by Melissa Merz
Client Success Manager, Eduscape
"How are you?"
"Welcome to class!"
"I’m happy you’re here!"
These 3 simple phrases are so simple, yet so impactful when it comes to building a classroom community!
As teachers, we have always focused our priorities on the overall well-being of our students - this is a given. When we “signed up” to be teachers, it was because we felt our calling to a greater purpose, and not just because we had a love for academic content and a need to spend countless nights grading papers.
Over the last 2 years, the mental health of our students, as well as ourselves, has turned very fragile. We as teachers are even more overworked, and feel underappreciated. We've become heroes to some, and even bigger heroes to many. But are we taking time for ourselves? If we're really the heroes that we're made out to be, why aren't we listening to our own bodies and minds? Now more than ever, it's critical that we take time for ourselves. We have to listen when we reflect on how we are feeling, and what our own needs are. And then - here's the hard part- we have to DO IT. If you know you need a break, take it. If you know a spa day fills your heart with all the happy feelings, book it. Walk the trails. Order the appetizer. Take the nap.
Just as we need to be self-aware and proactive in our own mental health, the same is true for our students. They learn from us - and they learn self-care from those who model it. We have to help guide them through the aftermath of a pandemic: learning loss, social skills declining, and so much more. We're all learning how to act and how to learn again, and that's ok. But we have to open up the line of communication now, more than ever, to help them understand their emotions and what they are feeling. One of the best ways to do that is through guided reflection and conversation.
A great resource to get real time data for that is School Day.
Top 5 Highlights of School Day
Student Perspective
Students can easily express how they are feeling in a safe and anonymous way.
When combining this with class discussions it creates a sense of belonging, they get the feeling that they are being heard and can contribute to the classroom culture, and learn important life skills that they need both in and outside of school.
Teacher Perspective
They get a clear overview of how their students are doing over time, 80% of teachers say they know what to do based on School Day’s data.
Teachers get tailored grade-specific content to support discussions and SEL lessons with their students. 93% of teachers say School Day helps them to support student’s well-being.
School Perspective
Increase in enhanced learning skills and motivation lead to a happier and more inclusive school culture. This in turn leads to GPA improvements and fewer absences / drop-outs.
Now is the best time to try School Day out by yourself and check how automated surveys and easy-to-read data insights will make your goal of increasing social emotional well-being easy to achieve even within the next few days.
Start your free teacher account today by clicking here!
by Melissa Merz
Client Success Manager, Eduscape
Teacher of 15 years
Elementary Education
Masters in Reading Education
Reading Specialist
Online Instruction and Assessment Specialist