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Henry Zavala slowly expanded a plastic rainbow-colored sphere in front of his classmates at Davis Elementary School. The first-graders sat in a circle at the front of the classroom with crossed arms and eyes closed as they all took a deep breath in sync with the colorful expanding toy. The "breathing ball," as it's known among the students, is one of several mindfulness techniques the Carrollton school has adapted within the past three years. Lisa Williams, the school's principal, said she...

The Aspen Institute announced Tuesday it has launched a commission to accelerate the transfer of research about social and emotional skill-building — which includes developing the interpersonal skills that organizers say contribute to success in school, college and work — into teaching practices across the nation. Seven Californians are members of the National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development. Linda Darling-Hammond , president of the Learning Policy Institute, is one...

Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin, a program of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Winnebago County Department of Human Services invites you to a free screening and guided discussion of "Paper Tigers". A documentary that follows a year in the life of the Lincoln High Alternative School, "Paper Tigers" explores the impact of adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress on struggling teens. The school is a testament to what the latest childhood adversity research is proving: one caring adult...

According to a recent report from the Department of Education, one out every eight students in America missed three weeks or more of school during the 2013–14 academic year. (The number among older students is even more dramatic, as 20 percent of all high school students missed three weeks or more.) The results indicate that chronic absenteeism — which is defined as missing 10 percent of a school year for any reason — affects students across the entire country, among all races, and has an...

Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations in the country, but introducing organizational and individual interventions can help minimize the negative effects of teacher stress. The Issue This research brief examines causes of teacher stress, its effects on teachers, schools, and students, and strategies for reducing its impact. Key Findings Forty-six percent of teachers report high daily stress, which compromises their health, sleep, quality of life, and teaching performance. When...

In Raul Hernandez’ Discovery Lab classroom in Yakima, his fifth-grade students are in a flurry working on lines for a poem. Then they hear the melodic “zwoop” of a harmonica, and all noise and movement stop in an instant. Hands go up in a two-fingered peace sign. All eyes are on the teacher. This is PAX, and it’s out to change the world. The PAX Good Behavior Game is an evidence-based program to help teachers and students build a safe, teamlike classroom environment, where the focus is on...

Starting school at kindergarten. One teacher for an age-graded classroom. Teacher-led learning: “Repeat after me.” For nearly 100 years, these have been the traditions, routines, and expectations of American primary schools. Over that time, much has changed in children’s lives — there is now greater demographic diversity, to say nothing of the relentlessly changing technology, globalization, and growing recognition that education requires much more than rote learning — yet little has changed...

This Compendium is designed to help state and local policymakers, as well as school-level personnel and other education stakeholders, better understand the current school discipline practices in our country. It provides information on school discipline laws and administrative regulations for each of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands effective as of March 2016. (See Notes &...

Teen stress is on the rise. According to a new study, learning mindfulness and self-compassion can help a teen cope. In a 2014 national survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 31 percent of adolescents aged 13 to 17 said that their stress increased in the previous year, and 42 percent said they were not doing enough to manage their stress. Adolescents who experience frequent stress are more prone to depression and perform worse in school Many teens turn to external...

Do you ever feel angry, disappointed, or stressed out about family problems, school, bullies, or trouble with friends? If so, mindfulness can help. Master of Mindfulness is a unique and empowering book written for kids by kids , with cool illustrations and tips that show you how to be confident, get focused, stay calm, and tap into your own inner strength so that you can be your own superhero—no matter what life throws your way! Written by Laurie Grossman, cofounder of Mindful Schools and...

“To the brook! To the brook!” the three girls chanted in Finnish as they skipped through the forest. Within a few minutes, the other kindergartners had joined them in the fern-covered gully. As their teacher Kaija Pelo and I stood on a hill observing the children at play below us, two boys in baseball caps poked sticks into the brook (Pelo said they were “fishing”) while other children teetered across a fallen pine tree, which served as a natural bridge over the running water. Most...

Boston Public Schools — faced with thousands of students who have experienced trauma — is building a team that will help 
kids overcome emotional 
and social obstacles with a $1.6 million federal grant. “We have great opportunity to be able to notice students who may have been influenced by trauma,” 
BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang told the Herald. “The reality is, students can be influenced by trauma through so many different things.” [For more of this story, written by Chris Villani, go to ...