Little Talks That Make a Big Difference: The TEI Podcast Series David Levine

Often the idea of safety within a school conjures up images of single points of entry, name tags, sign-in desks and zero tolerance for fighting or other aggressive acts. These images focus solely upon physical safety.
In this episode of the Little Talks series, we examine how by meeting the emotional needs of our students, we are creating the blueprint for emotional safety. 

A resilient child has hope and optimism for the future with the skills and perspective to manage difficult life situations.  In this episode of the Little Talks series, we focus upon the significance relationships have, as we lay the groundwork for each child to have a resilient mindset.

Social and emotional learning is defined as the process through which children acquire and effectively apply the knowledge and skills to manage their emotions while building healthy relationships with others. In this episode of the Little Talks series, we focus upon practical approaches for infusing SEL into the classroom setting.

In the first 15 years of our life, we have experiences which create our value system. These values drive our behaviors and are often unconscious. In this episode of the Little Talks series, we examine what emotional imprints are and how they can get in the way of building healthy and productive relationships with other. By identifying our imprints, we can manage our emotions more effectively, especially during times of stress.

Naming the world as a concept is an outgrowth of the work by Brazilian Educator Paolo Freire who said “that which is unnamed is invisible, and a teacher’s job is to name the world.” In this episode of the Little Talks series, we explore how to create a secure learning environment in which discovery is enhanced through the use of common language, routine, and ritual

Empathy as a professional practice is critical when it comes to connecting a child to his or her learning environment. In this episode of the Little Talks series we reflect on how to make empathic connections with a child by intentionally creating the conditions for success and self-worth.  By “absorbing” where a child is, a teacher can practice what is called humanistic differentiation or meeting each child where he or she is.