Human Trafficking: Understanding the Impact and How to Help


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wordpress.lessonbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/human-trafficking-awareness-for-kids.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-325" srcset="https://wordpress.lessonbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/human-trafficking-awareness-for-kids.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.lessonbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/human-trafficking-awareness-for-kids-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.lessonbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/human-trafficking-awareness-for-kids-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To raise awareness about human trafficking and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this crime, we put together this blog with information, tips and resources. Read on to learn how you can help prevent human trafficking and provide support to its victims in your community and all over the world. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Scope of the Problem</strong></h2>



<p>Human trafficking continues to be a global crisis, affecting millions of people each year. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), over 87,000 victims were officially detected worldwide in 2022, a 25% increase from pre-pandemic levels. However, the hidden nature of this crime means the true number is likely far higher. The Global Slavery Index estimates that more than 40 million people globally may be living in modern slavery, including victims of forced labor, sexual exploitation, and forced marriage.</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>Specific Impact on Children</strong></p>



<p>Children are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking, with the UNODC reporting that 38% of detected victims in 2022 were minors. Many children are trafficked for forced labor, sexual exploitation, or even forced begging. The long-term impact on trafficked children includes severe physical and psychological harm, disruption of education, and loss of childhood.</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>Key Statistics on Children and Trafficking:</strong></p>



<p>31% increase in detected child victims from 2019 to 2022.</p>



<p>Many trafficked children come from vulnerable populations, such as those living in poverty or conflict zones.</p>



<p>Child victims are often exploited by people they know, including family members or community members.</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>How to Prevent Human Trafficking</strong></p>



<p>Preventing human trafficking requires a multi-faceted approach, including community awareness, education, and stronger legal protections. Here are practical steps individuals and communities can take:</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>1. Increase Awareness</strong></p>



<p>Educate yourself and others about the signs of human trafficking.</p>



<p>Host community workshops or seminars to spread awareness.</p>



<p>Share resources and information on social media to reach a broader audience.</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>2. Support Vulnerable Populations</strong></p>



<p>Volunteer with or donate to organizations that support at-risk groups, such as low-income families, refugees, and homeless youth.</p>



<p>Advocate for policies that provide better social support and protection for vulnerable communities.</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>3. Recognize the Signs of Trafficking</strong></p>



<p>Signs that someone may be a victim of trafficking include:</p>



<p>Sudden changes in behavior or appearance.</p>



<p>Lack of control over personal identification documents.</p>



<p>Signs of physical abuse or neglect.</p>



<p>Working long hours in poor conditions with little or no pay.</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>4. Report Suspicious Activity</strong></p>



<p>If you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, contact the appropriate authorities or a trusted organization immediately.</p>



<p>Contact Information for Nonprofits and Resources</p>



<p>National Human Trafficking Hotline (U.S.): 1-888-373-7888 or text &#8220;HELP&#8221; to 233733. Available 24/7.</p>



<p>UNODC Global Trafficking Hotline: Visit www.unodc.org for resources and regional contacts.</p>



<p>Polaris Project: www.polarisproject.org – Provides support, resources, and advocacy for victims of human trafficking.</p>



<p>ECPAT International: www.ecpat.org – Focuses on ending the sexual exploitation of children.</p>



<p>Walk Free Foundation: www.walkfree.org – Publisher of the Global Slavery Index and advocate for ending modern slavery.</p>



<p class="has-large-font-size"><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></p>



<p>Human trafficking is a crime that thrives in secrecy, affecting millions of lives globally. Children, in particular, are at significant risk of exploitation. By increasing awareness, supporting vulnerable populations, recognizing the signs of trafficking, and reporting suspicious activity, we can all play a part in combating this crisis. Together, we can work towards a world where every individual lives free from exploitation and fear.</p>



<p>Watch and share this video lesson on <a href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/2863/Human-Trafficking">Human Trafficking Prevention</a> with tips and resources, appropriate for grades 5 &#8211; 12. <a href="https://lessonbee.com/signup" data-type="link" data-id="https://lessonbee.com/signup">Sign up</a> for free to add this lesson to your Lessonbee health education class.</p>



<p></p>


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How Social Media Can Affect Teenage Self-Esteem

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1024px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Teenage-social-media-self-esteem.webp" alt="00_Hero-1" width="1024" height="576" /></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://lessonbee.com/blog/the-wheel-of-life-for-teens&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/120206/7/120206.pdf&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110171&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Almost half of U.S. teenagers&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; aged 13-17 say they’re online “almost constantly” — with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram topping their favorite platforms, according to Pew Research.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;As a parent, you may be concerned about how all that time on social media affects your &quot;],[0,[1],1,&quot;teen’s mental health&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; and self-esteem.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Teenagers rely heavily on social media to build and maintain relationships, be creative, and learn more about other cultures and diverse perspectives.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;However, social media can also have negative effects on teens. For example, &quot;],[0,[2],1,&quot;one study&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; found that social media use among teens is linked to anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and low self-esteem.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;During their adolescent years, teenagers go through the process of identity development, part of which includes their sense of self and self-image.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Since teens spend so much time on social media, their sense of self can be affected by the feedback they receive and the content they interact with while using social media platforms.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This article will cover the impact of social media use on a teen’s self-esteem — both positive and negative.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Social Media and Self-Esteem: The Positives&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;It’s important to acknowledge that it isn’t all doom and gloom when it comes to teen social media use and self-worth. It can have positive effects, too — below are three of the most significant.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;1. Peer Motivation&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Social media can inspire young people to develop healthy habits, try something new, follow their dreams, and speak up about things that matter to them. Teens can also find positive online role models beyond the limitations of their local area.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Moreover, many brands and influencers create valuable content providing instruction and support for cultivating a positive outlook and building healthy habits, such as meditation and exercise.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;2. Belonging and Acceptance&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Social networking sites can give teens and young adults a sense of belonging and acceptance because they allow them to access communities of people who share the same ideals or challenges.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This is particularly true for people who feel isolated or marginalized, such as LGBTQ youth or teens with mental health issues.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;3. Access to Mental Health Resources&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;A wide variety of mental health resources are available on social media apps, from Discord servers to Facebook mental health support groups. These resources can be extremely helpful for teens with mental illnesses or disorders.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;For example, one study found that patients with severe mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, &quot;],[0,[3],1,&quot;used social media&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; to feel less lonely and connect with people who have undergone similar experiences.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;In addition, companies that provide mental health tools and resources can reach the people who need them by sharing content on social media.&quot;]]]]}">
<div>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">Almost half of U.S. teenagers</a> aged 13-17 say they’re online “almost constantly” — with TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram topping their favorite platforms, according to Pew Research.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">As a parent, you may be concerned about how all that time on social media affects your <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/blog/the-wheel-of-life-for-teens">teen’s mental health</a> and self-esteem.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Teenagers rely heavily on social media to build and maintain relationships, be creative, and learn more about other cultures and diverse perspectives.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">However, social media can also have negative effects on teens. For example, <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/120206/7/120206.pdf">one study</a> found that social media use among teens is linked to anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and low self-esteem.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">During their adolescent years, teenagers go through the process of identity development, part of which includes their sense of self and self-image.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Since teens spend so much time on social media, their sense of self can be affected by the feedback they receive and the content they interact with while using social media platforms.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">This article will cover the impact of social media use on a teen’s self-esteem — both positive and negative.</p>
<h2>Social Media and Self-Esteem: The Positives</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">It’s important to acknowledge that it isn’t all doom and gloom when it comes to teen social media use and self-worth. It can have positive effects, too — below are three of the most significant.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">1. Peer Motivation</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Social media can inspire young people to develop healthy habits, try something new, follow their dreams, and speak up about things that matter to them. Teens can also find positive online role models beyond the limitations of their local area.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Moreover, many brands and influencers create valuable content providing instruction and support for cultivating a positive outlook and building healthy habits, such as meditation and exercise.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">2. Belonging and Acceptance</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Social networking sites can give teens and young adults a sense of belonging and acceptance because they allow them to access communities of people who share the same ideals or challenges.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">This is particularly true for people who feel isolated or marginalized, such as LGBTQ youth or teens with mental health issues.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">3. Access to Mental Health Resources</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">A wide variety of mental health resources are available on social media apps, from Discord servers to Facebook mental health support groups. These resources can be extremely helpful for teens with mental illnesses or disorders.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">For example, one study found that patients with severe mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0110171">used social media</a> to feel less lonely and connect with people who have undergone similar experiences.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">In addition, companies that provide mental health tools and resources can reach the people who need them by sharing content on social media.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1024px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Benefits-of-Social-Media-for-Teens-1.webp" alt="Benefits-of-Social-Media-for-Teens-1" width="1024" height="468" /></p>
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<p></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23727810.2020.1835420?journalCode=ucac20&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The Negative Effects of Social Media on Teenage Self-Esteem&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;As you can see, social media isn’t all bad for teenage self-esteem. However, it does have a dark side that can negatively impact teens and lead to lower self-esteem.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;1. Cyberbullying&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Unfortunately, cyberbullying is a reality for &quot;],[0,[0],1,&quot;59% of U.S. teens&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; who report having been bullied or harassed online. A similar number says it">
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<h2>The Negative Effects of Social Media on Teenage Self-Esteem</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">As you can see, social media isn’t all bad for teenage self-esteem. However, it does have a dark side that can negatively impact teens and lead to lower self-esteem.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">1. Cyberbullying</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Unfortunately, cyberbullying is a reality for <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/">59% of U.S. teens</a> who report having been bullied or harassed online. A similar number says it&#8217;s a major problem for people their age. The effects of cyberbullying — such as sadness, anger, frustration, and humiliation — can all contribute to low self-esteem.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Additionally, social media nurtures cyberbullies, who can get away with things they wouldn’t be able to say face-to-face. Some teens engage in cyberbullying online because of the anonymity it provides and the fact there’s no retaliation.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">According to a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23727810.2020.1835420?journalCode=ucac20">study by the University of Georgia</a>, teenagers who are addicted to social media are more likely to engage in cyberbullying.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1024px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/59-percent-of-US-teens-have-been-bullied-or-harassed-online.webp" alt="hero" width="1024" height="338" /></p>
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<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-how-social-media-affects-their-body-image.html&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://lessonbee.com/blog/managing-stress-in-high-school&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;2. Body Image Issues&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The way adolescents perceive their physical appearance contributes significantly to their self-esteem. Thanks to airbrushing and filters, social media often portrays appearances that are difficult or unrealistic to obtain.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This can make teenagers feel insecure about their looks, and many agree that social media has &quot;],[0,[0],1,&quot;affected their self-esteem&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;. In extreme cases, this can lead to problems such as eating disorders.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;3. Anxiety and Low Self-Esteem&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;When teens don’t receive the expected or desired feedback and engagement on social media, such as follows, likes, and comments, it can induce feelings of low self-esteem.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Teens may also feel pressure to perform or post the “right” kind of content, leading to a preoccupation with external validation and causing &quot;],[0,[1],1,&quot;stress&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; and anxiety.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;4. A Place to Hide Problems&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;For teenagers experiencing problems — whether at school, home, or with their mental or physical health — a carefully curated and edited feed can act as a smoke screen.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Someone posting selfies might look fine on the outside, but they could be masking serious issues, making it harder for parents, friends, and family members to see that they need help.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;5. Self-Doubt&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;On social media, teens (and let’s be honest, all of us) curate the highlights of their lives. The resulting content only shows the best and most enviable moments while concealing their efforts, struggles, and the mundane aspects of day-to-day life. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Social comparison comes naturally to humans, and it can be easy for teens to compare their real lives with someone else’s highlights reel, fueling self-doubt and leaving them with lower self-esteem and self-confidence.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;6. Peer Pressure&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Peer pressure has existed since before social media, but social networks have exacerbated it. With the constant exposure to and feedback from more people, there are more sources of peer pressure than there were for previous generations of teens. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The temptation to gain popularity and go viral can also lead teenagers to take risky actions for the sake of likes and follows.&quot;]]]]}">
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<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">2. Body Image Issues</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The way adolescents perceive their physical appearance contributes significantly to their self-esteem. Thanks to airbrushing and filters, social media often portrays appearances that are difficult or unrealistic to obtain.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">This can make teenagers feel insecure about their looks, and many agree that social media has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-how-social-media-affects-their-body-image.html">affected their self-esteem</a>. In extreme cases, this can lead to problems such as eating disorders.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">3. Anxiety and Low Self-Esteem</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">When teens don’t receive the expected or desired feedback and engagement on social media, such as follows, likes, and comments, it can induce feelings of low self-esteem.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Teens may also feel pressure to perform or post the “right” kind of content, leading to a preoccupation with external validation and causing <a href="https://lessonbee.com/blog/managing-stress-in-high-school">stress</a> and anxiety.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">4. A Place to Hide Problems</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">For teenagers experiencing problems — whether at school, home, or with their mental or physical health — a carefully curated and edited feed can act as a smoke screen.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Someone posting selfies might look fine on the outside, but they could be masking serious issues, making it harder for parents, friends, and family members to see that they need help.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">5. Self-Doubt</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">On social media, teens (and let’s be honest, all of us) curate the highlights of their lives. The resulting content only shows the best and most enviable moments while concealing their efforts, struggles, and the mundane aspects of day-to-day life.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Social comparison comes naturally to humans, and it can be easy for teens to compare their real lives with someone else’s highlights reel, fueling self-doubt and leaving them with lower self-esteem and self-confidence.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #234976;">6. Peer Pressure</span></strong></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Peer pressure has existed since before social media, but social networks have exacerbated it. With the constant exposure to and feedback from more people, there are more sources of peer pressure than there were for previous generations of teens.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The temptation to gain popularity and go viral can also lead teenagers to take risky actions for the sake of likes and follows.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1024px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Temptation-to-gain-popularity-and-go-viral.webp" alt="02_Quote" width="1024" height="397" /></p>
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<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://lessonbee.com/blog/how-to-teach-high-schoolers-about-sel&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;Social media is a crucial part of teenagers">
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<h2>Help Teens Have a Healthy Relationship with Social Media</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Social media can be a powerful tool for helping teenagers manage their mental health, but spending too much time scrolling or trying to get likes can have a negative impact on teenage mental well-being.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">If you need more resources to support your teen’s mental health and <a href="https://lessonbee.com/blog/how-to-teach-sel-to-high-schoolers" rel="noopener">social-emotional wellness</a>, visit the <a href="https://lessonbee.com/blog/how-social-media-can-affect-teenage-self-esteemf-esteem." rel="noopener">mental health section</a> of the Lessonbee content library for insights into health, learning, and well-being.</p>
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Mind Map: What Does Mental Health Include?

