Creating a culture of connection is critical if we truly aspire for excellence. Let’s start by learning the names of all students and our colleagues, pronouncing them correctly, and then being intentional in calling them by their name in every interaction. #Culturize

Children learn to love nature and the environment through their own experiences with it.

Have you tried greeting your students at the door? 👋 Simple words of greetings and encouragement can dramatically improve classroom dynamics, research found.⁠ ☀️

Grownups development too!

Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat. ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder. #Nature #Quotes #NatureQuotes

When children play in natural spaces, they’re far more likely to invent their own games than in more structured settings – a key factor in becoming self-directed and inventive adults later in life. ~ Richard Louv

Movement should be approached like life - with enthusiasm, joy and gratitude - for movement is life, and life is movement, and we get out of it what we put into it. ~ Ron Fletcher

Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. It is a small window of time to learn and develop at the pace that is right for each individual child. Earlier is not better. ~ Magda Gerber

NEW #EmotionalIntelligence RESEARCH ALERT Across multiple studies we found that educator well-being is associated with the emotionally intelligent behavior of their school leaders - something we’ve known intuitively, but now have the empirical evidence to demonstrate it. Note:

‌Got newcomer students in your classroom? Here are 3 tangible ways to make them feel welcome and help them thrive. 🌎

Play doesn't take away from learning!

Play, art, and music produce long-term changes in neural structures that influence thinking and reasoning abilities. ~ Joe Frost

RECESS In the playground, learning's not done, It's where kids shine and have loads of fun. Running, climbing, games galore, They learn so much, and then some more. Cooperation, sharing, taking turns, Resilience grows, as each one learns. Problem-solving, creativity too, Recess

You. Got. This ❤️👏

When administrators spend time in classrooms, they are reminded how much those teachers have to plan, how much they have to manage, and how unbelievably patient they are. Teachers are the heart and soul of every school.

We've always had SEL in schools. It was called recess, play, & classes like Music, Art, Physical Education. But they have been reduced or removed to spend more time on testing, & then we wonder why students lack social/ emotional skills & misbehavior that comes with lack of it.

Social skills are life skills. Here are 5 ways you can help the littlest learners develop a growth mindset and create calm in the classroom. 😌

Instructional leadership is not about improving teachers; It is about creating the conditions where teachers can improve themselves. Danny Steele #essentialtruths Todd Whitaker