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The Way I Feel (Feeling Identification) 

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The Way I Feel (Feeling Identification) 

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Grades K, 1, and 2

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7/20/2020 Mr. McCabe reads The Way I Feel

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The Invisible Boy (Including and getting to know peers)(Anti-Bullying)

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The Invisible Boy (Including and getting to know peers)(Anti-Bullying)

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Grades 3, 4, and 5

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7-14-2020 Turn and Talk Tuesday with Mr. McCabe

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You Are All Kinds of Wonderful (Celebrating our Individuality)

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You Are All Kinds of Wonderful (Celebrating our Individuality)

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Grades K-3

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July 27, 2020- Mr. McCabe reads You Are All Kinds Of Wonderful

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This video could be used as a read a loud where students discuss the importance of family, balancing many of life's responsibilities, and/or the importance of being seen. Grades K-5

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A stop motion animated Christmas story for BBC, about a girl becoming closer with her dad.

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Winners Never Quit! (Not quitting when we don't get our way; Learning to deal with losing)

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Winners Never Quit! (Not quitting when we don't get our way; Learning to deal with losing)

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Grades K-3

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7-7-2020 Turn and Talk Tuesdays with Mr. McCabe

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The benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL) are well-researched, with evidence demonstrating that an education that promotes SEL yields positive results for students, adults, and school communities.

SEL has a powerful combination of evidence and support. The findings below come from multiple fields and sources and include analyses of hundreds of studies that show SEL leads to beneficial outcomes related to: social and emotional skills; attitudes about self, school, and civic engagement; social behaviors; conduct problems; emotional distress; and academic performance.

In addition, the surveys published below by CASEL and partners show teachers, principals, parents, and students agree: SEL is essential.

Download this customizable presentation to make a compelling case for SEL.

The Benefits of SEL
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SEL leads to improved academic outcomes and behaviors

When students have supportive relationships and opportunities to develop and practice social, emotional, and cognitive skills across many different contexts, academic learning accelerates. Hundreds of studies offer consistent evidence that SEL bolsters academic performance.

Results from a landmark meta-analysis that looked across 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students found that:

SEL interventions that address the five core competencies increased students' academic performance by 11 percentile points, compared to students who did not participate.

Students participating in SEL programs showed improved classroom behavior, an increased ability to manage stress and depression, and better attitudes about themselves, others, and school.

Additional meta-analyses echoed these findings. Consistency across independent research teams offers strong support that well-implemented SEL programs are beneficial.

What might this mean for the practical benefits of SEL? About 27% more students would improve their academic performance at the end of the program and 24% more would have improved social behaviors and lower levels of distress.

Read the 2011 meta-analysis. (Durlak et al., 2011)

Read a summary of the four major meta-analyses on SEL.

More recently, a 2021 systematic review found that universal SEL interventions enhance young people's social and emotional skills and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in the short term. In comparison, other approaches have produced inconsistent results (mindfulness interventions) or limited evidence of impact (positive youth development interventions).

Read the 2021 report from the Early Intervention Foundation.

SEL benefits are long-term and global

Subsequent analyses spoke to the long-term effects of SEL implementation as well as SEL's effectiveness in diverse cultural contexts.

Long-term effects:

Measured a positive correlation between strong social emotional assets (measured at the end of intervention) and higher levels of well-being up to 18 years later. (Taylor et al., 2017)

Effectiveness across cultural contexts:

An SEL approach was consistently effective with all demographic groups both inside and outside the United States. This supports the idea that social and emotional assets promoted in SEL can support the positive development of students from diverse family backgrounds and geographic contexts. (Taylor et al., 2017)

SEL interventions show the largest effect size when the intervention is designed with a specific context or culture in mind. This supports the idea that SEL is not a 'one-size-fits-all' intervention. (Wiglesworth et al., 2016)

Read the 2017 meta-analysis of 82 research studies involving 100,000 students worldwide.

SEL is a wise financial investment

When it comes to school programming, education leaders are often weighing the benefits of investing in new efforts. Cost-benefit research demonstrates the value of SEL programs. The report found an average return on investment for six evidence-based programs of 11 to 1, meaning for every dollar invested there is an $11 return.

Read the 2015 review from Columbia University.

Social and emotional skills help improve lifetime outcomes

In addition to the long-term outcomes articulated above, there are statistically significant associations between social and emotional skills in kindergarten and key outcomes for young adults years later. Specifically, early social and emotional skills development helped to reduce societal costs required for public assistance, public housing, police involvement, and detention.

Read the 2015 national study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

The Support for SEL
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What young people are saying...

High school students and recent high school graduates see the benefits of attending schools that emphasize SEL. But most current and recent high school students believe their schools could have done better.

Download the 2018 report from CASEL and Civic.

A qualitative study of young people who describe their experiences with the integration of social, emotional, and cognitive development in exemplary learning settings shows that supportive learning environments are nurturing young people's sense of themselves as valued, multi-dimensional community members.

View the 2020 report from America's Promise Alliance.

What school principals are saying...

School principals agree SEL is essential, with nearly all principals surveyed sharing that developing students' social and emotional skills is a critical aspect of students' in-school experience. They also want more guidance, more training for teachers, and greater access to research-based strategies for developing SEL in students.

Read the 2017 report from CASEL and Civic on the survey's findings (and the 2019 update).

What educators are saying...

Not only do 56% of educators believe resources to support SEL in the classroom will be most critical post-pandemic, but 82% agree that a well-crafted, fully integrated SEL approach makes an impact on outcomes.

Read the 2021 Educator Confidence Report.

Eighty percent of educators from across 15 countries believe positive emotions are critical for academic success, and emotional well-being is crucial for developing foundational literacies and communication skills.

Read the 2019 brief from The Economist Intelligence Unit on the survey's findings.

What teachers are saying...

Virtually all teachers report that it's critical to develop key SEL skills in the classroom. According to educators, key SEL skills include:

Self-awareness (with 99% of educators rating it as either somewhat or very important)

Relationship skills (98% of educators)

Self-management (97% of educators)

Responsible decision-making (97% of educators)

Social awareness (96% of educators)

View the 2021 report from McGraw Hill on the survey's findings.

Ninety-three percent of teachers want a greater focus on SEL in schools. They agree that social and emotional skills are teachable and are calling for schools to prioritize the integration of SEL practices and strategies.

Download the 2013 report from CASEL and Civic on the survey's findings.

About 90% of elementary and secondary teachers agreed that promoting SEL would improve students' academic achievement. It also found that teachers who reported higher levels of well-being reported engaging in SEL practices to a greater extent than those with lower reported well-being.

View the 2020 report from Rand Corporation on survey findings from the American Teacher Panel.

What policymakers are saying...

