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Session 7 - Social and Emotional Learning.pptx

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Session 5 - Social and Emotional Learning.pptx

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Session 6 - Social and Emotional Learning.pptx

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Sessions 3&4 - Social and Emotional Learning.pptx

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Session 2 - Social and Emotional Learning@UWC.pptx

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What is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?

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Session 1 - Social and Emotional Learning.pptx

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Learning diversity and inclusion in IB programmes

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Learning diversity and inclusion in IB programmes

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De-Escalation Spaces: Helping Students Manage Emotions

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De-Escalation Spaces: Helping Students Manage Emotions

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De-Escalation Spaces: Helping Students Manage Emotions

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The Emotional Atmosphere of a Classroom Matters

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The Emotional Atmosphere of a Classroom Matters

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Daniel Goleman: The Emotional Atmosphere of a Classroom Matters

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Understanding the Science of Moods at Work

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Understanding the Science of Moods at Work

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Understanding the Science of Moods at Work

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A growing body of research on the human brain proves that, for better or worse, leaders’ moods affect the emotions of the people around them. The reason for that lies in what scientists call the open-loop nature of the brain’s limbic system – our emotional center.

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Article: Social and Emotional Learning: Introducing the Issue

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Article: Social and Emotional Learning: Introducing the Issue

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Well-being in education in childhood and adolescence

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Well-being in education in childhood and adolescence

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-management Skill Indicators

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-management Skill Indicators

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-management skill indicators.docx

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Mindfulness Practice – Head, Body, Heart Check-in

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Mindfulness Practice – Head, Body, Heart Check-in

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Mindfulness Practice – Head, Body, Heart Check-in

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Meeting student learning diversity in the classroom

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Meeting student learning diversity in the classroom

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Kelsey Lewis is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Kelsey Lewis's Personal Meeting Room

Join Zoom Meeting
https://ibo-org.zoom.us/j/3822931532?pwd=RHZIdklzNzVHSHpKd25ndTFvSW5YUT09

Meeting ID: 382 293 1532
Passcode: CFA6Z2

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SEL skills to support learning engagements and assessment tasks

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SEL skills to support learning engagements and assessment tasks

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SEL skills to support learning engagements and assessment tasks

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Engaging Families With Social and Emotional Learning Strategies

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Engaging Families With Social and Emotional Learning Strategies

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Engaging Families With Social and Emotional Learning Strategies

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PYP: Personal, Social and Physical Education Scope and Sequence

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PYP: Personal, Social and Physical Education Scope and Sequence

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IB Education Workshop, Social and Emotional Learning Survey (March 23rd-26th)

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The 10 Top Skills That Will Land You High-Paying Jobs by 2020, According to the World Economic Forum

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The 10 Top Skills That Will Land You High-Paying Jobs by 2020, According to the World Economic Forum

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They surveyed 350 executives across 9 industries in 15 of the world's biggest economies ... and the answers may surprise you.

Professional development: it's not always clear what to focus on. Should you go to a coding bootcamp? Invest in a social media marketing course? Attend a communications training? What should you do to help you excel in your current job -- or prepare you for your next one?

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the answer is simple.

The WEF recently surveyed 350 executives across 9 industries in 15 of the world's biggest economies to generate The Future of Jobs. The report's intention was to predict how technological advancement will transform labor markets. In other words, how will technology impact employers, and therefore what they'll want from employees?

In a world increasingly dominated by robots, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, having a firm grasp of what employers will be looking for is smart. Interestingly, more than 33% of the skill sets listed are not yet considered important by employers. They may not be on their radar now--but they will be.

The top 10 skills that will be most desired by employers by 2020:

10. Cognitive flexibility

This involves creativity, logical reasoning, and problem sensitivity. It also means being able to adapt how you communicate based on who you're talking to. Employers want to know you don't just say the same thing to everyone -- that you think critically about who you're talking to, deeply listen, and tailor communication to that person.

9. Negotiation skills

This will be in especially high demand in computer and math jobs, such as data analysis and software development. It will also be critical in the arts and design (including commercial and industrial designers).

