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As young children are introduced to new academic environments, they often exhibit problematic behaviors. These behaviors may appear as a child struggles to focus, exhibits negative attitudes, begins touching or hitting others inappropriately, and disrespects adults. Addressing and supporting behavioral issues in elementary school is a multi-faceted and collaborative process. By creating a positive and supportive classroom environment, implementing personalized behavior management strategies, teaching self-regulation skills, and fostering strong partnerships with parents and caregivers, educators can help students develop positive behavioral patterns, overcome challenges, and thrive academically and socially. By recognizing the unique needs of each child and providing the necessary support, we can nurture young minds and set them on a path to success.

Parental involvement is important in encouraging a child to act appropriately. Frequently, behavioral problems witnessed at home will manifest at school; therefore, only a joint collaboration between the parents and the teachers can help the student.

To teach students better modes of conduct and behavior, public schools have adopted specific early-intervention programs to help support both students and parents through the developmental process

Why Children Act Out

According to Diana Browning Wright of the , specific negative behaviors may be exhibited as a result of a child’s specific learning disability, such as ADHD, autism, or other learning issues; however, many children without learning disabilities also exhibit problematic modes of conduct, as “success in school involves being able to complete work, stay organized, get along with kids and adults,

Whether high school students are seeking extra help for coursework or for students who are looking for ways to become more involved in their school or community, tutoring programs are widely available for high school students in public schools.

Benefits of Students Becoming a Tutor

Programs to Foster Positive Tutoring Experiences

For students interested in volunteering to serve as a tutor, such academic involvement can prove to be beneficial both socially and academically. As the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) explains, “Cross-age tutoring can have benefits for both the tutee and the tutor. Using high school students to tutor students in elementary school has the potential to be a win-win situation.” While there are opportunities for high school students to assist their peers, many tutoring programs focus solely on utilizing high school students as mentors for younger children.

As the CNCS further explores, one local Seattle school district paired high school and elementary students in academic tutoring programs, which resulted in beneficial learning opportunities for both age groups. As CNCS explains, the local high school and elementary school “partnered to create a service-learning program where high-school students enrolled in a home/family life class also tutored elementary students during the week. The high-school tutors worked in teams and were coached by an on-site reading specialist.” Three to five days a week, tutors would meet with their assigned elementary students, focusing on the lowest-scoring and achieving students so as to provide strong support early on.

As CNCS

According to statistics compiled by the Guttmacher Institute, the US has “one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world—almost twice as high as those of England, Wales, and Canada, and eight times as high as those of the Netherlands and Japan.” Because of the rising pregnancy rates among teens, in addition to the rising rates of sexual activity among teens, both parents and public schools are exploring the best sex education programs to benefit students.

This video discusses the issue of teaching sex education in school.

While sex education has historically brought forth great tension and debate between schools and communities, National Public Radio asserts that “providing effective sex education can seem daunting because it means tackling potentially sensitive issues. However, because sex education comprises many individual activities, which take place across a wide range of settings and periods of time, there are lots of opportunities to contribute.”

The Debate of Sex Education in Public Schools

While some Americans express mixed opinions on how public schools should teach sex education courses, National Public Radio (NPR) reports that the once heated debate over whether or not schools should even teach teens about sex has now dwindled: “A new poll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government finds that only 7 percent of Americans say sex education should not be taught in schools. Moreover, in most places,

As obesity levels and health issues are rising among young children and teens across the country, public schools are implementing new health and physical education programs to help prevent illnesses while striving to promote wellness. Some studies report that the new health programs not only help children to improve physically, but a school’s wellness plan can also help students improve emotionally, behaviorally, and academically as well.

The Current Health Issues Facing Public School Students

Since 1997, America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being has issued reports regarding American children’s health and wellness. According to America’s Children, one of the biggest issues of concern among all public schools and parents is the rising percentage of overweight children: “In 1976–1980, only 6 percent of children ages 6–17 were overweight. […] Most recently, in 2005–2006, 17 percent of children ages 6–17 were overweight.”

Paired with this, Asthma is another disease, in addition to weight, that is a serious concern for American children. According to studies, “Asthma is a leading chronic disease among children, and rates of childhood asthma have remained at historically high levels since the 1990s.” Recently, in 2006, 9 percent of children suffered from asthma.”

As schools are becoming increasingly aware of these issues, public wellness plans are designed to decrease obesity rates while also helping students cope with specific health issues, such as asthma, diabetes, and many others.

This TedTalk explains how quality, daily physical education in schools not only reduces obesity amongst our children, but