The Teacher’s Glossary of SEL and Pedagogical Terms

The Wheel of Life for Teens

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1024px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Teens-wheel-of-life.webp" alt="00_Hero-5" width="1024" height="576" /></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The wheel of life is a personal development tool that provides a visual representation of the different areas of your life. By filling out a wheel of life worksheet, teenagers can see which areas they’re prioritizing and which might be out of balance.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Life coaches often use the wheel of life — also known as the ‘balance wheel’ or ‘coaching wheel’ — with their clients to assess a person’s overall wellness and their current level of satisfaction with life. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The wheel of life exercise is a great way to refocus attention where it’s needed at any stage of life. However, it’s even more vital for teenagers, who face many challenges as they move through this transitional period of their lives. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Life can sometimes feel overwhelming as they navigate school, family, friendships, and the path to adulthood. A system that helps them assess where they’re at and what they can do to address imbalances can provide a sense of purpose and direction — and the wheel of life is one such tool. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Teachers and parents can use the wheel of life to support their students or children — but remember, it should not and cannot replace therapy, medication, or professional counseling.&quot;]]]]}">
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">The wheel of life is a personal development tool that provides a visual representation of the different areas of your life. By filling out a wheel of life worksheet, teenagers can see which areas they’re prioritizing and which might be out of balance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Life coaches often use the wheel of life — also known as the ‘balance wheel’ or ‘coaching wheel’ — with their clients to assess a person’s overall wellness and their current level of satisfaction with life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">The wheel of life exercise is a great way to refocus attention where it’s needed at any stage of life. However, it’s even more vital for teenagers, who face many challenges as they move through this transitional period of their lives.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Life can sometimes feel overwhelming as they navigate school, family, friendships, and the path to adulthood. A system that helps them assess where they’re at and what they can do to address imbalances can provide a sense of purpose and direction — and the wheel of life is one such tool.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Teachers and parents can use the wheel of life to support their students or children — but remember, it should not and cannot replace therapy, medication, or professional counseling.</span></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1024px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Wheel-of-life-not-replace.webp" alt="01_Text (1)" width="1024" height="451" /></p>
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<p></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}]],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;em&quot;]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This article will explain how to help teenagers build and use the wheel of life. We also provide two done-for-you templates that you can download and keep.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;How to Build Your Wheel of Life in 4 Easy Steps&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Guide your child or students through the following steps to build their wheel of life&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Step One: Choose the Categories&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The categories should reflect the areas of life that are most important to each individual. To get started, invite them to think about everything they do over a week or month.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;For example, going to school (or attending home school) could be one category, while homework could be another. Perhaps they play a sport or musical instrument — those could be two more categories.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Then, ask them to think about their personal lives, who they spend time with, and what they like to do. They could have one category for family, another for friends, and one for hobbies. If they have a romantic relationship, they might want to include that.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Next, ask them about self-care and well-being. Perhaps they like to make sure they eat a healthy diet. If so, that can be a category. Maybe they take medications or make regular doctor’s visits? Include those. If they enjoy any self-care practices, such as yoga, they can include those.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Another category could be finances — for example, if they’re saving money to buy a car, travel, or go to college. If they have a part-time job, they could include that.&quot;],[1,[],0,0],[1,[],0,1],[0,[],0,&quot;Here’s an example of what their list might look like:&quot;]]],[3,&quot;ul&quot;,[[[0,[],0,&quot;Studying for high school or college&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Work (a part-time job or any freelance work that makes them a bit of money)&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Football&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Gym (or any other physical activity)&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Piano lessons (or any other hobby they might have)&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Family&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Friendships&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Healthy eating&quot;]]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Each teenager’s list will probably look different from this one, and that’s okay. The important thing is to cover everything that’s important to &quot;],[0,[0],1,&quot;them&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Step Two: Draw The Wheel of Life&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Have your child or students draw a circle (or use our template!) and divide it into eight to ten equal sections so they look like pizza slices. Ask them to assign each section of the circle to an area of life from their list. Alternatively, scroll down and find the circle of life templates we created just for you.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Step Three: Assess Each Category&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;For each area of life, ask each child or student to think about how satisfied they are with where they’re at and how much room there is for improvement. Have them score each category from zero to five — zero being very unsatisfied and five being very satisfied.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;For each ‘slice’ of the circle, ask them to place a dot in the circle according to its score — zero will be in the center, and five will be on the outer edge.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Step Four: Connect the Dots&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Once each category has its own dot, have them draw lines that connect all the dots together. This will create a diagram showing which areas of their life they’re prioritizing and which may need some extra attention.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Here’s an example of what a completed wheel of life might look like:&quot;]]]]}">
<div>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">This article will explain how to help teenagers build and use the wheel of life. We also provide two done-for-you templates that you can download and keep.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">How to Build Your Wheel of Life in 4 Easy Steps</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Guide your child or students through the following steps to build their wheel of life</p>
<h3 style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 25px;"><span style="color: #234976;">Step One: Choose the Categories</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">The categories should reflect the areas of life that are most important to each individual. To get started, invite them to think about everything they do over a week or month.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">For example, going to school (or attending home school) could be one category, while homework could be another. Perhaps they play a sport or musical instrument — those could be two more categories.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Then, ask them to think about their personal lives, who they spend time with, and what they like to do. They could have one category for family, another for friends, and one for hobbies. If they have a romantic relationship, they might want to include that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Next, ask them about self-care and well-being. Perhaps they like to make sure they eat a healthy diet. If so, that can be a category. Maybe they take medications or make regular doctor’s visits? Include those. If they enjoy any self-care practices, such as yoga, they can include those.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Another category could be finances — for example, if they’re saving money to buy a car, travel, or go to college. If they have a part-time job, they could include that. Here’s an example of what their list might look like:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Studying for high school or college</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Work (a part-time job or any freelance work that makes them a bit of money)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Football</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Gym (or any other physical activity)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Piano lessons (or any other hobby they might have)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Family</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Friendships</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Healthy eating</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Each teenager’s list will probably look different from this one, and that’s okay. The important thing is to cover everything that’s important to <em>them</em>.</span></p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #234976;">Step Two: Draw The Wheel of Life</span></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Have your child or students draw a circle (or use our template!) and divide it into eight to ten equal sections so they look like pizza slices. Ask them to assign each section of the circle to an area of life from their list. Alternatively, scroll down and find the circle of life templates we created just for you.</span></p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #234976;">Step Three: Assess Each Category</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">For each area of life, ask each child or student to think about how satisfied they are with where they’re at and how much room there is for improvement. Have them score each category from zero to five — zero being very unsatisfied and five being very satisfied.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">For each ‘slice’ of the circle, ask them to place a dot in the circle according to its score — zero will be in the center, and five will be on the outer edge.</p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #234976;">Step Four: Connect the Dots</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Once each category has its own dot, have them draw lines that connect all the dots together. This will create a diagram showing which areas of their life they’re prioritizing and which may need some extra attention.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Here’s an example of what a completed wheel of life might look like:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1024px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Wheel-of-Life.webp" alt="02_Wheel of Life" width="1024" height="763" /></p>
</div>
</div>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[[&quot;file&quot;,{&quot;loop&quot;:false,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://ghost.lessonbee.com/content/files/2022/11/Pre-Filled-Wheel-of-Life-Template.pdf.download.zip&quot;,&quot;fileName&quot;:&quot;Pre-Filled Wheel of Life Template.pdf.download.zip&quot;,&quot;fileTitle&quot;:&quot;Download the Pre-Filled Wheel of Life Template Here&quot;,&quot;fileCaption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;fileSize&quot;:804455}],[&quot;file&quot;,{&quot;loop&quot;:false,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://ghost.lessonbee.com/content/files/2022/11/Blank-Wheel-of-Life-Template.pdf&quot;,&quot;fileName&quot;:&quot;Blank Wheel of Life Template.pdf&quot;,&quot;fileTitle&quot;:&quot;Download the Blank Wheel of Life Template Here&quot;,&quot;fileCaption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;fileSize&quot;:852067}]],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.lessonbee.com/signup&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;What Next?&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Teenagers can think of the different areas of life as the toppings on their pizza slices. Invite them to think about which of their ‘pizza toppings’ they might need more or less of. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;For example, maybe they don’t like the amount of time they spend studying, especially if it leaves them with less time for hobbies or spending time with family and friends. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Ask them to think about how they could create greater balance in this situation. Do they need extra support? Maybe they’re pushing themselves too hard and need to cut themselves some slack. Have them brainstorm actions that will help them balance their wheel.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Download Our Wheel of Life Template&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;We’ve created two downloadable wheel of life templates to save you from having to make them from scratch. One is blank, so teenagers can fill out their own categories. On the other, we’ve added some suggested universally-relevant categories so you can jump straight in and get started.&quot;]]],[10,0],[10,1],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The wheel of life is a handy tool that you can use to help teenagers regularly reassess and readjust different areas of their lives. Doing this exercise regularly can foster a growth mindset and empower teenagers to take control of their health and well-being. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;If you’re looking for more resources to support teenagers in their personal development, &quot;],[0,[0],1,&quot;sign up to Lessonbee&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;. You’ll gain immediate access to classes, interactive content, and other culturally-relevant resources to help teens create more balance in their lives.&quot;]]]]}">
<div>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">What Next?</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Teenagers can think of the different areas of life as the toppings on their pizza slices. Invite them to think about which of their ‘pizza toppings’ they might need more or less of.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">For example, maybe they don’t like the amount of time they spend studying, especially if it leaves them with less time for hobbies or spending time with family and friends.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Ask them to think about how they could create greater balance in this situation. Do they need extra support? Maybe they’re pushing themselves too hard and need to cut themselves some slack. Have them brainstorm actions that will help them balance their wheel.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Download Our Wheel of Life Template</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">We’ve created two downloadable wheel of life templates to save you from having to make them from scratch. One is blank, so teenagers can fill out their own categories. On the other, we’ve added some suggested universally-relevant categories so you can jump straight in and get started.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The wheel of life is a handy tool that you can use to help teenagers regularly reassess and readjust different areas of their lives. Doing this exercise regularly can foster a growth mindset and empower teenagers to take control of their health and well-being.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">If you’re looking for more resources to support teenagers in their personal development, <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/signup">sign up to Lessonbee</a>. You’ll gain immediate access to classes, interactive content, and other culturally-relevant resources to help teens create more balance in their lives.</p>
</div>
</div>

The Superintendent’s Guide to Social Emotional Learning

How to Develop Social Awareness through Social Emotional Learning

What is Culturally Responsive Social Emotional Learning and Why It is Important

What are the Five Pillars of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)?

How to Develop Student Self-Awareness through Social-Emotional Learning

How to Create an Inclusive Classroom


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/How-to-Create-an-Inclusive-Classroom_o.webp" alt=""/></figure>



<p>Creating an inclusive classroom allows all students to feel respected, happy and safe in their learning environment. These feelings help them learn and develop better than they would in an unsupportive environment. Inclusive environments help students learn about diverse backgrounds and perspectives, communicate with their peers and practice empathy.</p>



<p>To create inclusive classrooms, teachers should educate themselves, set clear behavior standards for students, model respect and provide space for students to practice empathy. Various inclusive classroom strategies can help teachers accomplish these goals and support their students.</p>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What Is an Inclusive Classroom?</strong></h2>



<p>An inclusive classroom is a learning environment that supports all students, no matter what their individual needs or learning barriers are. Creating an inclusive learning environment means teachers and other school staff provide students with equal achievement opportunities and learning access. A student may find learning and achievement more difficult if they:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Speak English as a second language.</li>



<li>Come from a low-income family.</li>



<li>Are part of a minority community.</li>



<li>Identify as a different gender or sexuality.</li>



<li>Have a disability or different mental abilities.</li>
</ul>



<p>Creating an inclusive classroom also means&nbsp;<a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1230740.pdf">providing a respectful, welcoming environment</a>&nbsp;that makes students feel comfortable. Teachers can implement many strategies to create inclusive, happy, safe and purposeful learning environments.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Who Benefits From Inclusive Education?<br></strong></h3>



<p>Inclusive education can benefit all students. Inclusive classroom strategies directly benefit students with additional needs, but they can also benefit students who don&#8217;t need special assistance. Inclusive education strategies have no impact or a positive impact on most students without additional needs. All students can benefit from additional support and a welcoming environment.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Focus on Students&#8217; Safety<br></strong></h3>



<p>To provide a safe learning environment, teachers should focus on creating&nbsp;<a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1256415">a sense of psychological safety</a>&nbsp;for their students. Psychological safety is a sense that individuals can be themselves and speak up without the risk of being ridiculed, embarrassed, punished or rejected. It requires mutual respect and interpersonal trust. Teachers can facilitate safe, inclusive classrooms by creating space for difficult conversations regarding diversity. In doing so, they can mediate between students of diverse backgrounds, races, ethnicities and sexual orientations.</p>



<p>Creating space for difficult conversations facilitates learning, unity-building, acceptance and healing. Let students know they can come to you, and provide ways for them to share their thoughts and feelings safely. Never make a student feel embarrassed or ashamed for what they share with you. Students who feel safe at school will learn and perform better.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Inclusion Strategies<br></strong></h3>



<p>To create an inclusive classroom for your students, try integrating these strategies.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. Elevate Your Curriculum</strong></h3>



<p>Make sure your curriculum represents all perspectives and doesn&#8217;t exclude any certain backgrounds. For example, educational units about family structure should focus on all types of family structures, and lessons on public policy should include subjects such as race issues and other social justice topics. When using examples to talk about any subject, use multiple examples that relate to students of various backgrounds.</p>



<p>Additionally, don&#8217;t avoid talking about historical events even if they involve sensitive topics. Use these teaching moments to have difficult conversations about events that happened historically.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Use Inclusive Language</strong></h3>



<p>Examine your current language, and ensure you use inclusive language. For example, use appropriate pronouns for individuals based on how they identify. Model inclusive language by avoiding outdated or offensive terms, and address when students use any offensive terms. Use these instances as learning opportunities. If you use American English idioms, explain what they mean so students who are non-native English speakers can also understand them.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Create and Enforce Class Values and Behavior Standards</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/make-students-follow-steps.webp" alt=""/></figure>



<p>Create short, simple rules for children to follow. Make sure your students know they should always follow these rules because their purpose is to make everyone feel respected and safe. Some examples of rules include the following behavioral standards:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Aggression or violence is never allowed.</li>



<li>Foul or hateful language is unacceptable.</li>



<li>All peers have the right to express their thoughts and feelings.</li>



<li>All peers have the right the feel respected and safe.</li>



<li>Respect others&#8217; property.</li>
</ul>



<p>Enforce your classroom rules with straightforward, proportionate and consistent consequences. For example, the consequence for speaking over another student may be that they have to talk to you after class. The first time they speak over someone, you can give a stern look or a verbal warning, and if they continue for a second time you can write their name down on a piece of paper. If they repeat the action after these warnings, you can tell them they have to see you after the lesson.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Create Space for Students to Practice Empathy</strong></h3>



