As our world endures multiple crises, educators have turned their eye to what does and does not work effectively to assist students in the school environment, regardless of changing landscapes, such as lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-critical race theory legislation, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, personal crises students face, as well…

Stress management programs have been developed to improve teacher coping and prevent burnout. While many of these programs have promise, few have included special educators in intervention studies. Intervention programs may be beneficial for teachers in special education to increase their awareness of stress and use of coping skills, which in turn…

This article explores the importance and value of using recreation therapy (RT) as a way to increase social connection. RT can be incorporated into a school-based environment through a collaboration between members of the individualized education program (IEP) team, including physical educators.

Informed by social science fields including psychology and public health, we propose a Model for Emotional Intelligence to advance biology education research in affective learning. The model offers a shared discourse for biology education researchers to develop and assess evidence-based strategies to perceive, use, understand, and manage emotions…

The early years of a child's life are a crucial time for brain development and stress can play a critical role in compromising its development (Zadina, 2014; Zull, 2011). Fink (2019) explains physical and mental stress as being characterized by heightened excitability and arousal, perceived adverse situation, and lack of control. This normal,…

While youth sports can come with numerous mental health benefits, there can also be some risks. Understanding mental health in the context of youth sports involves recognizing the psychological pressures and challenges unique to this environment. This article describes a coaching model that coaches can use to teach coping strategies and…

Helping athletes perform at their best is an ongoing challenge for coaches. It is essential that coaches prepare their athletes to cope with uncontrollable factors that affect performance that occur during game or event competition.

A significant amount of research has been devoted to class size, in relation to student achievement. Success in the classroom is not only about increases in attainment. Fulfilment, and well-being, for teachers and students alike, is a more complete evaluation of improved achievement. The cost of reducing class sizes seems to be prohibitive, so…

With the current provincial government intent on making changes to education in Manitoba, teachers need to know how this will affect their classrooms. It is today's reality that programs directed at managing student behaviour are being closed. Without these programs, classroom teachers will need to use several strategies to support a greater range…

Teacher stress and burnout are associated with many adverse outcomes for teachers, students, and the educational system. This paper describes the Coping-Competence-Context (3C) Theory of Teacher Stress. The theory is based on empirical research on teacher stress and coping highlighted within this special issue and attempts to more explicitly…

A low level of anxiety is common, as it is a healthy reaction to the unknown for most people. However, unforeseen circumstances such as a pandemic, can heighten anxiety to unhealthy levels thus impacting an individual's ability to function. Germani et al. (2020) states, "Uncertainty and instability are emotions… that generate worries about…

Life is ever-changing and unpredictable. Because of drastic changes in our society, numerous people are under pressure from various sources at school, in the workplace, or in their families. People need a therapeutic pedagogy to develop the capacity to heal from their traumas. Conventionally, education is assumed to enhance learners'…

In the wake of COVID-19, the prevalence of stress and anxiety have become exceedingly widespread, and the cumulative effects of enduring multiple ongoing stressors altering every aspect of life have left many struggling to find suitable coping mechanisms. Students, in particular, appear to be operating in perpetual states of stress and anxiety…

It's time to make your mental bandwidth work for you. Being an educator is more stressful than ever, and teachers and administrators must constantly shift gears. You can do a quick self-check and begin fueling your brain energy: take the Educator Bandwidth Survey. "Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and Time"…

Self-care (broadly defined as engaging in behaviors that support one's own health and well-being; Lee & Miller, 2013) is understood as an important aspect of occupational and personal health. Self-care is particularly salient in human service careers such as school psychology. This article explores the role of supervision in developing…