A Smooth Welcome Back

INSIGHT ON INSTRUCTION New NEA App Helps Educators Deal with Stress

In a time when educators have dealt with sometimes amazing levels of stress on and off the job, NEA Member Benefits is introducing a new, easy way to help boost emotional health. The NEA Mental Health App is an evidence-based mobile app created by clinical experts that offers members on-demand help for stress, anxiety and depression. And it’s the result of a partnership with Sanvello Healthcare, whose app currently has over 3 million users nationwide.

The NEA Mental Health App is available to members, spouses/domestic partners and eligible dependents. To learn more about the options, both free and discounted, visit neamb. com/mentalhealth.l

Going to the Dogs?

To aid you in your dogged determination to teach your students, the American Kennel Club’s Education Department has come out with “The Canine Corner,” a free online newsletter with resources and teaching tips for K-12 teachers.

Some examples of how activities in the newsletter can help are a science lesson teaching about force and change in mass using AKC Agility, reading comprehension task cards, and creating line graphs using puppy growth data, among others.

You can find out more here: akc.org/ public-education/the-canine-corner.l

Another Reason We Need CTE

Career and technical education students can fill a skills gap in our state. Two quick facts: • According to the Association for

Career and Technical

Education (ACTE), 49 percent of jobs in

Virginia require skills training—more education than high school but less than a four-year degree. • However, ACTE also says that only 41 percent of Virginia workers are trained at this level.

CTE programs in the commonwealth could close or eliminate that gap, especially in industries such as information technology, supply chain management, manufacturing, and food and beverage processing.l

Another Reason We Need PE

Physical education teachers have faced their own particular challenges in the COVID pandemic, attempting to keep their students healthy and active during a long period of home learning. Now, as schools begin to welcome more in-person students, PE can play an important role in social and emotional learning during that transition. In active play and team experiences, students learn resilience, problem-solving skills, collaboration, cooperation, the joy of exploration, and physical and mental wellness.

To help PE teachers make the most of that opportunity, SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Educators) America is offering resources to help build healthy habits and teach kids to thrive, both physically and emotionally.

Learn more at shapeamerica.org.l

We Can’t Sugarcoat Our History

“I don’t think teaching tolerance means we should run away from controversies or avoid what we might refer to as the ‘ugly side’ of U.S. history. In fact, I think addressing such topics makes history more compelling to students. It is impossible to deny that the United States was founded on slavery and the genocide of indigenous people. The enslavement of African people and the conquest of indigenous lands generated tremendous wealth for landowners, bankers, and others. Most of the ‘Founding Fathers’ owned human beings that they used as slaves to enrich themselves, and we must recognize that slavery was made possible by extreme violence. Similarly, learning about the systematic violence carried out against Native Americans over centuries forces students to see that indigenous people were not innocent ‘savages’ who graciously helped the Pilgrims (e.g., the myth of Thanksgiving), but rather were (and are) a diverse people whose culture and way of life have been severely damaged as a result of European colonization and territorial expansion. Confronting our history and learning from it is essential for moving forward and creating a more just society.

In short, schools that don’t teach all aspects of history unjustly deprive their students of the important opportunity to grapple with the full story of their country.”l — Pedro A. Noguera, dean of the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California

How School Bus Drivers Can Help Students Build Resilience

Some suggestions from Dr. Lori Desautels, an instructor in the College of Education at Butler University and former keynote speaker at VEA’s Instruction and Professional Development Conference:

Student mentors

One of the most effective ways to help students regulate their negative emotions is to provide leadership opportunities. Bus drivers can show older students how to help younger students redirect negative emotions in healthy ways, such as drawing, coloring, or creating a new solution to a problem.

Catch me!

Drivers can “catch” students doing or saying something kind. Notes of gratitude, messages of noticing, and stickers contribute to students’ feelings of purpose and connection.

Thumbs up, thumbs down

Each morning and afternoon, students can check in with drivers to share how they’re feeling through a quick thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or neutral show of emotion. This is a great way to check in and notice patterns while creating a connection.

Little breaks

The driver can play calming music, or the driver or a student can lead call-andresponse songs. Friday celebrations are a nice short break as well.

Bus newsletter, website, or a social media outlet

Share news with parents and educators to recognize the familial tribe of connection on the bus in this group of students and transportation leader.l