Teaching Kids to Pause, Cope, and Connect: Lessons for Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness

Thirty hands-on lessons provide students opportunities to learn and practice self-regulation strategies. Students today face many challenges that did not exist a generation or two ago, and rates of emotional disorders (including anxiety and depression) have increased steadily over the years. Students must also manage an overwhelming amount of information. With today’s reliance on technology and social media, they have fewer opportunities to develop effective self-regulation strategies and interpersonal and stress management skills.

Helping students understand their emotions and behavior when they’re young will set them on a path to being successful learners and empathetic people throughout their lives. With thirty easy-to-implement, skill-based lessons and activities, Teaching Kids to Pause, Cope, and Connect provides educators with strategies to help students:

manage and reduce their anxiety with healthy coping skills understand and regulate physical responses to stress separate emotions from actions respond mindfully (rather than impulsively) to difficult situations improve social skills, social awareness, and self-regulation develop empathy and compassion

Digital content includes reproducible student handouts that accompany each lesson, plus six bonus lessons.