When we consider what it means for students to be prepared for college, career, and community life, social and emotional competencies are critically important for the long-term success of all students in today's economy. A bipartisan report addressed SEL as a core component of children's education, recommending several steps to scale up high-quality, evidence-based SEL programs.

Read the 2015 report from American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution.

What the broader public is saying...

Eighty-two percent said that it is highly important for schools to help students develop interpersonal skills, such as being cooperative, respectful of others, and persistent at solving problems.

Read the 2017 PDK poll results.

What parents are saying...

As of 2021, 62% of parents feel teaching SEL is very important, compared to 55% three years ago. Parents also believe that SEL is not emphasized as much as it should be (81%), that it has become even more important since the beginning of the pandemic (82%), and that it is helpful for children learning online (80%).

View the 2021 report from McGraw Hill on the survey's findings.

What employers are saying...

Six of the identified top ten skills for the future involve social and emotional competence, including complex problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity.

View the World Economic Forum report.

Thirty-one percent of employers worldwide struggle to find qualified employees. A major reason for the qualified labor shortage is that fewer students are graduating high school with the social and emotional skills required for today's workplace. In another survey, 92% of surveyed executives say skills such as problem-solving and communicating clearly are equal to or more important than technical skills, yet 89% said they have a very or somewhat difficult time finding employees with those skills.

View the report from Association for Career and Technical Education, National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

View the Wall Street Journal article on this data.

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The benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL) are well-researched, with evidence demonstrating that an education that promotes SEL yields positive results for students, adults, and school communities. SEL has a powerful combination of evidence and support.

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Grades K-8

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COVID-19 Morning Meeting and Responsive Advisory Meeting Downloads | Responsive Classroom

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Thank you for completing the form. Please enjoy these resources. Elementary Resources Middle School Resources Thank you to our Morning Meeting Contributing Teachers: Thank you to our Responsive Advisory Meeting Contributing Teachers:

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By Adam Parker, School Psychologist

In the middle of March, 2020 schools across the world closed their doors to stop the spread of Covid-19. What came next was the balancing act of parents having children at home, remote learning, and trying to manage our fears and emotions. Days before state assessment would...

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What's Most Important Upon a Return to School? Social and Emotional Learning

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In the middle of March, 2020 schools across the world closed their doors to stop the spread of Covid-19. What came next was the balancing act of parents having children at home, remote learning, and trying to manage our fears and emotions.

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Hair Love (Celebrating our Individuality)

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Hair Love (Celebrating our Individuality)

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Grades 3-5

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Hair Love | Oscar®-Winning Short Film (Full) | Sony Pictures Animation

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Importance of Diverse Books in School Libraries

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Importance of Diverse Books in School Libraries

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Hello, friends!
I have created a lesson for my students and any kiddos who wish to create titled Behind My Mask! When my students return in the fall (and, yes, I said 'when' as I am very hopeful and optimistic), they will be asked to mask-up. We always seem to start out school year with a selfie so I was bummed when I thought of the idea of my students drawing themselves with their best facial feature hidden. And that's where the idea of this surprise drawing came from. Here's a video! Feel free to use and share (with credit given, please and thank you):

I simply used paper, permanent marker, coloring markers and crayons. If I happen to teach virtually this fall, this lesson could also be done by my students at home.

This video is a short and simple one...when teaching, I plan to share with my students a variety of self-portraits and talk a lot more about lettering, fonts, skin tones, craftsmanship, good character...the list goes on! As you can see, I'd have a hard time fitting it into a video short enough to capture their attention. So, if you use this video, feel free to add on whatever you wish to include!

No one is excited about wearing a mask but...it's for our safety. And the best thing we can do for our kiddos is to put a positive spin on it, right? I hope to do that with this lesson. Enjoy!

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Behind My Mask: A Super Kid Self-Portrait!

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Hello, friends! I have created a lesson for my students and any kiddos who wish to create titled Behind My Mask! When my students return in the fall (and, yes, I said 'when' as I am very hopeful and optimistic), they will be asked to mask-up.

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Padlet: Creating Relationships in a Virtual Space 

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Padlet: Creating Relationships in a Virtual Space 

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A Little Spot Learns Online by Diane Alber | Read Aloud Fun

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The Minions and Gru: Stay Safe and Be Kind 

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The Minions and Gru: Stay Safe and Be Kind 

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This Pin was discovered by Tara Cerce. Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest.

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Staying Safe and Healthy at School - Covid-19 Social Story

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Curbing Teacher Burnout During the Pandemic 

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Curbing Teacher Burnout During the Pandemic 

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Curbing Teacher Burnout During the Pandemic

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Teachers are adapting to a host of exhausting new challenges during the coronavirus. We asked educators and other experts for strategies to help address this new form of burnout.

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Google Form Daily Student Check-in Morning and Afternoon

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Google Form Daily Student Check-in Morning and Afternoon

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Can edit for distance learning or in-person - great way to check in on students

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| | Filed Under: Classroom Management and Organization, Digital Resources
Note: The PDF now includes links to Weekly Check-Ins as well!
One of the hardest parts about distance learning is not being able to see and talk with our students on a regular basis. Even if you are doing video conferences, it is hard to know how students are doing and if they need help. One option is to have daily check-ins using Google Forms. This post shares free daily check in google forms for distance learning and some tips for how to use them.

About the Daily Check-In Google Forms

These daily check-in Google Forms are one way to check in your with students on a daily basis. The responses can also be shared with special education or any support staff who serve the students.

I have included two check-in forms for you: one for the beginning of the day and one for the end of the day. You can send both of the forms or choose to only send one.

Beginning of the Day Check-In Form

This form is designed to check in with the students before they begin their assignments (but after they locate them).

The form asks the following questions:

How are you feeling today?

Do you have anything to tell me? This can be about school or life.

Were you able to find all of your work for today?

Do you need any help getting started with your assignments?

What questions do you have about your assignments?

End of the Day Check-In Form

This form is designed to check in with the students as they finish their learning for the day.

The form asks the following questions:

How are you feeling now?

How did you to do today?

How do you feel about your assignments today? (This is a linear scale with "I didn't understand anything" at one end and "I understood everything" at the other end.)

Do you have anything to tell me? This can be about school or life.

Note: There are now links to Weekly Check-Ins included in the PDF download as well!

Modifying the Check-In Forms

After you copy the forms to your drive, you may go in and modify any of the questions and/or add new questions. These screenshots are also included in the free download.

Assigning the Check-In Forms
If you need help assigning these check-in forms to your students, click here to grab a free guide to help!
When assigning the forms, I recommend you make a new copy for each week (you can keep the responses organized using the spreadsheet that Google Forms generates).

