Lead Out Loud

I co-sponsor a group on campus called, Lead Out Loud. We select students from 4th-6th grade that are leaders or have the potential to be leaders on our campus. The students collaborate on projects such as: Socktober (collecting and donating socks to a local homeless shelter), an interactive bulletin board where students can share positive messages with others, writing appreciation notes to teachers on Thankful Thursdays, working with our entire school and district leaders to use stipend money for school enhancements.

Submitted by: Jennifer Waddington, Frances Brandon-Pickett Elementary, Queen Creek Unified School District

Pair it Down

Pair It Down is a strategy I use with my Middle School students to build self-confidence and leadership skills. Once we have learned a new standard, students are asked to create a 5-10 minute demonstration of their learning to share with a younger student.

Submitted by: Melissa Potts, Estrella Foothills Global Academy, Laveen Elementary School District

What Would You Do?

What would you do? scenarios help students be proactive so they respond rather than react to conflict for improved self-management, responsible decision-making, and maintaining better relationships.

Submitted by: Michele Balsamo, The Traditional Academy at Bellair, Deer Valley Unified School District

Circle Time

Circle Time is used to prevent interpersonal problems between students by building relationships.

Circle Time happens at the beginning of the day and involves every student and the teacher in being greeted by name and answering a question about themselves or a classmate.

Submitted by: Ashleigh Sudman, Scales Technology Academy, Tempe Elementary School District

Self Care for Educators

Self care for educators is crucial to avoid burn out, develop health stress management, and survive! Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation are some examples of simple self care techniques that educators can adopt.

Submitted by: Beth Tyrell-Prevost, Summit Academy, Mesa, AZ.

Creator Mindset Lessons

Creator Mindset lessons focus on helping students establish a growth mindset in which they learn to take responsibility for their successes as well as their failures. It is a mindset that involves not blaming others and keeping a positive attitude no matter the circumstances. They view obstacles and problems as challenges they can overcome. The lessons for creating this mindset involve journaling, roleplaying, and analyzing situations to determine how they can act as a creator of their life rather than a victim of circumstances.

Submitted by: Cindee Badalamente, Camelback High School, Phoenix, AZ.

7 Habits of Happy Kids

A video summary of the "Leader in Me" core concepts based on the 7 habits of highly effective people and with hand motions to make it easier for kids to remember and teachers to reference in class.

Submitted by: Andy Gibbons, Noah Webster Schools

Just Breathe!

Certain times during the school day can cause anxiety, unease, or stress for students. One quick easy way to avoid this is to incorporate different breathing techniques into your transition times.

Submitted By: Jules Nolte, Belen Soto Elementary School, Litchfield School District.

Brain Breaks

A brain break is structured break time during class created to help students focus. This article provides 50 examples of brain breaks that can be implemented in your virtual classroom. The article also has links to several videos to demonstrate certain brain breaks.

Social Emotional Learning Online

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has developed a number of resources to support social and emotional learning in a distance learning format.

Online Meditation

Caring for your mental health is essential for coping with the stresses of the classroom. On the blog at calm.com, Tamara Levitt offers free guidance for online meditation.

Balancing Teaching and Family Life

Trying to balance life as a special education teacher and a parent can feel like an unreachable goal. But Dawn Ellis and Rebekah Poe’s podcast at CultivatingExceptionalMinds.com takes on the challenge with their tips for balancing the demands of a classroom and homelife.

"I" Statements

"I" statements can be used as a tool to help a speaker express their feelings and move away from placing blame on another person.

Positive Narration

Positive Narration is the act of describing OUT LOUD the actions of students that are performing desired behaviors and tasks. Immediately after giving directions, look for students who are showing expected behaviors and are following the directions you just gave. Then simply narrate, or describe, what you see those students doing.

Tips for Addressing Social Emotional Learning Needs

This infographic provides four basic tips to support the social and emotional learning needs of students as they transition to in-person learning.

How to Use Frustration in a Positive Way

Frustration is a normal part of life and can happen at home, school, and on the job. Frustration can help the brain grow because it is usually caused by situations that challenge the individual to learn.

Digital Citizenship

Leeann Lindsey, at Edvolve learning, has created a set of 6 posters (sized 8.5 x 11) designed to help teachers introduce the language of digital citizenship. She hopes that they can help you... help your students identify as digital citizens who make healthy and positive digital decisions.

SEL Check-In

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) check-in is a system for students to be able to check-in and reflect on a daily basis while participating in virtual and in-person instruction. This resource can be pushed out through Google Classroom, allowing teachers with the ability to easily and efficiently deliver the resource to all students while also being able to provide feedback and support.

Submitted by: Kelley Romm, Grayhawk Elementary School, Paradise Valley School District

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