2015; Oberle et al., 2016). Schools typically tackle many in-school and out-of-school programs aimed at prevention (e.g., substance abuse prevention, bullying prevention) and promoting student achievement and well-being. When fragmented, this kind of programming demoralizes staff and impairs student learning (Elias et al., 2015). Systemic SEL provides a framework to coordinate existing programs into one initiative with a common infrastructure, vision, and language (Meyers et al., 2018).

Ensures students experience SEL in a consistent and coherent way. Students learn and apply social and emotional competencies more rapidly and effectively when the messages they receive across settings are aligned and mutually reinforcing. A systemic approach to SEL brings all of the developmental agents in a student's life together to teach, learn from, and communicate with one another.

Promotes cultural responsiveness through authentic partnerships with families and community partners, who play key roles in supporting students' academic, social, and emotional development (Chartock, 2010; Delgado-Gaitan & Trueba, 1991; Hollins, 1996).

Citations can be found in the School Guide Bibliography.

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A growing body of research indicates that schools that promote social and emotional learning are critical to students' academic, social, personal, and professional success (Durlak et al., 2011). Additionally, a systemic, schoolwide approach to SEL: Improves the school environment, which results in better social and academic outcomes for students.

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Explore a variety of topics - choose one to reflect upon

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Whether you’re investigating your concerns or researching a particular diagnosis, we offer advice from experts and families who’ve been through it.

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Nicholeen Peck - Teaching Self Government

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Three Words That Instantly De-escalate Any Tantrum

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Managing Child Meltdowns & Tantrums - Tips From A Board Certified Behavior Analyst

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As mentors, you need to make sure you make safe decisions when serving young people - to keep both you and the young people safe!

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As mentors, you need to make sure you make safe decisions when serving young people - to keep both you and the young people safe!

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This page defines child sexual abuse, presents the latest data, and describes associated outcomes.

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This page outlines risk and protective factors for child abuse and neglect.

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Offering children safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments prevents child abuse and neglect.

Training and treatment for children and families can reduce short- and long-term effects of child abuse and neglect.

Everyone has a role to play in preventing child abuse and neglect.

Overview

Creating safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments is essential for helping children and families thrive. These relationships and environments also help protect children against or lessen the negative effects of violence.

Safety, stability, and nurturing are defined as follows:

Safety: extent to which a child is free from fear and secure from physical or psychological harm within their social and physical environment.

Stability: degree of predictability and consistency in a child's social, emotional, and physical environment.

Nurturing: extent to which a child's physical, emotional, and developmental needs are sensitively and consistently met.

Everyone has a role to play in preventing child abuse and neglect and helping all children reach their full potential.

Prevention

Parents and Caregivers

Young children experience the world through their relationships with parents and other caregivers. The quality of these relationships and the environment in which they develop, play a significant role in a child's development. Parents and caregivers can:

Set aside time each day to talk or play with your child.

Establish routines. Children feel secure when the environment is structured for them.

Validate your child's feelings and offer physical and emotional support.

Know who is supervising your child when they're outside your home.

Teach your child how to stay safe when they're online or on digital devices.

Seek parenting skill training programs to help build stronger relationships with your children.

Raising children can be challenging- ask for help when needed. Reach out to babysitters, family members, or close friends. Discuss your concerns with your child's doctor. Also consider finding out if your community offers support groups or programs for parents and caregivers.

Everyone

Ensuring the well-being of children is a shared responsibility. Friends, family, and other trusted adults can help by developing nurturing, supportive relationships with the children in their lives. Volunteering as a mentor at an afterschool program or offering to babysit are other ways to help.

Neighborhood associations can connect families to resources and other neighborhood adults to help with household tasks or with childcare.

Employers can adopt or support workplace policies that help families, such as livable wages, paid leave, and flexible and consistent schedules.

Everyone can recognize the challenges that families face and offer support and encouragement to reduce stress. Help encourage parents and caregivers to ask for help when they need it. Everyone can also support efforts to:

Adopt policies in support of families (such as family-friendly work policies).

Increase access to high-quality childcare and education.

Create safe places or neighborhood activities where children are supervised, and families can gather.

Provide access to free or low-cost evidence-based parent training.

Discourage violence and help ensure the safety of all members of a community.

Public health practitioners, partners, and other professionals also play a vital role in preventing child abuse and neglect.

Treatment

Training and treatment for children and families can reduce the short- and long-term effects of child abuse and neglect exposure. These effects can include physical, emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues. It can also improve parent-child interactions, parenting behaviors, and family functioning. Treatment for children and families can also help prevent later involvement in violence.