Another way to send the Check-In Forms to your students is to link them via a Google Slides Template. Here is an example template. The link to copy this template can be found in the section titled Get the Free Daily Check-In Google Forms and Slide Template Here.

Viewing the Responses

You can easily view the responses by generating a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is automatically sorted by date and time so you can keep your responses organized. You can also sort the responses alphabetically by student name.

***Get the Free Daily Check-In Google Forms and Slide Template Here
****Click here or on the image below to grab the PDF with the links to each Google Form and the Google Slide Templates (and tips for copying/modifying the forms and viewing the responses).
Note: make sure you copy the forms to your drive. If you manipulate the link, you will be compromising your students' data. YOU MUST COPY THE FORM TO YOUR DRIVE AND CREATE A NEW FORM THAT IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS!

Note: There are now links to Weekly Check-Ins included in the PDF download as well!

More Digital Distance Learning Resources
How to Assign Google Forms How to Create Google Form Assignments Viewing and Analyzing Responses in Google Forms How to Assign Google Slides How to Have Students Show Their Math Work Digitally - Free Student Google Slides Guide Tips for Distance Learning Planning
Blog Posts and Free Guides

Digital Learning Activities
Main Idea Differentiated Practice - These are perfect for assigning differentiated reading practice (texts at two levels to your students). Text Structure Differentiated Practice - Another option for differentiating your reading practice easily. Reading Test Prep Task Cards - This is perfect for reading review! It includes 8 Google Forms in all (with 8 questions per form).
Google Form - Reading Activities
4th Grade Math Test Prep Review 5th Grade Math Test Prep Review 4th Grade Math Differentiated Skill Sheets 5th Grade Math Differentiated Skill Sheets Math Choice Boards (Grades 3-5 Available) 5th Grade Math Skill Posters Decimal of the Day Review 5th Grade Find the Error Math Tasks
Google Slides - Math Activities
4th & 5th Grade Reading View Color by Reading Activities Reading Interactive Notebook Color Coding Text Evidence Printables Reading Intervention Passages with Read Aloud Audio 4th & 5th Grade Reading Flipbooks Theme Activities - Printable and Digital Versions Inference Activities - Printable and Digital Versions 5th Grade Language Review 5th Grade Language Posters Finish the Story! Engaging Narrative Writing Center
Google Slides - Literacy Activities

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Free Daily Check-In Google Forms for Distance Learning

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Filed Under: Classroom Management and Organization, Digital Resources Note: The PDF now includes links to Weekly Check-Ins as well! One of the hardest parts about distance learning is not being able to see and talk with our students on a regular basis.

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Grades K-5

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Skip to main content

When You Might Use This Practice

Any time during the school year, but especially when students may be experiencing challenges in life or in school

Time Required

10-15 minutes daily for at least one week

Materials

Writing materials, including a small notebook or journal for each student

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Record three good things that happened to them

Explain how they achieved or contributed to these things

Additional Supports

SEL Competencies

Reflection Before the Practice

Take a moment to write down three good things that happened to you in the past week and explain how you achieved or contributed to these things. How did this exercise make you feel? If you have the time, continue the practice for at least a week.

Instructions

Explain to students that they will be keeping a journal for a week in which they will record three good things that happened to them each day and an explanation of how they achieved or contributed to the good things.

Try to encourage students to really think deeply about these positive things.

First, ask students to think about "three good things that have happened to you today."
If they are having difficulty focusing their attention on positive experiences, you can offer the following prompts: (You can also suggest a quick brainstorming session in pairs or groups of three.)

Think about when you worked really hard in class today.

Think about when you helped a friend today.

Think about when you did something nice for someone or someone did something nice for you.

Think about when you tried your best at something today.

Think about something you did that made you feel really good about yourself.

Think about a difficult situation that worked out well in the end.

Next, ask students to write down what they did in each instance that contributed to the "good thing." If necessary, you can prompt them as follows:

How did you do that?

What did you do exactly?

How did you make that happen?

What did you do to make that happen?

Students can either list all three good things first and then complete the explanation section, or complete one good thing followed by its explanation and repeat twice.

If there is time, after students have written their three good things and their explanations in their journals, they can talk about one of the good things that happened to them with a peer. This will hopefully encourage them to focus on why the good thing happened and reinforce positive thinking.

Closure

After a week, ask students to reflect on the practice of writing three good things each day. What did the experience feel like? Did it change their perception of school or other areas of life? Would they do it again? What advice might they give to someone who is thinking of writing down three good things?

Reflection After the Practice

Do you notice if students are expressing more positive emotions or optimism after doing this practice?

Evidence That It Works

In a study of around 600 students ages 8 to 11, the group who completed Three Good Things for a week reported being happier afterward and three months later, compared to the group who just journaled about their daily experiences. There was also some evidence that the exercise could help with symptoms of depression, particularly for students who were less happy to begin with.

Why Does It Matter?

Just like adults, children can get caught up in the things that go wrong in their lives-like getting bad grades, feeling left out, or experiencing conflict with parents-and forget to appreciate all the positive things. Three Good Things is designed to highlight the positive moments, experiences, and people that children may sometimes take for granted.

After 30 minutes of practice for a week, this exercise has been shown to boost students' happy feelings, a benefit that might spill over into other aspects of their lives. Students who experience greater positive emotions may put in more effort to overcome obstacles, engage in classroom activities more, and be less stressed at school. In addition, positive mental health in childhood is linked to educational achievement and professional success later in life.

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."

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Three Good Things for Students | Greater Good In Education

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Skip to main content Any time during the school year, but especially when students may be experiencing challenges in life or in school 10-15 minutes daily for at least one week Writing materials, including a small notebook or journal for each student Students will: Record three good things that happened to them Explain how they achieved or contributed to these things Take a moment to write down three good things that happened to you in the past week and explain how you achieved or contributed to these things.

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Grades 4-7

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Understanding the Brain for Grades 4-7 | Greater Good In Education

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Students learn about the three parts of the brain--the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex--involved with emotion regulation, attention, and learning to engage their interest and enhance their self-awareness.

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Grades K-3

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Instructions

Class Discussion (5 minutes)

Lead a class discussion by selecting a few of the following guiding prompting questions:

What do you know about the brain?

Where is your brain?

How big is your brain?

What do you think it looks like?

What color is it?

Do you think your friend's brain is exactly the same as yours?

How do we use our brains?

If our bodies need exercise, what about our brains?
Do brains need exercise too?

Show the image of the brain below (this image may be scanned and projected or blown up and printed for display):

Explain:
We are going to learn about three very important parts of the brain. Understanding these parts of the brain and how they work can help us get better at making good choices and help us learn better.

