ASCD’s Whole Child Podcast: Changing the Conversation About Education:

Each student brings a unique set of interests, needs, strengths, and circumstances to school… and teachers often struggle to connect with students, especially those facing the greatest challenges. Yet research and common sense tell us that educators positively impact student learning and achievement when they connect their students’ lives outside of school to their learning and the larger school community.

On this podcast, from ASCD – The Whole Child you’ll hear strategies for meeting students where they are now, while preparing them for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

• Eric Jensen, author of Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids’ Brains and What Schools Can Do About It, identifies action steps educators can take to address student risk factors—including health and safety issues and cognitive, social, and emotional challenges—and help students’ brains catch up, and…
• Sean Slade, the new director of ASCD’s Healthy School Communities Initiative, who shares his expertise in connecting students to their learning environment and fostering resilience, well-being, and success.

Click Here to listen to the podcast:

[wpaudio url=”http://jensenlearning.com/docs/wcpodcast.mp3″ text=”Click to play: Molly McCloskey, managing director for Whole Child Programs at ASCD, Eric Jensen and Sean Slade” dl=”0″]

Founded in 1943, ASCD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents more than 175,000 educators from 119 countries and nearly 60 affiliates who advocate sound policies and share best practices to achieve the success of each learner.

ASCD has launched a public engagement and advocacy campaign to encourage schools and communities to work together to ensure that each student has access to a challenging curriculum in a healthy and supportive climate.

ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative:

Click to download a copy of the Whole Child Compact poster.  You’ll also find a  lot of good US teacher resources here.

photo credit: vasta