Understanding Two Types of Childhood Development
What should adults know about childhood development in order to best support students? In this post, we look at two different types of development.
Covid
Articles
How to Re-Build Empathy after Covid
Over the last two years, children have experienced significant social isolation, which has kept many children from being able to practice a lot of basic social skills that are often done naturally in the classroom. How can we build back these critical skills?
Responding to Learning Loss (Without Shame!)
How should teachers consider responding to academic challenges? And can we do it without shaming children for what they haven’t learned yet? We sat down with Dr. Rhonda Vincent, director of educational program innovation here at Momentous Institute, to give us some insight.
Overwhelmed? Try this One Small Trick.
Who isn’t feeling overwhelmed these days? Here is just one tiny little trick that might help for those days when it all feels like too much.
Self-Compassion When Things are Just Too Hard
Sometimes even basic self-care is too much when times are hard. So this week, let’s make it even simpler. Let’s focus on self-compassion.
When Kids are Anxious about Vaccines
Flu season, Covid tests, and now… the Covid vaccine, children everywhere are encountering shots and swabs that might leave some kids anxious or fearful. How can we help kids by making shots and routine medical procedures as easy and painless as possible?
How to Build Relationships with Students this School Year
Every year it is important to get started on the right foot with building relationships with students, but never more than this year. As students return to school, they will need explicit focus on relationships to help build a classroom environment where every student feels a deep sense of belonging and safety.
Back-to-School Anxiety Tip: Worry One to Ten
In today's back-to-school anxiety tip, consider a worry chart where a child can track their worry on a scale of 1 to 10 and learn how to track and manage their anxiety.
How to Include Families in School as Students Return to Classrooms
Last year was a breakthrough year on bridging the gap between school and home for many schools. As we head into a new year where most students will physically return to classrooms, we don’t want to lose this momentum! Here are a few tips for keeping families included in school as kids return to classrooms.
Back-to-School Anxiety Tip: What Does the Worry Look Like?
In this back-to-school anxiety tip: one way to support children who have anxiety is to help the child identify what the worry looks like.
Back-to-School Anxiety Tip: Use Story Books
One simple way to help children manage anxiety is to read about it! In this back-to-school anxiety tip, learn how to use story books to help manage worries.
Six Ways to Build Emotional Safety this School Year
As students come back to classrooms this fall, safety will be on everyone’s mind. And while physical safety is very important, emotional safety must also be front of mind. Here are a couple ways to increase emotional safety for students this school year.
Back-to-School Anxiety Tip: Help Them Fill Their Own Toolbox
In this back-to-school anxiety tip, having children identify their own solutions to anxiety will be more effective than coming up with solutions for them.
How to Prepare for a Safe School Year
Safety is on everyone’s mind as we start this new school year. We want to ensure that every student, teacher, school personnel and family member stays healthy this year as most students return to school full time for the first full school year since the pandemic began.
Back to School Anxiety Tips: Draw Your Worry
In this back-to-school anxiety tip, you can help children manage their worry through a process called "externalization" to help them separate themselves from their anxiety.
Teachers: How to Prioritize Your Own Mental Health This School Year
There’s no way to effectively support students if you’re feeling run down, overwhelmed or maxed out. As you return to school this year, consider these tips to prioritize your own wellbeing and mental health.
Back-to-School Anxiety Tip: Visualize the First Few Days
In this back-to-school anxiety tip learn how parents can support kids in getting ready for the first few days of school by helping them visualize it.
It’s Okay to Not Be Ready for the School Year
Teachers: it is okay not to feel ready, or even motivated at all, to go back to school. Here are five ways to help prepare for the work ahead – and maybe even gain a little motivation – as you get ready for another school year.
How to Help Kids Re-Enter the World After Covid
It can be challenging for kids to adjust back to social gatherings after a year-long break. These tips can help parents with slow-to-warm children re-enter the world.
The Four Tasks of Mourning
Mourning is the task of processing the grief but how does someone mourn? How do we process grief?
Understanding Grief
Many of us described our emotions in the last year as sadness, disappointment, fear, anger, pain, anxiety or numbness. But underneath all of these feelings is something we don’t often name. Grief.
Understanding Mourning
Grief is what we feel when we lose something. Mourning is the work we do to come out on the other side of the pain. Mourning is a task. It requires work. And it does not happen on its own.
The Science of Self-Care
If you want to know what type of self-care is going to be most effective and have the longest lasting results, let’s dive into the science.
Let's Make a Trauma Self-Care Plan
Trauma self-care is the act of caring for yourself while also caring for others. But we can only do it with a plan. Follow this downloadable guide to help you take care of your mental health.
