SEATTLE – May 26, 2022 – As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, educators found themselves in unfamiliar territory as they dealt with new technology and concerns over in-person learning while also caring for their own children. These anxieties served to heighten an already stressful profession. According to the 2021 State of the U.S. Teacher Survey conducted by The RAND Corporation, teachers were almost three times more likely to report symptoms of depression than adults in other professions. Additional independent research indicates that 54 percent feel unprepared or very unprepared to respond to students’ behavior problems.
To give educators much-needed support in the classroom, social emotional learning pioneer Ripple Effects, today announced that through June 30, 2022, it is offering complimentary access to its staff professional development wellness program, Educator Ally. This solution equips educators with the tools they need to address their own stressors as well as students emotional and behavior problems more effectively.
“When educators have the proper tools, their stress levels decrease,” said Heidi Johnecheck, chief impact officer for Ripple Effects. “As they continue to deal with the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is more crucial than ever to give educators the infrastructure they need to help build their classroom management skills and manage student behaviors in a personalized, supportive and non-judgmental manner. We want to extend as much help as possible to educators and we hope that using Educator Ally will give them the vital tools they need to be their best in the classroom.”
With customizable support for every educator, Educator Ally includes more than 120 lessons that reinforce a safe and supportive school culture and environment, build adult SEL skills and address real world challenges including, classroom management, best practices for fostering SEL competencies for students and stressors for adults.
“Teachers are under tremendous pressure in good times,” said Dr. Maurice Elias, director, Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, Rutgers University. “Now their responsibilities and challenges are greater than ever. Just in time, Educator Ally is here.”
Educator Ally provides real-world skills training that is designed to eliminate fear of embarrassment when soliciting training or reprisalwhile helping teachers and administrators grow in confidence and skill, in order to benefit staff morale, attendance, and classroom practices. Studies show that better classroom practices yield fewer behavior problems and better academic performance by students.
To access the free trial of Educator Ally, visit https://rippleeffectsweb.com/v7.5/ally/loading/FREEUSEJUNE2022. It is available through June 30, 2022.
ABOUT RIPPLE EFFECTS
Founded in 1997 by child advocate/media creator Alice Ray and technology innovator and producer Sarah Berg, Ripple Effects is a multi-award winning, social enterprise (WMBE) dedicated to using emerging technologies to prevent social injury and promote school and life success for all youth The company provides trauma-informed, culturally responsive, personalized, evidence-based digital programs for delivery of social-emotional-behavioral supports and training for PreK-12 students and staff. In 2022, its program, Ripple Effects for Teens, was designated by CASEL as a Promising Program for social and emotional learning, meeting or exceeding most of CASEL’s criteria for high-quality SEL programming.
For more information on Ripple Effects, visit https://rippleeffects.com/
eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.