8. Service orientation

This was defined as actively seeking ways to help others. How much do you assist those on your team, your superiors, and people across your industry? How much are you known for that?

7. Judgment and decision-making

As organizations collect more and more data, there will be an even greater need for workers who can analyze it and use it to make intelligent decisions. Good judgment also involves knowing how to get buy-in from a colleague, or making a strong suggestion to a manager (even if it might not make you popular).

6. Emotional intelligence

Robots can do a lot, but they still can't read people the way other humans can (at least not yet). Employers will place a strong emphasis on hiring those who are aware of others' reactions, as well as their own impact on others.

5. Coordinating with others

Again, this falls under the social skills umbrella (sensing a trend?). It involves being able to collaborate, adjust in relation to others, and be sensitive to the needs of others.

4. People management

In the report, this included being able to motivate people, develop the talents and skills of employees, and pick the best people for a job. This will be especially in demand for managers in the media and energy industries.

3. Creativity

In 2015, creativity ranked 10th on the list. It's now one of the top three skills employers will seek. Why? Because as we're bombarded by new technologies, employers want creative people who can apply that tech to new products and services.

2. Critical thinking

As automation increases, the need for humans who can employ logic and reasoning increases. This is, in part, because machines must be directed ethically and optimally. Employers want people with critical minds who can evaluate the uses or abuses of the power of technology, and use them to benefit the company, the people in it, and the future.

1. Complex problem-solving

Technology can make life easier, but it can also make things more complicated. For example, you could use wearables to help map the walking patterns of nurses and doctors in a hospital to see how to make things more efficient. But without a human being analyzing those results while also having intelligent conversations with nurses, doctors, and patients, you will likely end up with a wrong or even dangerous result.

The report shows that 36% of all jobs across all industries will require complex problem-solving abilities as a core skill by 2020.

Take a look at this list in aggregate, and it's clear that if you want to prepare for 2020 and beyond, you should develop your social skills. Substantially.

This is backed up by David J. Deming, research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. The title of his paper isn't even subtle: The Growing Importance of Social Skills in the Labor Market. He argues that strong social skills will only increase in importance as robots and automation take more jobs.

So if you're wondering about what to focus on when it comes to professional development in 2018 and beyond, consider things like:

Authentic Leadership Intensive, a 3-day training on social intelligence, trust, and authentic communication, led by EQ expert Amy Silverman ($350-435; coming up in January in NYC and February in Miami)

Dealing With Difficult People and Problems, a course out of Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation (~$3,000 for 3 days; Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Search Inside Yourself, a leadership program based on the 5 primary components of emotional intelligence, originally given as a wildly popular course at Google (~$650-$1,350; all over the world, including Paris in January and SF in April)

Far from robots taking over the world, their rise seems to mean that it is the very things that make you human -- your willingness to cover for a coworker whose mother is sick; your desire to help two radically different teammates work together; your heartfelt appreciation of a manager who had our backs -- that will make you the most valuable.

Professional development: it's not always clear what to focus on. Should you go to a coding bootcamp? Invest in a social media marketing course? Attend a communications training? What should you do to help you excel in your current job -- or prepare you for your next one?

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the answer is simple.

The WEF recently surveyed 350 executives across 9 industries in 15 of the world's biggest economies to generate The Future of Jobs. The report's intention was to predict how technological advancement will transform labor markets. In other words, how will technology impact employers, and therefore what they'll want from employees?

In a world increasingly dominated by robots, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, having a firm grasp of what employers will be looking for is smart. Interestingly, more than 33% of the skill sets listed are not yet considered important by employers. They may not be on their radar now--but they will be.

The top 10 skills that will be most desired by employers by 2020:

10. Cognitive flexibility

This involves creativity, logical reasoning, and problem sensitivity. It also means being able to adapt how you communicate based on who you're talking to. Employers want to know you don't just say the same thing to everyone -- that you think critically about who you're talking to, deeply listen, and tailor communication to that person.