Mindful Activity (15 minutes)

The Mindful Brain

Focus the children's attention to the large drawing of the brain. Point to the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala and explain:
The names of these parts of the brain are the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and amygdala. (You may want to have the students practice pronouncing these terms with you)

Have students touch the center of their own foreheads and explain the prefrontal cortex is just behind. Point to the prefrontal cortex on the diagram.

Next, have students touch their ears and explain the hippocampus is just behind. There are two hippocampi, one on each side of the brain. Point to the hippocampus on the diagram.

Now point to the amygdala on the large drawing and explain that it is located deep in the middle of the brain. The name amygdala comes from it being shaped like an almond. There are two amygdalae located on each side of the brain.

Go back and point to prefrontal cortex and say:
This part of your brain helps you make good choices, pay attention, and learn more.

Next point to the hippocampus and say:

The hippocampus helps us to remember things. Its job is to store memories and find them when we need them.

The hippocampus also helps us manage our fear response - we are going to learn more about our fear response later in this lesson.

Now point to the amygdala and say:

This almond shaped part of the brain is one of the oldest parts of the brain. It doesn't think! It just reacts.

Sometimes it helps us stay safe but other times it gets in the way of making good choices.

Tell the story:

What do you think you would do if you were walking to school and you saw a tyrannosaurus rex?

How would your body feel?

After getting student feedback, explain:

The amygdala's job is to keep us safe. It doesn't think. It just reacts. It helps get our bodies ready to act really fast, like running away from something or fighting.

When we are in that state - our body is ready for action, but our brain, our prefrontal cortex doesn't think or problem solve very well.

Making Connections (10 minutes)

Step 1: Share Experiences

Discuss:

Sometimes things happen and we feel very afraid or very angry. This is our amygdala telling us that something is wrong. But remember, our amygdala doesn't think. Its job is to let us know when we are in danger.

The problem is the amygdala sometimes makes us feel like we are in danger when really we are not.

Ask:

Can you think of a time when you were afraid or angry, but running away or fighting wouldn't be a good solution to the problem?
For example, an argument with a sibling or friend or feeling nervous before a test or performance.

What happens if our amygdala responds in these examples? Do we make our best choices?
No-it means we may respond in anger in the case of an argument, or we will have a hard time remembering facts and knowledge for a test, or we may fumble during a performance.

Explain:

When our amygdala gets our body ready to respond to a threat, it means we aren't able to use our prefrontal cortex very well-that means our decision-making might not be very good!

We need to use our prefrontal cortex to make good decisions, problem-solve, and manage our feelings.

Step 2: Summarize the Key Points

Now summarize important points about this lesson.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of your brain that helps you make good choices, pay attention, and learn more.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that helps us with our memory. It helps us to remember things.

The amygdala is the almond-shaped part of the brain and is the oldest part of the brain. It doesn't think! It just reacts.

Closure

Say:
Together we are going to learn special ways, using mindful awareness, to exercise our brain, especially our prefrontal cortex. This will help us make good choices, pay attention, and learn more.

Extension

Note to educator: This activity can be implemented at a subsequent time. The intention is to assist students with the transfer and application of their learning about the brain to everyday activities.

My Brain in Life

As a class, review what they have learned about the three parts of the brain. Ask the students to notice their thoughts throughout the day and think about which parts of the brain they are using in different scenarios. Brainstorm relevant scenarios with students.

Possible scenarios:

Choosing to read a book (prefrontal cortex)

Jumping out of the way of a speeding bicycle (amygdala)

Remembering a story a friend told (hippocampus)

Listening to your parents' request (prefrontal cortex)

Remembering the math facts (hippocampus)

If time allows the next day, re-visit these scenarios and continue to remind students about what parts of the brain they are using throughout each day.

Invite students to write or draw about how their brain reacts in different scenarios in their life, as explored in the My Brain in Life activity. Ask students to think about one time their amygdala was reactive, and one time they felt their prefrontal cortex was in charge.

For example, students who are in sports could reflect on what parts of the brain are active when they play, and what happens when they feel nervous before a game.

Other suggestions:

My brain when I do art

My brain when I met someone new

My brain when I dance

My brain when I get in an argument

My brain before a test

Source

MIndUP™ - Since 2003, MindUP has been helping children develop the mental fitness necessary to thrive in school and throughout their lives. MindUP is the signature program of The Goldie Hawn Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created in response to the global epidemic of childhood aggression, anxiety, depression and suicide. Based firmly in neuroscience, MindUP gives children the knowledge and tools they need to manage stress, regulate emotions and face the challenges of the 21st century with optimism, resilience and compassion. www.mindup.org

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My Mindful Brain for K-3 | Greater Good In Education

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Class Discussion (5 minutes) Lead a class discussion by selecting a few of the following guiding prompting questions: What do you know about the brain? Where is your brain? How big is your brain? What do you think it looks like? What color is it?

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Stress Management for Educators | Greater Good In Education

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Grades K-5
-Click on the link
-Make a copy for yourself

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BLM Virtual Reading Room - Northeast Regional Library

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Relationships matter. We know this. We've always known this.

In fact, it's the exact reason many of us chose education as a profession. We believe in the power of connection in learning and in life. And collectively, we're very, very good at cultivating strong bonds with students.

Since COVID-19 struck, though, it's become a topic that has left many of us scratching our heads. It was hard enough to maintain relationships during emergency virtual learning plans last March. But now, we'll have to build relationships from behind a screen with a brand new crop of kids we've never met face-to-face.

Here's the good news, though. The key components of what makes a good relationship such as respect, trust, and support haven't changed. And, we can still show genuine interest in their interests virtually. We don't have to start from scratch either. Many of the relationship-building strategies we've grown accustomed to implementing face-to-face are transferable (with a little ingenuity).

Will it look the same? No.

Will it feel the same? Maybe not.

Will it be more challenging? Of course.

Relationships likely won't form as organically, so we'll have to be strategic. But, it can be done and done well! Also, because of the limited social interaction our students have had these past six months, many will be craving a connection. In fact, they need it. So, let's capitalize!

Here are 33 adaptable strategies for fostering strong teacher-student relationships in a K-12 virtual environment:

1. Screencastify Your Welcome Message: Pre-record a warm "welcome to class" message as well as a class overview using Screencastify. This tools allows you to record your screen, face, voice, and more. It's a great way to show them how to navigate your virtual classroom.

2. Establish a "Netiquette" Together: Using Padlet, ask students to share ideas of virtual class rules/norms they think are needed to build a successful online community. Group the ideas. Then, facilitate a conversation to guide the formation of your class netiquette. Their voice matters most in this!

3. Morning Meetings: Conduct Responsive Classroom morning meetings (as often as your virtual learning schedule allows) to cultivate community while reinforcing social-emotional skills. This article explains how one teacher transitioned his morning meetings to the online environment. Morning meetings are well worth the time in secondary classes as well. All students need to feel safe and connected, especially amid a pandemic.