What is Secondary Trauma?
Today we want to explore a very important topic for anyone who works with children: secondary trauma. Read through to learn more about secondary trauma and how it shows up.
A Week of Wellness: A Free Mental Health Workbook
Taking time to focus on your mental health can be a daunting task so we've got you covered with this free mental health workbook.
30 Small Things You Can Do Today to Support Your Own Mental Health
Take time to try out one or more of these strategies to build and strengthen your mental health and wellness. After all, the journey of strong mental health is made up of a million steps.
When I Feel: A Free Mental Health Lesson Plan
This free lesson plan, When I Feel..., introduces students to the concept of mental health and helps them explore ways to manage their mental health. It can be adapted for any elementary or middle school classroom.
How to Find the Right Therapist for You, Part Two
In this Q&A, we discuss picking a therapist and determining if they're a fit.
How to Find the Right Therapist for You, Part One
In this Q&A, we discuss how to begin the process of choosing the therapist who can best support you in your mental health journey.
We Have to Pay Attention to Adult Mental Health if We Want to Help Children
In order to help children reach their full potential, they must have adults who take care of their own mental health needs.
Your Brain Under Stress
Let’s take a look at the neurobiology of stress. What happens to your brain under stress?
How to Answer Kids’ Questions about COVID
As children head back to school this fall, many are asking questions that teachers may feel unprepared to answer. While we can’t provide a script for how to respond to each question a student may ask, here's some guidance on appropriate ways to handle these tough conversations.
This Fall, Consistency is Key
While we can’t create consistency in this unpredictable world, we can create it where we have control – in the classroom (or virtual classroom).
Learning at School or Home: How to Prioritize Children's Mental Health
Regardless of the circumstances, the decision between virtual learning and in-person learning can be surrounded with anxiety and uncertainty.
How to Help Students Adapt to Wearing a Mask
Many states and schools require or encourage people to wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here are seven quick tips to help students adapt.
Partnering with Parents in the New Age of School
There’s never been a better opportunity for schools to capitalize on the partnership with parents as there is now.
Reminding Students (and Ourselves!) How to Do School Again
Students coming back into the classroom this fall, or students logging on to virtual platforms, will need an even more intentional refresher course on how school works. And frankly, teachers probably will, too!
How and Why to Start Each Day with a Classroom Morning Meeting this Fall
When students start back at school this fall, creating a sense of belonging must be top priority.
Behaviors You May See at the Start of This School Year
Here are some behaviors we may see in children as we head back into classrooms this fall.
Three Tricks to Master Students’ Names in a Virtual Back-to-School World
Here are a few tips to get started learning student’s names if the school year starts with remote learning.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Online Faculty Meetings
To help teachers and administrators handle the stresses of teaching from home, consider adding a social emotional component to your online faculty meetings. Here are a few tips!
Teaching from Home Strategy: Ask the Parents!
In this new age of teaching remotely, relationships between parents/caretakers and teachers have never been more intertwined. To capitalize on this new relationship, teachers can lean in to parents and ask how they'd like to be supported.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Individual Touchpoints
Having one-on-one connection with students can be tough during distance learning, but we have a few tips for setting up individual touchpoints.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Virtual Meeting Expectations
Every teacher has classroom expectations. As classrooms have shifted to online platforms, it is important to set expectations for distance learning.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Think 'Meal Prep'
Many people meal prep their meals for the week, why try 'meal prepping' lessons for the week!
Teaching from Home Strategy: Create a Daily Schedule - For Yourself
Creating a schedule for yourself is more important than ever when teaching from home. We have a few tips to help you get started creating your schedule.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Virtual Recess
Students of all ages love recess, to give them some time to experience recess from home, try a virtual recess.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Virtual Office Hours
Even for classrooms as young as elementary school, virtual office hours can provide a great way for students and teachers to connect.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Mindful Listening
Let's look at an easy mindfulness strategy that students can do from home: mindful listening.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Stretch it Out
Kids are currently spending more time on screens than they normally would in a classroom. Today's strategy looks at ways to get them up and moving.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Starfish Breathing
Starfish breathing is a quick breathing strategy that can easily be done via video chat.
Teaching from Home Strategy: Morning Meeting
Morning meetings help start the day and build a sense of community. Just because students and teachers aren't in the same room doesn't mean morning meeting can't happen!
Teaching from Home Strategy: Video Box Breathing
As teachers adapt to a new method of teaching, prioritizing social emotion learning in the absence of a classroom environment can be a challenge. We're here to provide some strategies that teachers can implement from their homes.
