As part of our commitment to professional learning that is both research-based and rooted in the science of learning, the Lower School team recently partnered with The Southport CoLAB to broaden their understanding of executive functioning—the thought processes involved in planning, completing tasks, managing behavior, and regulating emotions. Together, the Lower School teaching team dove deeper into the topics of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive controls, aiming to better understand what we ask of children, how we set them up for success, and how we can provide intentional opportunities to practice life skills. “Lower School teaching practices and classroom management, by design, have always supported these skills, but we want to be sure we’re equipped with a greater understanding of the why,” explains Jane Verlin, Head of the Lower School.
In today’s landscape—where technology impacts attention and memory, and children have fewer opportunities for unstructured play that once helped build these skills—our role in supporting executive functioning has never been more important. Verlin adds, “As part of our mission to prepare children for lives of purpose, we want to be sure we’re helping them develop skills that will support their success overall, not just in an academic setting.”
Thanks to the Southport CoLAB, the Lower School teaching team came away more knowledgeable, more prepared, and full of ideas on how they can be more intentional in bringing awareness and devoting time and space to these developing and essential life skills.