What is emotional intelligence? How do parents and teachers nurture it at home and in the classroom? What methods are working? Emotional intelligence (EI for short) has become a popular term since Daniel Goleman authored his book with the same title in 1995. Several decades of research not only confirms the […]
Sociability
Childhood trauma often occurs from distressing events or relationships that exceed a young person’s ability to understand or process a traumatic experience. Most of us link trauma with tragedies like mass shootings, rape, accidents, war, or natural disasters. But childhood trauma is also associated with “adverse childhood experiences” (ACES) including […]
Resilience
Why is classroom management important for teachers and students? Because a positive teacher-student relationship is essential for student learning and development. Effective classroom management includes a variety of processes and strategies that help teachers create and maintain appropriate behavior in classrooms so that all students have an opportunity to thrive. […]
Resourcefulness
“Social anxiety disorder,” according to the Child Mind Institute, “is characterized by intense self-consciousness and fear of embarrassment that goes beyond common shyness, causing a child to go to great lengths to avoid social interactions,” In other words, a psychologist might suggest that whether your child has social anxiety or […]
Sociability
Coaches often utter the words “believe in yourself” to young people struggling with self-confidence. But what does it mean to believe in yourself? And why is it so important to the development of healthy and successful youth? No one in the world of psychology is better known for the study […]
Compass-Inspired
What is collective impact? And how can it make a difference for children and teens? Collective impact is a relatively new term and strategy for helping communities effect positive social change. For example, most communities offer a variety of support to young people through after-school programs, services, internships, etc. But […]
Compass-Inspired
Terrorism has become a sad and terrifying part of life in the 21st century. It is difficult enough for adults to understand and make sense of violent acts perpetrated against innocent people, but what about children? How do adults help kids make sense of terrorism while promoting children’s well-being at […]
Resilience
“A growth mindset is when students believe that their abilities can be developed,” says Carol Dweck, renowned Stanford University psychologist. Dweck coined the phrase growth mindset after decades of research on how children and teens become successful. Dweck’s groundbreaking book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, explains that success and […]
Creativity
Healthy child development is often a puzzle to parents and teachers alike. Like many young children, Johnny displayed some challenging behaviors. In kindergarten, he struggled to stay in his seat, and teachers constantly reprimanded him for not complying with simple instructions. At home, his parents often felt confused by his […]
Sociability
Martin Richard lost his life when the second of two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013. This 8-year-old boy believed in peace and kindness, values he proudly displayed on a poster he made at school. How do we honor Martin’s wish for a more […]
Empathy
If you are searching for community service ideas for kids, you may be hoping to help them: 1) Meet school or scouting service requirements; 2) Build positive resumes for college; and/or 3) Develop into more empathetic and caring young people. Whatever the reasons, it’s helpful to understand why learning to […]
Empathy
I hear many complaints these days about the younger generation’s lack of civility. And indeed, times have changed. But where do we draw the line when it comes to respectful behavior in children? How do we teach them to live considerately of others? While driving through Seattle recently, I saw […]
Sociability
