This is the official Facebook fan page of the American Psychological Association Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS). Check out our rules of involvement for this page under "About."
This is the official APA TOPSS Facebook fan page sanctioned by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS). When you join APA TOPSS, you become part of the only professional membership group for high school psychology teachers. There are approximately 1,700 current TOPSS members, all of whom are High School Teacher Affiliates of APA. To become a member, visit: http://www.apa.org/membership/hs-teacher/index.aspx
This is the official APA TOPSS Facebook fan page sanctioned by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the APA Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS). When you join APA TOPSS, you become part of the only professional membership group for high school psychology teachers. There are approximately 1,700 current TOPSS members, all of whom are High School Teacher Affiliates of APA. To become a member, visit: http://www.apa.org/membership/hs-teacher/index.aspx
Operating as usual
Misinformation is incorrect information spread innocently: The person creating it or sharing it believes it to be true. Disinformation is deliberately false information. Advice and tools for psychology teachers for fighting fake news in the classroom.
Psychologists are increasingly incorporating debunking and digital literacy into their courses to combat misinformation and disinformation.
We are looking forward to our Saturday, January 29, TOPSS workshop on Social Justice in the High School Classroom: Hands-on Activities and Practical Advice, with Dr. Mary Kite of Ball State University! The free workshop is limited to 20-30 high school teachers and will be held from 1:00-3:00 PM eastern on 1/29. Here is the workshop description - you can register via this Zoom link:
Discussions of diversity and social justice issues often challenge students’ worldviews and raise emotional issues that teachers must be prepared to address. In this workshop, teachers will discuss their responses to the "Considering Diversity: A Self-Reflection Tool for Psychology Teachers," and will consider how important it is to be aware of one’s own identities when teaching about diversity, equity and inclusion. Workshop facilitator Mary Kite, PhD, of Ball State University, will then provide an overview of effective teaching strategies and offer practical advice about effective diversity education, including topic such as how to engage students and how to facilitate productive, inclusive, discussion. She will focus on strategies for effective diversity education that cut across race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and ageism. A major focus of the workshop will be hands-on activities that can teachers can readily use in their own classrooms. This workshop is designed for teachers at all experience levels, from those who are just beginning to incorporate diversity into their high school classroom to those who have experience but are looking to enhance their skills.
Discussions of diversity and social justice issues often challenge students’ worldviews and raise emotional issues that teachers must be prepared to address. In this workshop, teachers will discuss their responses to the "Considering Diversity: A Self-Reflection Tool for Psychology Teachers," and ...
Happy new year's, TOPSS members and friends! We hope you got some R&R over your holiday break and have a good (better?) semester ahead. If you are not currently a TOPSS member, we hope you will consider joining TOPSS! For $50, you receive publications like the APA Monitor magazine and American Psychologist and Translational Issues in Psychological Science journals, monthly emails from the TOPSS chair, discounts on the APA convention and APA publications, receive academic achievement certificates to recognize your outstanding students, get to participate in grant programs and our excellence in teaching awards, get advanced notice of professional development opportunities -- and you get to join an international network of high school psychology teachers and support APA's efforts to promote the teaching of psychology at the high school level. We support ALL high school psychology teachers, whether you teach AP, IB, on-level, dual-enrollment, specialty courses, etc. We hope you will join us, renew your membership, and/or encourage colleagues to join TOPSS. Here's to a great year ahead teaching the best subject in high school to our students. Thank you for what you do all year in your classroom.
We promote the scientific nature of high school psychology and meet the curricular needs of high school psychology teachers through unit lesson plans, the Psychology Teachers Network Newsletter and more. We also address professional needs of high school psychology teachers and provide opportunities....
For development - the psychology of toys! What makes something a good toy? How has technology changed the way kids play with toys? Does gender affect kids’ toy choices? And do we ever grow out of toys?
What makes something a good toy? Why do some toys stand the test of time while others fizzle out after one season? How has technology changed the way kids play with toys? Does gender affect kids’ toy choices?
