​Promoting Positive Learning Climates Online and at Home

NOTE: links shared that take users beyond the Pennsylvania Department of Education's website to a non-PDE website, organization, product, process, service, manufacturer, or company do not constitute endorsement or recommendation by PDE, and, PDE is not responsible for the content featured on any of the sites or pages referenced. Educators should be mindful of digital resources that require teachers or students to create online accounts. Please check with district policies and consider HIPPA, FERPA, and COPPA laws with regards to student privacy BEFORE implementing any of these resources.

Strategies to Promote Safety/Wellness Online and at Home

Maintain norms and routines to the greatest extent possible

• Edutopia: Extending Classroom Management Online
• Huffington Post: sample at-home learning schedules
• Healthychildren.org: Family Media Plan

Provide age/role appropriate information to caregivers and children

Online safety and digital citizenship

• Applied Educational Systems digital citizenship resources
• REMS Guidance on Online Safety Conside​rations for K-12 School Districts

Ensure safe homes and workspaces

• ​​Safe Kids resources

Attend to physical and emotional safety needs through tiered systems of community support

• National Traumatic Stress Network: Coping in Hard Times Together
• 211 essential service​​s referral line

Support Strategies for Children, Families and Remote Teachers

Physical supports

Feeding and other services in conjunction with local service agencies

• 211 essential s​ervices referral line

​Exercise and wellness activities

• Healthy Kids Healthy Future website
• Move Your Way
• Nemours Kids Health in the Classroom
• PE Central
• ​Common ​Sense Media "Best Nutrition Health and Fitness Apps"​

Technology/connectivity

• ​​Everyoneon.org

Mental and behavioral health supports

Implement self-care routines for adults

• America Meditating Radio​
  
• American Psychological Association: Building Your Resilience
• Developing Yo​ur Sel​​​f-Care Plan
• Mindful Teachers Self-care Reso​urces
• SafeSpace: Resources and Tools to C​reate an Emotionally Safe Environment
• SAMHSA: Taking Care of Your B​ehavioral Health
• ​Teacher Well-​Being Workbook

Provide developmentally appropriate information and support

• National Council on Family Relations' list of resources on how to talk to children about tragedies
• National Institutes of Mental Health: Health Children and Adolescents Cope with Natural Disasters and Other Traumatic Events
• NAESP Helping Kids Cope with Tragedy (PDF)
  
• NASP Large-Scale Natu​ral Disasters: Helping Kids Cope

​Conduct periodic check-ins with students who have known needs

• ​Edutopia's "Per​sonalizing Engagement: Checking in with Students Before They Check Out"

​Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Strategies for Children

Resources for adults on modeling and promoting social emotional learning in the home

• PA Career Ready Skills: Im​plemen​tation: Specific Practices and Strategies
• CASEL Signature Practi​ces Playboo​k (PDF)
  
• Learning Heroes for Parents
• Parent's Guide to SEL
  

Recorded SEL or mindfulness videos (examples only)

• 8 Amazing Videos to Teac​h and Practice Mindfulness with Kids
  
• 5 Incredibly Fun GAMES to Teach Self-Regulation (YouTube)
  
• Sesame Street: Empathy (YouTube)
• Social and Emotional Learning: What is SEL and Why It Matters (YouTube)
  
• Yale Emotional Intelligence: Emotion Words (YouTube)
  

Online Story Times (examples only)

• 100 Read Alouds to Teach Social and Emotion​al Skills
• Instagram: SAVEWITHSTORIES

Practicing Social and Emotional Skills Remotely (examples only)

• ​Middle Web: Promote Book Talks with Online Literature Circles
• Scholastic: Writing Letters ​to a Pen Pal