<p>Create space for students to engage with one another respectfully, but don&#8217;t force these instances. This allows students to listen to and learn from one another, fostering empathy. Utilizing&nbsp;<a href="https://lessonbee.com/content/lessons">educational mental health content</a>&nbsp;can help students understand their emotions and learn how to be more empathetic toward their peers. Teaching students&nbsp;<a href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/29/Communicating-and-Respecting-Boundaries">how to communicate and respect boundaries</a>&nbsp;can help them engage with their peers respectfully.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. Focus on Global Competence</strong></h3>



<p>Include global learning in your curriculum to create a culturally inclusive classroom. Global competence gives students the skills and knowledge to learn about the world, recognize diverse perspectives, communicate ideas and take action to make a difference in the world. Encourage students to be curious about the world, and teach them about various world events, cultures and global perspectives.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6. Avoid Making Assumptions Based on Stereotypes</strong></h3>



<p>Avoid making assumptions about students based on stereotypes, and educate your class with this mindset. For example, students with learning disabilities are not dumb, and a student who identifies as gay is not automatically attracted to every boy in the class. Similarly, a female student who is upset is not automatically on her period.</p>



<p>Additionally, avoid singling a student out to speak for or represent their whole group. This can make students of underrepresented identities feel like they stick out.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>7. Educate Yourself</strong></h3>



<p>Actively learn about your students and make an effort to educate yourself as a teacher. Do your best to unlearn negative assumptions and habits. Learn about different social and cultural groups, engage in difficult conversations and remain aware of social issues. Expand your social justice vocabulary by learning the meaning of terms such as microaggression, allyship, white privilege, false equivalency and culturally responsive. The more you educate yourself about diversity, social justice and inclusion, the more you can educate your students.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Explore Lessonbee&#8217;s Health and Wellness Content</strong></h2>



<p>Inclusive schools work hard to ensure that all students feel respected and safe in their learning environment. Teachers can create inclusive classrooms by educating themselves, listening to students, teaching empathy, building an inclusive curriculum and creating behavior standards that enforce respect. You can create an inclusive learning environment with Lessonbee&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://lessonbee.com/content">Health and Wellness content</a>. Explore our selection of free content, or&nbsp;<a href="https://lessonbee.com/signup">sign up for a membership</a>&nbsp;that meets your classroom&#8217;s needs. We provide schools with inclusive, age-appropriate and culturally responsive educational content.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/lessonbee-signup.webp" alt=""/></figure>


Managing Stress in High School


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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Managing-Stress-in-High-School-1.jpeg" alt=""/></figure>



<p>Your high school days can be stressful. With increasingly difficult academics, participating in extracurriculars, preparing for college, socializing with friends and working a part-time job, it&#8217;s crucial that you manage your time and your stress level. Managing stress in high school can be a daunting task. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with the many demands on your time and energy, these stress management techniques for students can help you alleviate your worries and calm your mind.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What Causes Stress in High School Students?</strong></h2>



<p>Before getting into some of the ways you can manage your stress, let&#8217;s take a look at some of the underlying causes of stress in high school. We&#8217;ve all wondered at some point about why high school is so stressful, but when you step back and look at your daily high school routine, it&#8217;s not hard to find the causes of stress. In life, there is good stress and bad stress.</p>



<p>Stress can drives people to accomplish great things, and a little bit of pressure can be a good thing, especially as a young person. It teaches you to handle real-world situations and challenges by rising to the occasion. If you&#8217;re stressed about something, such as your grades or overall academic performance, that&#8217;s a sign you care and are passionate about your success. Bad stress occurs when these worries begin to consume your thoughts or otherwise negatively impact other areas of your life.</p>



<p>As a high school student, you likely have a rigorous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lessonbee.com/blog/should-i-homeschool-my-child-6-things-to-consider">schedule of academics</a>, extracurriculars and a part-time job or other additional responsibilities that quickly fill your days, leaving you without much free time.</p>



<p>High school certainly stretches your time and energy thin, leaving you overwhelmed and exhausted. This is a perfect recipe for being stressed out and, at times, burnt out. You must take time to recognize and acknowledge your sources of stress. Some of the most common sources of stress during your time in high school include:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Academic demands</strong>: It goes without saying that high school classes are hard, especially if you&#8217;re enrolled in advanced placement (AP) courses or college introductory courses. During your sophomore and junior years, you have a large academic workload that will dictate your college or post-secondary learning experience. From calculus to chemistry, the academic demands alone are stressful and time-consuming.</li>



<li><strong>Time management</strong>: School during the day, clubs or sports in the afternoons and a part-time job in the evenings all quickly fill your days and consume your time. Factor in the occasional homework assignment or class project and it&#8217;s a wonder you have any time for anything other than work and school. Be aware of the demands of your time and take it one step at a time.</li>



<li><strong>Increased responsibilities</strong>: As a high school student, you suddenly find yourself thrust into adulthood with little time to prepare.</li>



<li><strong>Social pressures</strong>: The social pressures in high school are immense. You&#8217;re expected to conduct yourself as a grown-up without having the freedoms and liberties afforded to an independent adult. Dating, friends, family, pressure to succeed, pressure to plan your life after graduation and social media are all sources of social stress that can be overwhelming.</li>



<li><strong>Fear of failure</strong>: High school is a pressure-filled time that has likely been presented to you, at some point, as your only chance to be successful in life. True, you can set yourself up for a lot of future success by performing at a high level in high school, but remember that one low grade or one poor test score is not the end of the world.</li>
</ul>



<p>These are just a few of the many sources of stress in your life as a high school student, and you&#8217;ve likely experienced one or all of these on a daily or weekly basis. Keep in mind high school is just the beginning of your adult life, and it&#8217;s OK to make mistakes. Set expectations and goals for the future, and try to be patient and lenient with yourself. When you feel yourself becoming too stressed, overworked or otherwise exhausted mentally and physically, take a deep breath and&nbsp;<a href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/2/Managing-Stress-and-Building-Resilience">remind yourself that you&#8217;re strong, resilient and capable</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Long Term Effects of Stress</strong></h2>



<p>As mentioned earlier, there is good stress and bad stress. Bad stress has negative long-term effects on many different areas of your life including your mental, emotional and physical well-being. You&#8217;ve probably heard the term &#8220;fight or flight&#8221; as a way to describe the emotional and physical response people experience when they&#8217;re placed in a stressful situation. This term typically refers to life-threatening scenarios where you find yourself either fighting for your life or escaping to safety.</p>



<p>Many of the stress-inducing situations we experience today are not life or death situations. But our body&#8217;s response to stress remains the same. When experiencing environmental, emotional, physical or social sources of stress, your&nbsp;<a href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/26/How-the-Body-Works">body produces hormones</a>&nbsp;that quickly trigger physiological changes in you.</p>



<p>Situations such as looming work deadlines, social conflicts and worries about time or money can trigger these responses. This is your fight or flight kicking in, telling you that you need to take one of two actions. Over time, frequently responding to stressors in this manner is detrimental to your overall mental, physical and emotional health. This is known as chronic stress. It happens when your brain and body are consistently placed in &#8220;fight or flight&#8221; mode, and it has serious long-term effects on your overall well-being.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response">Chronic stress has been linked</a>&nbsp;to numerous issues including:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Depression</li>



<li>Addiction</li>



<li>Obesity</li>



<li>Anxiety</li>
</ul>



<p>Those with lasting effects are often diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The good news is you can take steps to manage your stress. Handling stress in class or dealing with stress in high school requires you to take an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lessonbee.com/content">active role to eliminate or reduce the effects stress</a>&nbsp;has on your life and overall well-being.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>How to Manage Stress</strong></h2>



<p>Now that you understand more about what causes stress and the ways it can negatively impact your overall health and emotional well-being, it&#8217;s time to dive into a few ways you can manage stress. Here are some helpful stress management techniques for students, especially if you&#8217;re often stressed out at school.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. Focus on a Healthy Sleeping Pattern</strong></h3>



<p>High school can be a time of long days in the classroom and insufficient sleep. One of the best ways to handle stress while in high school or any other time in your life is to have a routine sleep schedule that allows you to get plenty of rest at night.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htm">According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>&nbsp;(CDC), teenagers 13-18 years old should get at least 8-10 hours of sleep every night.</p>



<p>As a developing and growing teenager, your mind and body are undergoing many changes and you need to have plenty of quality sleep to be at your best during the day. Studies have shown that teens and adolescents who don&#8217;t get the recommended amount of sleep on a nightly basis are more likely to experience health issues such as obesity, diabetes and poor mental health. They may also have trouble paying attention during the day. Roughly 72% of teenagers surveyed in the CDC&#8217;s study reported not getting the recommended amount of sleep on a consistent basis.</p>



<p>If you want to reduce your stress levels and prepare yourself for the challenges of the day, you&#8217;ll want to start by focusing on a healthy sleeping pattern with 8-10 hours of sleep each night.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Speak With an Adult</strong></h3>



<p>You might feel like no one understands or can identify with the stress you&#8217;re experiencing in high school, but many people have experienced similar feelings. Take time to talk with an adult about the issues and concerns that regularly stress you out. Many times, just sitting down to talk about your problems and stressors with an adult such as a counselor, teacher, coach or parent helps more than you&#8217;d think. Vocalizing the issues and challenges that serve as sources of bad stress in your life can help you cope and manage your stress in a healthy way.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Exercise and Get Enough Physical Activity</strong></h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Exercise-impacts-on-health-mood.jpeg" alt=""/></figure>



<p>One of the best stress relievers at any age is exercise and physical activity. As a high school student, you sit in class all day and are mostly sedentary for a large portion of the day. If you&#8217;re not on a sports team, finding time to exercise in high school can be a challenge. However, exercising for as little as 30 minutes per day can have lasting impacts on your health, mood and overall well-being. Whether it&#8217;s walking with friends, lifting weights or playing a friendly game of pick-up basketball, exercise and physical activity are proven stress relievers.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469">According to the Mayo Clinic</a>, the benefits of exercise are proven to reduce stress and enhance your mood in several ways, including:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Taking your mind off of stress-inducing situations</strong>: Exercising, walking, lifting weights or playing a game such as basketball or tennis with friends takes your mind off those areas of your life that cause you stress. It&#8217;s a way to clear your mind and recenter yourself after a long, stressful day at school and work.</li>



<li><strong>Stimulating your brain to release beneficial, stress-fighting chemicals</strong>: When you exercise, your brain releases beneficial chemicals known as neurotransmitters, most notably endorphins. Endorphins are your body&#8217;s feel-good chemicals that are released through cardiovascular activities such as tennis, basketball, running or hiking.</li>



<li><strong>Imitating the effects of stress</strong>: When you exercise, your body imitates the effects of stress without the harmful side effects. Your body is put through a similar situation as it would if your fight or flight reaction kicked in, just without the danger of a life or death situation.</li>



<li><strong>Allowing you to sleep better at night</strong>: Physical activity helps you get the tension out of your muscles and increases blood and oxygen flow to your brain, heart and other vital organs. Together, this can help you relax more easily and ultimately sleep better at night.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Create a Support Group</strong></h3>



<p>Surrounding yourself with others who are experiencing similar challenges and who face the same sources of stress as yourself is an incredibly beneficial and therapeutic activity. Create an after-school club that offers a safe space where you and other high school students can share your thoughts, aspirations and advice for dealing with challenges associated with being a high school student.</p>



<p>Just like talking with a trusted adult can have a stress-reducing effect on your life, sitting down with other students dealing with the same issues as yourself is extremely helpful when managing your stress. You&#8217;re not alone in the challenges and adversity you face, and sometimes you just need confirmation that others are going through the same things as you.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Practice Mindfulness</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/">According to Mindful.org</a>, mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we&#8217;re doing, and not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by what&#8217;s going on around us. It&#8217;s something we&#8217;re all capable of practicing and that we all possess, and it&#8217;s a human characteristic that works best when it&#8217;s practiced regularly.</p>



<p>Mindfulness is a practice where you allow yourself to take a step back and observe. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a natural healing approach that combines meditation with yoga. Developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s, MBSR takes mindfulness practice to another level and was initially intended to help those struggling with life&#8217;s difficulties. You can practice MBSR in the following ways:</p>



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Set aside time each day to sit peacefully and quietly and think. Combine this with closing your eyes, visualizing your challenges and deep breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. You can start with small 15-20 minute blocks and work your way up to 45-minute blocks. Spending time in quiet and being alone with your thoughts is an excellent way to <a href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/2/Managing-Stress-and-Building-Resilience">improve your mental health</a> and reflect on everything that happened throughout your day.</li>



<li>Lay flat on your bed, the floor or the ground outside with your hands by your side and your body relaxed. Close your eyes and move your awareness through your body. Start at the top with your head, face, mouth, nose and work your way down, stopping to think about each part of your body. If you get to a spot on your body that seems unusually tight or tense, stop and focus your breathing on that area until it relaxes before moving on. This <a href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/15/Mental-Health-Awareness">helps your mind and body get in sync</a> with one another, bringing awareness of &#8220;yourself&#8221; into focus.</li>



<li>Stretch your muscles with yoga as you practice mindfulness. Yoga and mindfulness work together to melt away your stress. A form of exercise, yoga is a series of poses you hold in place for several seconds or minutes while focusing on your breathing and clearing your mind. Focus on the pose, breathe and repeat. Soon, your stress will begin to fade away, leaving you relaxed and focused.</li>
</ol>



<p>Mindfulness is more about you and less about others. There is no wrong way to practice mindfulness, and the purpose of engaging in these types of activities is to create harmony in your mind, body and spirit. Approach mindfulness activities with an&nbsp;<a href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/93/Lessonbee-Mental-Health-(Texas)">open and accepting frame of mind</a>. Allow your worries to come and let them pass by again, taking each thought as it comes and goes. It&#8217;s meant to relax your mind and body as a way to shift your mindset and regain focus in chaotic, stressful situations.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6. Healthy Diet</strong></h3>



<p>It may seem difficult to eat a healthy diet as a high school student, but making a conscious effort to put nutritious food in your body can have a range of health benefits, including reductions in your stress levels. Stress negatively impacts your body&#8217;s natural blood flow and has negative effects on things such as blood pressure, heart rate and inflammation in your body.</p>



<p>Unhealthy foods that contain high amounts of sugar and fats and low amounts of beneficial vitamins C, D and B compound these negative effects, increasing your likelihood of developing diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and lean proteins such as fish and chicken breast combat the negative effects of stress by reducing inflammation and lowering your blood sugar levels.</p>



<p>Eating your meals at home rather than getting fast food is a great place to start your healthy diet. You can bring healthy snacks such as almonds, bananas and apples with you to school. These options are all healthier than vending machine chips or candy bars. Start taking an active role in your diet now to set yourself up for success down the road as you move toward college and living independently.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Learn More About Managing Stress in High School With Lessonbee</strong></h2>