Do your students conduct research projects in psychology? Who are their mentors if they do? Read reflections from a high school student and a college mentor on their experiences finding a faculty mentor or mentoring students, respectively. Don't forget TOPSS has a "how to" guide on student research for science fairs, online at https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/science-fair-manual.pdf! For more information, see https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/science-fair.
High school students interested in research experiences struggle to find mentors and opportunities.
Ableism is prejudice and discrimination aimed at disabled people, and either subtly or directly portrays individuals who are being defined by their disabilities as inherently inferior to nondisabled people. Read Dr. Dana Dunn's suggestions for how to we can change how we think, feel and act towards people with disabilities.
Engaging in critical thinking can be helpful in altering beliefs and avoiding ableist conclusions.
Tips on teaching psychology online with suggestions and resources for meaningful online instruction, from TOPSS member Marisa Petraglia!
Suggestions for providing meaningful instruction in the online classroom. Includes useful resources and links for teachers.
Resources for psychology teachers from the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology in Akron, Ohio. Did you know the National Museum of Psychology has interactive exhibits on memory, intelligence, and personality; home movies of Sigmund Freud; a Nobel Prize; the simulated shock generator from Stanley Milgram's obedience studies; artifacts from the Stanford Prison Experiment; and more? There are online exhibits and 5 minute history lessons (videos) too if you cannot visit in person!
Learn about the Cummings Center's online exhibits, history lessons, awards, and grants.
TOPSS is happy to announce another great FREE workshop for psychology teachers! Please register to join Dr. Mary Kite of Ball State University for a two-hour workshop on Social Justice in the High School Classroom: Hands-on Activities and Practical Advice, taking place Saturday, January 29, from 1:00-3:00 PM eastern. The workshop will be limited to 30 teachers.
"Discussions of diversity and social justice issues often challenge students’ worldviews and raise emotional issues that teachers must be prepared to address. In this workshop, teachers will discuss their responses to the "Considering Diversity: A Self-Reflection Tool for Psychology Teachers," and will consider how important it is to be aware of one’s own identities when teaching about diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Kite will then provide an overview of effective teaching strategies and offer practical advice about effective diversity education, including topic such as how to engage students and how to facilitate productive, inclusive, discussion. She will focus on strategies for effective diversity education that cut across race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and ageism. A major focus of the workshop will be hands-on activities that can teachers can readily use in their own classrooms. This workshop is designed for teachers at all experience levels, from those who are just beginning to incorporate diversity into their high school classroom to those who have experience but are looking to enhance their skills."
Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwscumrqj8rHtJKe8rEgGbRxM3mF40ti1Gf
Discussions of diversity and social justice issues often challenge students’ worldviews and raise emotional issues that teachers must be prepared to address. In this workshop, teachers will discuss their responses to the "Considering Diversity: A Self-Reflection Tool for Psychology Teachers," and ...
ICYMI: We hope you will read about and use these new lessons on student resilience related to the pandemic, developed with funding from a grant from the CDC. We had hoped these resources would have been out in early August, but the start of the next semester might also be a good time to use these in class. The first lesson includes a worksheet for students to reflect on the difficulties of the last two years and what areas of their life were most affected, and the other three lessons go over stress and the body, helpful and unhelpful actions, and finally how their beliefs, thoughts, and mindset can impact their experience of stress and strategies for practicing positive self-talk. There are videos, other worksheets, and resources available. We hope you will use these and ask for your assistance in sharing these lessons with advisory period teachers at your school. A separate module for students grades 4-8 is also available.
APA is creating a set of four lessons for high school students to help them process what they have experienced, cope with their experiences, and understand that there may still be challenges in the near future.
Have you seen these APA's new inclusive language guidelines? "Simply put, words matter. The words we use are key to creating psychologically safe, inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environments.
