Sep 10
US schools are back in session. Teachers have been tasked not only to transition their classrooms to a virtual or hybrid environment, but also to do it in a way that effectively supports the mental health of students who have been impacted by the pandemic—isolation, economic hardship, racial inequities, and stress create a heightened risk for children and adults to experience trauma.1
Read moreIf there was ever a time to focus on the SEL needs of our students, teachers and families, it is now. This pandemic has not only highlighted the racial and economic inequities in the US, but also the need to redesign our classrooms to better support our students and teachers.
My new favorite hashtag is #SELyearlong. No matter the format in which you start the school year, we cannot think that the first six weeks of school will be enough to create the rich (virtual) classroom environment needed for learning. Our focus should be on reconnecting with students and families, and creating the space where meaningful relationships and learning can take place all year long. Read more
Jul 7
One thing has become clear to me over the last few weeks—creating a kind and tolerant society will not bring about the necessary changes to end inequity and racism. We need to intentionally develop an equity lens in our SEL work, if we want to influence and transform the behaviors and structures that have fed an unjust system. Dr. Dena Simmons says “If we truly care about the future of our young people and our nation, we can no longer be passive about racial justice. We can no longer walk away, bask in our comfort, and ignore the way racism is killing us and destroying our nation.” Read more
Jun 4
My friend and colleague Michael Eatman, coach and founder of Culture7, said on a panel exploring the emotions of racial inequity, “you have to be soft on people, and hard on barriers.” As we are all trying to engage with the current events and find ways to be helpful, this is an important message—we have to focus on fighting racism and inequity, while supporting people to wake up.
These unprecedented times call for the SEL field to consider how the social and emotional skills that we hold dear can serve as a vehicle to listen, question our own biases and learned beliefs, and transform this reality with a clear sense of purpose. You can use SEL to fight racism, remove barriers for learning, and develop your own social and emotional capacity. At this time, it is also necessary to use SEL principles and practices to dismantle systemic inequities and stand up for justice. Read more
May 12
Last week I spoke with HITN Learning about how moms can nurture their resilience to deal with these challenging times (if you missed the conversation, check out the video.) During the event, I asked these moms “how are you feeling?” and was not surprised to read their answers—overwhelmed, anxious, scared… and the most popular: stressed. Read more
Apr 21
We are starting week 6 of distance learning in California with parents and teachers still struggling to keep up with the new normal that COVID-19 has created. Families are learning how to work, learn and be together—all the time. It is not easy. From meltdowns over math problems and increased stress over job security, to grieving loved ones, emotions are running high in most families. Is that true for you? Read more
Apr 16
No matter how much your children like to play together and love each other, the likelihood that they are fighting harder and more often since the shelter-in-place started is pretty high. It is understandable. They are together ALL the time with fewer opportunities to have their own space. And while it is nice to ask older siblings to play with and entertain the younger ones, their patience can also run out. While conflicts among siblings are to be expected, they can be very triggering for parents who are trying to meet their work responsibilities and feel preoccupied about the health of loved ones. Siblings fighting = upset parents. Can we change that equation? Read more
