BIG PICTURE Social Emotional Learning Podcast

Educators need SEL development, too.  Maybe even more than students, because when educators have age-appropriate SEL development and skills, they are empowered to bring more of their best selves into every day's interactions with students and peers... and isn't that a BIG part of what it's really all about?!!!!! Listen to this important conversation to discover no-cost opportunities for ECE's...

In today’s episode, I share conversation with David Adams, CEO of Urban Assembly, and definitely a BIG PICTURE kind of educator. In this conversation, David explains the how’s and why’s of Urban Assembly’s approach to building schools’ cultures, which are 100% centered on developing students’ social emotional competencies for success in school, and for success in their future careers, and for succ...

We hear a lot about ‘returning to normal’ these days, especially in response to Covid. To me, the term ‘normal' has become a marginally meaningless cliché, so I was intensely intrigued when I came across a blog post by Sugata Mitra in which he comments on a legitimate concept of ‘normal’ for these times… especially in direct relationship to the education of our children and students. If you’ve bee...

There is so much we white educators need to understand that we do not currently understand or even see. But we can can see and understand more, so that we succeed more meaningfully with our students of color. Of course that involves becoming aware of our blindspots. Rachelle and I also talked about many teachers’ sense that we need full time control in our learning environments… but do we really?...

scientists have been studying crying, and they’ve divided the tears that come from crying into three distinct categories: reflex tears, continuous tears, and emotional tears. The first of those two categories - reflex tears - perform the important function of removing irritants, such as smoke and dust from our eyes. The 2nd of those 2 categories, continuous tears, serve to lubricate our eyes, whic...

Deborah McNelis is one of my favorite kinds of educators and people, because Deborah is in it for the love of it. She has her Masters degree in Education, she’s an author, speaker and, most helpful for you, dear listener… Deborah has created the Neuro-Nurturing Interaction Packets for the specific purposes of supporting children in feeling seen, accepted, worthy of love and respect. You will enjoy...

If you’d like to receive an electronic copy of the resource I’ve been sharing with you on this episode, just drop a line to me. My email address is ask@kidsownwisdom.com. That’s where you can share your thoughts, make requests for future topics on this podcast… anything. I love to connect with listeners. Thanks for being here… and I hope to hear from you soon.

Today’s guest is Jordan Shapiro, PhD, who is kind of a ‘big deal,’ since he’s globally respected as an American thought leader. (I’ve included a link to his website in this show’s notes so you can learn about his wide-ranging accomplishments.) Jordan’s internationally respected perspective combines research in psychology, philosophy, and economics in ways that make so much sense, when he explains...

Here are the basic points from Larissa's article: Our words and actions must match. Reading options for students must be broadened to provide wider perspectives from other races and cultures. Conversations are necessary... even, and especially, the ones around 'difficult' topics.   Listening is a big and necessary element for meaningful conversations. Have the courage (and flexibility) to exp...

When traumatic accidents occur, resulting in serious injuries and permanent disfiguration, knowledgable guidance is essential for healing and for everyone's ability to adapt, constructively, to build the best possible life, moving forward.  Margaret Kugler, MS,  is the Transition Coordinator for children who come from all over the country to Shriners Hospital in Northern California for h...

Details are good, essential really, but when we get lost in them, tied down to them and we lose the big picture... everyone loses. Everyone.

We all know that communication… clear, honest and mutually respectful communication is a foundational element of solid social emotional skills. Today’s guest has developed an approach that focuses in on a very specific channel of communication: CONSENT. Sarah Casper, will give us an overview of her understanding about the day-by-day, hour-by-hour, year-by-year relevance of consent …. we even had t...

There was so much  I appreciated about this conversation. In particular, the fact that my guest, Monick Halm, independently grew her on social emotional skills by noticing what worked for her peers and then she experimented with bringing those observations into her own interactions. I also love what Monick shared with us about the power and importance of being with our kids and our students e...

Please accept this offer of help.  Send a quick email to me with answers to the 3 questions, below:   ask@kidsownwisdom.com Social emotional challenge your kids/students are encountering. Kids' age.  If you want to, include a brief description of how you've tried to help them resolve that specific challenge. ................................................ What does self-trust...

Cassie Tondreau is a loved and well-respected educator, and based on her many years of experience, she knows, without a doubt, that children can be trusted to ask for deeper explanations and understanding … when they need them.  In this conversation about challenging, even disturbing topics, including Covid-19, Cassie encourages us to be sensitive to achieving the right balance between sharin...

We have so much to learn from our students, and we have so much to gain by opening up to their insights and their view on the world in this time of massive changes across the globe.   SEL does not have to be delivered through some organized curriculum.  In fact, all that's really needed is real connections.  Connections in class don't have to be perfect, but they do have to be...

This conversation is dedicated to all parents (and teachers, too) who are seriously concerned about the powerful draw that technology, anything tech, has on today’s kids. Jordan Shapiro is, among many other qualifications, a senior fellow with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Street Workshop, where he does research on how technology impacts childhood. His research and accomplishments are wide...

Sharnell Blevins’ walks her talk when it comes to THE most sensible philosophy about children’s successful school experience: Teachers, kids AND parents must work together to ensure that all kids grow towards their own unique potential. To that end, Sharnell has worked with nonprofit educational organizations for over 25 years. She’s currently Parent Engagement Coordinator at SpeakUpParents.org .....

The most challenging conversations are often the most necessary… for life to move forward …. for everyone’s benefit. Awakened awareness about the irrefutable fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER, and that Black lives in America continue to be crushingly disadvantaged in ways that are invisible to those of us who live in “White America” is the impetus for this conversation with Sierra Dominguez, a wise, lo...

White people and black people need to be liberated from the lies that have created such deplorable disadvantages for, and untruths about, black people in America.  Those disadvantages and untruths are destroying the best of what all of us are capable of bringing to the life of this country, and without which there is no hope for recovery from the travesty of George Floyd's murder. (And all th...

 “If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” ~Mahatma Gandhi The time is NOW for us, as educators and parents of today’s children, to courageously and creatively step into our responsibility for the development of tomorrow’s citizens … citizens who, ideally, live and express attributes considered to...

Mary Cay Ricci is a life-long educator, having been an elementary and middle school teacher, instructional specialist and central office administrator. She was also an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Education for 8 years. Mary Cay has been applying Carol Dweck's growth mindset research to classrooms, schools and districts since 2009.  Listening to this episod...

In this episode of the Big Picture Social Emotional Learning Podcast we’re going to learn about the life-altering impact we can enjoy by developing Developmental Relationships. This conversation was with Kent Pekel, the President and CEO of Search Institute, an internationally recognized, not-for-profit organization that, for over 70 years, has been successfully accomplishing something that, unfor...

I’ve just come across an article that I’m pretty sure some of you, who are not feeling so “at home” in the role of homeschool teacher, might really appreciate. The article appeared in National Geographic, and its title is, “Forget homeschooling during the pandemic. Focus on LIFESKILLS instead.” The over-arching purpose of the article is to absolve parents of guilt for not being great at replicatin...

Our young students and our young children look to us to interpret the world for them … especially during out-of-the-ordinary times like the ones in which we are all living with the Covid-19 pandemic. Young children will not ask for our thoughts or about our feelings, BUT they will be picking up on what we are communicating, even without words … which is why I was so glad to welcome back Nick Terro...