Social, Emotional, and Physical Wellness for Students and Teachers
(Grades PreK-12) / Semester Course
PDI Course Number: 136BXX / UCSD Course Number: EDUC42343
Course Description
Are you noticing a drop in overall wellness and mental health, not only for you personally, but for your students and your entire school community as well? As most teachers are acutely aware, being a teacher is an awesome privilege, which is why it is one of the most rewarding and satisfying professions; however, it also has the potential to be one of the most stressful. This online course is specifically designed to assist PreK-12 teachers as they search for ways to make wellness, mindfulness, and mental health a priority, not just for their students, but for themselves as well. Teachers will learn specific self-care strategies for both students and staff. Teachers will explore ways to cultivate a more joyful classroom and school environment so that everyone’s social and emotional needs are better met. Specific strategies to cultivate empathy, compassion, and diversity are shared, including circle practices, modeling, making curriculum meaningful, connecting with the greater community, and celebrating student success. By the end of this course, teachers will feel more confident and successful in their quest to uncover strategies to embed the principles of social-emotional learning into their own teaching practices so that the wellness needs of both students and teachers are more wholly and efficiently met. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from UC San Diego Extension. For detailed information on university credit, click here.
This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units or 5 quarter units of graduate-level credit from UC San Diego.
Fall semester online courses must be completed by December 16th.
Print our customized course approval form to share with your school district.
- The Importance of Mental Health
- The Current Mental Health Crisis
- The Importance of Community for Staff and Students
- Assignment #1: Write an autobiography/Write an article reflection
- What is Self-Care?
- Understanding Changing Circumstances
- Self-Care at School for Staff
- Assignment #2: Respond to self-care questions
- Challenges with Students’ Self-Care
- Relationships to Promote Self-Care
- Self-Care at School for Students
- Assignment #3: Establish an action plan for student self-care needs
- Creating Joy in School
- Academic Benefits of Joy
- Making Time for Joy
- Assignment #4: Create ways to bring joy to your classroom/school
- Cultivating Empathy and Diversity
- Circle Practices and Restorative Justice
- Modeling Patience and Compassion
- Assignment #5: Respond to classroom scenarios
- Making School Meaningful
- Service Learning and Giving Back to the Community
- Celebrating Student Success
- Assignment #6: Modify curriculum to be more meaningful
- Assignment #7: Course Reflection

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