This post is an adaptation of the final for a class I am taking through Rutgers University. In the realm of clinical psychology there are two prevailing types of psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT). When people
Sharpen Your Saw
It is summer and I have been spending a lot of time working on myself. Many people have years that run from January 1st to December 31st. As a teacher my year runs from September 1st to September 1st. Furthermore,
Self-Care for SEL Teachers: How Zumba Saved Me
Dr. Elias of the Rutgers SEL Learning Laboratory and the Academic for SEL in Schools recently published a blog on Edutopia describing 5 vital signs of fulfillment: contentment/joy, hope, awe, meaning/purpose, and deep connection. I must confess that I’ve struggled
Teachers for Democracy: A Moral Calling
A little over three years ago, I got into some trouble with the Tea Party. Of course, I had no idea at the time; I wasn’t on Twitter yet. But I guess someone took issue with an idea I shouted
Gratitude and Thanksgiving
As someone who is interested in maintaining my own happiness while balancing a challenging job as a STEM teacher, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum writer, father of two beautiful girls, and husband to an amazing wife (who is also a teacher
Presenting at Pearson’s 2016 Conference on Teaching
I recently had the opportunity to speak about social and emotional learning at Pearson’s 2016 Conference on Teaching. The conference focused on individualized learning, and there were outstanding presentations from fellow SEL advocate and 2012 Utah Teacher of the Year
Back to School (in Homeroom)
Coming back to school reminds me of a line from The Princess Bride. Wesley has left to seek his fortune, and Buttercup, staying alone on the farm, spends hours crying. The narrator explains, “It was a very emotional time for
State Standards for Social Emotional Learning?
I just read a post from Education Week about 8 states writing standards for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with another 11 being able to use the materials that are produced. I have mixed emotions about this. On one hand, institutions are
Summer Planning for Effective SEL Instruction
In schools that dedicate time for social and emotional learning, teachers across all content areas might share a common SEL course. For example, all 9th grade teachers (social students, mathematics, physical education, etc.) have a 9th grade homeroom or
Transfer in Social Emotional Learning
I have been thinking a lot of about the idea of transfer in Social Emotional Learning (SEL). I first came across the idea of transfer as a part of education when I started by Master’s in Education at Hamline University.