Ah, the sweet sounds of “back to school.” If you work with preschool or elementary students, though, those sounds might include a screaming kindergartener who refuses to enter the classroom, the yelp of a teacher as a youngster surprises her with a swift kick, or the walkie notification that a student has escaped the building and is on top of the playground equipment. Tiny people can cause big disruptions!
Success in school and in life is not about being the smartest in the room; it’s about how well you can manage yourself and navigate the challenges you face every day. Executive functioning—the ability to manage tasks, time, and emotions—plays a crucial role in students’ growth and learning. But what is the best way to help students develop these skills? One key lies in enhancing our own executive functioning skills, creating an environment in which we intentionally practice and model these soft skills in our daily interactions with students and colleagues.
According to data from the American Enterprise Institute and EdWeek Research Center, school districts across the country are reporting sharp and consistent increases in chronic absenteeism and behavior problems, both of which are negatively impacting academic achievement. While many districts believe these problems are a result of the pandemic, the fact remains these are serious problems that require real-time interventions to get students back on track.
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Addressing Tier 3 behavior can be challenging, but utilizing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) can make successful intervention planning both possible and practical in any size district.
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A critical part of education is helping students build the life skills and resiliency they need to complete high school and successfully transition to adult life. Branching Minds partners with The Jed Foundation (JED) to bring practical resources to high school classrooms that are informed by direct research with high school students about what they need as they graduate. These areas include:
It’s never too late to assess and make changes to the behavior structure and support you offer to your students. Natural breaks in the school year offer an opportunity to reset your approach to behavior and get your classroom or campus back on track. So, let’s talk about how to use the re-entry after a break to move things in the right direction!
Branching Minds is excited to partner with The Jed Foundation (JED) to bring essential resources to high school classrooms through the Branching Minds Support Library. Informed by direct research with high school students about what they need as they graduate, these new support cards offer concrete tips, tools, and resources on a comprehensive range of topics geared toward helping students manage the transition out of high school. Carefully curated and evidence-based, these resources provide teachers and students with accessible and actionable advice to aid in this critical — and often difficult — transition.
We all have strengths and weaknesses, but in K-12 education, student weaknesses are often a focus of attention, while strengths fade into the background. Over the past decade, there has been a movement in education to capitalize on student strengths while using instructional practices that promote growth in areas that might need improvement.
Attendance is crucial for student success—after all, they can’t learn if they’re not there. During and after the pandemic, attendance issues have surged, with about 26% of public school students considered chronically absent in 2022-2023, up from 15% pre-pandemic. There’s also been a rise in school refusals linked to mental health struggles.