Pre K – 12 Teachers

Parents, Pre K - 12 Teachers April 30, 2018

The Infrastructure of Trauma-Informed Schools Requires a Human Scaffold

United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) released a viral video called “I am a teacher and you want to arm me?” in which the teacher’s union calls for more school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and nurses – rather than arming educators – to meet the needs of students and schools. Support personnel-student ratios were the subject of a Washington Post article calling these professionals “part of the human scaffolding constructed around students to help them do their best in school.”

Parents, Pre K - 12 Teachers April 16, 2018

The importance of parental sensitivity and responsiveness

If you watch young children playing you’ll notice how they “check in” with their parents every so often, as if to make sure that Mom or Dad is still there, and that the world is still safe. A child who has been brought to an unfamiliar room with toys may begin by holding onto his mother’s leg and looking out at the possibilities. In order to encourage her son to leave the safety of her presence, Mom may engage in conversation: “Do you see that boat over there?” Or, “Hey, Jack, look! That’s the same Lightning McQueen car that you have at home!” Eventually, with the implicit blessing that these prompts provide, Jack is likely to walk over to the toys and begin exploring. 

A highschool student standing in the hall. Long exposure with motion blur.

Pre K - 12 Teachers April 9, 2018

Psychology and Trauma in Schools: How Can Teachers Help?

Teachers know first-hand how trauma can make learning nearly impossible for a student and they’ve seen how it has become increasingly more common among school-aged American students. As school shootings and gun violence have captured the attention of many, there’s a more significant problem lurking in the classroom. It’s the student chronically exposed to trauma, and it’s often masked by stigma and shame.

Consider this, “On average, only 25 percent of children with mental health needs receive services. Of those receiving care, 70—80 percent receive that care in a school setting.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Psychology also shows us that most humans are resilient in the face of trauma and students can flourish with the right support.

But how can teachers help?

Pre K - 12 Teachers April 2, 2018

Technology Tips & Tricks: Assessment and Engagement

If you’re like me, there are so many tasks pressing for time in my calendar that I tend to feel as though I don’t spend enough time on assessment data. Really coming to understand what my students know feels like one of those things technology can help make more efficient. There are great ways to capture and collect snapshots of formative assessment using technology, which can also be a tool to enhance learning.

Pre K - 12 Teachers February 26, 2018

Building, Guiding, and Sustaining Regional Networks for High School Psychology Teachers

Professional development opportunities for high school psychology teachers have traditionally been hard to come by. In the past, the only significant opportunities to see presentations on best practices in the teaching of high school psychology were limited to APA/Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers, the annual APA Convention, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) annual conference or the Advanced Placement Annual Conference. All are outstanding opportunities for professional growth, but typically require significant travel and the latter three require expensive conference fees.

Pre K - 12 Teachers, Undergraduate Students, Undergraduate Teachers February 19, 2018

Environmental Psychology “In Action”: Understanding the dangers of noise to humans

Dr. Arline Bronzaft is worried about the effect noise could be having on your health. She’s an environmental psychologist whose research on the impact of noise in New York City has changed noise code policy and brought a lot of attention to the dangers of noise to humans. Her latest collaborative project with the Department of Environmental Protection of New York City is the Sound and Noise Education Module. This module provides interactive, multi-disciplinary, STEM lessons tailored to teach elementary, middle and high school students about sound and noise in their neighborhoods. Activities in each lesson encourage students and teachers to participate in citizen science projects by collecting and analyzing data.

Pre K - 12 Teachers, Undergraduate Students, Undergraduate Teachers February 12, 2018

Learning through Blogging: Implications of Blog Psychology in the Classroom

It was estimated that in January 2017, there were more than 1.8 billion websites. And as most of us know already, a website can be a personal, commercial, governmental website, or a non-profit organisation. Websites are typically dedicated to a particular topic or purpose, ranging from entertainment and social networking, to providing news and education.

Pre K - 12 Teachers January 22, 2018

What Kindergarten Teachers Wish Children Knew

Kindergarten today is not like it used to be – a place characterized by engagement with social skills and exploring through play.  Over the past twenty years, Kindergarten has become much more concentrated on academics as a result of federal, state, and local policies as well as parental concerns that emphasize the acquisition of basic skills and passing standardized tests. In fact, there’s research that supports the idea that Kindergarten is the new first grade. In response, preschools have become more academic, especially promoting early reading and math skills.  Children now know more than they ever have at this age about these subjects.

Pre K - 12 Teachers, Undergraduate Students January 15, 2018

What High School Psychology Students Told Us About the Future of Healthy Aging

In the past year, high school psychology students embarked upon an essay to describe an “Aging World,” the theme of this year’s Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) annual essay competition for high school psychology students. Ultimately, four students from high schools around the world were named winners, but the broader impact was that a bevy of young people learned about how to age well and how to support this goal for our current aging population. The potential contribution of younger to older generations is enormous, and it has been truly inspiring to see the passion and ingenuity with which these high school students approach an aging world.

Pre K - 12 Teachers January 8, 2018

Why It’s Important to Support the Psychological Well-Being of Early Childhood Educators

It’s the first day of class and Marie is a brand new teacher. She has just finished her professional degree and has had some experience as an assistant teacher, but this is her first time being the head teacher in an early childhood setting and being fully responsible for the children in her care.    During her training she learned about developmentally appropriate practices and working with families and children from diverse backgrounds, but nevertheless she feels overwhelmed and underprepared to deal with the day-to-day challenges of being an early childhood educator.  Marie is expected to provide a high-quality experience for her children but her own anxiety and stress is getting in the way of her ability to provide the children in her classroom with a nurturing and positive educational environment.  Her anxiety sometimes spills over into her interactions with other teachers and parents which in turn affects the behavior and learning of the children under her care.