Yesterday’s New York Times article Teach the Teachers Well by Suzanne Bouffard looks at the need for teachers to address students’ emotional needs as well as curriculum content to be effective in the today’s classrooms.  Citing the high number of behavioral and emotional issues among elementary and secondary school students, the article considers the success of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs that schools nationwide are using to meet states’ anti-bullying policies.  With more than three-quarters of teachers believing that SEL is important for academic success and the U.S. Department of Education recommending SEL in recent guidelines for improving school climate and discipline this short article is well worth your reading.

With over 35,000 free resources to enhance curriculum, PBS LearningMedia is a good place to explore bullying resources (e.g., videos, lesson plans) for a range of grade levels.  If you search behavioral problems and emotional issues at PBS LearningMedia you’ll find many, many more resources.