4. Teacher Trait Wish List: What makes a remarkable teacher? Have students use a word cloud generator such as Mentimeter to share one or more traits they hope to disover about you this school year. Use their responses to deepen the dialogue. For example, you might say, "I see many of you wrote respectful. What are some ways I can show you respect?"

5. Student Interest Inventory: Have students (or parents depending on age level) complete a short survey to gather insights about student interests. Google forms work great and will store their responses so you can easily revisit the data as needed throughout the year.

6. Parent Expertise Inventory: Send out a short survey to parents asking them about their interests/areas of expertise. Find ways throughout the year to utlize their talents to support instruction. For example, if you have a parent who's a writer, perhaps they could join a synchronous session or make an asynchronous video to discuss their writing process. This authenticizes learning and creates rapport with parents.

7. Virtual Q&A: At the start of the year, host a virtual meeting outside of regular school hours should students/parents have questions that need answering. Record and post it for later review if possible.

8. Mental Health Check-Ins: We want to give students permission to feel and can do this by creating a safe, caring virtual environment. Prompt discussions about the ups and downs of daily life. Be sure to share yours. Students can share their roses/thorns, peaks/pits, highs/lows, etc. Help them name their feelings and expect varied levels of vulnerability. Students will gradually open up over time.

9. EdCamp(ish) Breakout Rooms: Based upon the data you collected on student interests, create several general discussion topics (such as sports or music) and give students 5-10 minutes to share about their interests in small-group breakout rooms using Zoom.

10. Refrigerator Decor: Create and snail mail a card (standard business or postcard size) including a welcome message along with contact information and a headshot for students/parents to easily reference on their fridge. This will be a daily reminder that you are a real person who can be easily contacted.

11. Say Their Name: During synchronous sessions, greet each student every time. We can't stand at the door, but we can acknowledge their presence. A quick, "____ (insert name), I'm glad you're here" ensures every child feels seen.

12. Tell Me Something Good: Start sessions simply by saying, "Tell me something good." Students can say it or type it in the chat box depending on preference. This activity usually gets people smiling and will help you gather insights into their lives.

13. 2×10 Strategy: Struggling with a student? The 2×10 strategy suggests spending two minutes a day for 10 days in a row connecting with them about their interests/life in some way. While engaging for two minutes may not always work in the virtual world, find quick ways to connect such as sending a private message during live video conferencing or writing a personal message along with feedback on a piece of their work. This can be a game changer!

14. Meaningful Mementos: Using Seesaw or Flipgrid, have students show and tell about a personal artifact from their life. This is an eye-opening way for you to learn about students and for them to learn about each other. It also sends the message that you care about their lives and experiences outside of the classroom which supports culturally responsive teaching.

15. Share YOU: Students will let you into their lives if you let them into yours. Share your quirks and imperfections! They want/need to know you're human, and it'll help them feel more comfortable in their own skin while engaging in the virtual world which can be intimidating.

16. Music Playlist: Have students send you their favorite songs (with clean lyrics) and find ways to embed them into synchronous/asynchronous instruction. Think of incorporating them as a soft start/end to class or when transitioning between activities. We may not be able to decorate the walls, but we can use little touches like this to instill a sense of ownership of their classroom.

17. EduBlogging: If you teach reading/writing, have students create their own personal blogs in place of composition writer's notebooks. Let them write about interests and topics of choice often. Edublogs can be easily shared with peers which motivates and builds community, but privacy settings can be adjusted when preferred, too.

18. Pic of the Day: During the first two weeks of school, share a daily picture of yourself taken at a special event, with your family, while on vacation, etc. After students get a read on who you are as a person, start featuring one student pic per the day.

19. Emoji Temperature Check: To gauge the mood of the "room", ask students to quickly draw/hold up or private message you an emoji. Reaction tools can also help you assess the climate of the classroom.

20. Connect Before Correct: Carve out time to call/email parents just to say something positive about their kid. This opens up the line of communication and means so much to students and parents.

21. Virtual Lockers: Have students design a virtual locker to reflect their interests. Make a copy of this template from Inside Education, Outside the Box.

22. The Art of the Handwritten Letter: Send a handwritten letter to a student. This is a lost art (and a time-consuming one) but there's nothing quite like receiving one. Plus, it'll make students feel like you're real.

23. Lunch Bunch: Schedule virtual lunch bunches either "just because" or as an incentive as your schedule allows. Many divisions are prohibiting one-on-one video sessions (and secondary students may not want to do this), so doing them in partnerships or small groups might be more enticing. If you have young children you're juggling, let them join! You can learn a lot about students and vice versa through normal, everyday chit-chat!

24. Class Mascot of the Week: Celebrate pets! Spotlight one per week.

25. Digital Photo Collage: Rather than posting pictures to a "Family Wall" bulletin board, create a digital collage of family/friends. Have each student send you a pic of a loved one and drop them into your Google photos. Then, go to https://photos.google.com/foryou and choose the collage option. Keep it some place that's visible to the students from time to time.

26. Open Mic: Once you've created a sense of community, provide a time/virtual space for students to share special talents. This is a great way to send students off after a synchronous session. Keep in mind, though, not everyone will want a stage, so make it optional.

27. Celebrate Birthdays Their Way: Give students a few options for how they'd like you to celebrate their birthdays. Some may not want to be in the spotlight. Do they want the class to sing "Happy Birthday" to them? Would they prefer an eCard? Could they use a homework pass? Would they like to receive video messages from classmates in FlipGrid? Let them decide!

28. Virtual Spirit Days: Think about special days to host such as Team Tuesday (to celebrate sports). Have students snap pics of their participation and post something about it in a discussion board thread.

29. Brain Breaks: Integrate fun brain breaks into instruction to re-energize and refocus students. GoNoodle offers a variety of movement, yoga, and mindfulness activities for younger students. Secondary students could take a snack break or walk around their block. Let your hair down and join in brain breaks with students, too!

30. Say Hey Emails: Send a quick email/video to each student from time to time just to say hi. Keep it casual and personal (not strictly academic).

31. Gamification: Introduce game-based learning platforms to your students such as Gimkit, Kahoot, or Quizizz using "just for fun" topics such as pop culture trivia. Embed the game within a synchronous session so students can interact while playing. Personalities emerge during a little friendly competition!

32. The Johari Window: Building relationships requires self-awareness. How open are you? This is a good thing to reflect upon especially as we enter this brand new learning space. We also benefit from seeking feedback about ourselves from students to minimize our blind spots. Check out this video on The Johari Window which explains four quadrants to better understand ourselves.

