Natalie Stark EDU 3650

 During this semester we have learned a lot of social aspects of s students life in the school and out of the school. We as future educators should strive for positive relationships with not just our students but their families as well. With the advancement of technology the struggles that still remain from the pandemic and many other things that go on, it is important to build relationships with student families. This creates a more positive learning outcome for all! Not only does building relationships with your students and their parents benefit you as a teacher, but it benefits the parents and the student as well. " There are other advantages for children when parents become involved — namely, increased motivation for learning, improved behavior, more regular attendance, and a more positive attitude about homework and school in general." " Parents also benefit from being involved in their children's education by getting ideas from school on how to help and suppor

  https://news.yale.edu/2021/08/13/likes-and-shares-teach-people-express-more-outrage-online          In todays world, social media has become such a normal and popular part of our lives. Technology is constantly growing and in so many ways being very beneficial for schools, jobs and everyday life. Smartphones and laptops have become the main way we communicate nowadays. However, social media has many sides to it both negative and positive.           Thinking about how when I was in elementary school and middle school my teachers would collect our phones in the beginning of the day because we were not allowed to use them during school. Nowadays, schools incorporate using phones or technology into their classroom lessons. I believe technology has become very beneficial in the classrooms. Theres many different websites to use for quizzes, homework, projects and more. Things like Kahoot! to do fun review quizzes, or something like Canva to create projects. Even looking at how we do things

               As discussed previously on my blog, mental health is something almost everyone deals will in some way, shape or form. Mental and emotional health are two big concerns for people everywhere, but as teachers, discussing and being able to help students who may deal with any problems like this is very important. Students go through a lot of stressful situations, between schoolwork, friendships, relationships, family and just being a kid or teen can be hard. Creating mindful activities for students to use to help them with any struggles they may be having is something all teachers should carry.      This lesson plan focuses on practicing healthy coping activities for students suffering with mental and emotional health issues. It allows students to sit back and think about how they are feeling and why they may be feeling the way they are. In the lesson, students are asked to rate their stress levels on the scale from 1-10 shown above. This gives student the opportunity to refl

  https://www.wellmark.com/blue/healthy-living/how-to-be-more-mindful           It is very important to be mindful in all aspects of life. Mindfulness is the understanding and awareness of what your are feeling. Everyone struggles at times with over thinking or just getting in their own heads. Struggles with mental health or bullying can affect the way you learn and cause distractions for you. We see in schools a lot, the pressures and obligations of both the students and the teachers can really weigh them down. There may be something going on in your personal life, or you are just struggling academically to pay attention in class. Many students feel that way, and teachers too!      In the documentary, Room to Breathe, they showed us a class of students who were struggling to be cooperative and attentive in class. This class started practicing mindfulness activities to change their learning abilities. These activities were led by Megan Cowan who is the director of Mindful Schools. Ms.

          Thinking about how there are students and children in the world without a home or a set place to stay is heartbreaking. " Since  2008 , the number of homeless students identified by public schools each year has increased by more than 100%, from approximately 680,000 to 1,384,000 students in 2019 "  (Cai, 2020). These numbers are way too big.  Especially now with the pandemic people have been and may be facing homelessness. Children faced with homelessness suffer not only physically and mentally but academically. The film Homestretch was so heartbreaking to watch. The stories shared from the three kids, Roque, Kasey and Anthony all just made me so sad that any child has to deal with that. As hard as life was pushing them, it was very inspiring to see their devotion to their educations. In the film Kasey even said during one of her sessions how she "has to finish school. It's not a ch oice." (De Mare, Kelly & Taber, 2014). Kasey from the movie said s

  https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/09/29/mental-health-5-ways-to-learn-more.html           Mental Health is important everywhere. Mental Health involves ones emotional, psychological, and social well-being. So many families and individuals are impacted with mental health problems. It is so important to talk about mental health disorders because so many people experience them. According to NAMI,  "1 in 5  U.S. adults experience mental illness each year,  1 in 20  U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year,  1 in 6   U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year". (NAMI). As future educators, it is important to be able to understand your students, and let them know you care. Many students live with mental health disorders and it can cause issues with your learning. Distractions, low motivation, fear, and so much more. There is a wide variety of different mental health disorders, however they each deserve the same attention. The