9. Negotiation skills

This will be in especially high demand in computer and math jobs, such as data analysis and software development. It will also be critical in the arts and design (including commercial and industrial designers).

8. Service orientation

This was defined as actively seeking ways to help others. How much do you assist those on your team, your superiors, and people across your industry? How much are you known for that?

7. Judgment and decision-making

As organizations collect more and more data, there will be an even greater need for workers who can analyze it and use it to make intelligent decisions. Good judgment also involves knowing how to get buy-in from a colleague, or making a strong suggestion to a manager (even if it might not make you popular).

6. Emotional intelligence

Robots can do a lot, but they still can't read people the way other humans can (at least not yet). Employers will place a strong emphasis on hiring those who are aware of others' reactions, as well as their own impact on others.

5. Coordinating with others

Again, this falls under the social skills umbrella (sensing a trend?). It involves being able to collaborate, adjust in relation to others, and be sensitive to the needs of others.

4. People management

In the report, this included being able to motivate people, develop the talents and skills of employees, and pick the best people for a job. This will be especially in demand for managers in the media and energy industries.

3. Creativity

In 2015, creativity ranked 10th on the list. It's now one of the top three skills employers will seek. Why? Because as we're bombarded by new technologies, employers want creative people who can apply that tech to new products and services.

2. Critical thinking

As automation increases, the need for humans who can employ logic and reasoning increases. This is, in part, because machines must be directed ethically and optimally. Employers want people with critical minds who can evaluate the uses or abuses of the power of technology, and use them to benefit the company, the people in it, and the future.

1. Complex problem-solving

Technology can make life easier, but it can also make things more complicated. For example, you could use wearables to help map the walking patterns of nurses and doctors in a hospital to see how to make things more efficient. But without a human being analyzing those results while also having intelligent conversations with nurses, doctors, and patients, you will likely end up with a wrong or even dangerous result.

The report shows that 36% of all jobs across all industries will require complex problem-solving abilities as a core skill by 2020.

Take a look at this list in aggregate, and it's clear that if you want to prepare for 2020 and beyond, you should develop your social skills. Substantially.

This is backed up by David J. Deming, research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. The title of his paper isn't even subtle: The Growing Importance of Social Skills in the Labor Market. He argues that strong social skills will only increase in importance as robots and automation take more jobs.

So if you're wondering about what to focus on when it comes to professional development in 2018 and beyond, consider things like:

Authentic Leadership Intensive, a 3-day training on social intelligence, trust, and authentic communication, led by EQ expert Amy Silverman ($350-435; coming up in January in NYC and February in Miami)

Dealing With Difficult People and Problems, a course out of Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation (~$3,000 for 3 days; Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Search Inside Yourself, a leadership program based on the 5 primary components of emotional intelligence, originally given as a wildly popular course at Google (~$650-$1,350; all over the world, including Paris in January and SF in April)

Far from robots taking over the world, their rise seems to mean that it is the very things that make you human -- your willingness to cover for a coworker whose mother is sick; your desire to help two radically different teammates work together; your heartfelt appreciation of a manager who had our backs -- that will make you the most valuable.

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The 10 Top Skills That Will Land You High-Paying Jobs by 2020, According to the World Economic Forum

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They surveyed 350 executives across 9 industries in 15 of the world's biggest economies ... and the answers may surprise you. Professional development: it's not always clear what to focus on. Should you go to a coding bootcamp? Invest in a social media marketing course? Attend a communications training?

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SEL skills to address issues (example charts)

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Supporting the Mental Health of Teachers

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Supporting the Mental Health of Teachers

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Beautiful and functional, the Western Academy of Beijing has exciting, purpose-built school facilities that are colorful and dynamic, designed to enhance the WAB learning experience.

The architecture and design of our campus buildings were creatively planned and executed to make a lively and connected learning environment. Our innovative classrooms were designed to be flexible to support a variety of educational experiences at our Beijing international school.

WAB has continued the redesign and renovation of its campus buildings to create more flexible, dynamic, and multifunctional learning environments.

