Courses: Rhetorical Criticism, Communication Theory, Media Criticism. Objectives: This activity uses a diagram to help students visualize Kenneth Burke's theory of dramatism. Specifically, through an analysis of the film Hell or High Water, students learn to identify each stage of the guilt-purification-redemption cycle and gain insight into its…

Calm is a choice. The key to a calm classroom isn't students who are obedient or quiet but students who feel empowered and safe. It starts with you as the teacher and your ability to foster an environment that supports emotional awareness, psychological safety and belonging, and connected relationships. In "Cultivating a Classroom of…

Learners encounter social and emotional challenges every day. Some rise to the demands, while others struggle. Social and emotional learning (SEL) lessons can help all learners thrive. Busy school librarians and educators who appreciate the power of teaching with picture books will celebrate this all-in-one text designed to promote SEL through the…

Courses: Gender Communication, Sexuality and Communication. Objectives: The goals of this unit activity are for students to (1) identify their emotions about transgender people's lived experiences, (2) describe some of the challenges that transgender people face, (3) define terminology used for and among transgender people, and (4) articulate and…

Team experiences afford opportunities for students to expand their self-knowledge based on peer feedback, yet feedback processes tend to be cumbersome and difficult to manage. Thus, educators often provide feedback only on the team's work output. The purpose of this article is to introduce a simple, structured exercise in which team members share…

The more you know about the brains of your students, the better you can be at your profession. Brain-based teaching gives you the tools to boost cognitive functioning, decrease discipline issues, increase graduation rates, and foster the joy of learning. This innovative, new edition of the bestselling "Brain-Based Learning" by Eric…

Work intensification has heightened and accelerated the need for Canadian school principals to manage their emotions. This case explores the emotional aspects of a contemporary principal's work in a large urban school and highlights effective coping strategies and approaches used to regulate her emotions. The teaching notes describe several…

Learn how to navigate the challenging terrain of connecting with a child who is deeply afraid, angry, and/or sad. Framing this work as emotionally responsive teaching (ERT), this book expands current conceptualizations of trauma-informed practice to encompass more broadly the relational demands of supporting young children with challenging life…

This guide provides ideas for class and personal exercises using the research findings from the second report in the two-part series, "Visual Messaging of the Coronavirus News Story." The ideas and prompts in the guide are for different steps of inquiry and were designed to build news literacy and strengthen information agency using the…

In this case narrative, Peter, an experienced principal in a new school board and school, is struggling to keep up with the day-to-day challenges at his school and to achieve work--life balance. Challenges include: (a) small changes in the school can that demand some of his time; (b) daily unintended interruptions that are draining his time and…

Self-regulation is a set of abilities and skills that allow an individual to adjust their emotions, behaviors, and cognitions to meet demands. These sets of skills are obtained over an individual's lifespan, but the acquisition of these skills is highly regarded in early childhood and is a predictor of academic achievement. Students use…

People who receive supportive communication when they are distressed benefit from a series of advantageous outcomes. We designed the following activity based on the popular board game Apples to Apples to provide students with an experiential understanding of different types of social support--(1) emotional, (2) esteem, (3) network, (4)…

Research on the brain has shown that emotion plays a key role in learning, but how can educators apply that research in their day-to-day interactions with students? What are some teaching strategies that take advantage of what we know about the brain? "Engage the Brain" answers these questions with easy-to-understand explanations of the…

While social and emotional learning (SEL) is most familiar as compartmentalized programs separate from academics, the truth is, all learning is social and emotional. What teachers say, the values we express, the materials and activities we choose, and the skills we prioritize all influence how students think, see themselves, and interact with…

This resource serves as a companion piece to the "Caring for Students Playbook: Six Recommendations for Caring for Students" (ED613431) and provides a foundation for the approaches and methods offered therein. The content offered in this playbook begins by setting the groundwork for rooting instruction in diversity, equity, and inclusion…