10/16/2020
Maslow before Bloom, especially during this time in history! ❤️
Tending to students’ well-being before tackling academics—“Maslow before Bloom”—isn’t easy to do, especially in the era of high-stakes testing and inflexible curricula.
But not prioritizing kids’ social and emotional needs, the research shows, is a mistake. “When we’re able to combine social, emotional, affective, and cognitive development together, we are creating many more interconnections in the developing brain that enable children to accelerate learning and development,” says child psychiatrist Pamela Cantor.
Here’s how to use Maslow daily so that students may Bloom:
• Welcome students: Take time to greet students at the door—or, when they’re learning from home, try admitting them one by one from a Zoom virtual waiting room. Research shows this can boost academic engagement and decrease disruptive behavior. It also helps kids feel they belong. Consider taking a few minutes at the beginning of class for light, non-academic chat: try a question like “What’s your favorite pizza?” and follow that up with a rose and thorn check-in. Or, if your classroom is virtual, ask kids to drop a simple thumbs up/down/sideways in the chat feature.
• Build SEL into the day: Consider breaking lessons into shorter chunks—research shows elementary kids lose focus after 10 minutes of direct instruction. Build in brain breaks, especially ones that get them out of their seats or involve intense kinetic activity like dancing. When kids seem antsy or upset, try breath work: inhale for four beats, hold for four, exhale for four. Consider setting up a peace corner where kids can calm their bodies and minds.
• Allow time for unstructured play: Packed academic schedules may tempt schools to deprioritize recess, but play helps kids de-stress, connect, and process and consolidate learned information. Remember that brain breaks and mindfulness look different at different ages, and even high school kids benefit from unplugging during the school day.
Link in bio.