Discover Our Learning Spaces

The spaces are designed with the students in mind, and because they are tailored for different learning styles, it lends itself to a new way of looking at working," said Middle School teacher Jodie Zuccato. "It's pushing all boundaries. We have to be really creative with the space as we look at how it is going to best serve the students.

As part of our journey to achieve the future of learning at WAB, we're reinventing and innovating our learning spaces with the help of the world leader in school campus design, Rosan Bosch Studio.

WAB's three school levels, Elementary, Middle and High, are situated on one campus with six buildings, providing self-contained environments for each of the school sections, each covered by our state-of-the-art indoor air filtration system. Our 99,000m campus features:

3 well-resourced libraries

Design Technology Studios

Science labs

Photography, editing and recording suites

1 Apple authorized repair center

Specialist classrooms for languages

Learning kitchens

Music, drama and dance studios

Dining courts, cafes and lounges

The renovations of our modern, environmentally friendly Middle School campus supports WAB's educational goals.

Our campus is surrounded by nature. Students can enjoy walks across grounds filled with gardens and trees, with scenic Duck Lake located at the center.

3 theaters

Indoor swimming pool

3 full-size gyms

Multi-sport air-supported Tiger L'Air dome

FIFA-approved full-length football field with a track

Vertex climbing wall

Indoor basketball courts

Tennis courts

A fully-equipped workout room

A fusion of traditional and modern Chinese architecture, our world-class facilities reflect WAB's values and the connection with our host country, China.

Explore our Interactive campus map

Book a Tour at WAB

In Person Virtually

By any standard, WAB is a remarkable school...with purpose-built facilities, which are on a par at least with the finest in the international schools in the world. More than that, it has developed an enviable and richly deserved reputation for offering a vital, stimulating and challenging education to its international student body.

The council of International schools (cis)

AIR AWARENESS

Providing a safe and healthy learning environment for our students, staff and families is a top priority for the Western Academy of Beijing, and we take this issue very seriously. As one of the leading private schools in Beijing, our campus facilities are equipped with reliable, state-of-the-art air filtration systems. WAB also has strict precautionary measures in place to safeguard our students from the dangers of engaging in physical activities outdoors on days when air quality is poor.

WAB has advanced systems in place to provide the best air quality possible in Beijing.

Super-filtered, clean, tempered air pressure is constantly pumped into all our school buildings safely and quietly. The same advanced technology that keeps pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities clean is now making WAB the safest and healthiest learning environment for our students, staff and families. WAB regularly tests and reviews its filtration systems to ensure the best possible air quality solutions.

WAB's windows and doors are airtight to reduce infiltration. Main entrances to the school have overhead devices to keep pollutants from entering the building. The Tiger L'Air, WAB's state-of-the-art multi-sport air-supported structure, allows for safe physical activity indoors when outdoor air quality is unsafe.

WAB staff continuously measure the air quality index (AQI) inside all facilities throughout the day. Using handheld devices and white egg-shaped monitors visible in different areas of the school, WAB's AQI measures a daily average of 1 throughout campus. On the way to school and back home, WAB buses are now equipped with advanced air purification systems for our students, ensuring a healthy ride.

The health and safety of our families at WAB has always been a priority. Our parent community and staff took action in unique ways to continue providing the best school experience possible for everyone.

Dr. Marta Medved Krajnovic, Director

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Our Campus | Leading Private School In Beijing | WAB

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The Western Academy of Beijing has exciting, purpose-built school facilities that are designed to enhance the WAB learning experience. Explore our campus here.

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We define social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.

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We define social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.

New to Social and Emotional Learning? Start here (2 min. read).

Think of a young person in your life. What skills will they need to achieve their hopes and dreams?

Chances are, you just named social and emotional skills - like staying motivated, communicating effectively, practicing curiosity, and working with others to solve problems. Social and emotional learning, or SEL, helps develop the skills we need for life.
Hear why students, parents, and educators want SEL in schools. Here are 3 things to know about social and emotional learning:

1. Social and emotional learning is a foundation for many of our most pressing priorities: SEL helps young people - and adults - learn and practice skills that set them up for academic success, fulfilling careers, healthy relationships, and responsible civic engagement.