<p>High school is undoubtedly a stressful and challenging time in your life. Academic demands and added responsibilities such as working and driving accompany your rise into adulthood. Academic demands and added responsibilities such as working and driving accompany your rise into adulthood. Your time and energy are pushed to the limit during your high school days, expanding your horizons and often leaving you exhausted and stressed to the max.</p>



<p>Luckily, you can manage your stress by following some of the tips and techniques outlined above. Getting plenty of sleep, taking time to exercise and eating healthy foods are all proven ways to effectively manage stress and reduce the negative impacts stress takes on your mind and body.</p>



<p>At Lessonbee, we offer free educational content designed for high school students like yourself who are experiencing the challenges of adolescence and growing into young adulthood. When you&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lessonbee.com/signup">sign up for Lessonbee</a>, you&#8217;ll receive instant access to valuable interactive content, classes and other culturally relevant learning materials designed to foster a healthy lifestyle. This content can help you develop lifelong habits that have positive impacts on your health and well-being.</p>



<p><a href="https://lessonbee.com/content/free-videos">Check out Lessonbee&#8217;s free videos</a>&nbsp;and other content to get started on the path to a long, happy and healthy life today!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Lessonbee-managing-stress.jpeg" alt=""/></figure>


Should I Homeschool My Child? 6 Things to Consider

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Should-I-Homeschool-My-Child__o-1.jpg" alt="Should-I-Homeschool-My-Child__o-1" width="1760" height="990" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 938px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Homeschool-6things-to-consider.png" alt="image-3" width="938" height="625" /></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}]],&quot;cards&quot;:[[&quot;image&quot;,{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://ghost.lessonbee.com/content/images/2022/01/image-4.png&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:938,&quot;height&quot;:625,&quot;cardWidth&quot;:&quot;&quot;}],[&quot;image&quot;,{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://ghost.lessonbee.com/content/images/2022/01/image-5.png&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:938,&quot;height&quot;:625}]],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/homeschooling-on-the-rise-during-covid-19-pandemic.html?utm_campaign=20210322msacos1ccstors&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.lessonbee.com/content&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.lessonbee.com/parents&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://hslda.org/legal?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrJOMBhCZARIsAGEd4VFZ1T0qqrRODN019I4FCWwcuJSsmoO331GtFUiIgg7SWioWtG8YG8kaAnVoEALw_wcB&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.lessonbee.com/subscribe&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Many parents have grappled with the question of whether they should homeschool or not at some point. The recent rise of homeschooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic has more parents than ever wondering if and why they should homeschool their children. Making the switch to homeschooling is a big decision that involves numerous variables.&quot;],[1,[],0,0],[0,[],0,&quot;Below, you" data-based="">
<div>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Many parents have grappled with the question of whether they should homeschool or not at some point. The recent rise of homeschooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic has more parents than ever wondering if and why they should homeschool their children. Making the switch to homeschooling is a big decision that involves numerous variables. Below, you&#8217;ll learn why homeschooling is becoming more popular, the benefits of homeschooling and what you need to consider before making the change. We&#8217;re here to help you think through everything from how to meet your state&#8217;s education requirements to which curriculum you should use for homeschooling your kids.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Why More Parents Are Homeschooling</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The number of American households that were homeschooling doubled from 5.4% to 11.1% between the spring and fall of 2020, according to<a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/03/homeschooling-on-the-rise-during-covid-19-pandemic.html?utm_campaign=20210322msacos1ccstors&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery"> the United States Census Bureau</a>. Although homeschooling had been steadily on the rise since the start of the 21st century, the COVID-19 pandemic brought an unprecedented jump in the number of parents homeschooling their children and partnering with other local families to form homeschooling pods. By making school at home unavoidable for a few months, the pandemic showed parents that homeschooling is not as difficult as it seems and offers a range of benefits. Now, many parents have chosen to switch fully to homeschooling due to the greater control it grants them over their child&#8217;s environment and academic experience.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Is Homeschooling Good for Kids?</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">If you&#8217;re unsure whether homeschooling is the right decision for your kids, consider these benefits of homeschooling:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Academic flexibility: Homeschooling allows you to adapt your child&#8217;s academic track depending on whether they are ahead, behind, creative, quiet, gifted, challenging, strong-willed or active. You get to customize your child&#8217;s schedule, learning approach, curriculum, grade level and sometimes even their graduation requirements.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Meeting health needs: Teaching your child at home allows you to prioritize their physical, mental, emotional and behavioral health. This method lets their immediate needs determine how much time you should spend homeschooling.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Family environment: Naturally, homeschooling provides a warm family environment, which is key for social and ethical development. The flexibility of homeschooling also grants families extra time to plan community engagement activities like volunteering.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Meaningful learning: Homeschooling allows you to avoid teaching to the test, worrying about arbitrary minimal standards or assigning busywork. Instead, you can include educational activities that many schools cut, such as real experiments, the arts, field trips and extra time outdoors. These activities look great on transcripts and college applications, too.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Legal acceptance: Homeschooling enables kids to meet compulsory attendance laws while accommodating for special situations like those with a parent in the military, an illness in the family, challenging work schedules or frequent traveling.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Keep in mind that choosing to homeschool your kids may come with these drawbacks:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Sifting through numerous curriculum programs and spending money on learning materials.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Having to frequently explain to others why you chose to homeschool.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Maintaining your patience when your child misbehaves, struggles to learn a concept or isn&#8217;t motivated.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Constantly adapting to be an effective teacher and teach your child at a pace that&#8217;s right for them.</span></li>
</ul>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">What to Consider When Homeschooling</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">So, is homeschooling worth it? The answer may be different for every child depending on their goals and personality. Before making a decision on whether to homeschool your child or not, take time to think through the details of what homeschooling would look like for your family. Use the six questions below to contemplate the logistics of homeschooling:</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 938px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Making-decision-to-homeschool.png" alt="image-4" width="938" height="625" /></p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #234976;">1. Will You Homeschool Alone or With Other Parents?</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">When it comes to homeschooling, you have options. You can join a local homeschooling group — also known as homeschooling pods — to share the responsibility of homeschooling with other parents in your community. Teaching alongside other parents can help you balance the work more easily and divide who covers which topic depending on your levels of experience with the subject matter. Make sure you research the homeschooling options available to you to determine which choice would be the best for your child and family. Even if you decide to homeschool alone, consider meeting up with other homeschool families in the area to exchange curriculum ideas, teaching techniques, academic resources and more.</p>
<h3 style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 25px;"><span style="color: #234976;">2. How Will You Incorporate Socialization?</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Working socialization into homeschooling isn&#8217;t as hard as you may think. If you choose to homeschool, your child will not lack social skills because socialization occurs in a wide variety of settings, not just at school. For example, socialization can take place at after-school clubs, local sports leagues, community classes and more. Signing your child up for extracurricular activities can ensure they receive plenty of socialization. You can even partner with your local public school to get your child involved in some of the school&#8217;s clubs, sports teams or other organizations.</p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #234976;">3. Where Will You Get Your Curriculum and Content?</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Choosing your curriculum and content is a major consideration for homeschooling. Using a trustworthy eLearning platform like Lessonbee will provide <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/content">comprehensive educational content</a> suitable for whichever grade level your child is learning at. Gathering content from Lessonbee allows you to build a custom plan for your child that includes research-based, culturally responsive and engaging materials. Once you have found a reliable source for your educational content, you can begin mapping out your curriculum plan in greater detail. Lessonbee makes developing your teaching methods easier by offering <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/parents">content for parents</a>.</p>
<h3 style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 25px;"><span style="color: #234976;">4. What Are Your State&#8217;s Requirements?</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Before launching into your first year of homeschooling, make sure you read up on your state&#8217;s requirements. Homeschooling rules and regulations vary greatly from state to state, so you&#8217;ll want to be sure you&#8217;re complying with your state&#8217;s guidelines. For example, New York requires parents to file a declaration of intent each year with the local superintendent, along with an individualized home instruction plan, attendance record, quarterly reports and standardized testing. You can <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hslda.org/legal?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrJOMBhCZARIsAGEd4VFZ1T0qqrRODN019I4FCWwcuJSsmoO331GtFUiIgg7SWioWtG8YG8kaAnVoEALw_wcB">find your state&#8217;s homeschooling laws here</a>.</p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #234976;">5. What Goals Do You Have With Your Child?</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Talk with your child about whether they have any specific goals for their education. Consider whether you would like to help them specialize in something, streamline their academics, engage in certain extracurriculars or achieve another goal. Write out short-term and long-term goals for your child&#8217;s homeschooling experience so you can plan your curriculum accordingly.</p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #234976;">6. Which Parent Will Be in Charge of Homeschooling?</span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Homeschooling is a hands-on endeavor, making it essential to determine which parent will be in charge from the start. Designating one parent as the head of homeschooling can give the process more structure and help the entire experience go smoothly. Once you have decided which parent will take the lead on homeschooling, you can make a more concrete outline of your homeschooling schedule based on that parent&#8217;s other responsibilities.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Find Homeschooling Resources at Lessonbee</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">If you&#8217;re ready to start planning your homeschooling approach, check out the <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/content">educational content</a> and <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/parents">homeschooling solutions</a> from Lessonbee. When you subscribe to Lessonbee, you&#8217;ll get access to data-based, interactive and culturally responsive teaching materials created by actual teachers. Our content helps you create more engaging lessons, so your child learns as much as possible. Make sure you have the resources you need to homeschool well by <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/subscribe">signing up for a Lessonbee subscription</a> today.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><a href="https://lessonbee.com/subscribe" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 938px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Lesoonbee-Homeschooling-Resources.png" alt="image-5" width="938" height="625" /></a></p>
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</div>

How to Handle a Fight With a Friend

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/How-to-Handle-a-Fight-With-a-Friend_o.jpg" alt="How-to-Handle-a-Fight-With-a-Friend_o" width="1760" height="990" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1200px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/How-to-Handle-a-Fight-With-a-Friend_boys.png" alt="image-1" width="1200" height="600" /></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}]],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Being best friends with someone does not always mean that you">
<div>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Being best friends with someone does not always mean that you&#8217;ll never fight or that you&#8217;ll get along 100% of the time. Fights happen, whether we want them to or not, and it doesn&#8217;t mean the end of the friendship. Friends fighting with one another is a natural occurrence, especially for younger people. After all, you&#8217;re still learning about who you are and navigating through stressful social, mental, physical and educational identities. Sometimes, you&#8217;ll have a small fight with your friend that quickly resolves itself. Sometimes, however, the fight leads to more complicated issues and tensions. When a fight with your best friend does occur, you want to be sure that you say things fairly and in a manner that is productive, supportive and informative. To help make the initial fight and effects afterward not as drastic, you&#8217;ll want to have a few tips to help you manage and reconcile with your friend.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Common Reasons Why Friends Fight</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Fights can originate from the smallest issue to ones that are a bit more serious. The severity of an issue will depend entirely on your feelings, your friend&#8217;s feelings and the type of relationship you have. Most times, the reason for the argument and fight is straightforward, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, the fight may leave you confused. Being able to identify the overarching idea behind the fight is a great way to process what happened. Here&#8217;s a list of some of the most common reasons why friends fight:</p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}]],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;blockquote&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Misunderstanding&quot;],[1,[],0,0],[0,[],0,&quot;Exclusion&quot;],[1,[],0,1],[0,[],0,&quot;Bullying&quot;],[1,[],0,2],[0,[],0,&quot;Betrayal&quot;],[1,[],0,3],[0,[],0,&quot;Broken trust&quot;],[1,[],0,4],[0,[],0,&quot;Different interests&quot;],[1,[],0,5],[0,[],0,&quot;Jealousy&quot;],[1,[],0,6],[0,[],0,&quot;Competitiveness&quot;],[1,[],0,7],[0,[],0,&quot;Peer pressure&quot;],[1,[],0,8],[0,[],0,&quot;Different values&quot;],[1,[],0,9],[0,[],0,&quot;Changes in friend groups&quot;]]]]}">
<div style="line-height: 1;">
<ul style="line-height: 1.5;">
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Misunderstanding</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Exclusion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Bullying</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Betrayal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Broken trust</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Different interests</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Jealousy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Competitiveness</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Peer pressure</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Different values</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Changes in friend groups</span></li>
</ul>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}]],&quot;cards&quot;:[[&quot;image&quot;,{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://ghost.lessonbee.com/content/images/2022/01/image-1.png&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;height&quot;:600}]],&quot;markups&quot;:[],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;How to Handle the Fight&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Fights are tricky situations to maneuver. Emotions tend to amplify and express themselves without control. These issues can result in hurtful words and regrettable actions. When you have a fight with your friend, keeping a level head and open mind during a fight will be the biggest challenge.&quot;],[1,[],0,0],[0,[],0,&quot;To better prepare you when arguing with a friend, you">
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<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">How to Handle the Fight</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Fights are tricky situations to maneuver. Emotions tend to amplify and express themselves without control. These issues can result in hurtful words and regrettable actions. When you have a fight with your friend, keeping a level head and open mind during a fight will be the biggest challenge. To better prepare you when arguing with a friend, you&#8217;ll want to keep these five steps in mind:</p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Be Fair and Respectful </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">Once the argument begins, you should express your feelings as best you can without acting on them. Rather than making accusations and demonstrating your feelings of anger through violence, you want to acknowledge that you&#8217;re angry because of a specific situation. This method allows you to express your emotions more positively and less defensively. You should also try and remain as calm as possible. Heated arguments can lead to name-calling, threats and violence. These actions will only make the situation worse. There are some things you cannot take back once said or done.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Understand Their Point of View</span></li>
</ol>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1200px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/empathize-between-friends.png" alt="image-1-1" width="1200" height="600" /></p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">When you fight with a friend, you want them to understand how you are feeling and why you are feeling the way you are. You want the other person to empathize with you, and they probably want the same thing. You should take the time to listen to what they have to say and do your best to view the situation from their point of view.</p>
<div>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Keep It Private</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">There is always a time and place for everything. If possible, you want to have the fight or argument in a private place. The emotions you both express should be kept to you two only — you don&#8217;t want to have an audience during your disagreement. Keeping the fight private extends beyond the initial interaction. You should not post about it on social media or inform other friends about what happened. Letting other people know will only worsen the situation.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Respect the Need for Space</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Once you&#8217;ve reached the end of the fight with your friend, you should respect the need for both of you to have some time apart. Don&#8217;t be scared to take a time out if you feel yourself getting too worked up by the fight. Walking away to cool down and process what the other has said helps to make the argument more productive and impactful.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Take Time to Reflect</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">After the fight, you want to give yourself some time to think and process the situation. You can use this time to evaluate the status of your friendship, empathize with your friend and think of possible solutions for the cause of the fight.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">You should also use this time to find healthy ways to manage your stress and emotions. If you don&#8217;t feel comfortable talking to someone, you can find mental health content online that can help. Lessonbee is one such tool, and they offer <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/content/lessons" rel="noopener">free mental health content </a>that explains how you can safely handle your emotions in stressful times.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">How to Reconcile With Your Friend</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Now that you and your friend have taken the time to communicate your feelings about the situation, you both need to take the time and resolve the fight. Here are four ways that you can use to resolve a fight with your friend:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Speak and Listen to One Another</span><span style="font-size: 20px;">Since you should have had time to process your emotions and the results of the fight, the next step is to have another talk with your friend. You want to be sure that you communicate in a calm, responsive and informative manner. The purpose of this interaction is to come to an agreed-upon resolution.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Decide if the Friendship Is Salvageable</span><span style="font-size: 20px;">Depending on what the two of you said or what the argument was initially about, you need to decide if the friendship is worth saving. This decision will be difficult, but in some instances, choosing not to be friends afterward may be the healthiest option for you both. That decision is for the two of you to make.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Express Your Feelings </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">If you feel that your friend is not grasping the extent of your emotions, take this time to dig deeper into how you are feeling. Tell them why you are feeling the way you are, but be careful not to become too defensive. The last thing you want is a moment of reconciliation to turn into another argument.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Apologize </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">The best thing you can do to resolve any fight with your best friend is to apologize. Simply telling someone &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry&#8221; has the most impact on the outcome of a situation. If you feel that you are at fault for the argument, don&#8217;t hesitate to apologize. If your friend is the one who apologizes, you should be willing to accept their apology even if the pain is still there. By accepting, you recognize that your friend is acknowledging that they were wrong.</span></li>
</ol>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Utilize Lessonbee&#8217;s Free Content</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Getting into a disagreement with your friend can be difficult to navigate around during and after the fight. While no two arguments are the same, utilizing these nine steps can help make the fight a little more bearable and have less of a friendship-altering impact. For further discussion and other ways to cope with a disagreement with your friend, take the time to browse Lessonbee&#8217;s assortment of <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/content">mental health and relationship-building content</a>. <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/signup">Sign up</a> for a subscription today and give yourself the tools you need to navigate through all your friendships.</p>
<p><a href="https://lessonbee.com/signup" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1200px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/utilize-lessonbee-content.png" alt="image-2" width="1200" height="600" /></a></p>
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</div>