33. Be Anti-Racist: Last but perhaps most critical, take action to stand up against racism. Many of our students, especially those who are BlPOC, have been impacted to the core by recent events. Launch developmentally appropriate discussions about race, racism, and racialized violence. See this resource How To Be An Anti-Racist Educator as well. Keep listening, learning, and leaning into tough topics. We can't build relationships with every student unless every student knows we're an advocate, ally, and activist.

And remember, the most important relationship to nurture is the one you have with yourself. The next several months will be hard (which is the understatement of the century). Make sure you're being good to you!

As a former colleague used to always remind me, "You can't pour from an empty cup."

I hope these ideas help. You've got this! We've got this.
*For more resources about optimizing online learning, see my posts Virtual Learning: Maybe We ARE Prepared For This, Virtual Learning: 13 Tips for Zoom Breakout Rooms, and Virtual Learning: 10 Best Practices for Parents.

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Virtual Learning: 33 Ways to Build Relationships - teachtrainlove.com

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"No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." ~Dr. James Comer Relationships matter. We know this. We've always known this. In fact, it's the exact reason many of us chose education as a profession. We believe in the power of connection in learning and in life.

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When in "presentation mode" click on the book titles

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Going back to school is definitely going to look different in the fall. We will all need to do our part by following the guidelines to keep us all safe and healthy. But these guidelines should not affect having Morning Meetings to build teacher-student relationships and classroom community. Investing the time in building relationships and classroom community in Morning Meeting during the first 6 weeks of school and is the most important thing to focus on if and when we are back in the classroom in the Fall. If we need to go back to remote learning at any time, we will at least have relationships & classroom community built which will make remote teaching and learning a lot easier.

What is Morning Meeting?

Responsive Classroom 's Morning Meeting is a 15-20 minute daily routine used to begin the school day. All classroom members gather in a circle to greet one another, listen and respond to each other's news, and practice academic and social skills. It serves as a transition from home to school, helps children feel welcome and known, and sets the tone for the day. The 4 components of Morning Meeting should be introduced in the first two weeks of school, starting off slowly introducing one component at a time.

Morning Meeting for Building Classroom Community

Morning Meeting is our favorite time of the day and is the first thing we do to start each day off on the right foot. Responsive Classroom says that Morning Meeting fulfills two human needs: the sense of belonging and significance and the need to have FUN! Morning Meeting merges social, emotional, and academic learning, which is something we will have to particularly focus on after students have been home for a long period of time due to COVID-19. Morning Meeting also builds trust and strengthens relationships with peers, as well as with teachers.

But now things have changed. Education has changed. Schools have changed. There's a new normal with social distancing. Morning Meeting will look different but it doesn't mean we can't have Morning Meetings. So, here are some ways in which we can still have our daily Morning Meeting but also follow the guidelines that are now in place.

Let's Talk Physical Space

Now gathering in a circle may be our first obstacle and most likely will not be an option. Since classrooms come in all different shapes and sizes, we will need to think about the physical space first. We will also need to think about the number of students in each classroom. Will class sizes be smaller? They should be smaller but that may not happen.

Thinking about my classroom space with about 22-25 students, we will try some of these options for gathering:
* Stand in a circle 3-6 feet part, students can bring a chair
* Stand around the perimeter of the room
* Students stand behind their desks
Most likely students will want to stand instead of sitting in their seats. It allows them to move, to stretch, and to see all students.

Morning Meeting Greeting

Children greet each other by name with a smile and eye contact. This means there doesn't have to be any physical contact. We can still do some of the greetings we know and love. Simple, quicky lefty, righty greetings are good for any grade level. Here are some varieties for social distancing:

Quicky Lefty, Righty- Students turn to their right and greet their classmates by name, "Good Morning, Jayden" and then turn to the left to do the same. You can do quicky lefty, righty greetings in many different ways.

Quicky Lefty Righty Varieties:

Wave

Thumbs up

Bow or Curtsy

Air Hug (instead of a hug)

Salute

Foot Bump (this may still be ok to do as long as students keep the distance)

Foreign Language ("Bonjour, Mrs. Weis")

Formal Greeting- students greet each other using a Ms. or Mr. followed by their last name

For a little movement and fun, I may add in a ball (plastic ball or beach ball) or balloon because they are easy to wipe down afterward. Students can toss the ball to the person they are greeting.

For the younger grades, song greetings are perfect! Get them greeting each other with a song and a smile. This definitely gets your day started off on a bright note.

Here's a PDF of some greetings from the Morning Meeting Greeting book, Morning Meeting Greetings that I found in my search.
This book is a great resource to have to get you started.
Morning Meeting Share

A few students share each day with some news of interest to the class and respond to each other with thoughtful questions/comments, practicing communication skills, and learning about one another. Students can share standing in the circle 3-6 feet apart or while students are seated at their desks. Ask students what they prefer. Perhaps the student who is sharing can come to the front of the room and share. It's always best to ask your students what they feel most comfortable with. Let them decide and try different ways with your students.

Remember that Share is not a show and tell. Students do not have to bring in anything to share or show. Students can share something about themselves, something they're looking forward to, a special event, an achievement, or something that is happy or sad. It's a way for peers to get to know each other better and build classroom community. It also strengthens speaking and listening skills. I model preparing Morning Meeting Share by having students think about the main idea of what they are going to share and then using the 5 finger rule to stay focused on sharing the most important details. A share might sound like:

1. Today is my 10th birthday.

2. I am going to have dinner & birthday cake with my mom, dad, grandma, and sister tonight.

3. This weekend I am going to have a sleepover with my cousins.

4. I am really excited about it and I can't wait.

5. I think it's going to be my best birthday yet.

"I'm ready for thoughtful questions and comments." Allow for 3 in total.

Give your students these response stems to reply for comments:

It sounds like... you will have a really nice birthday. Happy Birthday!

I noticed that... we will both turn 10 this week. Happy Birthday to us both! (make connections)

Questions:

Did you wish for anything special for your birthday?

What kind of birthday cake is your favorite?

You can create a schedule or sign up to have a certain number of students share each day or have a voluntary share each day.

Morning Meeting Activities

Morning Meetings activities are meant to be fun. The activity involves the whole class doing a short activity together, building class cohesion through active participation. Here are some class favorites with keeping social distancing in mind.

Fact or Fiction, or otherwise known as Two Truths and a Lie- One student says three things about themselves, 2 statements are facts and one is a lie. Classmates have to guess which statement is a lie. (Getting to Know You Activity)

Buzz- Students count from 1-100 and "buzz" on a specific multiple. (ex. Multiples of 6: 1,2,3,4,5,buzz,7,8,9,10,11,buzz,13,14,15,16,17,buzz...math activity)

Sparkle- Students stand 3-6 feet apart in a circle and the teacher announces a word. The students spell the word one letter per student. When the word has been spelled correctly, the next student in the circle waves his/her hands in the air and says "Sparkle!" A new word begins and follows the same way. *Students who spell the word incorrectly sit down.