2. The research is clear: Social and emotional learning in schools leads to positive outcomes, including better academic performance, and decreases in stress and anxiety.

3. There's no one-size-fits-all approach: Social and emotional learning brings families, schools, and communities together to make sure every child has caring relationships and what they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

Subscribe now for our expertly curated 3-part email series delivered straight to your inbox. We'll roundup the key facts from our website on SEL is, it matters, and it shows up in schools.

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

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SEL can help all young people and adults thrive personally and academically, develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners, and contribute to a more caring, just world.

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-management skill indicators 

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-management skill indicators 

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-management skill indicators.docx

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What Mindfulness Is and Isn't- Daniel Goleman

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Using Athletics to Teach Social and Emotional Skills

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Using Athletics to Teach Social and Emotional Skills

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Using Athletics to Teach Social and Emotional Skills

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Social and emotional learning teacher support material

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Social and emotional learning teacher support material

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Building Classroom Community Through Daily Dedications

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The Mindful Child: Interview with Susan Kaiser Greenland

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The Mindful Child: Interview with Susan Kaiser Greenland

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Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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Susan Kaiser Greenland is a former corporate attorney who began to practice meditation when her children were young as a way of coping with a family crisis. As she developed mindfulness awareness through this practice, not only did she survive the crisis, but she learned that it is possible to access inner peace and stillness, even when the world seems out of control.

She began teaching these practices to her children with success and is now the author of the book, The Mindful Child, which aims to help other parents and professionals teach mindfulness awareness practices to children. Susan is also the co-founder of the Inner Kids Foundation, a program dedicated to bringing mindful awareness practices to inner-city and underserved communities in Los Angeles. She blogs regularly for The Huffington Post and the book has been heavily covered in the media, including The New York Times, National Public Radio, and CBS News, among others.

Watch the interview with Susan below to learn more about the book and how you can implement mindfulness practices with your children.

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Teaching Mindfulness to Children: An Interview with Susan Kaiser Greenland | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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Susan Kaiser Greenland is a former corporate attorney who began to practice meditation when her children were young as a way of coping with a family crisis. As she developed mindfulness awareness through this practice, not only did she survive the crisis, but she learned that it is possible to access inner peace and stillness, even when the world seems out of control.

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Vol. 78

No. 6

Abstract

Opposing SEL Mindsets

In Need of Collective Healing

An Antiracist Approach to SEL

Freedom-Dreaming for an Antiracist Future

Done poorly, SEL faces the risk of becoming "white supremacy with a hug."

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Credit: Neil Webb / IKON IMAGES

Abstract

Opposing SEL Mindsets

In Need of Collective Healing

An Antiracist Approach to SEL

Freedom-Dreaming for an Antiracist Future

As a college student in Vermont more than 15 years ago, I took a child development course as one of the requirements of the teacher education program. In that class, my peers and I learned about the stages of childhood development as well as the social, emotional, and academic supports necessary for students to thrive.

I remember what happened one day, in particular. My best friend, Alicia Hernández, a Honduran woman, and I rushed into class just in time after running from another campus building a mile away. We took front-row seats next to each other so that we would not disrupt our classmates with our almost-late arrival. As was customary, our instructor, a white woman, took attendance before her lecture.

Since Alicia's last name begins with an H, the instructor called her name before mine.

"Alicia Hernández," the instructor read, anglicizing the pronunciation of my friend's name.

Busy rustling through her bookbag for a notebook and pen, Alicia did not hear her name, leaving our instructor to scan the room looking for an Alicia Hernández. When the instructor's gaze landed in our direction, she looked at both of us, and without skipping a beat, said, "One of you two."

With a roomful of white classmates, she assumed that one of us had to be the obvious owner of the Central American surname.

Our instructor called the next name after Alicia's and proceeded as if she had not just insulted us, as if she had not just reduced us to a blob of one-of-you-two.