These guidelines aim to raise awareness, guide learning, and support the use of culturally sensitive terms and phrases that center the voices and perspectives of those who are often marginalized or stereotyped. They also explain the origins for problematic terms and phrases and offer suitable alternatives or more contemporary replacements. This document will be flexible and iterative in nature, continuing to evolve as new terminology emerges or current language becomes obsolete.
By embracing inclusive language and encouraging others to do the same, we firmly believe that we will not only communicate effectively with more people, but also better adapt to a diversifying society and globe."
These guidelines aim to raise awareness, guide learning, and support the use of culturally sensitive terms and phrases that center the voices and perspectives of those who are often marginalized or stereotyped.
Don't forget that TOPSS has vetted lesson plans for many units for your course -- our latest is on Cognition, but we also have many others on Research Methods, Biological Bases of Behavior, Psychological Disorders, Memory, Life Span Development, Consciousness, and many more! Each has content outlines, classroom activities, resources, and more, and they are FREE TO ALL TEACHERS. Whether you are a new or an experienced teacher, we hope these are useful to you. Stay tuned for new lesson plans on Positive Psychology, Health, and Gender, coming out soon!
Unit lesson plans for high school psychology teachers for day units that include a procedural timeline, a content outline, suggested resources and activities, and references. Some of the content is password protected and reserved for TOPSS members only.
Join TOPSS tonight, Tuesday, 12/14, at 7:00 PM eastern for an hour-long conversation with the current President and President-Elect of APA! Dr. Jennifer F. Kelly, APA's 2021 President, will be discussing three recent APA resolutions on racism, and then Dr. Frank C. Worrell, APA's current President-Elect, will join Dr. Kelly for questions and answers. We will give away one free copy of a new APA book on introductory psychology to a randomly selected participant (https://on.apa.org/3CI5Egz) and will offer a certificate of one professional development hour too. Please register and we hope you see you tonight!
Please join the APA TOPSS Committee and current APA President Jennifer F. Kelly, PhD, for an hour-long conversation. Dr. Kelly is a licensed psychologist and is the director of the Atlanta Center for Behavioral Medicine, with expertise in disorders that involve the relationship between physical and....
Just released!! APA, with support from the CDC, has just published a set of 4 lessons on resilience related to COVID for teachers and students. The new module has worksheets, a new video, and four lessons based in science that cover reflections of the last year, stress and the body, student actions, and student thoughts. You are welcome to use these in class but these are also for advisory period teachers, health teachers, and others at your school! Please share these with your school colleagues as you can. There is a separate module for students in grades 4-8.
Huge thanks to TOPSS members Allison Shaver and Wayne Ha for their contributions to this work. We hope this is useful to students and teachers. More resources related to the pandemic and K-12 education will be released in the coming weeks.
This resource is supported by cooperative agreement NU87PS004366 funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views or endorsement of the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services.”
Classroom lessons to help students adapt and grow academically, emotionally, and socially with three resilience-building skills. Part of our COVID-19 Teaching Resources for preK-12 Teachers.
You have a few more days to register for our Tuesday, 12/14, Tea with TOPSS conversation with APA President Jennifer Kelly, PhD, at 7:00 PM eastern! This is a great opportunity to hear first-hand from APA leaders and ask questions about psychological science. APA President-elect Frank Worrell, PhD, will join the conversation too.
We will be giving away a free copy of a just published APA book on intro psychology to one participant and will offer a certificate of one professional development hour to everyone who joins us. We hope you will join us!
Please join the APA TOPSS Committee and current APA President Jennifer F. Kelly, PhD, for an hour-long conversation. Dr. Kelly is a licensed psychologist and is the director of the Atlanta Center for Behavioral Medicine, with expertise in disorders that involve the relationship between physical and....
