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http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/32-strategies-building-positive-learning-environment

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Basic . . . .
. Accepting Criticism
Accepting "No"
.American Table Manners
Apologizing
.Dealing with Fear
Expressing Feelings
Following Directions
. Introducing Yourself
. Passing in Hallways
.Proximity
.. Accepting Consequences
.Children's Rights
.Controlling Anger
.Dominance & Submission
.Following Rules
.Good Sportsmanship
.Learning to Disagree
.Responding to Defeat
.Using Self-Control Reading Body Language
.Showing Respect
. Solving a Problem . Talking With Others. The Most Magical Words . Using Humor
. Waiting Your Turn

Disciplinary

. Adhering to Dress Codes
.Appropriate Langua
.Willingness to Try New Tasks ge .
Asking Questions
. . Being on Time. Netiquette
.. Staying on Task
.Tolerance of Differences Being in a Group Discussion
. Resisting Peer Pressure
Setting Goals

. Brainstorming
.Complying with Requests
. Getting Teacher's Attention
. Ignoring Distractions
. Listening to Others

Self-Esteem
. Accepting Compliments
.Changes in Adolescence
.Exchanging Gifts
.Expressing Success
.Giving Compliments
.Handling Embarrassment
.Helping Others
.Knowing Strengths
.Self-Defense
.Self-Improvement
.Trigger Points & Buttons

. Accepting an Apology

.Asking a Favor . Being a Good Listener . Arguing Respectfully

.. Conversational Skills
. Dealing with Bullying
.Declining an Invitation
. Expressing Empathy
.Expressing Grief
.Get Someone's Attention
.Interrupting
. Maintaining Friendships
.Making New Friends
.Media Models
. Offering Assistance
.Reacting to Rumors
. Refusing Requests . Responding to Prejudice . Responding to Teasing
.Showing Appreciation
.Teen Violence
.Visiting a Sick Friend Conflict Resolution

Teacher Recording Form

Vision Statement

. Accepting Disciplinary Actions
.Completing Agreements
.Determining Time for a Request
.Following Safety Rules
.Following Verbal Directions
.Greeting a Dog and Its Owner
.Making a Suggestion
.Reporting Emergencies
.Reporting Inappropriate Actions
.Shopping
.Showing Respectful Submission
. Theater Behavior Prevocational Skills
. Doorway Etiquette
.Interacting with Opposite Sex
.Internet Safety & Courtesy
. Interviewing Skills
.Introducing Others
.Introducing Yourself
.Making An Appointment
.Managing An Angry Person
.Personal Hygiene
.Professional Conduct
.Relaxation Strategies
.Riding an Elevator
.Telephone Etiquette
.Volunteering

Continue in Web site
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Social Skills Lesson Plans for Middle School

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Basic . . . . . Accepting Criticism Accepting "No" .American Table Manners Apologizing .Dealing with Fear Expressing Feelings Following Directions . Introducing Yourself . Passing in Hallways .Proximity .. Accepting Consequences .Children's Rights .Controlling Anger .Dominance & Submission .Following Rules .Good Sportsmanship .Learning to Disagree .Responding to Defeat .Using Self-Control Reading Body Language .Showing Respect .

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Fresh Starts for Hard-to-Like Students | Edutopia

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Fresh Starts for Hard-to-Like Students | Edutopia

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Even though your toughest students are just kids at the mercy of emotions they don't understand or can't control, it can be hard for a teacher to stay calm and not take these ongoing behavioral problems personally. My advice: it's time to hit the reset button!

Tough kids are usually covering a ton of hurt. They defend against feeling pain by erecting walls of protection through rejection. Efforts to penetrate those walls by caring adults are generally met with stronger resistance expressed through emotional withdrawal and/or offensive language, gestures, and actions. Like a crying baby unable to articulate the source of its discomfort, these kids desperately need patient, determined, and affectionate adults with thick skin who refuse to take offensive behavior personally. Here are some ways to connect or reconnect with students who make themselves hard to like.

