Help kids who struggle with self-control stay calm by using healthy coping strategies. Explore these tips to help kids develop coping skills.

With the end of the school year looming, many students are developing worries about the future. Their support system at school will be on vacation until August, their daily routine during the week will get mixed up, they won't see their classmates every day, they might go on vacation to new places, etc. I thought this would be a perfect time to read Wilma Jean Worry Machine by Julia Cook to our first graders. This book illustrates how a young girl catastrophizes her day, only to find that nothing goes wrong and everything goes right. We learn again and again that things work out for her, but she still continues to worry about the unknown. We all model her "pickle face" that she makes when she worries, and I enjoyed one students comment of how much I must be worried because I have a lot of wrinkles like Wilma Jean... In the middle of the story I pause and ask students to write down one worry they might be having on a post-it. It could be a worry they have today, a worry about the future, a worry about second grade, any worry works! After they wrote down their worry, I had them place it on the chart (just as Wilma does in the story) to describe it as a worry they can control or a worry they cannot control. Worries we can control are flexible, like playdough. There are things we can do to make them better or prevent them. Worries we cannot control are more like rocks. No matter what we do, they can't be changed - like the weather, for example. Most students start by putting their worries at the bottom of the chart, stating that they cannot control them. However, as we start discussing what we can control about each worry with suggestions from our classmates, the post-its start moving to the top of the chart just like Wilma's do in the story. For example, what if we don't like the lunch that is served in the cafeteria? Well, we can take home a lunch menu to know what lunch will be ahead of time. We also can pack a lunch from home if it's something we don't like to eat. By focusing on the little things that we have control over, the worry begins to shrink and not matter so much.

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted on here! I think I might have discovered Pinterest about a year ago and it was an easier way to...

Educators need to not just meet kids where they are academically, but emotionally too.

Delve into the research on teaching Emotional Intelligence.

Coping skills are the strategies you use to manage stress. Whether you're anxious or angry, having positive coping skills can help you feel better in a healthy way.

Teacher and PD specialist Barbora Bridle offers a quick lesson in playground neuroscience to help teachers guide their students through social-emotional issues.

If you're concerned that a) elementary school students don't have the ability to code, b) there's no room in the curriculum, and c) you don't possess coding chops to teach programming skills, throw out those worries. Explore these free, or almost free, tools, sites and apps that require no coding background or expertise.

Coping skills are the supports and strategies that help children and young adults manage tough emotions and deal with stress. For kids and young adults who are still learning how to manage their emotions, learning these coping strategies is extra important. If we want kids and teens to use healthy c

Some children and adolescents are experiencing anxiety specifically around home quarantine. Caregivers play a key role in helping children feel safe, secure, and informed.

By Caitlin Warren - Cultivating empathy in the classroom could be the answer to decreasing bullying. Caitlin shares tips for creating empathetic classrooms.

Find articles, enhanced topic coverage and multimedia to help your child complete schoolwork successfully. Thousands of free resources ...

Unlock the secrets to perfect scissor grip for preschoolers! Explore practical strategies and engaging activities to help kids with holding scissors correctly. Boost their fine motor skills with our

Wondering How to give Constructive Criticism in eLearning? Check this article to discover 7 tips to give Constructive Criticism in eLearning.

Science evangelist Ainissa Ramirez advocates passion-based learning as the best possible way to bring out students' inner geeks and make the subject matter personally meaningful to them.

Social Skills Daily Journal addresses 18 different socials skills topics, plus 2 review sections! Social skills include feelings, conversations, following directions, turn taking, conflict resolution & more!Social skills are so important for students to learn and use. This journal packet will h...

Can we learn about positive classroom behaviour from Uncle Sam? Today's blogger says yes

Get a thorough Carl Rogers biography plus deep insights into his unconditional positive regard, person centred therapy and self actualization.

Guest blogger Dr. Allen Mendler shares three methods for connecting students with the relevance of what they're learning: getting them to accept the unknown, getting them to laugh, and connecting the information to their life goals.

"Be responsible" is a phrase that teachers often tell their students. How do you teach them the skills necessary to show their own responsibility?

Part of our Counselor’s Corner series. Click to read other posts in the Counselor’s Corner. “Angry” students, especially at the middle school level, are often referred to the school counselor. Scho…