How to Teach Consent to Middle School Students

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Teaching-Consent-to--Middle-Schoolers_o.jpg" alt="Teaching-Consent-to--Middle-Schoolers_o" width="1760" height="990" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1200px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/How-teach-consent-middle-school-students.webp" alt="01-how-teach-consent-middle-school-students_o-1" width="1200" height="500" /></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}]],&quot;cards&quot;:[[&quot;image&quot;,{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://ghost.lessonbee.com/content/images/2022/01/02-when-should-consent-be-taught.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;height&quot;:500}],[&quot;image&quot;,{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://ghost.lessonbee.com/content/images/2022/01/03-explore-more-consent-health-content-lessonbee.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;height&quot;:500}]],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24582321/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.the74million.org/article/just-24-states-mandate-sex-education-for-k-12-students-and-only-9-require-any-discussion-of-consent-see-how-your-state-stacks-up/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/21/teaching-consent-to-children-the-joke-is-where-it-starts-and-is-where-it-ends&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.lessonbee.com/courses/34/Consent-and-Abuse-of-Power&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.lessonbee.com/content&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.lessonbee.com/subscribe&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Although &quot;],[0,[0],1,&quot;one in four girls and one in 20 boys&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; experience sexual abuse before they turn 18, only &quot;],[0,[1],1,&quot;nine states are required to teach students about consent&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;. However, consent education is essential for keeping students safe from sexual harassment and assault. Starting conversations about consent with middle schoolers, in particular, is imperative because &quot;],[0,[2],1,&quot;young women aged 15-19 are the most likely victims of sexual assault&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; and young men of the same ages are the most likely to be perpetrators.&quot;],[1,[],0,0],[0,[],0,&quot;Openly discussing consent with students is the first step toward changing these statistics. Below, you" data-based="">
<div>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Although <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24582321/">one in four girls and one in 20 boys</a> experience sexual abuse before they turn 18, only <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.the74million.org/article/just-24-states-mandate-sex-education-for-k-12-students-and-only-9-require-any-discussion-of-consent-see-how-your-state-stacks-up/">nine states are required to teach students about consent</a>. However, consent education is essential for keeping students safe from sexual harassment and assault. Starting conversations about consent with middle schoolers, in particular, is imperative because <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/21/teaching-consent-to-children-the-joke-is-where-it-starts-and-is-where-it-ends">young women aged 15-19 are the most likely victims of sexual assault</a> and young men of the same ages are the most likely to be perpetrators. Openly discussing consent with students is the first step toward changing these statistics. Below, you&#8217;ll discover the importance of consent education, how to teach middle school students about consent and some of the best consent activities for middle school students.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">What Is Consent Education?</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Although consent is most often associated with sex, consent simply means granting permission. In this way, consent applies to a range of nonsexual situations, such as borrowing items, sharing things and giving hugs. Defining consent is key to helping younger students understand its importance and the skills they need to respect others&#8217; boundaries and practice consent themselves. Teaching about consent at an early age is crucial for helping them understand personal boundaries, how to say no, how to respect others&#8217; answers and how to ask for help. These factors can contribute toward preventing sexual harassment and assault later in life. Encouraging open discussions about consent can create a safe space for students to ask questions and be honest about any pressures they may be facing. Consent education is also an important component of a more holistic sex education. Specifically, consent education pushes back against the often harmful abstinence-only approach by acknowledging young people&#8217;s ability to say yes, teaching students about safe sex and dispelling misconceptions about sexual violence and gender stereotypes. In general, an outline of consent education includes defining consent, describing how a relationship power imbalance can impact personal boundaries, how to exercise the ability to say no or yes and how to respect hearing no from someone else. Laying the foundation of consent as permission helps students understand how to interact with the concept and that sex without consent is rape or sexual assault.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">When Should Consent Be Taught?</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">While the concept of consent should be introduced at a young age, it is especially important to explain consent to middle schoolers who are just starting to gain more independence. Consent conversations at this age matter because middle school is a critical time for developing core beliefs about sex and healthy relationships. In middle school, students start to become more exposed and open to the idea of romantic relationships, and they need to be ready to solicit and give consent. Teaching consent at this time can help students have smoother, safer relationships throughout their years in middle school, high school and beyond.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1200px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/When-should-consent-be-taught-to-middleschoolers.webp" alt="02-when-should-consent-be-taught_o" width="1200" height="500" /></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">5 Strategies for Talking About Consent With Middle Schoolers</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">When starting the conversation about consent with middle schoolers, remember that middle school is a confusing time and students might be hearing rumors about sex and relationships from unreliable sources, such as the internet or their peers. Remind students that it&#8217;s okay to be confused and encourage them to ask questions with adults they can trust. Once you have established that it is safe for students to be honest and ask questions, try using the following strategies for teaching consent to middle schoolers.</span></p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Discuss Personal Boundaries and What They Mean </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;">When talking about consent with middle school students, it can be helpful to start by defining consent and sexual harassment. Discuss scenarios in which a student may be bothered by an adult or another student and emphasize that no one gets to touch the student without their permission — also known as consent. After empowering students to recognize their personal boundaries and ability to say yes or no, explain the need to respect the personal boundaries others set. While most middle school kids might not be dating yet, they are most likely thinking about it. This makes middle school a great age to start talking about how if two partners are going to engage in anything physical, they have to agree to do so together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Remind Students Consent Is for Everyone, Not Just Specific People </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Too often, conversations about consent are geared solely toward heterosexual women. However, everyone needs to understand consent and how to exercise their right to govern their bodies. Shifting the conversation to include everyone can help protect all students from unwanted sexual encounters and help students recognize when they are not welcome to cross a personal boundary.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Use Culturally Responsive Lessons to Get on Their Level</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Part of making sure middle school students understand consent is for everyone is using<a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/34/Consent-and-Abuse-of-Power" rel="noopener"> inclusive and culturally responsive educational content to explain consent</a>. Tailoring your teaching materials to ensure they are relevant and inclusive to every student is crucial for ensuring you get through to your middle schoolers. While many middle schoolers think adults don&#8217;t understand, you can help break down these barriers with the right culturally responsive lessons. Remind your students that their teachers and parents are here to keep them feel safe and they can feel comfortable discussing consent further with a trusted adult.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Use Role-Playing</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;">Role-playing is an excellent technique for illustrating consent and helping students grasp the concept. These exercises do not have to be sexually based. Instead, the scene can be as simple as asking a student if you can look at their folder or notebook and rifling through their personal papers. In fact, acting out these nonsexual situations can really drive home the point that consent is merely granting permission.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Discuss Social Media and Consent</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20px;">The rise of social media has brought a whole new angle to teaching consent that can be challenging for middle schoolers to navigate. Ensure your middle school students understand consent applies on the internet and they should not share images or information online that their friends do not consent to. Help your students grasp this concept by asking them what kind of photos of themselves they would be happy to see posted online. Use this as a way to emphasize that the pictures do not have to be sexual — they could be embarrassingly silly, culturally inappropriate or reveal private information. Remind students that photos they think are fine to share could be a big deal to other students.</span></li>
</ol>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Explore More Consent and Health Content From Lessonbee</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">For more teaching materials and consent activities for middle school students, explore the <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/content">content from Lessonbee</a>. Lessonbee provides culturally responsive, interactive and data-based educational tools created by actual teachers. At Lessonbee, you can find factual and dependable sexual health information online to help you teach your middle school students about consent. To learn how to talk about consent with your middle schoolers more effectively, sign up for <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.lessonbee.com/subscribe">a Lessonbee subscription</a> today.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><a href="https://lessonbee.com/signup" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1200px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Explore-more-consent-health-content-lessonbee.webp" alt="03-explore-more-consent-health-content-lessonbee_o" width="1200" height="500" /></a></p>
</div>
</div>

Lessonbee Key Features and Benefits

<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1000px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Lessonbee-key-features-and-benefits.png" alt="image (1)" width="1000" height="4000" /></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}],[&quot;soft-return&quot;,&quot;&quot;,{}]],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;strong&quot;],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://lessonbee.com/subscribe&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Lessonbee is an online learning platform that teaches users how to have a healthier lifestyle. With culturally relevant lessons in health education, students can improve their mental and emotional well-being. By becoming a member, you can help your students create learning experiences to develop lifelong skills for healthy living. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Key Features of Lessonbee&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;At Lessonbee, our values of accessibility, diversity and creativity are present in all our lessons. Whether your students are learning how to build social-emotional skills or cultivate their personal health, our online classes will help them feel confident, connected and deserving of a healthy and successful life. Some key features of our courses include:&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Holistic Health Curriculum&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Our holistic health curriculum recognizes that health is more than just a student’s physical well-being. With our holistic approach, we teach students methods to improve their mental, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual health as well as their physical condition. Some key benefits of our holistic health curriculum include:&quot;],[1,[],0,0]]],[3,&quot;ul&quot;,[[[0,[],0,&quot;Story-based learning to assist with integrated health instruction.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Comprehensive health, mental health and sex education content.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Structured, age-appropriate lessons with accompanying teacher guides.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Choose your own adventure style content to adapt to students’ needs.&quot;]]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Student-Centered Practices&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Our student-centered practices shift the focus of each lesson from our teachers to our students to allow for deeper understanding. By focusing on our students first, our instruction helps these individuals develop problem-solving skills and a desire for lifelong learning. Some of the ways we incorporate our student-centered practices into our curriculum are:&quot;]]],[3,&quot;ul&quot;,[[[0,[],0,&quot;Wellness check-ins to amplify the voices of our students.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Curriculum that celebrates diversity through characters, stories and modalities.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Open and private conversations to support reflective learning.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;A cloud-based content library to encourage self-directed learning.&quot;]]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Measurable Wellness Outcomes&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;All of our lessons have specific learning objectives that students will achieve by the end of the course. We focus on student self-ratings, self-assessment, and goal-setting in a self-directed learning environment to ensure our wellness outcomes accurately reflect gains in student self-efficacy and well-being. Some of the ways we measure our student’s wellness outcomes include:&quot;]]],[3,&quot;ul&quot;,[[[0,[],0,&quot;Frequent assessments to measure and track student learning.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Reward badges to motivate students to achieve their wellness goals.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Practical assignments to reinforce learning with real-world examples.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Self-ratings to effectively measure self-efficacy and physical and emotional well-being.&quot;]]]],[1,&quot;h3&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Badging and Backpack&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;At Lessonbee, we understand the importance of rewarding students to promote positive and appropriate behavior. We reward students by:&quot;],[1,[],0,1]]],[3,&quot;ul&quot;,[[[0,[],0,&quot;Offering badges to students after they complete content and activities.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;Letting students share their badges to LinkedIn as professional credentials.&quot;]]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;What Our Students Achieve&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;By choosing Lessonbee, your students will attain the confidence they need to develop lifelong habits to improve their emotional and physical well-being. Through our culturally relevant health education content, the average Lessonbee student achieves:&quot;],[1,[],0,2]]],[3,&quot;ul&quot;,[[[0,[],0,&quot;40 hours of health instruction every year.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;18 verified skills-based digital badges.&quot;]],[[0,[],0,&quot;10 point increase in self-efficacy ratings.&quot;]]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Become a Lessonbee Member&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Help your students have more confidence in their health skills by &quot;],[0,[1],1,&quot;becoming a Lessonbee member&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;. We offer membership plans to meet the specific needs of students, parents, teachers and school districts. Create a healthier world for everyone with Lessonbee today!&quot;]]]]}">
<div>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Lessonbee is an online learning platform that teaches users how to have a healthier lifestyle. With culturally relevant lessons in health education, students can improve their mental and emotional well-being. By becoming a member, you can help your students create learning experiences to develop lifelong skills for healthy living.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;"><strong>Key Features of Lessonbee</strong></h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">At Lessonbee, our values of accessibility, diversity and creativity are present in all our lessons. Whether your students are learning how to build social-emotional skills or cultivate their personal health, our online classes will help them feel confident, connected and deserving of a healthy and successful life. Some key features of our courses include:</p>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px;"><span style="color: #1d487b; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Holistic Health Curriculum</strong></span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Our holistic health curriculum recognizes that health is more than just a student’s physical well-being. With our holistic approach, we teach students methods to improve their mental, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual health as well as their physical condition. Some key benefits of our holistic health curriculum include:</p>
<ul style="font-size: 20px;">
<li>Story-based learning to assist with integrated health instruction.</li>
<li>Comprehensive health, mental health and sex education content.</li>
<li>Structured, age-appropriate lessons with accompanying teacher guides.</li>
<li>Choose your own adventure style content to adapt to students’ needs.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px;"><span style="color: #1d487b; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Student-Centered Practices</strong></span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Our student-centered practices shift the focus of each lesson from our teachers to our students to allow for deeper understanding. By focusing on our students first, our instruction helps these individuals develop problem-solving skills and a desire for lifelong learning. Some of the ways we incorporate our student-centered practices into our curriculum are:</p>
<ul style="font-size: 20px;">
<li>Wellness check-ins to amplify the voices of our students.</li>
<li>Curriculum that celebrates diversity through characters, stories and modalities.</li>
<li>Open and private conversations to support reflective learning.</li>
<li>A cloud-based content library to encourage self-directed learning.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #1d487b;"><strong>Measurable Wellness Outcomes</strong></span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">All of our lessons have specific learning objectives that students will achieve by the end of the course. We focus on student self-ratings, self-assessment, and goal-setting in a self-directed learning environment to ensure our wellness outcomes accurately reflect gains in student self-efficacy and well-being. Some of the ways we measure our student’s wellness outcomes include:</p>
<ul style="font-size: 20px;">
<li>Frequent assessments to measure and track student learning.</li>
<li>Reward badges to motivate students to achieve their wellness goals.</li>
<li>Practical assignments to reinforce learning with real-world examples.</li>
<li>Self-ratings to effectively measure self-efficacy and physical and emotional well-being.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="font-size: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #1d487b;"><strong>Badging and Backpack</strong></span></h3>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">At Lessonbee, we understand the importance of rewarding students to promote positive and appropriate behavior. We reward students by:</p>
<ul style="font-size: 20px;">
<li>Offering badges to students after they complete content and activities.</li>
<li>Letting students share their badges to LinkedIn as professional credentials.</li>
</ul>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;"><strong>What Our Students Achieve</strong></h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">By choosing Lessonbee, your students will attain the confidence they need to develop lifelong habits to improve their emotional and physical well-being. Through our culturally relevant health education content, the average Lessonbee student achieves:</p>
<ul style="font-size: 20px;">
<li>40 hours of health instruction every year.</li>
<li>18 verified skills-based digital badges.</li>
<li>10 point increase in self-efficacy ratings.</li>
</ul>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;"><strong>Become a Lessonbee Member</strong></h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Help your students have more confidence in their health skills by <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/subscribe">becoming a Lessonbee member</a>. We offer membership plans to meet the specific needs of students, parents, teachers and school districts. Create a healthier world for everyone with Lessonbee today!</p>
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Supporting culturally responsive teaching during Black History Month and every day

