Research Lab

The CARE Model: A Practical Tool for Character Development and Social Emotional Learning

It’s not enough to just teach a growth mindset, though a growth mindset is good. Grit is not enough. Gratitude is not enough. Emotion regulation, empathy, or any other capacity is only as effective as its relative position within the unique, complex human organism. The only path to sustainable fulfillment is by using a dynamic and thoughtful approach.

If you are aiming for character development and want to teach social emotional skills, then you’d be wise to consider the human being in all its complexity.

Leadership, Growth, and National Championships

The New Trier High School Trevians have a long, storied history of athletic and academic success. They added to that legacy during the pandemic, when their powerlifting team completed one of the most successful runs of any sport in school history. The Trevians competed in six competitions at the state and national level, and they won them all.

The run was an important statement for the Trevians but not because of the hardware. The true value came in the form of leadership and character lessons learned in the process.

A Framework for Evaluating Movement and Sedentariness in Schools

A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis of school-age youth revealed that U.S. students are spending about 63% of their time fully sedentary. Sedentariness has regularly been connected to mental health issues like major depressive disorder and physical health issues like heart disease.

When reevaluating the educational landscape and aiming to incorporate movement into the day, remember that all exercise is not created equal. We recommend creating a model to evaluate the level of student exercise within an organization. This framework can be used to evaluate exercise and sedentariness within an organization.

Exercise-Induced Enhancement of Focus and Calm

Can exercise change the way we engage with the world? Many have noted the link between exercise and affect. Studies have demonstrated exercise-induced increases in neurochemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine; these neurochemicals are often associated with affective improvements. Exercise has also been linked to improvements in the areas of concentration, memory, cognition, emotion regulation, and executive control.

Revisiting Growth Mindset as a Core Capacity of Sport Psychology

Growth mindset is a mental schema that has the power to influence our thoughts, decisions, and behaviors. A growth mindset guides one’s response to challenge and their ability to self-reflect in the face of setbacks. A fixed mindset, which is characterized by the interpretation of situations as unchangeable, leaves little or no room for personal agency.

In jobs, relationships, and daily operations, challenges are absolute. How one engages with those challenges will influence further behavior.

Wellness: The Bedrock of Leadership and High-Performance

“Sports teach life lessons” is a regular suggestion in the athletics realm. That is simply not true. Sports do not teach life lessons… you do, coach. Sports, complemented by unique and powerful opportunities in the weight room, have incredible potential as a learning environment, but the learning does not happen automatically.

Character can be taught through athletics. So can leadership, performance psychology, and communication skills. Picking up a barbell does not accomplish these outcomes, but educators routinely use a barbell to teach them. It must be done intentionally.

Major Levers in Addressing Educator Stress

Staff stress is a growing concern. Madeline Will (author at Education Week) notes that staff stress is problem for the entire system of education, as “staff stress, more than low pay, is the main reason public school teachers quit." It is a serious dilemma. The solution is never clear, but the approach should be twofold: 1) identify anchor concepts and 2) adjust by context where possible. It can be difficult but necessary work.

Good Athlete Project: Long Term Development of Body and Mind

Coaches, we have some startling news: sports do not teach life lessons. It's true. Sports don't teach life lessons-thoughtful teachers and coaches use sports as a platform to teach life lessons, but it does not happen automatically.

Sports are merely a classroom. They offer a unique learning platform, but someone needs to design the curriculum and build for specific outcomes. At the Good Athlete Project, our mission is to support coaches in maximizing the potential of the athletic experience.

Leading Toward a Healthier Future through Bedrock Education

The term Bedrock refers to the High Order Performance framework. Picture it as a compass, a reliable tool to navigate the complexities of self-improvement and goal attainment. In the spirit of iconic models like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, our framework is presented in layers—each one building upon the other in a state of continuous, indistinguishable interaction. Understanding should precede problem-solving. It is the only place to start. Use this tool to self check, to build a more comprehensive understanding.

High Order Performance Framework

The High Order Performance Framework helps leaders evaluate situations and guide their teams toward positive outcomes. The tool, created at Harvard University, has been used to evaluate essential components of performance and maintain awareness of how those components interact.