Introduce some activities and then have your students practice and play them over and over. They'll soon have their favorites!

Morning Message

In Morning Message students develop language skills and learn about the events in the day ahead by reading and discussing a daily message posted on a chart or dry erase easel. The possibilities are endless with morning messages and are such a big part of our day. Make it a part of your daily routine that students greet you when they stagger in, unpack their belongings, and then respond to the Morning Message. I only allow 3 students at a time at the Morning Message whiteboard but due to social distancing, only one will respond at a time. That doesn't mean that students can't read it from afar and think ahead to respond quickly when it's their turn. This is something you'll have to teach and model.

I tie our morning message to the big ideas we are learning in class. Sometimes it revolves around a unit of study, theme, interest, book we are reading, subject area, holiday, event, etc. I write the morning message either before I leave for the day or as soon as I walk into the classroom in the morning. Either way, the Morning Message is always ready for my students to respond to every morning when they walk in.
Here are a few examples: More MUST-HAVE resources for Morning Meeting!

Morning Meeting will look a little different with social distancing but still can be done.

Morning Meeting is essential for building teacher-student relationships and classroom community during the first weeks of school (this is a must-do especially if we need to go back to remote learning

Morning Meeting has 4 components that should be introduced slowly during the first 6 weeks of school.

Be sure to check out the resources that will support you with implementing an effective Morning Meeting. I know you will love having Morning Meetings with your students and it will become an essential part of your day. Please follow social distancing guidelines to stop the spread.

Have any more ideas to share about having Morning Meeting with keeping social distancing in mind? Share in the comments.
Related Posts: Starting The Year Off Right With Responsive Classroom 3 Ways to Effectively Build Student Teacher Relationships Managing Student Behavior Responsive Classroom Style How To Use Positive Teacher Language To Empower Students
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How To Have a Morning Meeting With Social Distancing ~ For The Love of Teachers

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Going back to school is definitely going to look different in the fall. We will all need to do our part by following the guidelines to keep us all safe and healthy. But these guidelines should not affect having Morning Meetings to build teacher-student relationships and classroom community.

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There is a link to make a google slides copy of the project on the PDF

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What is Social and Emotional Learning?

How do we define social and emotional learning (SEL)? Researchers generally agree upon five key competencies of SEL ( Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor & Schellinger, 2011; Weissberg, Durlak, Domitrovich, & Gullotta, 2016). These competencies provide the foundation for maintaining high-quality social relationships and for responding to the challenges of life.

1. Self-Awareness:

What are my thoughts and feelings?

What causes those thoughts and feelings?

How can I express my thoughts and feelings respectfully?

2. Self-Management:

What different responses can I have to an event?

How can I respond to an event as constructively as possible?

3. Social Awareness:

How can I better understand other people's thoughts and feelings?

How can I better understand why people feel and think the way they do?

4. Relationship Skills:

How can I adjust my actions so that my interactions with different people turn out well?

How can I communicate my expectations to other people?

How can I communicate with other people to understand and manage their expectations of me?

5. Responsible Decision Making:

What consequences will my actions have on myself and others?

How do my choices align with my values?

How can I solve problems creatively?

Learning Outcomes

A meta-analysis of 213 programs, primarily covering three decades of research, found that social and emotional learning interventions that address the competencies listed above increased students' academic performance by 11 percentile points, as compared to students who did not participate in such SEL programs (Durlak et al., 2011). The social and emotional learning programs also reduced aggression and emotional distress among students, increased helping behaviors in school, and improved positive attitudes toward self and others (Durlak et al., 2011). Effective SEL programs addressed the five key competencies listed above, explicitly and sequentially, and used active-learning techniques to engage youth in developing understanding of them. Specific practices and programs shown by multiple, rigorous, peer-reviewed studies to benefit K-12 youth are described on the Evidence-Based Programs page of the SEL research review.

SEL Skills and Academic Success

Relationships and emotional processes affect how and what we learn. By reducing misbehavior and the amount of time spent on classroom management, SEL programs create more time for teaching and learning. SEL also strengthens students' relationships with their peers, families, and teachers, who are mediators, collaborators, and encouragers of academic achievement.

Researchers have documented the importance of caring teacher-student and student-student relationships in fostering students' commitment to school and in promoting academic success (e.g. Blum & Libby, 2004; Hamre & Pianta, 2006; Hawkins, Smith, & Catalano, 2004; Jennings & Greenberg 2009; cited in Durlak, et al., 2011). Safe and orderly environments that encourage and reinforce positive classroom behavior have been identified by research as one of the necessary conditions for academic achievement ( Marzano, 2003).

There are also several person-centered reasons SEL can promote academic success. Self-regulation, the ability to control and manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, has been linked to academic achievement in numerous studies. Students who are more self-aware and confident about their learning capacities try harder and persist in the face of challenges (Aronson, 2002; cited in Durlak et al., 2011; Dweck, Walton, & Cohen, 2014). Students who set high academic goals, have self-discipline, motivate themselves, manage stress, and organize their approach to work learn more and get better grades (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005; Elliot & Dweck, 2005; cited in Durlak et al., 2011). Finally, students who use problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles and make responsible decisions about studying and completing homework do better academically (Zins & Elias, 2006; cited in Durlak et al., 2011).

According to a national survey of middle and high school students, less than one third indicated that their school provided a caring, encouraging environment, and less than half reported that they had competencies such as empathy, conflict resolution and decision-making skills (Benson, 2006; cited in Durlak et al., 2011). By strengthening students' social support networks and their skills in self-management, SEL can help to unleash the potential within academic environments to support students' well-being and success.

Several studies explore the long-term benefits of social and emotional learning programs. In one, researchers examined how SEL intervention programs (such as social skills training, parent training with home visits, peer coaching, reading tutoring, and classroom social-emotional curricula) for kindergarten students impacted their adult lives, and found that these programs led to 10% (59% vs. 69% for the control group) fewer psychological, behavioral, or substance abuse problems at the age of 25 ( Dodge et al., 2014). Another study examined kindergarten teachers' ratings of their student's prosocial skills (e.g. kindness, sharing, and empathy) and discovered a strong correlation to adult outcomes such as higher educational attainment, stronger employment, and better mental health, in addition to reduced criminal activity and substance use ( Jones, Greenberg, & Crowley, 2015). In 2015, researchers analyzed the economic impact of six widely-used SEL programs and found that on average, every dollar invested yields $11 in long-term benefits, ranging from reduced juvenile crime, higher lifetime earnings, and better mental and physical health ( Belfield et al., 2015). Additional research supports the long-term benefits of SEL programs, finding evidence that investing in high-quality programs for all children can increase the number of productive, well-adjusted adults and yield positive economic benefits in the future ( Jones et al., 2017). Finally, a 2017 meta-analysis of 82 school-based SEL programs found long-term (between 6 months and 18 years) improvements in four areas: SEL skills, attitudes, positive social behavior, and academic performance. Additionally, decreases were found in three areas: conduct problems, emotional distress, and drug use ( Taylor et al., 2017).

