From Gloom to Bloom: Four Strategies to Cultivate an Emotionally Upbeat Classroom

Outline

Tell Me Something Good (1 min) - Mix, mingle, and share something good with each other.
Smiling (3 min) - Play Pass the Smile.
Gratitude: (3 min) - Send a message of gratitude and debrief.
Emotions: (3 min) - Participants will select an emotion from a list and then debrief with a partner why they are feeling that way.
Humor: (3 min) - Find and share a funny joke.
Closer: (2 min) - Use the tool to reflect.

Each of the above activities will be prefaced with research behind the practice.

Supporting research

This session integrates personalized learning and emotional support. Research indicates personalized learning enhances student engagement by connecting goals to interests, and fostering a supportive environment (Bishop et al.). It also incorporates inquiry-based and problem-based learning, actively engaging learners in real-world problem-solving, which is essential for middle-grade education (Davis, AMLE).
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