Connecting Teachers and Families: Social and Emotional Supports in the Remote/Hybrid Classroom

The COVID-19 pandemic has created countless challenges for our schools and communities. With these challenges and the shift in many communities to remote and hybrid instructional settings, it is more important than ever for teachers to understand the needs of students and effectively communicate with families. In collaboration with the National School Boards Association, this presentation will focus on the role that mental health supports play within the social-emotional development of students during remote and hybrid instruction, along with the essential need for teachers and families to have the tools to successfully communicate with each other in these settings to meet these unique needs. Watch this free, 60-minute webinar where we discuss: How do mental health needs of students show up in remote and hybrid learning? Why must we respond to those needs in ways that support positive social-emotional development? What are the tools of productive communication that can be used between teachers and families to identify and meet the mental health needs of students, whether in classrooms or virtual learning? What are the next steps in implementing the necessary language and tools that support effective communication between teachers and families as it relates to student mental health, social emotional learning, and remote/hybrid learning? Presenters: Adam Lustig is currently the Director for the National School Boards Association's Center for Safe Schools, an NSBA initiative to support and ensure a safe and secure environment for students, staff, and community members. Adam began his career in New York City Public Schools as a teacher and varsity baseball and basketball coach. He then continued his work in New York City in the Office of School Wellness Programs and finally as an Assistant Principal at John Dewey High School where he oversaw Safety and Security, School Climate, Physical Education, Health Education, and athletics. He also worked in Washington, D.C. public schools where he managed social and emotional learning, school climate, student behavior, restorative justice, and bullying prevention for all 115 DCPS schools. Through his various roles, Adam has also served as a professional development trainer at the state, district, and school levels. The experience he has gained through this work has shaped his belief that school safety goes far beyond just focusing only on security measures or individual programs. With this, it is essential that school communities take an intentional shift from reactive to preventative measures, focusing on supporting the whole child, while also purposefully engaging families and communities. Leah R. Kyaio is CEO/Founder of With Respect, LLC. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Education/Special Education. She designs and delivers tools and strategies that create and nurture respect and resilience within individuals and organizations. Her work develops and nurtures resilience, respect, and agency in systems and the cultures that drive them by empowering the people that work within them. As an educator and trainer, Leah has been sharing for 20+ years, empowering learners to own their learning, grow their dreams, and achieve beyond what anyone thinks is possible, including themselves. She shares from her own experience in trauma, poverty, and as a classroom teacher. Her work is about tools and strategies that are culturally relevant and immediately applicable. She offers wisdom, engages with curiosity, and learns alongside children and adults. After all, we are all simultaneously teachers and learners. This webinar was originally conducted on December 2, 2020.