It’s back to school time again!

It’s back to school time again! So much preparation goes into ensuring that students have a smooth transition back to the classroom. It can be both exciting and exhausting for parents, teachers, and students alike. Below are some ways to make the transition easier for everyone.

We know that educators have a laundry list of things to do before the start of the year in order to best support students’ social and emotional wellness. Integrating practices that foster social-emotional wellness into daily classroom routines can increase your student’s academic achievement, emotional and behavioral regulation, and most importantly their ability to build and maintain healthy relationships.

Here are a few simple social-emotional practices for your daily classroom routine:

• Incorporate mood checks: Most teachers start class with a “Do Now” or “Warm-Up”, and you can incorporate a mood check into this already established routine. Post a feelings chart in the classroom or on students’ desk and ask them to share how they feel each day. This will help students learn how to identify and verbalize their emotions. This will also allow you to identify the students who may need some additional support.

• Create calming spaces: the space does not need to be fancy; it can be a bean bag in the back of the class or a yoga mat in the corner. You can add things to the space, like fidgets, coloring books, headphones  and journal prompts. Creating calming spaces allows for students to learn how to self-regulate and appropriately cope with emotions.

• Use brain breaks: The typical person can only sustain 20-30mins of critical thinking. After 20 to 30 mins, students are no longer in their best brain state, so consider incorporating a break into your lesson plan. This can be a quick physical activity or a brief social interaction prompt – anything to give students a few moments to regroup and stretch their brains.

• Have group discussion and encourage collaboration: Working in groups and having the opportunity to talk with peers fosters a sense of community and belonging. When students feel like they are a part of a community, they feel safe. Students also learn how to negotiate with others, develop leadership skills, and figure out their own strengths, so they can best contribute to the group.

By integrating the strategies above into your classroom, you will be supporting students’ ability to appropriately adjust to the new school year, while also setting them up for long-term success. Children (and adults) with strong social emotional skills demonstrate self-control, communicate well, problem-solve, are empathetic, kind, grateful, and optimistic. If children feel safe, connected and cared for, they can focus on learning.

And remember – consistency is key! To reap the full benefits of incorporating the strategies listed above, make them a part of your daily classroom routines.

Classroom Tip of the Month

Start the year off by devoting a full class period to fun icebreaker activities. Invite students to share one thing about themselves. Ask other students to raise their hands if they share that in common with the speaker. Tell the speaker to choose one of the people with their hand raised to share the next fact about themselves. Take the first turn and play too! Then, arrange for a creative activity that allows students to express themselves and tell the class about who they are. The products of this task could be displayed in your classroom, giving students a feeling of ownership and presence within the space.

Resource Corner

Research-Tested Benefits of Breaks

Tapping Into Compassion When Students Push Your Buttons

What does the Research Say? Demand for SEL is on the rise, and it is easy to see why: SEL makes a difference.

GoNoodle.com for Brain Breaks

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PM School Health partners with schools to offer individual and group therapy, family counseling, referrals to higher levels of care and high-quality education to educators, parents, and students. Our staff includes licensed, board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, therapists, psychologists, and child/adolescent psychiatrists.

Each month PM School Health will release a newsletter with information and resources for our PM School Health partners. We want to help you support the social-emotional growth and development of students.

Click here to learn more about our School Health program.