Resources

These are a few evidence-based resources that promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments.

Early Head Start: These programs are designed to nurture healthy attachments. Services encompass the full range of a family's needs from pregnancy through a child's third birthday.

Adults and Children Together Against Violence: Parents Raising Safe Kids (ACT): The program teaches positive parenting skills to parents and caregivers of children from birth to age 10.

SafeCare: The program focuses on creating positive relationships between caregivers and their children, ensuring homes are safe to reduce the risk of child unintentional injury, and keeping children as healthy as possible.

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This page explains how everyone can help prevent child abuse and neglect.

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Violence types share risks and causes. Discover these intersections and what they mean for stopping violence before it starts.

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Changing the world for the better and keeping it free of violence starts with us.

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Educational Videos for Students (Cartoons on Bullying, Leadership & More)

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Stay Safe: How to Handle a School Emergency Like a Pro

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Author: Jessica Pierson Russo, Extension educator

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A youth work research brief focusing on positive youth development as a holistic process of growth.

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Life-changing speech - Lollipop Moment and Leadership - TED - Drew Dudley

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The 1% Rule – Small Changes, Big Results

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Using Chants and Cheers in the Classroom

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Lesson on Kindness: Teaching kids about why their words have power 🗣️🍎 #KindnessMatters

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If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are things you can do to keep yourself and others safe from bullying.

If you or someone you know is involved in cyberbullying, it is important to document and report the behavior.

If you have done everything you can to resolve the situation and nothing has worked, or someone is in immediate danger, there are ways to get help.

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If you have done everything you can to resolve the situation and nothing has worked, or someone is in immediate danger, there are ways to get help. Find out more at StopBullying.gov.

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Twinkl Teaching Resources - United States

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What is Bullying? for Kids | How to Stop Bullying | National Bullying Prevention Month | Twinkl USA

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Be an Upstander - Prevent Bullying: A NED Short

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Submit monthly to track your growth as a mentor!

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Submit monthly to track your growth as a mentor!

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We all can grow through what we go through - and reflection and support helps us get there! Self-evaluating your growth as a mentor can be an amazing gift to yourself and the young people you serve!

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Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower: An Animation

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Online Training Module 1 Lesson 1

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Teacher Has Personalized Handshakes With Every Single One of His Students

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Why am I including cheers, chants, raps, and poetry in a site about music?
Chanting has many of the benefits of song:
It uses rhythm and rhyme in an enjoyable way.
It provides patterns that can make learning easier.
It builds children's confidence in oral language.
It can promote a sense of community, which is conducive to learning.
It provides a change of pace and mood to improve student motivation.
It offers opportunities for repeated readings, which build fluency.
It can serve as a writing prompt, offering students the chance to write new verses.
Kids love it!
Chants, raps, cheers, and poetry can be performed anywhere, even if your voice is as bad as mine! I encourage you to incorporate chanting into your lessons, and see how it builds energy for learning.

Special Feature

Sonja Dunn on "The How and Why of Chanting"
Just What Is A Chant?
Chanting: A Springboard into Learning
Dramatic Possibilities With Chants
Encouraging Students to Write Their Own Chants

These chants and raps song lyrics are available from a variety of albums:

Action Chants
Going on a Bear Hunt - Traditional/Tickle Tune Typhoon
The Grand Old Duke of York - Hugh Hanley
Kye Kye Kule - Traditional/Tickle Tune Typhoon
Mashed Potatoes - Katherine Dines
Warm Up Time - John "Kinderman" Taylor

Art Raps
Art, Art, We Love Art! - School Art Theatre Productions
Colors - John "Kinderman" Taylor
Review Rap (Famous Artists) - School Art Theatre Productions

Character Education Chants
Cool Cooperation - James Oglesby
Dealing With Feelings Rap (The I-Message Song) - Paulette Meier
Do You Know Your Community Helpers? - Music with Mar.
I'm A Special Kid - Dr. Thomas Moore
Low-Down High - Linda K. Williams
Say "No" to Drugs - John "Kinderman" Taylor
S.O.S. - John "Kinderman" Taylor
Wake Up! - John "Kinderman" Taylor
We Want Peace - John "Kinderman" Taylor

Holiday and Calendar Chants and Raps
Chant and Sing for Kwanzaa - Caroline Figiel and Danny Jones
Weekly Rap - Hap Palmer

French Language Raps
Comment est-il? - John DeMado
Je pars en vacances - John DeMado
Salut! - John DeMado
Tu fais quoi? - John DeMado