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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/CRT-during-Black--History-Month-and--every-day.webp" alt="CRT-during-Black--History-Month-and--every-day" width="1760" height="990" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">We move into black history month on the heels of MLK Day, a national holiday celebrating Martin Luther King&#8217;s outstanding leadership. The month-long acknowledgment is a chance for administrators and teachers to highlight the undeniable achievements and impact Black Americans have had on American History. Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Toni Morrison, and Maya Angelou, to name just a few, are more likely to make their way into school curriculums and classrooms in February than any other month of the year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">These practices elongate what historian Dr. Carter G Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland started in 1915 when they founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and the first &#8220;Negro History Week&#8221; in 1926. Positioned in the same month as Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass&#8217; birthdays, on the 12th and 14th of February, the week was intended to encourage people to go &#8216;back to that beautiful history&#8230;and inspire us to greater achievements.&#8217; Sourced from <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.etonline.com/black-history-month-how-it-began-and-how-to-celebrate-159566" rel="noopener">etonline.com.</a></span></p>
<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SI1txwnpQA7c-bhASn7Sk5196jdTNmpN0g9utBBwwrERcqEN2EY624QitQ2TtsgJShpwmBssbU7qMPJngjNyDmyHeAyMiXD56DtCSsJr34d6bEjedE8l83W-8TX4xvloGE1_aQfYR9iRyrZyjxD0sKm5tQ2ZorQo6FqUJOmZh34wY_HHVfLBdA==&amp;c=-nyLoNt1etqK0yhBKmRd1JOzWI_QyBWMggAELzrLAREQ7l0bR4VwZw==&amp;ch=URx23OWlDtmB69y1Y6YPPBIhnN5UZo_m6cmkxD46wdSmavBbGzN6bg==&quot;,&quot;rel&quot;,&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;A century later, give or take some years, many schools and districts are still doing essentially the same thing with Black History Month. To be sure, celebration and inspiration can be positive motivators for more significant achievement among black and brown students--and all students traditionally excluded due to ethnicity, race, or other non-privileged environments--not adequately represented in our schools. That said, celebration, inspiration, and one month in twelve representations aren">
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">A century later, give or take some years, many schools and districts are still doing essentially the same thing with Black History Month. To be sure, celebration and inspiration can be positive motivators for more significant achievement among black and brown students&#8211;and all students traditionally excluded due to ethnicity, race, or other non-privileged environments&#8211;not adequately represented in our schools. That said, celebration, inspiration, and one month in twelve representations aren&#8217;t enough to significantly improve student outcomes. These nods at cultural inclusiveness don&#8217;t empower students with first-hand experience or the skills they&#8217;ll need to move themselves to independent learning, a key return on the investment of a commitment to Culturally Responsive Teaching.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">By now, particularly in the wake of last summer&#8217;s Black Lives Matter protests, most administrators and teachers are on board with celebratory or inspirational acknowledgment of underrepresented achievements. What&#8217;s more challenging for many people is coming to terms with white supremacist roots in our educational system and working to evolve by becoming fluent and practiced in Culturally Responsive Teaching, not just during holidays or celebrations but every day, in every lesson, and every way possible but especially in connecting and building trust with students.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">If becoming a more culturally responsive teacher is something that interests you, It may help you to know more than 1,160 educators from all over the world joined Lessonbee founder and CEO Reva McPollom and Lessonbee curriculum lead Katie McPollom for a webinar on Culturally Responsive Teaching and SEL. It was truly an awesome experience. <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SI1txwnpQA7c-bhASn7Sk5196jdTNmpN0g9utBBwwrERcqEN2EY624QitQ2TtsgJShpwmBssbU7qMPJngjNyDmyHeAyMiXD56DtCSsJr34d6bEjedE8l83W-8TX4xvloGE1_aQfYR9iRyrZyjxD0sKm5tQ2ZorQo6FqUJOmZh34wY_HHVfLBdA==&amp;c=-nyLoNt1etqK0yhBKmRd1JOzWI_QyBWMggAELzrLAREQ7l0bR4VwZw==&amp;ch=URx23OWlDtmB69y1Y6YPPBIhnN5UZo_m6cmkxD46wdSmavBbGzN6bg==" rel="noopener noreferrer">View the edWebinar Recording.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">You can also keep reading to get a little more information and support from the rest of this article.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">If you&#8217;re new to Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) or just in need of review, these five questions can help you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; font-family: ProximaNovaRegular, sans-serif;">What is Culturally Responsive Teaching?</strong></span></p>
<div>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Culturally responsive teaching connects students and teachers at a deep level creating a shared foundation of trust. To connect, administrators and teachers must affirm and validate. In Culturally Responsive Teaching &amp; The Brain, Zaretta Hammond writes, &#8220;and validation refers to the explicit recognition and acknowledgment of historical institutional racism, negative stereotyping, and generalizations that impact culturally and linguistically diverse students.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>How does it Work? </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"> Because Culturally Responsive Teaching builds the relationship between the teacher and student from the inside out, it results in referent power. According to Raven and French&#8211;Leadership experts whose foundational teachings date back to the 1950s&#8211;referent power is the best kind for getting people to own what they&#8217;re doing. What&#8217;s more, they want to produce excellent outcomes because they like you and want to please you. When you&#8217;re someone your students know, like, and trust, it lights a fire in them to do what it takes to move themselves to independent learning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Why is it so important? </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">To get students to do what you want them to do&#8211;become successful, for example&#8211;they must feel you see them and have their best interests at heart when you&#8217;re making decisions. This is the foundation of trust.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Positively responding to racially and linguistically diverse learners affirms identities. To quote Reva, &#8220;It&#8217;s like pumping oxygen into the room. Culturally responsive teachers and leaders recognize collectivist culture&#8217;s values and implement strategies such as building relationships, validating history and historical context, and creating shared goals.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Our relationships are the brick and mortar of the lives we build. And when we produce the appropriate level of trust with our students, only then can we demand the kind of rigor Hammond agrees is essential to student success. In other words, CRT is NOT celebrating cultures and being affirming without building trust with students and giving them specific and direct feedback against a high bar of excellence.</span></p>
<div align="" data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;strong&quot;]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;What gets in our way?&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Sometimes, when confronted with leadership and teaching demands, we forget to self-assess, learn, grow, and work to remain open-hearted and open-minded. Take a moment to reflect on how you can accurately self-assess, learn, grow, and continue to do the work. Regularly ask yourself how you can practice the skills that consistently increase inclusion and empathy.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;How can administrators and teachers come up to speed in a way that">
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>What gets in our way?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Sometimes, when confronted with leadership and teaching demands, we forget to self-assess, learn, grow, and work to remain open-hearted and open-minded. Take a moment to reflect on how you can accurately self-assess, learn, grow, and continue to do the work. Regularly ask yourself how you can practice the skills that consistently increase inclusion and empathy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>How can administrators and teachers come up to speed in a way that&#8217;s efficient and cost-effective? The McPolloms give the following suggestions:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Reflect on your values: do they align with actions/mindsets that contribute to the greater good?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Create goals that are good for the group and communicate clearly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Get to know the people in your environment and really listen.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Interrogate individualist vs. collectivist values in your own life and work.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Affirm other people&#8217;s culture and validate history.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Give feedback that communicates high expectations and confidence.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Continue to learn and practice empathy rather than assume you have it.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Do you know how your students genuinely feel about their school experience? Is there more you could be doing to learn even more about how your students feel about their school experience?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">If you don&#8217;t know or feel you could learn more, ask but not before you&#8217;re sure you&#8217;ve established enough trust for them to tell you the truth. Make, and require students to take anonymous surveys. Promise them that their answers are safe with you. Build trust by communicating to them WHY you need this information and HOW you intend to use it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Take the feedback you receive and put it to fair use making your classroom or school a safe place for all of your students. In this environment, you are doing the work to welcome and strengthen student voices. Cultivating, nourishing, and strengthening traditionally underrepresented student voices in your classrooms and schools will help you recognize the unique gifts and talents of individual students. When shared with the group, varying perspectives enhance everyone&#8217;s learning. This kind of connection and relationship building is at the heart of Culturally Responsive Teaching and leads to better student and better teacher outcomes.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">And speaking of feedback, be mindful of the kind of feedback you give. The McPolloms go into more detail and research on feedback in the webinar. Participants were wowed by some of the research they shared. If you haven’t already watched it, you can <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SI1txwnpQA7c-bhASn7Sk5196jdTNmpN0g9utBBwwrERcqEN2EY624QitQ2TtsgJShpwmBssbU7qMPJngjNyDmyHeAyMiXD56DtCSsJr34d6bEjedE8l83W-8TX4xvloGE1_aQfYR9iRyrZyjxD0sKm5tQ2ZorQo6FqUJOmZh34wY_HHVfLBdA==&amp;c=-nyLoNt1etqK0yhBKmRd1JOzWI_QyBWMggAELzrLAREQ7l0bR4VwZw==&amp;ch=URx23OWlDtmB69y1Y6YPPBIhnN5UZo_m6cmkxD46wdSmavBbGzN6bg==" rel="noopener noreferrer">View the edWebinar Recording.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">In short, when giving feedback, it&#8217;s important to set high expectations. Reva states &#8220;Unconscious biases often lead to differences in feedback and degree of development across lines of difference.&#8221; If you don&#8217;t already, learn to practice asset-based feedback. In the simplest terms, an asset-based approach to feedback focuses on strengths. It views diversity in thought, culture, and traits as positive assets. When you value people for what they bring to the table rather than characterizing them by what they may need to work on or lack, you&#8217;re doing everyone a tremendous service. Asset-based teaching can unlock students&#8217; potential by focusing on their talents.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">&#8220;Also known as strengths-based teaching, this approach contrasts with the more common deficit-based teaching style, which highlights students&#8217; inadequacies.&#8221; (Association of College &amp; Research Libraries, 2018). Jacqueline Richards, a psychotherapist for children and teens, writes about this in a recent Edutopia article: &#8220;While traditional rules-and-consequences discipline is sometimes effective in stopping detrimental behaviors, it may have negative effects on the long-term resilience and connection within the community.&#8221; I highly recommend you check it out, definitely worth the read.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">It&#8217;s important to keep in mind that the goal of culturally responsive teaching is to help move students from dependent to independent learning. The right technology can support teachers in becoming more culturally responsive. At Lessonbee, we prioritize health and connection. When students learn independently through our modules, they become genuinely confident about what they know and feel comfortable discussing. We also use play, diverse characters, cultural references, and realistic scenarios that are relatable for students. We understand that they won&#8217;t believe or trust us if our lessons seem outdated or out of touch with their realities. We also created the platform so teachers can quickly flip their lessons and be responsive to students&#8217; needs.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">To quote Reva, &#8220;we create self-paced courses that support flipped learning and reflective learning by ensuring each student receives the same level of information and skill-building activities via an adaptive journey that meets them where they’re at. This means that when students come into the classroom or Zoom room, they are more likely to be focused and on task; they come with greater confidence and openness to engage in discussion and reflection more meaningfully.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">In the webinar live chat, <strong>administrators and teachers just like you shared CRT tips and experiences:</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Jennifer Fowler encouraged her peers to answer the following, &#8220;What can you do this month to help where you are at? And encouraged peers to &#8220;challenge yourself, your family, and your coworkers to learn more about the part you play&#8221; in white supremacist culture.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Allison Paludi shared a successful classroom experience. She said, &#8220;we take brain breaks to think about what our brain just did.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Administrators and teachers also took away crucial insights:</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">&#8220;Trust is huge,&#8221; said Tammy Stritenberger.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">&#8220;Truly seeing and hearing students is quite meaningful for them,&#8221; said Gloria Bullock. <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SI1txwnpQA7c-bhASn7Sk5196jdTNmpN0g9utBBwwrERcqEN2EY624QitQ2TtsgJShpwmBssbU7qMPJngjNyDmyHeAyMiXD56DtCSsJr34d6bEjedE8l83W-8TX4xvloGE1_aQfYR9iRyrZyjxD0sKm5tQ2ZorQo6FqUJOmZh34wY_HHVfLBdA==&amp;c=-nyLoNt1etqK0yhBKmRd1JOzWI_QyBWMggAELzrLAREQ7l0bR4VwZw==&amp;ch=URx23OWlDtmB69y1Y6YPPBIhnN5UZo_m6cmkxD46wdSmavBbGzN6bg==" rel="noopener noreferrer">View the edWebinar Recording.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">I hope this article helps guide you toward becoming the change you&#8217;d like to see. If you have any questions, are interested in bringing Lessonbee to your school or district, or want to collaborate with Lessonbee in any way, please contact me at <span style="text-decoration: underline;">clementina@lessonbee.com</span>.</span></p>
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How Reflective Learning Gets You Ahead