Why Do Yoga During a Pandemic?
Dr. Aileen Fullchange explains why practicing yoga during a pandemic is a powerful tool for regulating emotions and managing stress..
School at Home Daily Tip: Don't Forget to Play
With all of the demands of schooling at home, it can be easy to lose sight of one very important thing: play. But we are here to remind you that play is very important.
School at Home Daily Tip: Don’t Get Caught in Comparison
In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s easy to see what everyone else is doing. As a result, we often fall into the comparison trap. We're here to help you get out of that trap.
School at Home Daily Tip: Consult the Kids
Now that we've had some experience working at home with children, it's time to pause and reflect on what's working and what should be changed. Who should you ask to help you reevaluate? The kids!
School at Home Daily Tip: Call On Your Support Network
These days, as we practice social distancing and stay home to the extent possible, support from our network looks different. While calling on support networks is more challenging during this time, it’s also more important than ever.
School at Home Daily Tip: Park on the Positive
It’s the start of a new week, and many parents have now been schooling at home for a week or more. Let’s take a moment today to pause the juggling and think about the positives.
School At Home Daily Tip: Practice Emotional Regulation
Schooling at home during a global crisis has mostly likely caused at least one moment of stress or anxiety. This is perfectly natural but it’s also important that we manage our feelings during this challenging time.
School at Home Daily Tip: Create Routines
Kids thrive on routine. They need to know what to expect and what is expected of them. Routines help kids have a sense of control and predictability in their lives.
School at Home Daily Tip: Scaffold
Builders often use scaffolding to allow workers to reach heights until the structure of the building is secure enough. Similarly, we can use scaffolding to help children increase their knowledge over time.
School at Home Daily Tip: Check Your Expectations
Each day, we’re sharing tips to help families manage this new reality of school at home. Today’s tip is to check your expectations.
School at Home Daily Tip: Acknowledge Your Feelings
COVID-19 has rearranged the way we live, and schooling at home is a new demand that thousands of families face. Each day, we'll share something you can do each day to manage anxiety and thrive in this new experience. Today's Tip: Acknowledge Your Feelings.
Prioritizing Self-Care as a Mom and Employee at Home During COVID-19
COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way we live, work and experience the world around us as we practice social distancing. Here are three ways I am prioritizing self-care as a full-time parent who is also working full-time from home.
Managing my Anxiety Disorder During a Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is overwhelming and has left many feeling anxious. As someone diagnosed with anxiety, this pandemic can quickly feel like too much to handle. When I feel anxious, I have learned four techniques to help bring relief.
Four Fun Family Activities to Do at Home
The reality of COVID-19 is an unparalleled time in our country’s history to pause, spend quality time with our families and find creative ways to engage our children. Here are some top activities to have fun as a family:
Three Things on My Mind
Momentous School Principal Daniel Knoll shares what's currently most on his mind during this global pandemic.
Three strategies for Fun Home Education
Here are some learning strategies to walk through together at home so you don’t just survive with your children, but thrive.
What I Hope My Children Learn from these Uncertain Times
Social distancing allows children to learn a valuable lesson, maybe one of the most important lessons of their childhood. Read more.
Three Strategies to Survive and Thrive If Suddenly Faced with Homeschooling
In the United States, schools are closing at a rapid pace and parents are in uncharted waters to figure out how to homeschool their children. We’ve got three strategies that will help!
How to Talk to Children About Coronavirus
There’s no question that the Coronavirus COVID-19 is taking over our thoughts and conversations. This has left many parents wondering what they should say – and not say – to their children. Here are a few things to keep in mind in deciding what to share.
Videos
Modeling in the Classroom (After Covid)
This past school year was was incredibly hard for teachers and here at Momentous Institute that was no different. Our pre-k teacher, Crystal Ramirez, talks to us about some of her struggles and how she worked through them coming back from virtual learning.
Overwhelmed? | Animated
Who isn’t feeling overwhelmed these days? Here is just one tiny little trick that might help for those days when it all feels like too much.
Gratitude When Things Are Hard | Animated
Check out a few ways to practice gratitude with children even when hard things happen.
Back to School: Six Ways to Build Emotional Safety this School Year
Here are a couple ways to increase emotional safety for students this school year.
Big Behaviors in the Classroom
From our March 9, 2021 webinar, we examine frequent causes of big behaviors in the classroom and offer insight on how to manage them.
Trauma in the Classroom
From our March 2, 2021 webinar, we discuss trauma in the classroom and the most appropriate strategies for managing classrooms and campuses.