Multicultural Chants
Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta-Chants -Katherine Dines

Preschool Raps
Tie Your Shoes Rap - Jack Hartmann

Test Taking Raps
Organize - Musically Aligned
Test Ready - Musically Aligned
Test-Taking Preparation Chant #1 - Jack Hartmann

Transition Raps
Clean Up Rap (Art Room) - School Art Theatre Productions
Funga A La Feeya (West African) - Katherine Dines
Get In Line Rap (Art Room) - School Art Theatre Productions
Get Your Supplies (Art Room) - School Art Theatre Productions
Stack Up, Pack Up, Trash Up - Musically Aligned

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Why am I including cheers, chants, raps, and poetry in a site about music? Chanting has many of the benefits of song: It uses rhythm and rhyme in an enjoyable way. It provides patterns that can make learning easier. It builds children's confidence in oral language.

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Mentoring with Emotional Intelligence | IMC Insights

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Discover how emotional intelligence empowers effective mentoring. Learn how to lead from within and foster deeper, more meaningful mentor-mentee connections.

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Looking for easy and fun SEL activities to help your child manage emotions and build better relationships? Add these exercises to your daily routine.

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

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Growth Mindset - Your Brain is like a muscle!

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Growth Mindset - Your Brain is like a muscle!

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Growth Mindset (1 of 5) | Social Emotional Learning for kids

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Grow Your Mindset: What is Growth Mindset?

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At Grow Your Mindset we get asked all the time, “What is Growth Mindset?”
In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.

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Henry Ford said it best, "Whether you think that you can or you can't, you're usually right." But few of us realize the veracity of his statement. Fortunately, there's science (and a little bit of fiction) to back it up - so listen up and learn!
"I Think I Can! I Think I Can!"
Remember the children's story The Little Engine that Could? Defying impossible odds, the little engine did! But did we somehow miss the message of this tale? 50 years have past since the book was first published, and when trying to overcome hardship or pursue our dreams, many of us still think, "I can't." Sound familiar?

The scientific term is " self-efficacy " - the "I-think-I-can" psychological phenomenon that enhances goal achievement. Introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura in 1977, over thirty years later the scientific potency persists (in academia). But even with science on our side, we still haven't quite gotten it. Unlike self-esteem, self-efficacy isn't about a sense of self-worth; it's about believing you are capable of producing a desired result - that you can achieve your goals.

The truth is -- there's so much more to "I think I can" than childhood fiction or a clichéd, feel-good maxim.
The Sway of Self-Efficacy
Everyone has something they'd like to change or improve; everyone has goals. Therefore, self-efficacy is of universal appeal and widespread need. Beyond that, it offers up some really great benefits for potential buyers.

For instance, people high in self-efficacy take better care of themselves, see tasks as something to be mastered, and they feel more empowered. They're not controlled by circumstances. They see setbacks as challenges to be overcome and can cope with hardship better than those with low self-efficacy. They learn from failure and channel it into success, like Thomas Jefferson, Walt Disney and J.K Rowling. People higher in self-efficacy also have a greater sense of motivation and persistence.

Perhaps most important, according to Bandura, self-efficacy affects how we feel, think and act, and low self-efficacy has been linked to helplessness, anxiety and depression. Fortunately, whether your current level is average, ample or absent, much like physical attributes, self-efficacy can be enhanced.
If you Build it, it will Come: Enhancing Self-Efficacy
Here are some simple exercises that you can use to boost your sense of self-efficacy.
Take One Step at A Time
Self-efficacy is developed, in part, through success - and even small achievements can pack a powerful punch. Pick one small change you'd like to make and go for it. Then pick another small change. Then another. Reflect on each success before moving on to your next small goal. Like any other change, enhancing self-efficacy is best achieved one step at a time.
Draw from Your Past
Reminiscing on past successes can help drum up a greater sense of self-efficacy. Reflect on times when you succeeded at accomplishing things you didn't think you could do. Reflect on those moments. What did you accomplish? How did you accomplish it? How can these accomplishments be channeled to help you achieve future goals? What do these accomplishments say about your ability to succeed?
See to Believe
Visualization is a powerful tool. Not only is seeing believing, when it comes to self-efficacy, believing is seeing.... results. Visualization not only primes your brain for success and enhances self-efficacy, it also helps you to see the smaller steps you need to take to reach your end goal.
Find a Role Model
Admire someone else's success. When you see someone else succeed, especially someone who you identify with, you are more apt to believe that you can achieve too. Hence, having one or two good role models can vicariously bolster your sense of self-efficacy.
Accept Self-Doubt...but Put it in its Place
Managing your self-doubt is just one more way to keep "I think I can't" thoughts from derailing your success. When self-defeating thoughts bubble up, accept them as part of the process and move on. These types of thoughts don't necessarily reflect your true capabilities. The key is to not let them stop you from moving forward.
Get Happy
A good mood can also boost self-efficacy while a bad mood can undermine it. Write out all the things that uplift you (i.e. special songs, favorite quotes, etc) and use them to your advantage as you navigate towards your goals.
Solicit Social Support
Another great way to build self-efficacy beliefs is to elicit encouragement from friends and family and to stay away from those who discourage you. Quality social support is a key ingredient to self-efficacy, persistence and ultimately success. Find your best advocates and invite them to be part of your campaign for change.
Source Material
1. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215.