Don't forget that TOPSS has vetted lesson plans for many units for your course -- our latest is on Cognition, but we also have many others on Research Methods, Biological Bases of Behavior, Psychological Disorders, Memory, Life Span Development, Consciousness, and many more! Each has content outlines, classroom activities, resources, and more, and they are FREE TO ALL TEACHERS. Whether you are a new or an experienced teacher, we hope these are useful to you. Stay tuned for new lesson plans on Positive Psychology, Health, and Gender, coming out soon!
Unit lesson plans for high school psychology teachers for day units that include a procedural timeline, a content outline, suggested resources and activities, and references. Some of the content is password protected and reserved for TOPSS members only.
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About TOPSS: TOPSS is the voice of high school psychology teachers within the APA. TOPSS - through the APA Education Directorate - promotes excellence in the teaching of psychological science at the high school level through the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula; meets the curricular, professional development and networking needs of high school psychology teachers; provides opportunities for high school psychology teachers and their students to be recognized and rewarded for their excellence; increases the professional identity and leadership opportunities for high school psychology teachers; and enhances the visibility of psychological science as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.
| Monday | 8:30am - 6pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30am - 6pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am - 6pm |
| Thursday | 8:30am - 6pm |
| Friday | 8:30am - 6pm |
Curriculum Resources
• Unit Lesson Plans
• PowerPoint Demonstrations
• Online Psychology Laboratory (OPL)
• APA’s National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula
Professional Support
• Psychology Teacher Network newsletter
• APA Monitor on Psychology magazine*
• American Psychologist journal*
• Science Fair Support
• Minority Recruitment Recommendations
• Speakers Bureau
• Professional Development Opportunities
• APA/Clark University Workshop for High School Teachers
• APA Convention Programming
• TOPSS Toolbar
• Posters for the Classroom
• Online modules/videos
Recognition for Teachers and Students
• APA TOPSS Excellence in Teaching Awards
• APA TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students
• Academic Achievement in Psychology Certificates
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TOPSS tips from Eric Castro, from the beginning of the stay at home order: "Anything I can do to minimzie [students'] distress, calm them, and ease their minds is good."
Happy teacher appreciation week TOPSS members and friends! APA and TOPSS thank you for your hard work all year in and outside of the classroom. Here is the latest TOPSS tips video from Maria Vita. "What is so great about psychology is that we are able to give our students skills and concepts to understand the world."
TOPSS tips with Bonnie Gonzalez: Recommendations on anxiety reappraisal and developing a more positive outlook.
TOPSS tips from former TOPSS faculty rep Linda Woolf: Grief is real and the work you do teaching psychology is so important. For all HS psych teachers - AP, IB, on-level, etc!
TOPSS tips with Jane Halonen: In every instance of adversity, we have tremendous opportunities to reconnect with each other to produce positive outcomes and show the true nature of our character.
A message from Charlie Blair-Broeker: If you need help, reach out. If you can give help, reach out.
TOPSS tips with Stephen Chew: Recommendations for successful learning and successful courses during this time of transition.
If you have, you share. If you can, you help. A second video message to the TOPSS community from TOPSS member Karl Honma.
Let's think about our students, let's think about each other -- a message from former TOPSS faculty rep Regan Gurung to the TOPSS community
Ken Weaver's concluding comments on the first full day of the summit, on Monday, July 10. The full group spent the last 45 minutes of the day discussing the mission of the summit and what the future of high school psychology looks like.
Live from Denver! A few minutes of Scott Lilienfeld presenting a TOPSS invited address on public misunderstandings of psychological science.
Welcome to APA's preconvention workshop for high school teachers. Maureen McCarthy, PhD - "Faulty Logic or Merely Cognition? Unraveling the Mysteries of Thinking"
Welcome to APA's preconvention workshop for high school teachers. Charlie Blair-Broeker, shows us a class exercise on the speed of neurons.
Welcome to APA's preconvention workshop for high school teachers. Charlie Blair-Broeker presenting on sensation and perception.
Live from Clark! Virginia Welle and Alan Feldman presenting on intelligence.
Live from Clark! Virginia Welle and Alan Feldman presenting on sensation and perception.
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