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This source is an article that lays out the main ideologies of SEL as well displaying the Social Competencies Wheel which is a visual representation of what SEL is.

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The link below is a website that provides an in depth background of what CRT is and provides an example of how it is seen in the classroom.

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This activity focuses on teaching values and what is important to students as well as values of professions students may want in the future. This relates to SEL becasue it provides students with the opportunity to start thinking about themselves and allows them to become self aware of their values and what is important to them.

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The stop light activity is a very light way at introducing self management and teach self control to younger students. This activity will provide students learn how to control themselves when different events occur such as when the green light is shown move and when the red light is shown stop.

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The Developing Empathy activity is set up so that students learn the basics of empathy and put it into practice. This is important to SEL becasue better understanding how others think and feel will create a better sense of social awareness for the students participating.

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Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school.

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The decision making activity explains how to make smart and thought out decisions. The teacher provides students with difficult questions and they are tasked with solving them. Later in the lesson the decision making tree is taught to the students which aids students and people in making smart decisions. This is an imperative skill for students to learn becasue it helps students problem solve as well as continue to keep their values a priority and is used in daily life.

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This drawing activity provides the participants with a chance to learn communication skills by interacting with partners and learning how descriptions can be misinterpreted. This is a great exercise becasue it allows students to see how communication works and how things can be lost in translation. It also emphasizes students communicating with others and how to better explain their feelings.

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Drawing Lesson Improves Communication Skills

Subjects

Arts & Humanities
Foreign Language, Language Arts, Literature, Visual Arts

Health
Family, Life, Our Bodies, Safety

Social Sciences
Civics, Current Events

Grades
3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Brief Description
This simple, fun partner activity develops students' communication skills.
Objectives

Students

gain a greater understanding of the keys to effective communication.

build team and cooperative learning skills.

develop feedback skills.

Keywords
communication, teamwork, cooperative, art, following directions
Materials Needed

drawing paper (two to three sheets per student)

pens or pencils

a clock or watch

Lesson Plan
This activity is excellent for developing students' communication skills; it demonstrates the importance of listening and asking the right questions (inquiry skills).
Arrange students into pairs. Have each pair of students sit at their desks back-to-back, with the writing surfaces of their desks in front of them. Tell students that one of them will be Student "A" and the other will be Student "B." Have students in each pair choose one of the letters.

After students have chosen their letters, ask each student to write his or her letter in the top corner of a blank sheet of paper. Next, instruct all "A's" to spend two minutes drawing something on their papers. Students need not be good at drawing; even stick drawings will suffice for this activity. (Partners may not look at or talk to each other during this part of the activity.) While "A's" are drawing, "B's" should remain in their seats. At the end of the two-minute drawing period, instruct "A's" to put down their pens/pencils.

Next, tell "B's" to pick up their pens/pencils. Instruct "A's" to give a clear description of their drawings to their respective partners. Instruct "B's" to listen only to their partners' instructions. Each "B" will use the oral instructions to try to re-create his or her partner's drawing. Allow five minutes for this next step. Remember: The only means of communication is for each "A" to provide description of the drawing to his or her partner. "B's" can only listen and draw. Partners should remain sitting back-to-back at all times during this part of the activity. At the end of the five-minute time period, instruct "B's" to put down their pens/pencils.

Allow a few minutes for partners to show each other their drawings and discuss the results.

For the next part of the activity, instruct partners to resume their back-to-back positions. Provide each student with a clean sheet of drawing paper and tell students that the second part of the activity will be different from the first part. Then have "B's" spend three minutes drawing on their papers. Students should use the entire three minutes to draw something beyond a simple shape or two. When the three minutes are up, "B's" should put down their pens/pencils.

Remind all pairs to remain seated back-to-back. Instruct all "A's" to prepare to draw. Tell students that this time the "A's" are going to reproduce their partners' drawings, but the only way they can obtain information about those drawings is by asking yes or no questions. Emphasize that only questions that can be answered yes or no are allowed! Allow students five minutes to complete this part of the activity. When time is up, have partners compare their drawings.

Take time to discuss the difficulties or successes experienced by the pairs. Ask which exercise was more difficult and why. Discuss what they learned about the need for effective communication.

