Student Well-Being Blog

Rules for Engagement

The Rules for Engagement blog explored the nonacademic issues that bear on students’ learning. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: social-emotional learning, student well-being, and school climate.

Families & the Community Stories to Make You Smile: Livestreaming Chicks Hatching in a Teacher's Bathroom
Anne Thiebeau didn't want her students to miss out on seeing the chicken and duck eggs they had been incubating hatch, so she broadcast the hatchings from her bathroom and laundry room.
Arianna Prothero, May 11, 2020
2 min read
Student Well-Being Stories to Make You Smile: 1st Grade Pen Pals Reconnect Retired Teacher, 92
Sharing moments of levity and hope from the education world amid the mass disruption of schooling and life from the coronavirus.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 29, 2020
3 min read
Student Well-Being From Our Research Center As Schools Stay Closed and Student Morale Slumps, Educators Worry About Mental Health
Most teachers and district leaders in the EdWeek Research Center survey expressed concern about students receiving mental health services during the shutdown. The more low-income students a school serves, the more concerned educators were.
Arianna Prothero, April 21, 2020
2 min read
Student Well-Being Can Vaping Put Teenagers at Greater Risk of Getting Seriously Ill With Coronavirus?
Even before the coronavirus arrived, schools were concerned about the negative health effects of e-cigarettes on students. Here's one more reason to worry.
Arianna Prothero, April 16, 2020
2 min read
School & District Management Survey: Teens Are Worried About Coronavirus, Especially Teens of Color
Despite being at lower risk of getting seriously ill with COVID-19, most teenagers are worried about the coronavirus and the effect it could have on themselves and their families.
Arianna Prothero, April 10, 2020
3 min read
School Climate & Safety Stories to Make You Smile: Shining Stadium Lights to Honor High School Seniors
Sharing moments of levity and hope from the education world amid the mass disruption of schooling and life from the coronavirus.
Madeline Will, April 8, 2020
4 min read
Student Well-Being Stories to Make You Smile: A Middle School Choir's Daily Sing-Along
Sharing moments of levity and hope from the education world amid the mass disruption of schooling and life from the coronavirus.
Catherine Gewertz, April 7, 2020
3 min read
Education Stories to Make You Smile: Stuck at Home With the Class Hamster
Sharing moments of levity from the education world amid the mass disruption of schooling and life from the coronavirus.
Evie Blad, April 1, 2020
2 min read
Families & the Community Teaching Kids at Home During Coronavirus: Pro Tips From Homeschoolers
How can parents make sure their kids are still learning, carve out time for their own work, discover their inner teacher, and stay sane? Ed Week turned to the foremost experts for their pro tips: Home schooling parents.
Arianna Prothero, March 17, 2020
6 min read
Student Well-Being Q&A The Nation's Top School Counselor Is Slashing Discipline Disparities. Here's How
The 2020 school counselor of the year draws on her previous experience as a counselor for gang members in a prison to reform discipline in her school in an Atlanta suburb. She shares her insights in this Q&A with Education Week.
Arianna Prothero, March 10, 2020
6 min read
Student Well-Being Q&A Making Mental Health a Priority for School Staff as Well as Students
Encouraging candid conversations about mental health among students and staff and creating supportive environments are top priorities for Leaders to Learn From honoree Jeff Wellington.
Corey Mitchell, March 10, 2020
3 min read
Student Well-Being Sleep Helps Teens Cope With Stress; Instances of Discrimination, Study Finds
A good night's sleep doesn't eliminate stress, but there's new evidence that adolescents are able to cope better with stressful events when they sleep well the night before.
Christina A. Samuels, March 3, 2020
2 min read
Student Well-Being WATCH: Meeting the Needs of Homeless Students. Lessons From One District
Many school districts have seen a rising number of homeless students in recent years. Learn lessons from a district working to address their needs in thoughtful, holistic ways.
Arianna Prothero, February 20, 2020
1 min read
Student Well-Being Schools Are the Main Source of Student Mental Health Care. Are They Ready?
Rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicide are going up among adolescents and research shows that students are far more likely to seek treatment for mental health issues at school than at a community-based clinic, if at all.
Arianna Prothero, February 13, 2020
3 min read