Common Core And Social/Emotional Learning

So much of the conversation about Common Core has centered on the academic side of what goes on in the classroom. But as every teacher knows, social and emotional learning makes up an enormous part of what happens in everyday instruction. Whether it's the ability to collaborate with other students, or the ability to be sensitive and empathetic, or developing the social skills needed to be successful in life after school, social and emotional learning are critical components of learning in general.

Common Core is not just about the academic standards and assessments. As this EdSource article argues (CLICK HERE to check it out!), “You’re not going to be able to achieve Common Core standards if kids aren’t working collaboratively and aren’t engaged.”

For a FREE webinar titled "Integrating Social-Emotional Learning Into State and District Policies," check out THIS WEBLINK. You will need Adobe to access the webinar, which is offered by the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

Better Parent-Teacher Conferences--Strategies for Being Effective!

Though this set of resources and strategies is specifically geared toward middle school educators, many of the ideas and issues that this blog post discusses can easily be adapted for all grades.

Here, you can find everything from a checklist for productive conferences, to a tutorial video showing good communication techniques, to suggestions from other teachers who have shared their best practices. Start thinking ahead this summer so that you can be ready for the fall!

CLICK HERE to check out this parent-teacher conference resource roundup on Middleweb.com, a website dedicated to all things middle school!