1. Express gratitude to your difficult students.

At a seminar that I gave at a school in Houston, one of the teachers talked about the turn-around in a boy from her class the year before who had been driving her crazy. She was determined to "love him even more" as her primary intervention. She initiated an "I need a hug" ritual by telling him that since she had no son at home to hug, she needed a "little boy hug" every day to get her day started in a happy way. She asked him to take the job, and every day, "little boy hugger" performed his function. Although challenges remained, mostly due to this child's very unpredictable home situation, his classroom behavior showed substantial improvement.

Since hugging isn't always appropriate, consider this strategy. For two weeks, try expressing something positive every day to each of your difficult students. Hard as it might be, make your first interaction each day something welcoming. For example, when a chronically late and uninterested student arrives, fight the temptation to ignore, tersely request a viable excuse, or hand out a late slip. Instead, make your first comment an expression of appreciation for coming. For example:

Carson, I was hoping you'd show up -- and you did. Welcome! By the way, we're on page 62.

Wait until there is no audience around before you express concern and/or give a consequence for the student's behavior:

Carson, I am concerned that you continue to fall behind because you're often missing part or all of class. Here's your late slip, but much more important to me is knowing how I might help you get here on time. What's going on?'

2. Use encouraging statements every day.

Words of encouragement get and keep students connected and motivated. Below are a dozen examples. Find an excuse to share at least a few of these every day.

You really hung in there by _______.

That was really cool.

Wow, you pushed yourself today, and it really worked out.

I was so impressed today when you _______.

It was awesome to see you _______.

That took some special effort.

I hope you feel proud about _______, because you should.

Thanks for putting a smile on my face when you _______.

It's not easy to _______, but you are making it happen.

Your cooperation is really appreciated. Thanks.

That was flat-out good!

Congratulations! (And then be specific about what you are congratulating.)

3. Act toward your worst student the way you act toward your best student.

Who is your best-behaved or most motivated student? When you think about that student, what adjectives come to mind? When you interact, what comments come naturally? When the student makes a mistake, how do you usually react? For one week, try acting toward your worst-behaved or least-motivated student in the same way, and see what happens.

A teacher at an elementary school that I recently visited told me about Ken, a fifth grade student who had developed a bad reputation but was making an effort to turn things around. Transitions were especially difficult. Knowing there was going to be a substitute teacher the next day, Ms. Silver told Ken, "Tomorrow a sub is going to be here. I expect responsible behavior, and there'll be consequences if I hear otherwise." The sub reported that Ken was awful. When Ms. Silver returned, she told him that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place because, although she was proud of his overall progress, she was very disappointed with his recent behavior. When she asked him what he thought would be a fair consequence he said, "If I was a good kid in this school, what would you do?" She said that she would probably ask the student to explain what happened, why it happened, and what he thought a good consequence would be. Ken looked her straight in the eye and said, "Well, then that is what you should do to me."

4. Send the parents a "positive postcard."

Prepare an email or note home that briefly describes positive behavior or an achievement that you've recently observed. Show it to the student before sending it. If you haven't seen positive behavior that you can genuinely acknowledge, write a positive note or email as if a behavior you are seeking has already happened. Show it to the student. Ask him or her to tell you when it would be a good time to send it.

How do you hit the reset button or make a fresh start with hard-to-like students? As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

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Fresh Starts for Hard-to-Like Students | Edutopia

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Even though your toughest students are just kids at the mercy of emotions they don't understand or can't control, it can be hard for a teacher to stay calm and not take these ongoing behavioral problems personally. My advice: it's time to hit the reset button!

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8 Pathways to Every Student's Success | Edutopia

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8 Pathways to Every Student's Success | Edutopia

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In a nutshell, it happens when we understand how children and teens successfully mature to adulthood and how we impact their growth in key developmental areas. Based on decades of research in child and adolescent development, neuroscience, education, and psychology, we know that relationships with teachers, parents, and other supportive adults determine how school-age children acquire their personal guidance systems, full of interconnected abilities and pathways to success. When we envision those abilities as an internal compass, it's easy to see how education and development go hand in hand -- how children navigate successfully through school and life.

I created The Compass Advantage ™ model as a visual, research-based, engaging way for families, schools, and communities to apply the principles of positive youth development. A framework for understanding why kids need these interconnected abilities and how they're nurtured in different contexts, it's also a call to act on behalf of children who deserve to live full, meaningful lives beyond external measures of success.

