Students who can manage their emotions do better in school, large scale study finds
(Education Week’s Rules for Engagement)
Emotional intelligence is an important part of academic success—from kindergarten into college—according to a new study. In particular, students who understand and can manage their emotions earn higher grades and do better on standardized tests.
Emotional intelligence translates into better grades for students
(Forbes)
“It’s not enough to be smart and hardworking. Students must also be able to understand and manage their emotions to succeed at school,” said Carolyn MacCann, of the University of Sydney and lead author of the study, published today by the American Psychological Association in the journal Psychological Bulletin.
Students who can understand & manage their emotions do better in school
(Yahoo! Lifestyle)
Recent trends in parenting, such as using time-in or time-off to discipline versus time-out, have highlighted the importance of teaching children to identify and regulate their emotions. Now, new research from the American Psychological Association (APA), published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, has linked emotional intelligence to academic achievement—specifically improved grades and standardized test scores. Given that the area of emotional intelligence has only been formally studied since the 1990s, the study is being touted as the first comprehensive meta-analysis to link it to success in school.
Want mastery? Let students find their own way
(Edutopia)
Prominent scholars say that to produce deeper learning, students need to become accustomed to confusion—and develop the persistence to find their own answers.
Social emotional learning and building your own manual
(AFT’s Share My Lesson)
Ever notice that the kids don’t come with instructions? We say that as parents, but I also was told that joke as I became a counselor for students with social and emotional challenges. I once was asked to work with four middle school boys who were not interacting well with others in their special education classroom—but rather than simply treat their disorder, I needed to form a relationship with them. At that time, this was a really innovative idea.
How to survive your college student’s first extended break at home
(Washington Post)
It’s a question on the minds of countless parents as we prepare for the first extended reunion with our college freshmen. For insight on what to expect and how to make the transition as smooth as possible for all parties involved, I turned to the experts: mental health professionals and seasoned — or shall I say hardened — parents. Here are their suggestions for staying sane over the winter break.
Number of teachers leaving DMPS increasing each year
(KCCI – Des Moines)
Also growing is the number of teachers breaking their contracts to leave in the middle of the year. Documents show 197 teachers left DMPS before the end of the school year over the past five years. In 2013, an American Psychological Association study found violence in the classroom is a major factor in teacher retention rates. This year, the Des Moines Police Department added two school resource officers to the district after they saw an increase in calls to schools. In the 2018-2019 school year, DMPS retained 88.4%…do not include those who retired or left the teaching field.
MCC participates in SUNY system-wide mental health task force
Rochester – Spectrum News
The American Psychological Association reports the number of students with significant psychological problems is a growing concern. One of its studies states that anxiety is the top presenting concern among college students at almost 42 percent, followed by depression at more than 36 percent.
State teachers association makes ‘teacher safety’ top priority following Call 6 report on injuries
(RTV6 – Indianapolis)
“The American Psychological Association first reported on the growing phenomenon of violence against teachers in schools in 2013,” read ISTA’s description of the teacher safety priority. “Yet, in the intervening years, little attention has been given to the issue even as teacher anecdotal reports of victimization persist. In reviewing Indiana law, gaps in both reporting and enforcement stand out.”
Screens in the classroom: tool or temptation?
(New York Times)
Smartphones and other devices have long been maligned as distractions in university classrooms. But when employed strategically, many educators find them useful. Such participatory methods make education “meaningful and authentic,” said Christine Greenhow, an associate professor of counseling, educational psychology, and special education at Michigan State University.
Merriam-Webster declares ‘they’ its 2019 word of the year
(CNN)
Merriam-Webster recently added a new definition to its online dictionary to reflect use of “they” as relating to a person whose gender identity is nonbinary. In October, the American Psychological Association endorsed “they” as a singular third-person pronoun in its latest style guide for scholarly writing. “We believe writers should try to use a person’s self-identified pronoun whenever feasible,” said Jasper Simons, chief publishing officer for the APA. “The singular ‘they’ is a way for writers to avoid making assumptions about gender when it is not known.”
How parents can help kids cope with stress from active shooter drills
(Healthline)
School shooter drills are meant to prepare children for an emergency, but may inadvertently cause psychological harm. APA member Daniel Marullo, PhD, explains how to tell if your child is having a problem after a drill and how you can help them cope.
The importance of play (and why it’s better to avoid bullsh#t)
(David Didau’s Learning Spy)
Play is an essential part of learning. The young of many species play in order to test their physical limits, form bonds with others, explore the environment, practice hunting behaviours and generally mimic their elders. Human children are no different in this respect: we play in order to learn about ourselves and our environment. It’s probably true to say that the instinct to play is ‘hardwired’ into us and, short of locking children in a box, there’s no way to prevent them from playing. Social learning is the basis for the transmission of human culture and play is an unavoidable component of social learning.
Promoting prosocial behaviors in the classroom
(Edutopia)
According to research, nurturing prosocial behaviors may improve academic outcomes—both classroom grades and test scores.
Making the most of multiple-choice exams
(Chronicle of Higher Education)
A great piece with an interview with high school psychology teacher Blake Harvard
Guest post: learning strategies for academic writing
(Learning Scientists)
Though every instructor may have a different idea of what makes a compelling paper, learning to write is a crucial skill, the processes and strategies of which educational psychologists should examine in future research. After all, without strong writers, we wouldn’t be able to share our scientific findings with people who stand to benefit from them.
Required pedagogy
(Inside Higher Ed)
Online conversation shines a spotlight on graduate programs that teach students how to teach — and those programs that don’t.
Storytelling as part of the teaching toolkit
(APA’s Division 2: Society for the Teaching of Psychology)
One of the goals of contemporary teaching, particularly in this age of staggering data proliferation, is to help students generate meaning about what they learn. Why not use stories to help do this? As psychologists teaching about human behavior, many of us already use stories to support our work in the classroom.
Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS): Allison Shaver and Jennifer Schlicht
(Psych Sessions)
In this episode Garth interviews Allison Shaver from Plymouth South High School in Plymouth, MA & Jennifer Schlicht from Olathe South High School in Olathe, KS. Allison (Chair) and Jennifer (Chair-Elect) are the current leadership team of TOPSS: Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools, part of APA. The energy and enthusiasm for teaching psychology by high school teachers is unparalleled, from discussions of credentialing, social studies vs. science credit, curriculum development, and so much more.
