149 episodes
Upgrade My Classroom Kevin Mecchella
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- Education
Thank you for listening to the Upgrade My Classroom Podcast! Kevin Mecchella, youth speaker and behavior change specialist uncovers the social and emotional strategies that help teenage students make great decisions and mitigate bad ones. On this show, you’ll learn from experts in the field of education, youth leadership and behavioral psychology how to create positive, lasting change for your teens. Our kids are faced with so many challenges and we have a responsibility to guide through the choices they have in front of them. Whether it's bullying, drugs or their own mental health, students need our help.
So whether you’re a teacher, school administrator or youth group organizer, this podcast is a fantastic resource to help your teens succeed. You’ll hear a mix of expert interviews, training from Kevin and coaching calls. Subscribe to the show and let’s help make an impact in our schools and communities!
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Essential Tips for Students Moving from High School to College Life
Most of us can remember the first few months of our undergraduate experience. It was not easy! It's a big shift for many different reasons so when we talk about our student's mental health, this is a very pivotal point and an important transition.
Today we'll chat about the challenges students face as they navigate the increased autonomy, adult responsibilities, and cultural shock in a university setting. Time, energy and money management are all important for a college freshman, as well as finding a social and academic groove without hitting a wall. Take a listen to a few suggestions that might help your high school senior as they begin their collegiate journey!
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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!
If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!
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Book Kevin to speak at your school or event!
Learn more about Kevin's speaking programs here!
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How To Break Down Social Cliques In High School
Do you remember the last few months of your senior year?! All of a sudden everyone started talking to each other, everyone became friendly, and all social cliques began to to break down! We realized that our future has arrived. There was no more next steps and for most part, you were not going to see a vast majority of these people ever again. Everyone was going to go on to do different things with their lives and no matter how cool you were, what sports you played or how good your grades were, everone was on the same playing field.
The question becomes can we replicate this through the other three years of high school? Can we help break down the social cliques sooner?
I think one idea is to help students with perspective on time, real-world experiences, and social situations, all of which can help them navigate the challenges of social hierarchy, as well as the pressures of social media.
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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!
If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!
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Book Kevin to speak at your school or event!
Learn more about Kevin's speaking programs here!
Follow Kevin on social!
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Twitter
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A Mental Health Morning Routine...For Teens!
The saying goes "if you win the morning, you win the day". And morning routines are not just for adults! There are many great benefits from a teen implementing some personal development tactics before they head out to school.
Today I'll share some practical strategies to help teenagers enhance their well-being by focusing on their body, mind, and emotions in the morning. From exercise to meditation, journaling, and acts of kindness, I'll break down simple yet impactful routines that can make a positive difference in the lives of your teens.
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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!
If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!
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Book Kevin to speak at your school or event!
Learn more about Kevin's speaking programs here!
Follow Kevin on social!
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Twitter
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Unpacking the CASEL Framework: Strategies for SEL and Mental Health From Communities To Classrooms
May is Mental Health Awareness Month so today we'll be unpacking the CASTLE SEL framework which is a key component of social and emotional learning. I'll provide an in-depth breakdown of the framework's five core competencies, along with discussing the settings that SEL can be taught which are classrooms, schools, families, and communities.
There are some hidden gems to this framework that might go overlook at first. I'll be asking some interesting questions to challenge how we approach SEL from the outside in!
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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!
If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!
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Book Kevin to speak at your school or event!
Learn more about Kevin's speaking programs here!
Follow Kevin on social!
Facebook
Instagram
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Tiktok
Twitter
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Beyond the Surface: How To Invest Time in Students Who Appear Self-Reliant
I recently had a student come up to me after a talk and said "I want to be like you"...
I assumed that he meant he wanted to be a speaker. I was wrong.
He continued to say "I want to speak and I want people to finally hear me". I realized that this student has so much to say and so much to share but he doesn't have an outlet to do so.
I then thought about my experiences working with students either in the classroom or from the stage and I realized that there are so many students who go unnoticed. Not because it's anyone's fault but we need to use so much time and attention on the students who obviously need our help both academically and socially. So how do we create opportunities to truly get to know all our students...?
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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!
If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!
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Book Kevin to speak at your school or event!
Learn more about Kevin's speaking programs here!
Follow Kevin on social!
Facebook
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Twitter
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Picking The Right Major To Avoid The Rat Race And Find Purpose
When I was in high school I KNEW that I was going to be a high school band director....
Clearly I was mistaken.
When 16 and 17 year old children are asked what they want to do with the rest of their lives (AKA picking a major), there are a lot of variables and situations to think about.
Whether your teen is having trouble picking their major or is on the opposite end of that spectrum and is completely sold, there are a few questions that are crucial to ask in this process.
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Don't forget to subscribe to the show!
If you'd be so kind as to leave a rating and review, that would help tremendously!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Book Kevin to speak at your school or event!
Learn more about Kevin's speaking programs here!
Follow Kevin on social!
Facebook
Instagram
Linked In
Tiktok
Twitter