This is the first in a series of nine posts on how teachers develop these internal abilities in the classroom. Each month, we'll take a deeper dive into one of these eight compass attributes:

Curiosity

Curiosity is the ability to seek and acquire new knowledge, skills, and ways of understanding the world. It is at the heart of what motivates kids to learn and what keeps them learning throughout their lives. Curiosity facilitates engagement, critical thinking, and reasoning.

We nurture children's curiosity and other life-long learning skills when we encourage them to identify and seek answers to questions that pique their interests. When we help them recognize failure as an opportunity for exploration, we encourage experimentation and discovery. We help them understand the tenets of engaged learning when we recognize the different ways they explore -- touching, tasting, climbing, smelling, etc. -- and praise them for their perseverance in finding answers. When we show them how parts connect and influence the whole of society, they discover that curiosity improves relationships, fuels innovation, and drives social change.

Sociability

Sociability is the joyful, cooperative ability to engage with others. It derives from a collection of social-emotional skills that help children understand and express feelings and behaviors in ways that facilitate positive relationships, including active listening, self-regulation, and effective communication.

We impact children's sociability when we help them understand that the words they choose make a difference to the relationships they create. When we teach them that every social interaction is tied to an emotional reaction, we help them avoid impulsive behavior and think through difficult situations before acting. We also build their capacity for collaborative teamwork.

Resilience

Resilience is the ability to meet and overcome challenges in ways that maintain or promote well-being. It incorporates attributes like grit, persistence, initiative, and determination.

We build resilience when we push students gently to the edges of their intellectual, emotional, social, and physical comfort zones. Our support and encouragement as they take risks, overcome challenges, and grow from failure helps them learn to bounce back from life's ups and downs.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to examine and understand who we are relative to the world around us. It's developed through skills like self-reflection, meaning making, and honing core values and beliefs. It's situated at "true south" on the compass to symbolize that introspection is about looking into ourselves. Self-awareness impacts children's capacity to see themselves as uniquely different from other people.

We stimulate students' self-awareness when we engage them in reflective conversations about values, beliefs, attitudes, and moral dilemmas. By encouraging them to understand and attend to their intellectual, emotional, social, and physical selves, we let them know that we value their full human potential.

Integrity

Integrity is the ability to act consistently with the values, beliefs, and principles that we claim to hold. It's about courage, honesty, and respect in one's daily interactions -- and doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

We shape children's integrity by treating them with respect and dignity, and listening to their feelings and concerns without judgment. When we praise students for demonstrating their values, beliefs, and principles through actions, we remind them of their value as ethical human beings, beyond a grade or test score.

Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness is the ability to find and use available resources to achieve goals, problem solve, and shape the future. It draws on skills like planning, goal setting, strategic thinking, and organizing.

We encourage students to be resourceful when we set high expectations and support them to accomplish their goals. When we teach them to be strategic thinkers and adaptable problem solvers, they learn to live without rigid rules or preconceived ideas.

Creativity

Creativity is the ability to generate and communicate original ideas and appreciate the nature of beauty. It fosters imagination, innovation, and a sense of aesthetics.

We inspire creativity when we encourage young people to express themselves through writing, poetry, acting, photography, art, digital media, unstructured play, etc. When we notice and praise them for thinking outside the box and taking risks, their imaginations blossom.

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to recognize, feel, and respond to the needs and suffering of others. It facilitates the expression of caring, compassion, and kindness. It's situated at "true north" on the compass to symbolize the outward impact of educating young citizens committed to creating a just, sustainable world.

We influence children's abilities to care for others beyond themselves by creating meaningful relationships with them, ensuring that they are seen, felt, and understood regardless of how they learn. When we expose them to different worldviews, engage them with community projects, and bring service learning into the classroom, we develop greater empathy and compassion.

The Compass Advantage views education and child development as integrated processes nurtured through the collaborative efforts of parents, teachers, and out-of-school programs. When we attend to the development of these eight abilities, the results are transformative. Not only do children become lifelong learners, they become what Maria Montessori envisioned -- self-sufficient navigators of their own lives.

