Social-Emotional Learning and Father's Day
Blogger Maurice Elias proposes taking a moment to appreciate dads this Father's Day. This Sunday, Father's Day, would have been my father's 92nd birthday. It's a day that reminds me how important it...
View ArticleDiscipline and School Spirit
Blogger Maurice Elias reminds us of John Dewey's century-old words that still hold true today on school community and its connection to learning. Summer is a good time for reflection, and I have been...
View ArticleImproving Academic Achievement for Disadvantaged Children
Blogger Maurice Elias emphasizes how social-emotional learning can improve academic achievement. For decades, James Comer has been a forceful advocate for the rights of children, particularly...
View ArticleTeaching Students to Honor The Elderly
Blogger Maurice Elias proposes including honoring the elderly as one of your teaching objectives. In a culture that emphasizes youth, and where too many children do not spend enough time with...
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Have Students Create Their End-of-Year Legacy Now
Blogger Maurice Elias proposes teachers create an activity where students write their legacy, revisiting it throughout the school year. http://www.flickr.com/photos/silvermarquis/596827354/Ask your...
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SEL: Lessons in Forgiveness and Gratitude
Blogger Maurice Elias connects the Jewish Holiday Yom Kippur and lesson ideas for students on gratitude and forgiveness. http://www.flickr.com/photos/katewares/5183505838There are many instances in...
View ArticleUsing Books for Anti-Bullying Instruction
Blogger Maurice Elias explores anti-bullying resources and students activities to consider adding to your social-emotional learning curriculum. There are many books and related written materials...
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From Surviving to Thriving: Making the Case for SEL
Blogger Maurice Elias explains why SEL approaches at schools are often resisted, and how it can help students thrive, both emotionally and academically....
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Can Kindness Be Taught?
Blogger Maurice Elias turns to social-emotional learning experts to help answer this very important question. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chibi_m/3605115423/Recently, the non-profit daily ideas...
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Hurricane Sandy: An SEL Lesson in Responding to Calamity
Hurricane Sandy reminds us that children need an extra dose of compassion in calamities, whether they're large scale natural disasters, or every day troubles such as poverty and homelessness....
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Parents: Make Bedtime a Social-Emotional Moment with Your Kids
Not solely for young children, reading to kids at bedtime can calm them, offer an opportunity for connection and promote language development skills....
View ArticlePutting Kids on a "Screen-Time Diet"
Pointing to a new study, Dr. Maurice Elias recommends cutting computer time for children and replacing it with tactile, physical activity. Dr. Ari Brown is a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, and was the...
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Overcoming Resistance to Social and Emotional Character Development in Your...
Naming three common resistances to social, emotional learning and character development in schools, blogger Maurice Elias offers up resources. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcosand/4506056897/There is...
View ArticleHelping Students Set Goals and Find Success
Blogger Maurice Elias suggests helping students set small, obtainable goals first in order to build confidence and have short-term success. The idea of New Year's Resolutions is very appealing but...
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Finding Students' Hidden Strengths and Passions
Blogger Maurie Elias offers some simple tactics to teachers for uncovering students' talents. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramkarthik/3610992356/sizes/m/in/photostream/Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is the...
View ArticlePolice Presence in Schools: A Social-Emotional Learning Perspective
Blogger Maurice Elias weighs the pros and cons of police patrol on school campuses. At a statewide forum on school safety sponsored by the NJ School Boards Association on January 18, 2013, more than...
View ArticlePresidents' Day: A Life Lesson for Students
Blogger Maurice Elias shares lesson ideas for Presidents' Day. As Presidents' Day is upon us, every student at every grade level should participate in an academic lesson related to our nation's...
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A Teaching Moment: The Peace Corps as a Source of Inspiration
Maurice Elias remembers the origins of the Peace Corps and shares some ideas for related service learning activities. http://www.flickr.com/photos/paul-w-locke/3120579501/sizes/m/in/photostream/Do you...
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Passover: A Time to Grow Students' Vocabulary and Aspirations
Blogger Maurice Elias proposes educators use this time of Passover to teach students new vocabulary and about aspirations. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbabij/5647178633/Whether or not your school...
View ArticleSupport for Implementing Social, Emotional Learning
Dr. Maurice Elias highlights Second Step, a pre-K to grade 8 program used to teach social, emotional skills such as self-regulation, empathy, emotion management, problem solving, and executive...
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