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Responsible Decision-Making (with Self-Awareness)
In order to see student growth and proficiency in these areas I will have to give my students a way to be assessed thoroughly throughout the entire year, gathering baseline data at the beginning of the year.  I would also like the assessments to be the same throughout the year as well for students to be able to build routine, recognize what I am looking for, and to minimize any confusion regarding them.  I have developed and used an assessment strategy in the past that I call "The Iceberg".  While at my June meeting with Nikki and Joe they mentioned that this could be more than just a one day activity for students, it could be a way to see students' thought process and measure their growth in understanding.  I will be adapting the original idea to make it something we will use the entire school year.  I also will be observing students interactions as well.  These interactions will be with peers, adults, and teachers.  I also would like to find a way to continue these behaviors outside my classroom too.  Perhaps having other teachers collect some data about their students' interactions over the year and return to me a reflection or brief statement about if the process is working in their classroom too.  I still have a lot of ideas in terms of assessment but feel that I am finally moving in the right direction.

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SEL Competency: Relationship Skills

Data needed: Information about how students are utilizing problem solving strategies, listening to one another, and participating in classroom activities.

Assessment/tools:
-Classroom observations during times when students are engaged in unstructured work times will be helpful when evaluating the usage of problem solving strategies.  This could be recess or our end of the day choice time.
-Checklists- I could keep track of the number of students actively listening during the sharing portion of our daily morning meeting, and track that number as the year goes on.  I could also keep track of the number of reports of playground incidents for problem solving, and of participation during group community building games.
-Self-reflections/rubrics- Students could answer a simple thumbs up/thumbs down survey with "I can" statements about how they feel like they do with listening, problem solving, and participating in the classroom.
-Pictures/photo journal- I would like to use See-saw to take pictures of students doing these things in our classroom to show them and for them to reflect on as well as to share with parents as evidence as of their social/emotional learning during the first month of school.

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Responsible Decision Making

Data:  I will need to gather information on the processes my students have to problem solve, seek support, and preplan for the future.  Questions will need to focus on having the necessary supplies, seating choices, transitioning actions, iPad usage, and reactions to others.

Assessments:
Surveys:  I plan to give students a short pre/post survey on how well they feel they can problem solve, get support, and preplan for future events.
Observations:  I will develop a quick daily/weekly checklist to record the names of students that display difficulties with being prepared for the day, choosing seating options wisely, transitioning quietly, using the iPad wisely, and reacting to others appropriately.
Self-Reflections:  Students will jot a quick note home to their parents stating the ways in which they showed responsible decision making during that week.

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~Responsible Decision Making

~I am thinking that one of the areas I'd like to focus on in this competency is the decision to remain on task in the classroom.

~Data Needed/Collection:
I think I can collect data in a few different ways.
- a pre-survey as to how they see their own self during work time/class time and if they utilize it well or waste time.
-tally how many times I need to redirect students
-focus on working with different distractions - for example compare how they work when all distractions are taken away on purpose and how they work with their distractions with them (self-control)
-time intervals - for example how much time there is between redirecting students and see if it varies
-large group vs. small group

2 good sources I found
https://blog.brookespublishing.com/6-ways-to-collect-data-on-your-students-behavior/

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/?q=assessment/data_based_decision_making

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SEL Competency: Self Awareness
Data: The students will identify areas of strength and areas of their own lives that they do not feel confident in. We will work on increasing both! I want to see how the students change their perception of themselves over the unit.
Assessment: I found a strength assessment at www.truity.com. It is free and there are a variety of other assessments. I will continue to research and take these assessments before I implement them. I will use a self-assessment tool to collect broad data on the students. This will help me measure how the students' perceptions change over time. The students will provide their own information. Prompts include... how I describe myself, how I think/feel, how I deal with other people, how I organize my life, things I like to do, how other people describe me, key attributes of my personality, and my most important beliefs/values.

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SEL Competency: Relationship Skills

Data needed:  I will need to collect information about communication skills, including listening skills,  and how well they cooperate with each other, which includes helping each other and negotiating conflict.