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8 Pathways to Every Student's Success | Edutopia

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In a nutshell, it happens when we understand how children and teens successfully mature to adulthood and how we impact their growth in key developmental areas. Based on decades of research in child and adolescent development, neuroscience, education, and psychology, we know that relationships with teachers, parents, and other supportive adults determine how school-age children acquire their personal guidance systems, full of interconnected abilities and pathways to success.

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Student Engagement: Resource Roundup | Edutopia

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Student Engagement: Resource Roundup | Edutopia

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Tips and Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged

4 Student Engagement Tips (From a Student): Find out from one student how relationships, humor, choice, and displaying his work engaged him, and watch his three-minute video highlighting student work and personalized learning. (Edutopia, 2016)

Igniting Student Engagement: A Roadmap for Learning: Explore key strategies like being authentic, introducing units with meaningful launch events, and letting students know what outcomes to expect. (Edutopia, 2015)

The 8 Minutes That Matter Most: Find tips for engaging students during the first and last eight minutes of class. (Edutopia, 2015)

Golden Rules for Engaging Students in Learning Activities: Investigate student engagement practices such as making activities meaningful, fostering efficacy, providing autonomy support, embracing collaborative learning, establishing positive teacher-student relationships, and promoting mastery orientations. (Edutopia, Updated 2015)

New Study: Engage Kids With 7x the Effect: Understand why ensuring that students care about the material and that they know how much you care about them is so critical for effective engagement. (Edutopia, 2014)

Bell Ringer Exercises: Discover ideas for short, focused exercises to help students make the most of classroom time. (Edutopia, 2013)

Find more Edutopia content on this topic on our Student Engagement page, and participate in Edutopia's community to collaborate with others and share tips, strategies, and resources.

Engagement Through Projects

4 Practices for Increasing Student Engagement: Pursue interest- and project-oriented strategies for getting and keeping student attention. (Edutopia, 2016)

Powerful Classroom Lessons: It All Begins With the Hook: Introduce projects by capturing students' interest and pulling them in. (Edutopia, 2015)

Embracing Student Creativity With a Wonder Shelf: Provide math students with manipulatives and art supplies to bring excitement, engagement, and elements of a makerspace into the classroom. (Edutopia, Updated 2015)

6 Rules to Break for Better, Deeper Learning Outcomes: Incorporate deeper learning as you empower students to seek knowledge from many sources, use tools relevant to their lives, and embrace the lessons of failure. (Edutopia, 2014)

6 Engaging End-of-Year Projects: Discover six projects to engage students during the last few weeks of school. (Edutopia, 2012)

Find more Edutopia content on this topic on our Project-Based Learning page.

Engagement Through Technology

Find more Edutopia content on this topic on our Technology Integration page.

Engagement Through Social and Emotional Learning

Find more Edutopia content on this topic on our Social and Emotional Learning page.

Examples From Schools That Work

Edutopia's flagship series highlights pedagogies, strategies, and practices from K-12 schools and districts that are improving the way students learn. Below, dive into real-world examples of how educators are engaging students.
Personalized Learning: Enabling Student Voice and Choice Through Projects
Adapt these six tips from Nashville Big Picture High School in Nashville, Tennessee to bring personalized learning projects into your classroom and build student engagement.
Community Partners: Making Student Learning Relevant
Find out how educators at Hood River Middle School in Hood River, Oregon employ local experts to make student learning come to life.
Student-Led Meetings: Empowering Student Voice
See how students at University Park Campus School in Worcester, Massachusetts grow into their power and potential through student-led meetings.
Maker Education: Reaching All Learners
Learn about maker education in Albemarle County Public Schools in Virginia and how it fosters student autonomy, ignites student interest, and empowers students to embrace their own learning.
Morning Meetings: Creating a Safe Space for Learning
Watch teachers at Symonds Elementary in Keene, New Hampshire, and understand how they use morning meetings to develop valuable social-emotional skills, create a culture of respect and trust, and prepare students to learn.

