SEL Exercises For Your Classroom With Scott Todnem

I came across a teacher online who was doing some fantastic SEL exercises with his students and posting them online…I had to have him on as a guest to learn more!

Scott Todnem is the author of “Growing Up Great! The Ultimate Puberty Book for Boys” and “Sex Education: A Parent’s Guide.” Scott has been teaching Health Education at the middle school level since 2001 and was awarded the 2019 National Health Teacher of the Year. He uses his platforms to promote cultural diversity, gender inclusivity, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention. Scott is a nationally-recognized presenter and travels to speak about mental health and the benefits of quality health education programs.

Scott enjoys adding to the Health Class experience by hosting a YouTube channel and a Podcast with his students, both of which can be found at LifeIsTheFuture.com. Scott currently resides in Illinois with his family, where he enjoys reading, record collecting, and watching great movies. Additional writing and other content can be found on his website, LifeIsTheFuture.com.

Today on the show, Scott talks to us about how he emphasizes meaningful, as well as memorable activities for his students. Even the physical placement of desks and furniture in his classroom is designed to encourage more social interaction. When Scott is active as a learner himself, he finds that his lessons are that much more engaging and interesting.

Mr. Todnem also has a podcast created and hosted by the students of his class as a way to open up even more about the SEL exercises they took part in, as well as discuss everyday challenges they are dealing with as a middle schooler.

Lastly, we talked about how important self awareness is to the success of a student. Scott feels that self awareness is definitely the million dollar question!

To learn more about everything Scott is up to, head over to lifeisthefuture.com