2. Bandura, A. (Ed.) (1995), Self-efficacy in changing societies. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Copyright (2010), Angie LeVan

First published on www.intentionalhappiness.com.

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If You Think You Can't... Think Again: The Sway of Self-Efficacy

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Remember the children's story The Little Engine that Could? Defying impossible odds, the little engine did! But did we somehow miss the message of this tale? 50 years have past since the book was first published, and when trying to overcome hardship or pursue our dreams, many of us still think, "I can't."

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Ariana Hoet, PhD and Whitney Raglin Bignall, PhD

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if you’ve ever wondered why a child is throwing a tantrum or being disrespectful, we have some ways of understanding where that behavior is coming from. We’ll help you look past the drama to the real reasons.

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Jump In, Jump Out (Ice Breaker Name Game)

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An Introduction to Social and Emotional Learning

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Learn more about social and emotional learning and how it connects to your daily life and your relationships, and think about how you'll model SEL for young people in the month ahead.

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Making Classrooms More Inclusive for Multilingual Learners

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Engaging Children in After School Programs

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Mentoring Matters: Teen Mentor's Mission Is Helping Children Learn To Read

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Mentors: Short Term vs Long Term - Making It Real For Youth

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Mentors: Short Term vs Long Term - Making It Real For Youth

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Mentor uses inspiring demonstration to teach kids about goals

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College Mentors for Kids at VT - Mini-Documentary

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Free Trauma Informed Care Courses - TIC Training Center

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This is a collection of all the legitimate free trauma informed care training online courses we could locate. Want to list your free course here? Contact Us

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How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime | Nadine Burke Harris | TED

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Childhood Trauma and the Brain | UK Trauma Council

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Spotting Warning Signs of Suicide and What to Do

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“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” –The Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare

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MN Dept of Health - Mental Health Resources

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MN Dept of Health - Mental Health Resources

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Mental Health and Suicide Prevention - MN Dept. of Health

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If you need emotional or mental health support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit 988Lifeline to chat online with a trained specialist.

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Suicide Prevention: If you or a loved one is at risk of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or Text MN to 741741.

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Teaching reading resources - to help you understand what's happening in classrooms.

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Lesson Resources

The UFLI Foundations Toolbox contains all the lesson resources to accompany the lesson plans provided in the UFLI Foundations manual. (Don't have a manual yet? Click here to order one) Every lesson has companion resources that will help you implement the lessons efficiently, effectively, and consistently.

Some of the companion lesson resources you will find below include:

Lesson slide decks (in PowerPoint and Google Slide formats)

Decodable passages

Homework sheets

Games and activities for additional practice

We have grouped the lessons into smaller units so you can access these resources more easily. Scroll down to use the buttons below to find the resources for each lesson or groups of lessons.

Please note that we are still building out these free resources, and we will be editing this page over the next few weeks. We wanted you to be able to access some materials as soon as possible, but be sure to come back later to see the rest!
New to UFLI Foundations? Learn about its development, check out a sample lesson plan, view the scope and sequence, and more.

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The UFLI Foundations Toolbox contains all the lesson resources to accompany the lesson plans provided in the UFLI Foundations manual. (Don't have a manual yet? Click here to order one) Every lesson has companion resources that will help you implement the lessons efficiently, effectively, and consistently.

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Research to help programs and policy better serve low-income Hispanics children and families.

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Hollie, 2012 - Culturally Responsive Classroom Management

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Search Classroom Resources | PBS LearningMedia

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Find classroom resources for teachers and students. Search for videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards.

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College Mentors for Kids: Bridging the Gap

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Becoming a Better Mentor: Strategies to Be There for Young People

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Trailer - Becoming a Better Mentor: Strategies to Be There for Young People