I could not concentrate for the rest of the period. My heart raced. My body grew tense. My mind filled with questions: How come she didn't make an effort to learn our names after four weeks of taking attendance? Why did she think it was acceptable to diminish our individuality? When will these public assaults, these public erasures, stop?

With her actions, our instructor communicated to us and our classmates that, like her, they did not need to learn our names. They did not need to get to know us. They did not need to regard us as more than one of the two girls of color in a sea of whiteness.

Opposing SEL Mindsets

While my instructor taught us the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) in child development, she was not culturally competent. She illustrated how an educator could be well-versed in textbook SEL practices and still inflict harm on students. Simply put, to be effective equity-centered educators, we cannot be emotionally intelligent without being culturally responsive (Simmons, 2019a).

That college experience, along with many others from my schooling and work life, exemplifies why SEL faces the risk of becoming white supremacy with a hug if we do not apply an anti-oppressive, antiracist lens (Madda, 2019; Simmons, 2019b).

Through my work with school districts nationally, I have learned that some educators share distinct reasons for implementing SEL depending on who their students are. In mostly Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) school districts, SEL is often about compliance and control. SEL then becomes another way to penalize and police BIPOC youth for their non-whiteness and to justify their supposed inferiority for lacking "these necessary skills" (Kaler-Jones, 2020; Simmons, 2019c). What is even more perverse is the implicit belief that SEL skills are exactly what BIPOC students need to function in underresourced classrooms and to smile through the pain of racism. On the other hand, for white, privileged students, SEL is about supporting college and career readiness. These opposing mindsets lead to different practices and outcomes, which ultimately perpetuate a racial hierarchy that positions white students on top.

As we confront our country's sin of racism, we must acknowledge that our nation's schooling has always been an education in whiteness (Brooks & Theoharis, 2018), which manifests as textbooks lauding white heroes, excuses about too few "qualified" BIPOC teacher candidates, dress codes that criminalize Black hair, productivity over people, and well-meaning educators who correct Black diction but claim color-blindness. In this context, any curriculum, policy, or practice in our nation's schools that is not deliberately and actively combating racism, bias, and oppression can easily be used as a weapon to put BIPOC students in their place.

Relatedly, the overwhelming number of articles that cite SEL as critical to employability (Committee for Children, 2016) also puts white hegemony on display. It seems we cannot talk about SEL without talking about what we deem, in a narrow sense, as employable and professional. For me, that has always meant talking white, dressing white, and acting white-unspoken rules I have learned on my educational and professional journeys. If we laud SEL for how it supports youth with career, business, and economic success, we must also reckon with our blind obsession with capitalism and its relationship with the white supremacy upon which it was built. We can still prepare students for future success without diminishing their identities, without sending them the message that there is only one way to be successful. We have to begin to open our minds to the possibility of genius outside of whiteness.

SEL that fails to address our sociopolitical reality and combat racial and social injustice will not prepare our young people for the world they will inherit-one fraught with hate, misunderstanding, and bigotry. SEL alone will not keep politicians from making laws that disenfranchise BIPOC communities. SEL alone will not keep educators from suspending BIPOC children at disproportionate rates. SEL alone will not keep teachers from having low expectations for BIPOC students. SEL alone will not prevent cops from killing BIPOC people. If SEL alone were the magic bullet, perhaps George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Walter Wallace Jr. would still be alive today. We need more for our collective healing.

Is SEL, alone, enough to provide this? Absolutely not.

In Need of Collective Healing

Over the past year, there has been much talk about the importance of SEL in schools as a necessary response to our pandemic reality. There has been an influx of stand-alone courses about managing stress and anxiety, pushes for educators to focus on self-care, and free student resources offering mindfulness strategies for the uncertainty. As a long-time proponent of SEL, I could not be happier.