Assessments:
Collecting data on Relationship Building will be a bit of a challenge.  I plan to use a few different formal and informal assessments to do this.
Informal:   This will be in the form of self reflecting/journaling on my part to be able to look back on the day.  I will also use informal observations on groupings for group work.  I will note reactions when the groups are self selected and when they are randomly selected.  I will also observe how they interact within the groups.
Formal:  I will give the students 3 different pre tests (on different days) on communication skills, listening skills and conflict resolution skills.  Once we have worked with the concepts, they will take the post test on those skills.
I may also do some role playing on conflict resolution.
They may also do work with observing communication, listening and conflict resolution on TV and movie clips.

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SEL Competency - Self-Awareness

Big Idea:  Evaluating your emotions helps you more clearly communicate your needs.

Data needed: Students will have to identify how they are feeling on a daily basis and I will need to gather data on what type of emotional vocabulary they are capable of using at the beginning of the year.  I would like to see an increase in their willingness and ability to turn inwards and identify how they are feeling.  Once they are able, I would like to work on teaching them how to use that information to communicate what they need in order to be successful.  For instance, a student should be able to say (or write) something like, "When I'm feeling anxious, I need space to do some deep breathing before I can fully participate."

Strategies:
I think the first step will be to collect a baseline of how well students are able to identify their own emotional states.   I could use a survey or could have a spot on the whiteboard for students to anonymously report how they're feeling when they walk into the room.
Self-Assessment - have students give themselves a quick 1-3 assessment at the end of rehearsal for how they felt.  Mark it in planner and discuss why with someone close by (this ties in with my big ideas related to relationship skills).
Have students create a personal word wall for emotions they experience throughout the course of several weeks.  Ask them to identify when they felt those emotions and if they see patterns emerging.

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SEL Competency - Relationship Skills

Big Ideas:
Positive peer engagement outside of students’ regular peer group will increase participation.  Teamwork increases the quality of learning experiences for all students.

Data needed:
I need to know which students are already comfortable together.
I need to know if there have been any conflicts between students previously and if they have been resolved.
I need to know what types of circumstances lead students to feel comfortable working with new people.

Data collection strategies:
Survey - Is it possible for me to find out who my students identify as their peer group?  Is it too much of an invasion of privacy to ask whom they feel comfortable with? I could use some opinions here fellow DB3ers...
Observational - Perhaps I could do a few small group activities and see how students divide themselves up?

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SEL Competency Focus: Responsible Decision Making

Data to assess student growth will include presentations students will create on their classmates (the information they choose to include). Students will also figure out their strengths involving multiple intelligences. I also have a classroom rule alliance students are going to create with me (each class will differ). The decision to present pertinent and appropriate rules or info during the presentations on their peer, will affect their grade. Also, the ability to stay on task.

Assessment:
-Pre and post surveys will be in order for their ability to stay on task and make responsible decisions.
-Observation during interview Jenga
-worksheet following along Bear Grylls You vs. Wild (choose your own adventure episode on Netflix)
-Kid President video reflection
-Exit tickets involving self-reflection

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Relationship skills
I will be doing a lot of observations for my sel unit. I will be doing a lot of observing in the first few days of school. I will quickly be able to tell who needs the most help with relationship skills. I would like the kids to be able to reflect on their relationship skills themselves, and analyze how they can improve.

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SEL Competency: Self-Awareness
Everyone has strengths and limitations.

Data: Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.  I want students to discover their own strength and growth areas.  Learning about the Multiple Intelligence Theory can be very empowering for students.

Assessment: I was able to find a great resource called Multiple Intelligence Survey for Kids by Laura Candler.  It includes great resources to brush up on MI and how to present this information to students such as,  https://www.lauracandler.com/mi-theory-growth-mindset/

I will use the MI survey as a tool for students to see how they best learn.  There are multiple options for surveys that I will be able to use through out the year.

I will be able of offer options for students that maximize their strengths for learning.

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I have identified Self-Awareness as a competency that I am going to focus my efforts on for this unit. As a special education teacher, I feel that my students and I spend so much time focusing on their deficits as a product of the system. I would like to spend a healthy chunk of the beginning of the year focused on their strengths and interests. We can use this information both as a means to get to know each other better and as something to focus on when things get difficult and those deficits creep in… something to redirect our attention to.