Assessment
Students should conclude in their discussions that effective communication requires cooperation, honest listening, clear instructions, respect for one another, clarifying questions, proper feedback, and openness to divergent opinions.
Submitted By

Rob Ford, St. Mary's High School, Woodstock, Ontario

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Lesson | Communication Lesson Plan | Drawing Lesson Improves Communication Skills | Education World

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Arts & Humanities Foreign Language, Language Arts, Literature, Visual Arts Health Family, Life, Our Bodies, Safety Social Sciences Civics, Current Events 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 This simple, fun partner activity develops students' communication skills. Students gain a greater understanding of the keys to effective communication. build team and cooperative learning skills.

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Ways to implement CRT in the Classroom Pt. 2

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Ways to implement CRT in the Classroom Pt. 2

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This resource explains ways that CRT can be implemented in the classroom separating it into different steps. The steps are Identifying classmates’ common passions and cultural intersections, High expectations and discussions on code-switching, Students who feel valued take ownership of their learning, and Teachers must examine their own belief systems as well. This is an important resource because it lays out steps that can be improved in order to implement CRT in the classroom.

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When a class sees their teacher as an ally in their quest for an education, they perform better. Combative power relationships between teachers and students are being abandoned as more teachers seek a pedagogy that acknowledges students' ownership of their own education and engagement with the world at large.

What is culturally responsive teaching?

An excellent way to help students tap into that capability is through culturally responsive teaching, or CRT. CRT seeks to empower students educationally and to expand their capabilities in other spheres including social, emotional, and political arenas by making students' own skills, languages, and attitudes meaningful in the classroom.

Adopting a culturally responsive pedagogy doesn't mean making assumptions about a person's culture based on their looks, age, or socioeconomic status. Instead, it means getting to know students in a way that is personal and individual.

Acknowledging and embracing a student's racial or ethnic background is important, but it is just a piece of who they are. Fully recognizing and respecting them means learning how they learn and what they are passionate about or interested in.

Identifying classmates' common passions and cultural intersections

Identifying a student's learning style is important, but learning who they are is essential as well. Once teachers know what students like, they are able to identify a classroom's shared passions and areas where cultures intersect.

While establishing a culturally responsive classroom, teachers should avoid awkwardly embracing things they think students will like - no student wants a teacher who seems like a fake. Curiosity about the student experience and insight, on the other hand, can truly open a path of understanding between students and teachers.

High expectations and discussions on code-switching

Finding a literal and metaphorical language for reaching students does not mean lowering standards. A culturally responsive teacher must maintain and communicate high expectations for students' behavior and performance.

Using students' cultural lingo in class discussions might mean some meta-discussions on code-switching and the importance of academic language in an academic setting. Students whose own cultures have been recognized and respected will be more likely to adopt, even temporarily, the code-switching necessary in the classroom. Students who engage in this practice will have learned far more than the content of the original discussion; their learning will translate to out-of-class applications.

Students who feel valued take ownership of their learning

Perhaps the most important quality of CRT is that teachers must shift toward a liberatory pedagogy that emphasizes student engagement and experience over a teacher's ability to lecture on content. Embracing a classroom style that puts a teacher in the position of facilitator instead of specialist can be very difficult, but the action has significant payoff.

Students whose lives and cultures are not treated as important are less likely to invest in the overall learning process, whereas those who are empowered and feel valued will be ready to learn, even if that connection is made through something as simple as teaching the lesson through pop culture, movies, or the music that the class will enjoy.

In addition, students who embrace their role as powerful actors inside the classroom may go on to act as change agents outside of the classroom. In this way, a culturally responsive curriculum makes room for service learning opportunities that connect classrooms to many cultures inside and away from school.

Teachers must examine their own belief systems as well

On a final note, a crucial - and challenging - aspect of culturally responsive instruction is to abandon old ideas about cultural deficits, whether they are related to ethnic or cultural backgrounds or socioeconomic status. Teachers must be careful not to convey judgment in the classroom that might reflect upon students' families, friends, or personal histories. This means addressing their own assumptions about different behaviors, like the parent who forgot to sign off on homework or missed an important parent-teacher meeting.