However, as we embrace this new urgency, we must address not only the trauma of COVID-19 but also that of racism. Pushing for "neutral" SEL only aims to protect white comfort. That is, courses that teach educators how to manage stress and anxiety without speaking to the stress and anxiety stemming from racism disregard the experiences of BIPOC people and contribute to the trauma of erasure. Likewise, pushing for teacher self-care without also advocating for school systems to value teacher health and well-being puts the onus on educators, making collective care nearly impossible. And asking students to practice deep-breathing in response to systemic oppression is simply offensive.

Collective healing starts with committing to eradicating our country's wound of racism and not looking away, sanitizing history, or advocating for neutrality. It means taking a stand against the injustices we witness in our districts, schools, and classrooms, whether that happens through community organizing, peaceful protest, or speaking up in-the-moment. It means creating space for processing the collective traumas of the pandemic, racism, and other forms of oppression in our school communities. It means abolishing white supremacy culture from our schools to prevent the constant spirit-murdering of BIPOC students, educators, and families. It means implementing culturally and contextually responsive practices. It means prioritizing care through partnering with community therapeutic providers and building healing-centered practices into the fabric of schooling. It means ensuring equity, justice, and humanity in our teaching and learning. And it means loving and honoring BIPOC members in our school communities, not just saying we do.

An Antiracist Approach to SEL

Last June, while in quarantine, I became the victim of a hate crime. Shattered, I had no choice but to focus on my healing. I reflected on what was important to me, what inspired me, and what made my spirit feel most whole. In the process, I rediscovered my voice, the one that had been tone-policed, silenced, and punished for the past six years because it was, as I was told, "too strong" and "too powerful."

As part of my healing journey, I left my job, in the middle of a pandemic. I needed my voice to ring louder than other people's doubts, slights, and limitations. I left so that I could save myself, so that I could dream. And I left so that I could invest my time into changing the very system that failed me and is failing so many others.

For me, that has led to the development of LiberatED , a new program that takes an anti-racist approach to SEL and healing. Instead of assuming what people need, the LiberatED team and I are connecting with school communities through a listening tour to collect stories, needs, and ideas about healing, SEL, racial justice, and abolitionism. From what we learn from educators, families, and students during the listening tour, we will create resources, curricula, and training. In this way, LiberatED will become a community-generated, student-centered approach to SEL, racial justice, and healing. In our preliminary conversations with school leaders, we have learned that educators have great interest in implementing SEL and diversity, equity, and belonging (DEB) practices in their districts. However, many do not know where to begin or how, especially as it relates to racial justice. Above all, schools want to do well by their students, but I remain steadfast in my belief that good intentions are not enough. While the interest in SEL and DEB work is heartening, interest does not always result in action. We need to start our racial justice journeys now.

To this end, I invite educators to start a practice of reflecting on their identity, positionality, power, and privilege. Had my college instructor understood the damaging effects of her white-centered perspective, perhaps she would have called Alicia's name again and waited for a response. Perhaps she would have admitted to the class that she was still learning names. Perhaps she would not have left Alicia and me scarred with her nonchalant erasure. Bound to white supremacy's need for urgency and productivity (Western States Center, 2003), my instructor breezed through attendance in her desire to be efficient. However, there is a tension between equity and efficiency. Equity takes more time. Efficiency saves time, but at what cost?

Additionally, schools could collect data and devise action plans from their own listening tours about what belonging means for their school communities, especially since many of us are physically apart this school year. In the process of transforming how we teach for our new virtual and hybrid settings to build connectedness and engage students, we could check in with our students through surveys and one-on-one conversations to ensure we are meeting their needs.

Though we are already exhausted and overwhelmed with so many pressures related to the pandemic, we still must find the time to take inventory of our curricula, pedagogy, and policies to ensure they prioritize student safety and belonging. That is, affirming our BIPOC educators, students, and families must be a part of every pandemic-safety plan. This moment calls for developing partnerships with community organizations to support children and adults with healing, SEL, mental health resources, food security, and basic needs.

Freedom-Dreaming for an Antiracist Future

So much time has passed since that college experience. Yet I still shudder at the memory of my instructor's reduction of my individuality. Too many others have a collection of similar reductions, similar scars, from well-meaning educators, whose unchecked privilege and a lack of cultural competence harmed them. The field of SEL cannot similarly fall victim to this pattern. We cannot rely solely on good intentions, on how we teach empathy, without being self and socially aware enough to interrogate how such a kind field could perpetuate white supremacy culture.

