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Ask a Psychologist

Helping Students Thrive Now

Angela Duckworth and other behavioral-science experts offer advice to teachers based on scientific research. To submit questions, use this form or #helpstudentsthrive. Read more from this blog.

Student Well-Being Opinion

Introducing Ask a Psychologist

By Angela Duckworth — April 21, 2020 1 min read
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Your students need you more than ever.

You want to be there for them—you’ve always been there for them—but now, of course, you can’t. At least, not physically.

What can you do to help your students focus on academic work? How do you help every student reach the same high standards when some have more support at home than others? How do you know if your students are happy? And what can you do to support their emotional well-being?

The questions that have always occupied teachers are even more urgent during the coronavirus crisis. Especially when you may also be juggling your own family responsibilities and doing your best to regulate your own emotions.

Several times a week, I’ll answer a question from you with advice that I hope offers a path forward. I’ll summarize the relevant research and point you to useful online resources. To get the very best recommendations, I’ll tap a network of experts who specialize in mindsets and skill sets that all children need to thrive. Most important, I’ll offer suggestions for meeting your students’ needs, even when you can’t meet with them in person.

What question would you like to ask a psychologist? All you have to do is use the form below or tweet it out, using #helpstudentsthrive.

We’ll be working in partnership with Education Week to gather your questions. I can’t wait to hear from you.

Angela Duckworth, the founder and CEO of the education nonprofit Character Lab, is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Follow Character Lab on Twitter @TheCharacterLab.

A form originally appeared on this page. It has been removed because we are no longer seeking submissions.

The opinions expressed in Ask a Psychologist: Helping Students Thrive Now are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.