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Student Engagement: Resource Roundup | Edutopia

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4 Student Engagement Tips (From a Student): Find out from one student how relationships, humor, choice, and displaying his work engaged him, and watch his three-minute video highlighting student work and personalized learning. (Edutopia, 2016) Igniting Student Engagement: A Roadmap for Learning: Explore key strategies like being authentic, introducing units with meaningful launch events, and letting students know what outcomes to expect.

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5 Ways to "Remove the Walls" From Your Classroom | Edutopia

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5 Ways to "Remove the Walls" From Your Classroom | Edutopia

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5 Best Practices

I quickly realized that we needed to approach our classes in a drastically different manner to ensure that this school year would be successful. During collaborative planning, my colleagues and I decided to swap some students for an upcoming lesson to see if altering their routine and separating some conflicting personalities would have a positive behavioral impact. We were astounded by the results. The students' participation skyrocketed, they interacted appropriately within their new peer groups, and best of all, they mastered the lesson. I asked myself, "Have we just discovered the key to resetting the glorious honeymoon period?"

Over the school year, our students made strong gains as we continued dabbling with purposefully regrouping them across our classes. I've compiled a list of five successful strategies so that you, too, can remove the walls from your classroom and work smarter, not harder, to see more effective results.

1. Empower students with challenging behaviors as leaders.

I've found that my most disruptive students have a lot of raw leadership potential. Other students follow them, even when they bring a lot of negative attention onto themselves.

As a special education co-teacher, I frequently pull heterogeneous student groups for lessons. During planning, my general education co-teacher and I decided to utilize my pull-out group as an opportunity to separate some students whose challenging behaviors feed off of one another. Prior to the lesson, I assigned roles to the student leaders, such as group facilitator, timekeeper, and outcome checker. By pairing these student leaders with others who struggle academically, we observed that both groups stayed on task and improved their test scores. With permission from the other seventh grade math teachers, I started rotating students from other classes into my small group.

2. Regroup students based on standard deficits.

If a group of students has already mastered a specific standard, they are more likely to become bored and disruptive, especially if forced to sit through the same lesson with everyone else. My grade-level content team successfully pooled the students from the three seventh grade science classes into homogeneous groups based on standard deficits. In only one class period, the students mastered multiple standards that would have otherwise taken three days. In order to determine groups, we formatively assessed the students' mastery of the standards through pre-assessments, warm-up (or activator) questions, and exit tickets (final questions at the end of class), which typically involve one or more multiple-choice or open-response questions aligned with the lesson outcome or standard.

You may be wondering how your advanced students who have already mastered the standards fit into the mix. If so, then the next two tips will help.

3. Challenge advanced students with extension projects.

I have found myself mostly differentiating down to meet the needs of struggling learners, to the detriment of my more advanced students. By pooling select students across different classes to complete real-world projects, I have been able to more effectively challenge these advanced leaders. For one full week last January, I taught a small group that included students across the grade level who scored highly on an algebraic equations and inequalities pre-assessment. By participating in a pseudo-business competition, the students collaborated in rival business firms to analyze and develop creative and cost-effective strategies for a social media marketing plan by directly applying their algebraic knowledge. As these students discussed their excitement about the project with their friends, many formerly apathetic students began working extra hard to qualify for the next unit's advanced project.

4. Pair struggling learners with students who have mastered the content.

In my experience, students learn most successfully when they take an active role in leading the lesson. Therefore, my co-teachers and I frequently empower advanced student leaders to teach a lesson or skill to classmates who have not yet mastered the material. This approach, which we refer to as the navigator-tourist model, works well for test prep and review lessons. While the tourists work on mastering the standards, their navigator partners, who already know the content, develop their communication and leadership skills. After partnering up the students, I review their individual roles and responsibilities. The navigators must ensure that their tourist understands the directions, clarify any confusion, and encourage their partner not to fall behind as a means of guarding against possible apathy or learned helplessness. The tourists' job is to ask clarification questions and to collaborate with their navigator partner to answer the problems. To review for our last math test, I pooled navigators and tourists from other classrooms to compete in "Are You Smarter Than a Seventh Grader?" Not only did the students have fun, they also performed well on the test.

