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Improving Social and Emotional Intelligence, One Day at a Time
In Focus (Grades 6–8) is a teaching resource filled with 10–15 minute lessons that help your students develop their social and emotional intelligence. (See efficacy studies in Illinois and Colorado.) Students need this critical form of intelligence to successfully navigate the challenges, relationships, and experiences they encounter throughout their school years and later in life. In Focus helps your students do the following:
- Improve their intellectual development and academic performance
- Elevate their awareness, management, and expression of feelings
- Develop focusing and attention skills
- Reduce bullying and impulsive behavior
- Learn how to deal with conflict and stress
- Elevate self-esteem and confidence
- Strengthen social skills
- Increase sensitivity and empathy
- Build self-reflection and self-awareness skills
- Develop problem-solving skills
- Improve teamwork and collaboration skills
- Increase social and emotional intelligence
What makes In Focus unique?
Lessons are quick (from 10–15 minutes) and build on each other day after day. They are also easy for you to teach and fun for your students to participate in. Students often begin to request the lessons because they help them feel more calm and in control.
- The lessons meet the needs of all three levels of the brain: (1) brain stem = safety; (2) limbic system = emotions and motivation; (3) cortex = thinking.
- Each lesson begins with background information and provides a script that you can follow, though you can also paraphrase if you prefer.
- Many lessons tie into the development of reading, writing, and 21st century skills.
In Focus has three main parts:
- Part 1 Meeting the Needs of the Brain Stem: Creating Safety, Security, and Connection in the Classroom
- Part 2 Meeting the Needs of the Limbic System: Identifying and Expressing Emotions
- Part 3 Meeting the Needs of the Cortex: Focusing, Managing, and Harnessing Emotions to Support and Enhance Learning
How important is brain-based SEL
How does In Focus affect social learning?
How has In Focus impacted you as an educator?
I'm a real fan of this program
“The In Focus book has opened up an entire new level of understanding for me in my career. The idea of social/emotional learning was not new to me, but I always understood it in the abstract. This book gave me and my students concrete tools to use and explained why and how they worked. Not only has it allowed me to work better with emotionally struggling students, it's allowed me to better understand myself and my own reactions in the classroom and out. It is a vital tool in the 21st century classroom.”
“Using the In Focus book gave me a way into the emotional lives of my students that up to that point I could barely comprehend. Even though I only used it for half a year I saw students being able to calm themselves and address their needs in ways that would have been incomprehensible previously. In what seemed like an impossible situation, In Focus showed me where I could focus my energies to create a positive change in the lives of young people.”
—B. Jacobson, 5th Grade Teacher
A tool to refer to when the going gets rough
“Very easy plans that students loved to engage with and think about. The layout of the lessons are fabulous. The kiddos fully enjoyed the lessons and asked for them. It gave them a tool to refer to when the going gets rough. The strategies were accessible for all, including adults.”
—M. Ludwig, 4th grade teacher
One of the best that I have seen
“In Focus is a great brain-based resource with quick, daily lessons that develop students' and teachers' Social and Emotional Intelligence in just minutes a day. The lessons are doable and fun no matter if you're a Language Arts, Math, or Social Studies teacher. I have seen a lot of Social and Emotional Learning resources, and In Focus is one of the best that I have seen. I highly recommend this valuable resource!”
—Rosalind Wiseman
Author of Queen Bees and Wannabes
Basis of Mean Girls
Can't wait to use this in my classroom!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“I am so excited to use this for the upcoming school year! Have read through some of the first few weeks and it looks good so far; some activities I won't do, but you can pick and choose what works best for you.”
—Paige Parks