Ultimately, my hope is that, through projects like LiberatED and through schools committing to racial justice and collective healing, we can begin to dismantle structural, institutional, and individual practices that harm young people, that inhibit their optimal social, emotional, and academic development. Educators and students deserve to express themselves freely without fear, to be treated with respect and valued, to feel safe, and to go to schools that challenge bias, discrimination, and oppression.

As I've written before, the pandemic is our equity check, our opportunity to do and be better. LiberatED is one part of my effort to be and do better, part of my freedom-dream for a future where we are liberated from the burden of hate and oppression, where we are all free to live and learn in the comfort of our own skin.

References

Brooks, J. S., & Theoharis, G. (Eds.). (2018). Whiteucation: Privilege, power, and prejudice in school and society. New York: Routledge.

Committee for Children. (2016). Why social and emotional learning and employability skills should be prioritized in education. Seattle, WA.

Kaler-Jones, C. (2020, May 7). When SEL is used as another form of policing. Communities for Just Schools Fund.

Madda, M. J. (2019, May 15). Dena Simmons: Without context, social-emotional learning can backfire. EdSurge.

Simmons, D. (2019a). You can't be emotionally intelligent without being culturally responsive: Why family and consumer sciences must employ both to meet the needs of our nation. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 11(2).

Simmons, D. (2019c, October 4). A call to action for SEL's next 25 years [Conference presentation]. 2019 SEL Exchange, Chicago, IL.

Western States Center. (2003). Dismantling racism: A resource book for social change groups. Portland, OR.

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Done poorly, SEL faces the risk of becoming "white supremacy with a hug."

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SEL Relationship skills - MYP Collaboration skills 

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SEL Relationship skills - MYP Collaboration skills 

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SEL Relationship skills - MYP Collaboration skills

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The Rewards and Punishment Paradox with Alfie Kohn

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Listen to this episode from The Neurodiversity Podcast on Spotify. The data tells us rewarding kids for good behavior and punishing them for bad doesn't work. In fact, it harms relationships. In the education setting and at home, Alfie Kohn says we need to rethink the way we talk to kids, and how we help them learn behavioral skills, because rewards and punishment are ineffective.

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Personal, Social and Physical Education 

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Personal, Social and Physical Education 

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School mission > Values > Skills > Resources example

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School mission > Values > Skills > Resources example

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School mission > Values > Skills > Resources example

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-Management Skill Indicators

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-Management Skill Indicators

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CASEL - MYP ATL Self-management skill indicators.docx

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PYP Attributes and Attitudes

What do I bring to my Grade 4 community? an activity - reflecting and sharing attitudes, attributes that define each student.

WAB's Mission Statement - Analysis of WAB's Mission Statement and activity where students create their personal Mission using the WAB template. Teacher needs copy of the Mission Video as its too large to upload.

How to Make a Good Visual - Tips for students when making their Mission Poster. Has Keynote and downloadable checklist.

Growth mindset:

Growth mindset - what is it and how does it work? (brain science, training your brain, perseverance, etc)

Growth Mindset (Hybrid learning) - students write a letter to a person who may be struggling with something and give them strategies and sayings to help them create new pathways in their brains to be successful.

The Dot by Peter Reynolds - a video of a book to provoke discussion about growth mindset

Anchor chart - an example of one you could make with your students to encourage self-talk to promote a growth mindset

Possible Writing Engagements Possible Reading Engagements

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PYP Attributes and Attitudes What do I bring to my Grade 4 community? an activity - reflecting and sharing attitudes, attributes that define each student. WAB's Mission Statement - Analysis of WAB's Mission Statement and activity where students create their personal Mission using the WAB template.

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The best way to have good academic outcomes...

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The best way to have good academic outcomes...

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Session 8 - Social and Emotional Learning.pptx