5. Form cross-grade-level alliances so that older students can tutor those in lower grades.

Most of the curriculum standards are spiraled so that each year the students review previously mastered material before delving deeper into the content. This provides a unique opportunity for teachers to form mutually beneficial partnerships. For example, last year the advanced eighth grade STEM math class spent two class periods teaching my seventh grade math students how to use a protractor and compass to measure and construct unique triangles. While my students benefitted from the individualized help and age-appropriate examples from their peer tutors, the collaboration also further enhanced the eighth grade students' content mastery level, critical thinking, and communication skills.

It Starts With a Plan

Give it a try. You'll be surprised at how simple it actually is to "teach without walls." During collaborative planning, agree upon a common formative assessment. Then, at the next meeting, determine purposeful student groups for an upcoming lesson based on the results. This approach will likely save you time in the end, as it promotes student engagement with lessons aligned more specifically to their individual needs. Additionally, purposeful regrouping across classroom borders protects the students (and teachers) from getting tired of the same old routine and peer dynamics.

I challenge you to remove the walls from your classroom. Not only will your students enjoy it and be more engaged, but you will have fun, too!

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5 Ways to "Remove the Walls" From Your Classroom | Edutopia

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I quickly realized that we needed to approach our classes in a drastically different manner to ensure that this school year would be successful. During collaborative planning, my colleagues and I decided to swap some students for an upcoming lesson to see if altering their routine and separating some conflicting personalities would have a positive behavioral impact.

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Communicrate...Social Skills wksheets

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Pinterest: Discover and save creative ideas

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Pinterest: Discover and save creative ideas

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The National UDL Task Force advocates support for UDL in education policy.  Learn more about the National UDL Task Force:

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(2) Motivational Tools for Student Engagement on Pinterest

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(2) Motivational Tools for Student Engagement on Pinterest

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Motivational Tools for Student Engagement

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Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests.

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Teacher Behavioral Strategies: A Menu | Intervention Central

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Teacher Behavioral Strategies: A Menu | Intervention Central

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Teacher Behavioral Strategies: A Menu | Intervention Central

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For example, if classmates encourage the target student to make inappropriate comments by giving positive social attention (e.g., laughing), the teacher may start a group response-cost program and deduct points from the class total whenever a peer laughs at inappropriate comments.

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Emotional Intelligence Consoritum - Articles, Research and Information on Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional Intelligence Consoritum - Articles, Research and Information on Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional Intelligence Consortium - Articles, Research and Information on Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional Intelligence Consortium - Dedicated to research on emotions and emotional intelligence in the workplace, this site provides free information and cutting edge research on emotions and emotional intelligence in organizations. Visitors can download the latest research findings, learn of training opportunities, access reference materials related to emotional intelligence, and much more.

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Describes the why and how

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Social and emotional learning: Trish Shaffer at TEDxUniversityofNevada

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Stop. Think. Act: Social & Emotional Learning

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For many K-12 educators, the goal of school is to prepare students for college. Once there, however, many young people face a situation full of consequence, a situation that all their years of schooling never once addressed: how to get along with a roommate?

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Chicago: Pioneers in Social-Emotional Learning

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Illinois was the first state in the nation to adopt social-emotional learning into its academic standards, and Chicago Public Schools is a great example of how the Second Step program is helping kids succeed. This video showcases implementations in three Chicago K-8 schools: Marcus Garvey, Myra Bradwell, and Ella Flagg Young.

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Character Education - Guidance - Life Skills - Lesson Plans

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Character Education - Guidance - Life Skills - Lesson Plans

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Character Education - Guidance - Life Skills - Lesson Plans

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Character education resources (free) for teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, youth group leaders. Lesson plans, discussion starters, writing assignments, learning activities. English & Spanish

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The SEL School: Connecting Social and Emotional Learning to Effective Teaching | Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

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The SEL School: Connecting Social and Emotional Learning to Effective Teaching | Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

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Center on Great Teachers & Leaders - at American Institutes for Research

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The GTL Center is dedicated to advancing state efforts to grow, respect, and retain great teachers and leaders for all students. Our mission is to foster the capacity of vibrant networks of practitioners, researchers, innovators, and experts to build and sustain a seamless system of support for great teachers and leaders for every school in every state in the nation.