Educators should work to establish meaningful communication and relationships with student's families that allow them to understand why parent/teacher communication might break down and overcome those barriers. When students see family and teacher collaboration and mutual respect, they are more likely to invest in their education in meaningful and lasting ways.
Monica Fuglei is a graduate of the University of Nebraska in Omaha and a current adjunct faculty member of Arapahoe Community College in Colorado, where she teaches composition and creative writing.
Learn More: Click to view related resources.

Tags: Teacher-Parent Relationships

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How Does Culturally Responsive Instruction Benefit Students?

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When a class sees their teacher as an ally in their quest for an education, they perform better. Combative power relationships between teachers and students are being abandoned as more teachers seek a pedagogy that acknowledges students' ownership of their own education and engagement with the world at large.

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Ways to implement CRT in the Classroom Pt. 3

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Ways to implement CRT in the Classroom Pt. 3

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The following link is a website that has an assortment of videos that provide more knowledge of CRT and also gives examples of how it is seen in classrooms and how it can be implemented in the viewers classrooms. This is a great source because it provides a lot of information in a single webpage which makes it easy and more accessible for all who are trying to implement CRT in the classroom.

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As globalization continues, how can teachers address the needs of students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and upbringings? This collection of videos introduces culturally responsive teaching, and includes some techniques that you can use to help students from diverse backgrounds succeed together.

The changing racial and cultural landscape of America is certainly a much-discussed topic -- some researchers studying U.S. Census data and demographics even say that America could be a "minority majority" country as early as 2050. While the barriers between countries continue to come down, and globalization continues, how can teachers address the needs of students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and upbringings? This collection of videos introduces culturally responsive teaching (CRT), and includes some techniques that you can use to help students from diverse backgrounds succeed together.

Video Playlist: Culturally Responsive Teaching

1. Valerie Purdie-Vaughns on Unintentional Bias (3:04)
In this short video from Big Think, researcher Valerie Purdie-Vaughns explains how bias and assumptions can unconsciously affect the way you act. Although it's geared toward diversity awareness in the workplace, this is a good primer on cultural discrimination.

2. Expanding Teacher Self-Knowledge (1:27)
Since bias is often unconscious, one of the first things a culturally responsive teacher can do is be aware of assumptions about themselves and their students. This quick tip from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance initiative explains the value of self-reflection.

3. Office Chat: Culturally Responsive Teaching (9:24)
In this interview, Dr. Kavatas Newell, a faculty member at the University of Mary Washington, introduces some initial ways that teachers can incorporate culturally responsive teaching methods into their classrooms. The audio quality here is a bit low, but the tips are worth it.

4. The Danger of a Single Story (19:16)
Author Chimamanda Adichie's amazing TED talk introduces "The Danger of a Single Story." Teaching students of other cultures may require that you look past familiar stories and narratives to find school materials that resonate with your students' experiences and lives.

5. Building Trust With Families (14:12)
Many students from other cultures are English-language Learners (ELL). Although this video is long at 14 minutes, the panel of teachers and principals organized by Colorin Colorado offers great tips for connecting with the families of ELLs.

6. Recognizing Individual Characteristics (1:10)
This quick video, also from the Teaching Tolerance initiative, reminds viewers to respect students' individuality, even as you learn more about cultural differences and introduce more responsive practices into the classroom.

7. Education: Culture Matters (14:25)
This video from the Kamehameha Schools showcases the importance of culturally responsive educational programs. Students from the native Hawaiian population thrive when they learn in programs that incorporate their cultural heritage and traditions.

Watch the first video below, or watch the whole playlist on YouTube.

More Resources on Culturally Responsive Teaching

Whether you've been teaching diverse learners for years, or you're just starting to think about how to incorporate CRT into your classroom, these organizations and articles can help.

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5-Minute Film Festival: Culturally Responsive Teaching

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As globalization continues, how can teachers address the needs of students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and upbringings? This collection of videos introduces culturally responsive teaching, and includes some techniques that you can use to help students from diverse backgrounds succeed together.

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This resource provides a video of Marcos Torres a high school teacher, giving his perspective on CRT and how he uses it in his classroom. This video is a good resource becasue it comes from a perspective of a teacher who is a minority himself so it often times shows a viewpoint that has not been thought of before.

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We are all born, raised and enveloped in culture, and it is central to learning. It informs how we communicate with each other, the way we receive information and helps shape the thinking process of groups and individuals.