I’m not sure what kind of hard data I can use through this lesson to show student growth. I think that through the use of the strength assessment, I could put together both a pre and post-test asking students to select their strengths and use this to show the students growth in identifying their own strengths.

I’m really interested in a program called “Thrively” (https://www.thrively.com/). It’s a pretty extensive program that starts with a strengths self-assessment that is super easy to follow. It also has an end of the year follow-up assessment. Much like the Cliffton assessment - it gives you your 5 strengths with a brief discussion of each. You can set up a profile including future career interests that provide you with a huge library of videos and resources with some really cool info on those jobs! I took the assessment and looked through a lot of the resources and thought that it looked really cool! The assessment was really straightforward and I think that this program would be really cool for a middle schooler.

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Building Relationship Skills
I will be focusing on the interactions between my students the first few days. I am looking to see how my students are interacting with each other as well as forming and building trust within one another. I would like my students to communicate clearly, demonstrate safe choices, and work effectively with others to show teamwork and relationship building. I will be able to use observation at first but I plan on doing our morning meeting every morning and typically the first week is the best to see how relationships are being formed. We do an activity every morning and that always brings out the good and ugly in my students. I also plan on doing some journaling the first few weeks of school so I can use those to do check-ins on the skills I am looking for. I will use a data sheet to track behaviors throughout the day as well. I am mostly going to be looking for relationships positives and negatives. I will be looking to see who is getting along and who is not and relate it to the conflict.

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Self-Management and Responsible Decision Making are my competency focuses.  I want students to be able to gain some skills for independence when making decisions in the classroom, particularly with Daily 5 stations, and when they are not with me.  Along with that, I want them to be able to manage their bodies responsibly.

Data Collection:
I can collect data through self evaluations, checklists, and teacher observations.
-Students can use the self evaluation to identify where they think they are at by coloring a thumbs up, a sideways thumb, or a thumbs down.  I found an editable version of this in TPT. Specifically in this evaluation are statements to evaluate like "I keep my body to myself", or "I do my work".
-With teacher observation, I can observe which students may need more help or direction.
-I would use the checklists to identify where students are going in regards to the stations provided to them for Daily 5.  These checklists can also help me to identify areas of need or areas of success!

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I have identified Relationship Skills as the SEL competency I want to focus on to start the school year.

I am going to need a baseline that establishes where my students are at currently.  I will want to have information about the students understanding of the aspects that go into and are a part of relationship building.

I intend to gather this data by....hmm....observations, maybe a quick quiz about other students in the room.  Have students share things that they have learned about each other at the end of cooperative/collaborative work.

Student discussion, google form quick quiz, conversations, and observation.

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SEL Competency: Responsible Decision Making

I think my focus is on based on our PBIS model in our district. Work, respect and belonging in and out of the classroom. Learning to recognize positive behavior and how good it feels to be apart of a safe and kind environment. Aiming higher to help students think about their choices before making them.

Data Needed:
Self evaluation, observations, ClassDojo points, clip charts, Kudo slips, referrals (positive and behavioral).

Assessment/Tools:
*Student reflection journals
*Classroom observation as well as specialist observations.
*Collection of behavior point in ClassDojo earned by each students.
*Kudo slips given by staff to students caught demonstrating above and beyond our W-R-B expectations on any school grounds.
*Outstanding behavior certificates going home to parents
*We give "positive" referrals as an incentive to show W-R-B at our school that are read over the announcements in the morning. An office referral that is for not W-R-B at our school shows behavior that needs improvement. An earn back system is in place.
*Communication through ClassDojo to families of point system.

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Social Awareness

Data needed: Baseline detailed reflection, a survey and narrative, showing students' understanding  of "circular" service learning.

Ways gathering it: Survey (Google Form), Guided Reflection (Google Classroom)

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Relationship Skills

Data needed: I will need baseline data on what types of relationship skills my students already have.  Maybe through a discussion and survey about different types of relationship skills.  I will also need to see how well my students develop their relationship skills as the year goes on.

Gathering Data: Survey/observation at the beginning of the year to get an idea of where my students are at. Student reflection and discussion throughout the school year.