<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://lessonbee.com/reflective-learning&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_learning&quot;]],[&quot;em&quot;],[&quot;strong&quot;]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;One of Lessonbee’s leading features is &quot;],[0,[0],1,&quot;Reflective Learning&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; assignments and methods.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Reflective learning allows students to develop critical thinking and improve analyzing skills through hands-on experience. These skills are fundamental to character education and helping young people become responsible, caring, and contributing citizens.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This approach is great for retention. It supports students in their discovery and encourages candor about their takeaways from the lessons.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[1],1,&quot;Wikipedia&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; defines reflective learning as: &quot;&quot;],[0,[2],1,&quot;A form of education in which the student reflects upon their learning experiences.&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; &quot;],[0,[3,2],2,&quot;A theory about reflective learning cites it as an intentional and complex process that recognizes the role of social context and experience.&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;&quot;&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Intentional is a keyword. It’s not about memorization, it’s about the application.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Lessonbee offers two types of reflective learning assignments in Lessonbee: Conversational and Challenge-based.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Conversational&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;With the conversational reflection, a teacher can promote a forum-style discussion among students for a specific lesson or the entire class. While creating the conversational type of reflection, a teacher can upload any reference or supporting audio/visual material as attachments – video, audio, and document files.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The response received from the students can be seen in a conversation style. Once the reflection is completed, the teacher can rate the student and provide the necessary feedback.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Challenge-based&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;With a challenge reflection, a teacher can give a prompt to the students and ask them to submit their responses in the form of a video. Teacher and student interaction in this scenario empowers the student, provides a vision for the content, and encourages the practice of new skills.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The evaluation mechanism for the challenge reflection differs from the conversational style. In challenge style, a teacher can customize the parameters for grading based on the content or class of reflection. A teacher can upload multiple files as an attachment to the reflection – video, audio, and document files.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Learn more about our &quot;],[0,[0],1,&quot;reflective learning&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; features by following this link.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Now, to get back to why this method get">
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/How-reflective-learning-gets-you-ahead.jpg" alt="How-reflective-learning-gets-you-ahead" width="1760" height="990" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">One of Lessonbee’s leading features is <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/reflective-learning">Reflective Learning</a> assignments and methods.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Reflective learning allows students to develop critical thinking and improve analyzing skills through hands-on experience. These skills are fundamental to character education and helping young people become responsible, caring, and contributing citizens.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">This approach is great for retention. It supports students in their discovery and encourages candor about their takeaways from the lessons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_learning">Wikipedia</a> defines reflective learning as: &#8220;<em>A form of education in which the student reflects upon their learning experiences.</em> <strong><em>A theory about reflective learning cites it as an intentional and complex process that recognizes the role of social context and experience.</em></strong>&#8220;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Intentional is a keyword. It’s not about memorization, it’s about the application.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Lessonbee offers two types of reflective learning assignments in Lessonbee: Conversational and Challenge-based.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Conversational</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">With the conversational reflection, a teacher can promote a forum-style discussion among students for a specific lesson or the entire class. While creating the conversational type of reflection, a teacher can upload any reference or supporting audio/visual material as attachments – video, audio, and document files.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">The response received from the students can be seen in a conversation style. Once the reflection is completed, the teacher can rate the student and provide the necessary feedback.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Challenge-based</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">With a challenge reflection, a teacher can give a prompt to the students and ask them to submit their responses in the form of a video. Teacher and student interaction in this scenario empowers the student, provides a vision for the content, and encourages the practice of new skills.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The evaluation mechanism for the challenge reflection differs from the conversational style. In challenge style, a teacher can customize the parameters for grading based on the content or class of reflection. A teacher can upload multiple files as an attachment to the reflection – video, audio, and document files.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Learn more about our <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/reflective-learning">reflective learning</a> features by following this link.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Now, to get back to why this method get&#8217;s you ahead.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Do you remember when you were a kid, and you’d be struggling to grasp a concept or a lesson, and no matter how hard you tried to concentrate you just couldn’t get it?</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">We’ve all had that experience at one time or another.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">But do you also remember a time you were able to understand or complete that same lesson when you had use of it in your life?</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Maybe you struggled with understanding biology—but then, you needed to research biology for a separate project (maybe you were writing a story, or helping a friend with a project) and things clicked into place?</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">That’s the beauty of reflection and intentional learning. To apply the subjects being taught in a way that makes sense to the student’s life, something they can attach it to, be that a friend, a project, or a goal.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Or, in this case, a reflection that encourages deeper thought.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">It won’t always feel like an easy thing to do, and much of the time it’s up to the student if they take it seriously, if they take it to their heart or not.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">All we can do is provide the tools and the environment for long term success—help to build the foundation for becoming a lifetime learner. Help them to become the person who is quick to seek understanding, eager to extend empathy, and willing to look closer at concepts they aren’t familiar with.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The students of today will build tomorrow.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">
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Schooling at Home vs Homeschooling: What’s the Difference?

<div role="" data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_education&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://nationalhomeschoolassociation.com/homeschool-online-store.php&quot;]],[&quot;em&quot;],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/just-give-distance-learning/610222/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.calverteducation.com/should-i-homeschool/homeschooling-pros-and-cons&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Before we dive into the underlying differences, let">
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Schooling-at-Home-vs-Homeschooling-Whats-the-Difference.jpg" alt="Schooling-at-Home-vs-Homeschooling_--What-s-the-Difference_" width="1760" height="990" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Before we dive into the underlying differences, let&#8217;s look at the basics for how schooling at home differs from homeschooling.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling">Homeschooling:</a> Flexible schedule, choose your curriculum, self-paced, highly interactive, with strong roots in personalized learning. Experimentation and curiosity play an important role.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_education">Schooling at home:</a> Set schedule, set curriculum, standard testing, video classrooms, set assignment due dates, set grade ranges.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Do you see the difference? Of course, you do. Let&#8217;s go deeper than that.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Fundamental differences</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">The homeschooling mindset comes from a desire to support every child in discovering their passion, and to embrace the freedom to pursue their own interests while learning what they need to know, in their own way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">As the <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://nationalhomeschoolassociation.com/homeschool-online-store.php">National Home School Association</a> puts it: <em>“For real learning to take place children cannot be coerced, bribed or otherwise forced. They need to be genuinely interested in the subject matter and see the relevance to their lives.”</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Homeschooling means the parent is in charge of the curriculum. They set the schedule, guide the child, and learn throughout the day with as much or as little structure as deemed most fitting.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/just-give-distance-learning/610222/">Bethany Mandel</a>&#8211;homeschool mother and writer&#8211;says this about the role of home education vs schooling at home during the pandemic: <em>&#8220;Many school districts have attempted to shift schooling to home, but you cannot simply school at home. That’s why many homeschoolers call what they do &#8216;“home education,”&#8217; not homeschooling. Home education involves an understanding that children can learn while doing everyday tasks; baking can teach math, science, and home economics. Sitting on the couch reading Charlotte’s Web to kids in grades five and three and kindergarten counts as &#8216;“school.”&#8217; So does taking a nature walk and creating a nature journal.&#8221;</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Schooling at home, or rather, “Distance Learning,” takes on a different flavor.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">As stated before, the student is going through the same curriculum they would be if experiencing it within a school building. They maintain due dates from an outside source and keep to the school-day schedule.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">When distance learning, students are still being driven by teachers, test scores, exams, and learning objectives.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Simply put, distance learning is teacher-led, and homeschooling is parent/child-led.</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The systems that propel both methods are equally able to produce a successful student, but it&#8217;s in how that success is measured where another strong difference lies.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">With homeschooling, success is measured by exploring interests, building projects, practicing innovation, the application of information gleaned from a subject, and results.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">When schooling at home, success is measured by turning assignments in on time, being present for classes, contributing to the lesson when called on, memorization, and grades.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">It&#8217;s up to each family to determine what works for their unique situation. The options are limitless, as long as the student is growing, learning, and feeling supported in their education.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Calvert Education wrote an excellent post covering some <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.calverteducation.com/should-i-homeschool/homeschooling-pros-and-cons">pros and cons of homeschooling.</a></p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">What meets the needs of your family unit?</p>
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What does health education have to do with domestic abuse?

<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;strong&quot;],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://lessonbee.com/courses/15/Mental-Health-Awareness&quot;,&quot;rel&quot;,&quot;noopener&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6243007/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelelloyd&quot;]],[&quot;em&quot;]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;The level of safety and security we feel at home directly contributes to our health and mental state. That’s not a revolutionary statement.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Domestic abuse is a “silent pandemic” as numbers surge amid COVID-19. The stay at home order is creating a boiling point for those trapped in hostile homes and unsafe environments. The physical and mental toll it takes on those stuck with their abusers is unquestionably damaging.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;And, in quick succession, that stress and turmoil are passed to any children in the equation.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;Health education should offer tools and discuss methods to protect mental health when under duress at home.&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; Children should be equipped with strategies to manage stress and build resilience against environments that can cause a downslide in academic performance—though it’s true that some throw themselves into their studies as an escape— mood swings, agitation, insomnia, and a general decline in quality of life are all prevalent in those who have unsteady home lives.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;When there is unrest in the home, it">
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<p style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/What-does-health-education-have-to-do-with-domestic-abuse.webp" alt="What-does-health-education-have-to-do--with-domestic-abuse__o" width="1760" height="990" /></p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The level of safety and security we feel at home directly contributes to our health and mental state. That’s not a revolutionary statement.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Domestic abuse is a “silent pandemic” as numbers surge amid COVID-19. The stay at home order is creating a boiling point for those trapped in hostile homes and unsafe environments. The physical and mental toll it takes on those stuck with their abusers is unquestionably damaging.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">And, in quick succession, that stress and turmoil are passed to any children in the equation.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Health education should offer tools and discuss methods to protect mental health when under duress at home.</strong> Children should be equipped with strategies to manage stress and build resilience against environments that can cause a downslide in academic performance—though it’s true that some throw themselves into their studies as an escape— mood swings, agitation, insomnia, and a general decline in quality of life are all prevalent in those who have unsteady home lives.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">When there is unrest in the home, it&#8217;s nearly impossible to think clearly about studies, projects, and social engagements. They’re on the edge of their seat, bracing for the next blow-up. They walk on eggshells and try to be invisible, holding their breath, crossing their fingers.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Their workspace shakes as they bob their leg, unsettled, gnawing on a pencil, their lip—waiting. Each creak in the floor sends adrenaline jolting through their body, each slightly raised voice freezes them, mid-thought. Each sound makes them pause to listen for the shouting.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">That’s no way to live. Yet, children all over the world come home to it every day—or more recently, are steeped in it all day long—while they try to keep their grades up and retain their lessons.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">What can we do? <strong>We can give them outlets, a strategy. We can show them that it will not always be their reality and that there’s a way out.</strong></p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">How can we do that? Through the vigilant support of mental health awareness. Through the exploration of mental health, we give them a chance at a better way of coping with their environment until the situation is resolved, or they are removed from it. Lessonbee’s <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/lesson/15/Mental-Health-Awareness" rel="noopener">Mental Health Awareness Course</a> is a great place to start.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Domestic abuse is one of the true tragedies that plague this nation. As this is exacerbated by the coronavirus, we have a responsibility to those families to not turn a blind eye and to work against the circumstances that lead to violence in the household.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">One of the best ways to do that is through the children, ensuring that they, and in turn, their families, get the chances they deserve and the support they need.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6243007/">This article</a> from <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelelloyd">Michele Lloyd</a> breaking down the effects of domestic abuse brings to light the argument that children are direct victims, <em>“’ Far from passive witnesses, they are not “exposed” to violence and abuse; rather they live with it and experience it directly, just as adults do.”’ Regarding children as ‘affected by’ domestic violence diminishes its impact on them. Instead, call for children to be recognized as direct victims of violence and abuse which in turn could improve professional responses to their needs.”</em></p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The effects of being in a violent household must be supplemented with support and addressed in any way possible, by those the children are around the most besides family—teachers, instructors, and even classmates.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The more we’re paying attention, the more we speak and educate on this matter, the more we increase the chances of a happy ending.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">
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What Is Culturally Responsive Education?

