Reflecting on, and regulating emotions is a life-long learning process. Even as adults in the age of discussing the "Karens" - we all need to remember to take a moment to stop and think about how we're going to react to a problem, before our reaction becomes the problem. In an elementary classroom with lots of different personalities and energy levels, students may be working on the lines between "tattle-tale", needing an adult to help, or critical thinking to calmly solve problems on their own. In this realm of social-emotional learning, we've once again partnered with Cathy Henry, educator and founder of The Curriculum Corner and Free Word Work, to create this How Big is My Problem? lesson plan for elementary teachers to help students look at problems and regulate how they would (or should) react. By encouraging thoughtful reflection and practicing scenarios, students can begin to see how things might upset themselves and others, and how they can find their own solutions to many everyday issues.

VariQuest® is your source for the various tools and ideas you need to improve the classroom experience for teachers and students. We offer an exceptional array of learning tools and devices including learning tools for visual learners you can combine with your curriculum to transform the way your students are taught and how they learn.

Journaling is widely regarded as one way to improve mental health, as writing and reading about our feelings and events help us to process the emotions behind them. And because the activity is valuable for any age capable of reading and writing, it's a simple activity we can all share. Because generating the ideas or what to write about tends to be the hard part, consider following this journaling idea: have each student complete one page per day, divided into three sections about what they're reading, feeling, and learning. If you'd like to "theme" your prompts, you have the option to make them as complex or as simple as you'd like. Have students submit entries they're particularly proud of, for sharing with the greater class, and use all students' reading, feeling, and learning entries as opportunities to foster larger lessons and discussions with the whole group. It's crowdsourcing, weaved into your curriculum!

We can't control our feelings, but we can control how we act on them. For students learning this concept as they grow socially and emotionally, this means not only recognizing feelings, but understanding what causes them, and how the same scenarios may impact others differently. Because social-emotional learning for elementary students is such an important part of their learning and development, we've again partnered with Cathy Henry, educator and founder of The Curriculum Corner and Free Word Work, to create this Emotion Meter Lesson Plan Activity Booklet to help students identify and express their feelings in a healthy way to nurture growth not only emotionally but academically as well. By creating a supportive environment for group discussion and sharing, you'll create that sense of community every teacher hopes for in the classroom.

As educators, we prepare our students not only with the tools needed to succeed in reading, writing, and arithmetic, but we're also preparing them for success as they move into adulthood beginning college and careers. As such, many schools consider implementing student-based enterprise programs, to teach students real-world skills in exploring all the facets of running a business - from research & development to manufacturing to accounting to marketing. And because we know every educator could use extra tools to keep in their teaching "toolboxes" - we've put together a comprehensive booklet that just might help.

In our technological age which revolves around the use of smartphones and other mobile devices, giving students physical materials from which they can learn facts, ideas, and concepts can be a challenge. Teachers are competing with social media updates that can keep students’ attention away from learning in the classroom. However, when it comes to making presentations, teachers can make an impact with the use of many different types of visual aids. At VariQuest, we help teachers teach students more effectively through the use of teaching and learning aids, including visual aid posters.

A February 2022 National Education Association survey of its members revealed that 55% of educators were ready to leave the profession they loved earlier than planned. Factors like low pay, support staff shortages, school safety, and the stresses of post-pandemic teaching have led to widespread burnout and exhaustion like we've never seen before. Keeping quality teachers who are passionate about making a difference in students' lives is obviously of the utmost importance. And while teacher compensation and staffing shortages may be a constant puzzle to solve, there are a few ways you can help teachers feel supported enough to stick around. Here are some of the ways you can approach increasing teacher retention, and how VariQuest can help.

At the beginning of the school year, educators might be feeling excited, hopeful, stressed, or maybe apprehensive about what's to come. As the year moves along, the uncertainty felt at the beginning becomes more certain as teachers settle into what works with their specific set of students, but as an administrator you want to do everything possible to keep that excitement and hopeful momentum going. While more pay and coworker comradery are obvious benefits in a workplace, here are three things teachers want to stay motivated and happy in their schools - alongside ways we at VariQuest can help.

What is a sense of community? The feeling of belonging and mattering to a group. Connection is something we all want. Feeling connected to people, to places, and to things feels important - but perhaps more important is feeling like you're personally part of a bigger picture. In the classroom, it's not just making friends, it's connecting the entire group together. In the school, it's not just connecting the grade levels together, but connecting the older kids with the younger kids, encouraging role models and leadership. When students feel connected to their class and their school, they feel a sense of safety and belonging when entering the building. When students are genuinely connected to their teachers, there is mutual trust and respect. In this bonus installment of our social-emotional learning unit series, we spark discussion among students about how we can all be more inclusive, and make everyone feel like they belong.

Finding teachers. Keeping teachers. Supporting teachers. Inspiring teachers. Helping teachers. When it comes to giving teachers the support they need to do their jobs effectively, we can all pitch in to make the job easier. For an administrator, providing an efficient, favorable work environment is of the utmost importance to maintain staff morale and promote creativity and student success. As teachers are stretched in many different directions navigating not only standard curriculum, but supporting the social-emotional growth of students while handling classroom and behavioral management, providing tools that can help do all of these things should be at the top of the priority list. How can you help save time, save money, and save sanity - to make your teachers' lives easier?