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The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments offers information and technical assistance to States, districts, schools, institutions of higher learning, and communities focused on improving student supports and academic enrichment.

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The Anchors of Emotional Intelligence - Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence | Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

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The Anchors of Emotional Intelligence - Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence | Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

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25 Resources For Social Emotional Learning

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25 Resources For Social Emotional Learning

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Social emotional learning "teaches the skills we all need to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work, effectively and ethically," says Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). CASEL was formed almost two decades ago started by CEO Roger P. Weissberg who is also professor at UIC. In addition to Weissberg, CASEL's agenda has been influenced by Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence.

As recently noted, these so-called non-cognitive skills are really important -just badly named. CASEL defines social emotional learning (SEL) as:

Self-management : Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve one's goals

Self-awareness : Recognizing one's emotions and values as well as one's strengths and challenges

Social awareness : Showing understanding and empathy for others

Relationship skills : Forming positive relationships, working in teams, and dealing effectively with conflict; and

Responsible decision making : Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior.

Before joining CASEL, Paul Goren, Vice President for Research and Knowledge Use, spent almost a decade leading education research efforts at the Spencer Foundation. As a former teacher, he wants everything CASEL does to have a positive impact on teachers and classrooms. As a parent of three teenagers, he has his own SEL laboratory at home. Goren's counterpart on the program side is another veteran educator, Libby Gil.

In September they released the 2013 CASEL Guide Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs. The report cites a meta analysis of more than 200 studies showed that students receiving quality SEL programming scored higher on traditional tests, had improved commitment to school, and had fewer discipline problems and experienced less depression.

CASEL is supporting the SEL work of 8 school districts in the following cities: Anchorage, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville, Oakland, Reno, and Sacramento.

This week Linda Pittenger, CCSSO, hosted a meeting to discuss measuring SEL. The network of lab districts that Linda runs working with David Conley on defining college and career readiness. They have developed a useful framework of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Similar to Turnaround for Children, the dispositions include a growth mindset, a sense of social efficacy, and the ability to regulate academic behaviors.

Dan Cardinali, Communities in Schools, and I were encouraged by broad-based progress exhibited at the CCSSO meeting-the maturation of work funded by the Raikes, Hewlett, Stupski, and Nellie Mae Foundations. The discussion suggested that there are six emerging areas of SEL innovation:

1. Professional development : See a list of more than 25 resources from EdWeek

2. Counseling tools : Advisory curriculum like Navigation 101

3. Behavior management : Classroom tools like Kickboard, Class Dojo, and pbis

4. Measures : See this Raikes Foundation report on SEL metrics

5. Early warning systems : Washoe (Reno) is developing a risk identification system; and

6. Reflection tools : See a list of CASEL tools.

CASEL has reviewed hundreds of programs and tools to develop the following recommended list of K-12 SELect Programs:

AIR is evaluating the 8 district initiative. In the process of doing this work it is working with CASEL and the districts to develop a practical and valid tool for assessing students social emotional competence.

CASEL is supporting multiple SEL strategies and encourages its district partners to do the same. Goren said, "The key is for SEL strategies to be embed and integrated across the curriculum." SEL should be integrated but these metacognitive skills, as David Conley calls them, deserve to be central to an advisory curriculum for secondary students and should be part of student-led parent-teacher conferences. The CASEL and CCSSO supported districts are developing great examples of integrated SEL, advisory, and conferences. With common measures and better tools, more students will leave high school ready to succeed in college and careers.
Image attribution flickr user kendrakaptures

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25 Resources For Social Emotional Learning

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Social emotional learning "teaches the skills we all need to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work, effectively and ethically," says Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). CASEL was formed almost two decades ago started by CEO Roger P. Weissberg who is also professor at UIC.

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Student Rewards | Jackpot Reward Finder | Intervention Central

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Student Rewards | Jackpot Reward Finder | Intervention Central

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Student Rewards | Jackpot Reward Finder | Intervention Central

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Student Rewards are an important tools for teachers. The jackpot reward finder that helps educators manage their classroom time more effectively

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This is a collection of stuff for summer citywide.