Collaborating to Bring Online Health Education to Millions of Students

<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;strong&quot;],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.powerschool.com/company/partners/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;mailto:PartnerProgram@PowerSchool.com&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;mailto:health@lessonbee.com&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[0],0,&quot;Mount Vernon, NY – June 23rd&quot;],[0,[],1,&quot;, 2020 –&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; Lessonbee Inc.--a health education technology startup-- is collaborating with PowerSchool, a leading provider of K-12 education technology solutions, to provide a culturally responsive health curriculum for their shared customer base.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Through this collaboration, Lessonbee aims to further the reach of its comprehensive online health education courses for students in grades K-12 and create a community of health-conscious teachers and students.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;&quot;Our mission is to ensure that every child feels confident, connected, and worthy of health and success. Joining forces with PowerSchool is a natural next step to deliver our health curriculum to millions of students across the country,&quot; said Reva McPollom, Lessonbee CEO and founder.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;With the recent shift to remote learning as a result of COVID-19, there has never been a better time to form an alliance that will accelerate equitable access to comprehensive online health education. PowerSchool helps schools and districts efficiently manage instruction online, and Lessonbee creates a personalized learning experience with an adaptive digital curriculum. A collaboration between the two provides their mutual customer base access to age-appropriate content that addresses all CDC recommended health topics for students in grades K-12, including mental health education and sexual health education. PowerSchool customers can access Lessonbee via the Schoology App Center under the Health &amp; Physical Education category.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Lessonbee, is a PowerSchool Learning Application Partner - independently integrating within Schoology’s LTI.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;&quot;We are excited to welcome Lessonbee into PowerSchool’s ever-evolving partner program,&quot; said Alan Taylor, PowerSchool Senior Vice President, Corporate Development. &quot;This alliance allows for our joint Schoology and Lessonbee customers to access high-quality health education content and curriculum within the Schoology platform, creating a better experience for educators and students.&quot;&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;PowerSchool’s Partner Program is an exclusive collection of Independent Software Vendors (ISV partners) and Learning Application partners who are critical to our customers and the company’s mission to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their potential, in their way. From the front office to the classroom to the home, PowerSchool helps schools and districts efficiently manage instruction, learning, grading, attendance, assessment, analytics, state reporting, special education, student registration, talent, finance, and HR. PowerSchool’s Partner Program promotes the delivery of comprehensive solutions to all areas of management of a classroom, school, school district, or state, by providing integration tools for an enhanced user experience.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;For more information on PowerSchool’s Partner Program, visit&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[1],1,&quot;powerschool.com/company/partners/&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; or email &quot;],[0,[2],1,&quot;PartnerProgram@PowerSchool.com&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;About Lessonbee&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Health Education Reinvented.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Lessonbee is a venture-backed educational technology company that">
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Bringing-Online--Health-Education-to-Millions-of-Students.webp" alt="Bringing-Online--Health-Education-to-Millions-of-Students" width="1760" height="990" /></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Mount Vernon, NY – June 23rd, 2020 –</strong> Lessonbee Inc.&#8211;a health education technology startup&#8211; is collaborating with PowerSchool, a leading provider of K-12 education technology solutions, to provide a culturally responsive health curriculum for their shared customer base.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Through this collaboration, Lessonbee aims to further the reach of its comprehensive online health education courses for students in grades K-12 and create a community of health-conscious teachers and students.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">&#8220;Our mission is to ensure that every child feels confident, connected, and worthy of health and success. Joining forces with PowerSchool is a natural next step to deliver our health curriculum to millions of students across the country,&#8221; said Reva McPollom, Lessonbee CEO and founder.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">With the recent shift to remote learning as a result of COVID-19, there has never been a better time to form an alliance that will accelerate equitable access to comprehensive online health education. PowerSchool helps schools and districts efficiently manage instruction online, and Lessonbee creates a personalized learning experience with an adaptive digital curriculum. A collaboration between the two provides their mutual customer base access to age-appropriate content that addresses all CDC recommended health topics for students in grades K-12, including mental health education and sexual health education. PowerSchool customers can access Lessonbee via the Schoology App Center under the Health &amp; Physical Education category.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Lessonbee, is a PowerSchool Learning Application Partner &#8211; independently integrating within Schoology’s LTI.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">&#8220;We are excited to welcome Lessonbee into PowerSchool’s ever-evolving partner program,&#8221; said Alan Taylor, PowerSchool Senior Vice President, Corporate Development. &#8220;This alliance allows for our joint Schoology and Lessonbee customers to access high-quality health education content and curriculum within the Schoology platform, creating a better experience for educators and students.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">PowerSchool’s Partner Program is an exclusive collection of Independent Software Vendors (ISV partners) and Learning Application partners who are critical to our customers and the company’s mission to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their potential, in their way. From the front office to the classroom to the home, PowerSchool helps schools and districts efficiently manage instruction, learning, grading, attendance, assessment, analytics, state reporting, special education, student registration, talent, finance, and HR. PowerSchool’s Partner Program promotes the delivery of comprehensive solutions to all areas of management of a classroom, school, school district, or state, by providing integration tools for an enhanced user experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">For more information on PowerSchool’s Partner Program, visit</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.powerschool.com/company/partners/">powerschool.com/company/partners/</a> or email </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="mailto:PartnerProgram@PowerSchool.com">PartnerProgram@PowerSchool.com</a>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 20px;">About Lessonbee</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Health Education Reinvented.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Lessonbee is a venture-backed educational technology company that&#8217;s reinventing the health education experience for families, schools and districts. Established in 2018, Lessonbee provides a culturally responsive adaptive digital curriculum via a cloud-based reflective learning system that improves student behavior, academic performance, and connection with school. For more information about Lessonbee, visit www.lessonbee.com or email <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="mailto:health@lessonbee.com">health@lessonbee.com</a>.</span></p>
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Representation in Health Education and Why It Matters

<div data-mobiledoc="{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[[&quot;strong&quot;],[&quot;em&quot;],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://blogs.bcm.edu/tag/adiaha-spinks-franklin/&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzyjDR_AWzE&quot;]],[&quot;a&quot;,[&quot;href&quot;,&quot;https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/david-williams/&quot;]]],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This time in American history, we saw yet another unjust murder: George Floyd, a black man whose name has been added to a devastatingly long list.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This event is not isolated. America has responded in outrage, protests, and cries for change.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;I’m proud to be able to say that I work for a company that actively seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and end racism in America. Lessonbee joins the voices of those standing against prejudice, rising with pure intention for the betterment of society.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Where does Lessonbee come into this?&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;You may wonder what health education has to do with this topic. I assure you, it is of extreme relevance for this simple fact: Racism is detrimental to our health. In our formative years, we’re bombarded with peer pressure, expectations, and curricular memorization. What we really need is perspective.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[0],1,&quot;In the United States, black students are not met with the same representation their white peers are privy to.&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot; And further, they don’t have access to the same medical treatment, the same resources, or the same mentors to turn to with questions and concerns.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;“&quot;],[0,[1],1,&quot;Racism is a toxic stress that contributes to chronically elevated stress hormone levels that can lead to changes in the brain, immune system and DNA of those targeted by racism.&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;” Says &quot;],[0,[2],1,&quot;Adiaha Spinks-Franklin&quot;],[0,[],0,&quot;, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This is no secret, and still it persists.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;h2&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Why?&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Health education is the backbone of success in all areas of life. It all stems from the level of value we feel for ourselves and others. If children are missing that sense of value, they grow to be narrow-minded, prejudiced, lost, displaced.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;Health education should not be limited to a one-week event , presentation, or a few pamphlets. It">
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Representation-in-Health-Education-and-Why-It-Matters_o.webp" alt="Representation-in-Health-Education-and-Why-It-Matters_o" width="1760" height="990" /></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">This time in American history, we saw yet another unjust murder: George Floyd, a black man whose name has been added to a devastatingly long list.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">This event is not isolated. America has responded in outrage, protests, and cries for change.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">I’m proud to be able to say that I work for a company that actively seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and end racism in America. Lessonbee joins the voices of those standing against prejudice, rising with pure intention for the betterment of society.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 2;">Where does Lessonbee come into this?</h2>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">You may wonder what health education has to do with this topic. I assure you, it is of extreme relevance for this simple fact: Racism is detrimental to our health. In our formative years, we’re bombarded with peer pressure, expectations, and curricular memorization. What we really need is perspective.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>In the United States, black students are not met with the same representation their white peers are privy to.</strong> And further, they don’t have access to the same medical treatment, the same resources, or the same mentors to turn to with questions and concerns.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">“<em>Racism is a toxic stress that contributes to chronically elevated stress hormone levels that can lead to changes in the brain, immune system and DNA of those targeted by racism.</em>” Says <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://blogs.bcm.edu/tag/adiaha-spinks-franklin/">Adiaha Spinks-Franklin</a>, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.</span></p>
<p style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 2;">This is no secret, and still it persists.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 2;">Why?</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 2;">Health education is the backbone of success in all areas of life. It all stems from the level of value we feel for ourselves and others. If children are missing that sense of value, they grow to be narrow-minded, prejudiced, lost, displaced.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 2;">Health education should not be limited to a one-week event , presentation, or a few pamphlets. It&#8217;s more than condom demonstrations and drug awareness. When students gain an understanding of their peers, in both directions, they are more likely to embrace empathy, compassion, and value for those who are different than themselves.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 2;">Everything starts with value and respect.</h2>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">In a <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzyjDR_AWzE">TED Talk</a> on how racism makes us sick, <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/david-williams/">Professor David R. Williams </a>emphasizes how everyday discrimination builds up over the course of a lifetime using one of the scales he developed to measure racism. It captures subtler instances of discrimination, such as: Being treated with less courtesy than others, receiving poorer service then others at a restaurant or a store, and people behaving as if afraid of you.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">“<em>This scale captures ways in which the dignity and the respect of people who society does not value, is chipped away, on a daily basis.</em>” Says Professor Williams.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 2;">We reflect on what we are exposed to while being raised in this society throughout our whole lives.</h2>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Whether conscious of this truth or not, it remains true. That includes biases and prejudices.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Considering that truth makes the lack of representation—or the poor representation—of black people across all levels of standard education even more of a disgrace to this nation.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">When we say that a substantial health education helps students make better decisions, we don’t point to the choice between a candy bar or an apple for a snack. We reference the decision between acceptance and rejection, empathy and apathy, understanding and ignorance.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">We mean the decision to stand together and support one another instead of tearing one another down.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">When we strike to the heart of this issue, we find deeply rooted inadequacies within the school system. What are we feeding the minds of our children?</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">There is not a valid excuse for ignorance or oppression in this age of information, this supposed age of liberty. We must all do our part in bridging the gap, lifting one another, and banishing the prevalence of systemic racism.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">By supporting our children—the future—in understanding and care for their fellow members of the human race, we build onto the foundation and hope of a brighter destiny for us all.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 2;">If this feels dramatic, that’s because it is. It’s real, and intense, and heavy.</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 2;">There is rarely a better time to be emphatic than in the realm of inequality for black people who are dying needlessly at the hands of those who are meant to uphold the law for the good of the public.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 2;">I write this in the hope that America recognizes and acts on the importance of accurate representation in school material. Health education that addresses the entirety of the human experience leads to strong decisions, new perspectives, and opportunities.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 2;">There is no real rule of complexion that enables one to be in a higher position than the other. There is no concrete rank that is earned by one&#8217;s skin pigment. It is in one&#8217;s character that all is earned and should be measured.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 2;">
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3 Quick Homeschooling Tips (From a homeschool graduate)

<p><span style="font-size: 20px; background-color: transparent; font-family: ProximaNovaRegular, sans-serif;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/Homeschoolingtips.jpg" alt="Homeschooling tips" width="1760" height="990" /></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 20px; background-color: transparent; font-family: ProximaNovaRegular, sans-serif;">Hi! I&#8217;m Heather Drabant, a team member here at Lessonbee. I grew up learning at home and abiding by a schedule my mom created for me, and later, one I created for myself.</span></p>
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<p style="font-size: 20px;">I want to share a few tactics that were successful for me as a kid, and hopefully help you feel better prepared if you find yourself in the position of Homeschool Parent at short notice during this time of COVID-19 and school closures.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Make it a team effort</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">I loved being a part of the planning process for my schooling as a kid. My mom would ask me what I wanted to learn and what I wanted to focus on. Even if we ended up doing something different, I felt included and aware of the process.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">By the age of ten, I was disinterested in school as most kids are. The difference is that I was allowed to shift my schedule and study subjects in ways that made the most sense to me. This helped me learn about time management and prioritization.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Bestselling author of <em>Barking Up the Wrong Tree</em>, Eric Barker, explains. “…<em>Kids who plan their own time, set weekly goals, and evaluate their own work build up their prefrontal cortex and other parts of the brain that help them exert greater cognitive control over their lives.</em>”</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Recognize your kids learning style</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">We all have a style of learning that works best for us. It will benefit both of you if you can determine what that style is for your kiddo.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">In a world where kinesthetic learning is largely considered unruly, rebellious, and disruptive, someone like me would have struggled in a traditional classroom setting.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Does that mean I was a bad student? No. It means I learn through hands-on applications and visuals.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Every child should be given the chance to figure out what their learning style is.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">You can read a good breakdown of the three main learning styles and ways to teach to strengths by clicking <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.pilinutpress.com/Articles/Teaching/RecognizingandTeachingtoIndividualLearningStyles.html" rel=" noopener">here.</a></span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">Shorter days are okay&#8211;the school day can be whatever fits your lifestyle the best</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Most children do not need to have 6hr+ days of school to retain information.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Sometimes I would finish the bulk of my work early, and then finish anything left over in the evening after dinner. With the “extra time,” I was able to reflect and apply what I’d learned to areas of genuine interest. By having the room to think and absorb, I retained more and enjoyed using the new skill or lesson in real-life situations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">One of the key pros of home education is the flexibility you gain.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">“<em>The beauty of homeschooling is that you can cater it—your routine, your curriculum, and your methods—to the unique needs of your kids and your family!</em>” &#8211; <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.bookshark.com/blog/shorter-day">Erin Vincent</a>, homeschool mom and writer.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">To conclude</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Home education does not have to be stressful and chaotic, or rigid and scheduled out every minute.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">It looks different for everyone, but the steadfast facts of it are: Listen to each other, experiment, research, and make learning fun (for real)</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Life is the best teacher, and your kid will not miss anything crucial by being educated at home. As long as you include them, listen to them, and explore however you can.</p>
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How Lessonbee Supports Flipped Learning

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<p style="font-size: 20px;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 1760px;" src="https://cdn.lessonbee.com/assets/blog/How-Lessonbee-Supports-Flipped-Learning.jpg" alt="How-Lessonbee-Supports-Flipped-Learning" width="1760" height="990" /></p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Flipped Learning. Perhaps you’ve heard of it before, and you’re trying to learn more about it right now, or maybe you’re new to the topic. Whatever the case, I’m glad you’re here. Read on to discover how and why Lessonbee supports flipped learning.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">What is Flipped Learning?</h2>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">On Wikipedia, this method is defined as: <em>“An instructional strategy and a type of blended learning focused on student engagement and active learning, giving the instructor a better opportunity to deal with mixed levels, student difficulties, and differentiated learning preferences during the in-class time.”</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">It&#8217;s sometimes referred to as doing “schoolwork at home and homework at school,” which is a simple way of explaining the technique, but it’s more than that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">When you flip a classroom, it leaves room for students to explore the lesson in a more fleshed out way, have conversations, and form strong communication skills. Being comfortable with open dialogues and communication is a cornerstone of student success.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">Educators are more apt to give one-on-one guidance within a flipped classroom setting, and in turn, each student is met with a personalized learning experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">99% of teachers who switched to flipped learning would do it again in a heartbeat. 96% of those who tried it said they would recommend it to other educators.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">One of the best things you can do for your classroom is to personalize the learning experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lesley.edu/article/an-introduction-to-flipped-learning">Lesley University</a> states that <em>“67% of surveyed instructors saw an improvement in student test scores after utilizing the flipped learning model, and 80% reported an improvement in student motivation.”</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 20px;">The opportunity for feedback is also increased with this method. It provides a chance to address any misunderstandings along the way, instead of waiting until test day to see who understands what.</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 32px;">We love flipped classrooms!</h2>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Flipped Learning creates the opportunity for more complete comprehension, and it’s in direct line with <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://lessonbee.com/reflective-learning">reflective learning</a>, which brings out the best of a self-paced curriculum such as Lessonbee material.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Lessonbee lessons are built for flipped classrooms. They are set up to be self-paced and full of discussion topics that can be ironed out afterward. They also include reflections and student observations that are built into the content.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">There are opportunities to interact with the characters throughout the lessons, which is another way to spark conversation. It doesn’t have to be heavy to be reflective. It could be as simple as discussing which character they liked most, or which story they enjoyed completing.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">Or, which ones they didn&#8217;t get, and why that is.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">The beauty of a self-paced curriculum is the chance for the learner to get a firmer grip on the subject being explained and shown, and be able to discuss it with more meaning.</p>
<p style="font-size: 20px;">What do you think of flipped learning? Do you believe it’s the classroom of the future?</p>
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