Take5: the Power of Houses in Schools, Alleviating Math Anxiety, Books to add to your Summer Reading List and More.

While many of you are already basking in summer, some of us are still teaching. Our school year ends for students this week, but I know many East Coast schools are still in session as late as next week. Whether you are winding down this school year or already looking to the year ahead, we hope this week's Take5 helps inform your teaching. We touch on the weighty topic of suicide prevention. We also offer tips for supporting the creation of Houses in schools to promote belonging, strategies for spotting math anxiety in kids and stopping it in its tracks, and share a newly developed method for tracking cell phone use. Lastly, consider adding YA books to your summer reading by checking out a Best of 2018 YA List. So take a few minutes to Take5.

---

In How Being Part of a House Within a School Helps Students Gain A Sense of Belonging, KQED's Mindshift highlights the importance of teams in schools and provides ideas on how to strengthen the culture of teams or houses. 

---

​If you are a regular BubbleUp Classroom reader, you already know that I am not a fan of phone use among your people, especially in classrooms. It looks like Apple might be helping parents monitor "screen time." Read: Apple Aims to Help Parents Crack Down on Kids iPhone Use. 

Suicide prevention continues to be a concern for educators and parents alike, and recent news of the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, along with the release of a CDC report last week indicating that suicide rates in the US are up across all demographics, lend further credence to these worries. This Washington Post article offers pointers for education professionals to address this growing American epidemic. It's weighty, but well worth the read.

As a middle school teacher and mother, I know that math anxiety is a reality. My own child, while a strong math student in my view, struggles with anxiety because she feels that she does not work the problems fast enough. Like so many teachers and parents, I am always looking for tips on how to strengthen her math confidence. I found this article Recognizing and Alleviating Math Anxiety full of useful tips.

I love including Young Adult books on my summer reading list. I add titles to my phone and then check them out when I am at the library or throw some in my online shopping cart from time to time. Take a few minutes to build your YA shopping list by checking out the 18 Most Exciting YA Books to Read in 2018.

---

-Corey

---

You might also like:

• Siri: I Love Ya, But It's Time For You To Go (May 22, 2018)
• BubbleUp Take5:  Problem Solving, Morale, Writing Feedback, Math + Google, and yes, a Personality Quiz (October 3, 2017)