This Edutopia blog post talks about how to use surveys to gauge interest in trendy topics and then incorporate it into your curriculum.
How to Fire Up Your Students
Why You Should Take a Relaxing Lunch Break
Are there tangible benefits to taking a real, relaxing lunch break? According to researchers, yes, and this article from the Greater Good Science Center breaks down the findings.
A Solution for Student Disengagement
This article from Edutopia offers helpful advice for engaging students and making the learning environment more vibrant. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/solution-student-disengagement-daniel-oscar
Deeper Learning: A Collaborative Classroom Is Key
This article from Edutopia gives advice for teaching students how to listen and ask good questions with exercises designed to scaffold deep, meaningful collaboration. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/deeper-learning-collaboration-key-rebecca-alber
Made for Perfection
This sweet video shows Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama talking about each person’s potential for growth. It’s a preview for the book they coauthored together, The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness In a Changing World.
A Psychiatrist’s Advice for Increasing Empathy
In this TED talk, Dr. Helen Riess talks about the role facial expressions, posture, and tone play in empathy – both your empathic response and the ability to notice someone else’s emotional needs. A fascinating look at the nuances of empathy, with an acronym to remember it all 🙂
How to Awaken Compassion at Work
This article from the Greater Good Science Center makes the case that business are most successful when they pay attention to the emotional needs of their workers – and they have some really good points.
Rebooting Industrial Era Classroom Seating
Most of our schools and classrooms are based on an industrial era model that is outdated and impractical. This article from Edutopia talks about the necessity of redesigning our learning environments to reflect the latest research and innovation – and prepare our kids with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/rebooting-industrial-era-seating-eric-sheninger-thomas-murray
Navigating Emotions
In this video from Six Seconds, education consultant Barbara Fatum talks about the process of navigating emotions, and in particular how she talks about navigating emotions with children.
Does Wealth Reduce Compassion?
This article from the Greater Good Science Center is a Q&A with UC Berkley psychology professor Dacher Keltner about his research showing that wealthy people are less compassionate, his theory as to why this is, and more. A fascinating article.
The Present
This short, sweet video has plenty to teach us about empathy and optimism – and it features a puppy dog. What’s not to love?
13 Powerful SEL Activities
In this article from Edutopia, Emelina Minero shares some of the opening, group sharing, and closing activities that teachers use at Summit Prep Charter High School in Redwood City, California.
EAR for Parents
Six Seconds contributor May Duong talks about using the Engage, Activate, Reflect model in her parenting.
The Old Bridge Debacle
This funny animated video shows the necessity of cooperation, and how applying some consequential thinking and empathy can benefit everybody!
Sesame Street Teaches Us About Empathy
Murray from Sesame Street teams up with Mark Ruffalo to teach us about empathy. When Murray finally understands it, he’s so happy he does the happiness dance!
What I Learned As My Plane Crashed
This module was created to be used with Ric Elias’ TED talk, 3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed: https://www.ted.com/talks/ric_elias. His story is a good reminder of why we need to pursue our noble goals with urgency, and treat them as something to be and to work on everyday. The attached discussion questions helps […]
The Secret to Raising Smart Kids
HINT: Don’t tell your kids that they are. More than three decades of research shows that a focus on “process”—not on intelligence or ability—is key to success in school and in life. This article, written by researcher Carol Dweck, is from Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-secret-to-raising-smart-kids1/
True Grit: The Best Measure of Success
Psychologist Angela Duckworth has isolated one characteristic as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn’t social intelligence. It wasn’t good looks, physical health, and it wasn’t IQ. It was grit. This article from Edutopia defines grit and how to teach it.
Using Empathy to Celebrate Successes
Empathy is normally thought of in the context of being there for someone in a tough time, but in this video, EQ Consultant Deborah Havert talks about using empathy to celebrate others’ successes – and how it’s a vital component of relationship building.
Pay It Forward
This short, sweet video shows a bunch of strangers doing kind acts for someone, who is then inspired to pay it forward to someone else.