A 2015 economic analysis found that in the period from 1980 to 2012, automation has increasingly replaced repetitive and analytical tasks, placing greater demand on jobs that require social skills ( Deming, 2015). In a 2015 Amici Curiae brief, nearly 50 Fortune-100 and other leading American businesses argued that in order to be competitive, businesses need to be able to hire workers who have experience sharing ideas and viewpoints with diverse groups of people.

A 2017 research review found that SEL programs can promote academic success and increase positive behavior, while reducing misconduct, substance abuse, and emotional distress for elementary school students. In addition, effective SEL programs are enhanced when schools partner with families and when they are culturally and linguistically sensitive ( Dusenbury & Weissberg, 2017).
Continue to the next section of the SEL research review, Evidence-Based Programs.

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Social and Emotional Learning Research Review

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How do we define social and emotional learning (SEL)? Researchers generally agree upon five key competencies of SEL ( Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor & Schellinger, 2011; Weissberg, Durlak, Domitrovich, & Gullotta, 2016). These competencies provide the foundation for maintaining high-quality social relationships and for responding to the challenges of life.

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Social-Emotional Learning Should be Priority during COVID-19 Crisis

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Social-Emotional Learning Should be Priority during COVID-19 Crisis

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In Wendy Turner's class, social and emotional learning (SEL) comes first. "SEL is the foundation, the heartbeat of the classroom," she says. "It's about connecting everybody and making them feel safe and secure before you get to the academics."

The shift to full-time online learning in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic has brought change and challenges to her second-grade classroom but hasn't shaken SEL's standing.

"This virus has stolen our kids' school experience for the rest of the year potentially and we're not sure what comes next," says Turner. "They miss their friends and their teachers, the feeling of being together and connected."

"So we have to work on relationship skills and how to talk to each other the right way. It's more important than ever right now."

Turner, who teaches in Wilmington, Delaware, is a self-described "warrior" of social emotional learning. The 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year and an NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, she embeds SEL in all aspects of her teaching.

Many educators, however, are keenly and understandably focused on "getting the academics right" with online learning. With their classrooms, student relationships, and support systems upended by the school closures, social-emotional learning may not be a priority.

No one was really ready for this upheaval, says Christina Cipriano, Director of Research at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI).

"It's a daunting reality, no question, but the worst thing we can do for our teachers, students, and families is de-prioritize SEL during the pandemic," she explains. "It is next-to-impossible to expect teaching and learning to occur in a crisis without attending to our emotions."

Community, Connections, Relationships

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), defines SEL as "how children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, set goals, show empathy for others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions." CASEL's framework identifies five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

As more attention is paid to "educating the whole child," SEL practices have been embedded in a growing number of classrooms across the country. Educators are aware that these skills play a critical role in determining how well-equipped children will be to meet the demands of the classroom. The research is clear: SEL is key to successful student performance, especially in preschool and elementary school.

Lindsey Jensen, however, is frustrated by what she sees as a myopic focus on academics. Over the past month, Jensen, a high school teacher in Dwight, Illinois, and 2019 state teacher of the year, has participated in countless Zoom meetings with colleagues and school leaders. The topic of emotional and trauma support for students has barely registered.
Three Educators Look at the Importance of Social and Emotional Learning During the Coronavirus Pandemic
"We have to take into consideration the fact that so many of our students are experiencing trauma at this moment," she says. "If we neglect to include SEL as a significant part of the conversations that we are currently having, we will not be equipped to meet the nuanced needs of all of our students in the future."

The foundation of Jensen's classroom are relationships, a commitment that doesn't deprioritize content expertise, methodology, and pedagogy, and classroom management. She just believes that supporting her students emotionally is integral to teaching and learning.

"This doesn't change as a result of COVID-19," Jensen adds. "My role and my responsibility as an educator is the same. I want to create a safe space for students to talk through their fears and apprehensions. We just happen to be doing so virtually."

Since the transition to online learning, Jensen uses virtual spaces to check-in with all of her seniors. Every Friday at noon, they ask each other open-ended questions about their well-being to ensure that everyone is coping (one ground rule: no talking about academics). Many are struggling, Jensen says, and need this time to work through the anxiety and loss they are experiencing.

What currently keeps me up at night is the thought that too many students are living in abuse and neglect. What keeps me up at night is the thought of our LGBTQ+ students who are living in homes where they aren't excepted for who they are. What keeps me up at night are our students who don't have access to basic needs, such as food." - Lindsey Jensen, teacher

Prior to her school closing, Wendy Turner would start each class with her students with morning meetings and community circles. In an online environment, she uses discussion board to pose daily questions to her second-graders. How are you feeling today? What emotions are you experiencing right now? What can you do to make the day better?

"The focus, as always, is connection, community, and relationships. After, you can move over to the math assignment," she says. This week, Turner and her team used poetry writing activities to help the students share their fears and anxieties over the coronavirus.

"Lets not ignore what is happening around us. We shouldn't pretend it's not here. It's important to normalize emotions, and give students creative ways to have an outlet, as well as stay connected," Turner explains.

Carrying familiar routines over to an online environment, adds Cipriano, will be comforting to students,

"Practices such as check-ins, circles, greetings, and sharings, will help to create a sense of security and routine for your students in a space that may feel new and scary."

Facing the Ups and Downs

Social and emotional support doesn't - and shouldn't - stop with students.

"We miss our students beyond measure," Jensen says. "This undoubtedly takes a toll on our emotional and mental health. I don't know that I've ever felt more helpless than I do in this moment."

School buildings can be stressful places, but they are also places where educators have built strong relationships. Being in school each day can be a big comfort, and educators don't have that right now, says Turner.

"Staff connection, empathy, and support is just as important as what we need to do for our students in this crisis," she says.

As the coronavirus closed schools throughout March, Cipriano and her colleagues at YCEI and CASEL launched a survey via a webinar to take the pulse of educators' emotional health.

In just over three days, more than 5,000 educators responded, reporting being anxious, fearful, worried, overwhelmed, and sad.

"Educators are pulled in a tremendous amount of directions. They're expected to provide this top-level educational experience with varying levels of support with different levels of experience," Cipriano says. "Add to this the outrageous stress about what is going on in the world right now."

One educator who filled out the survey commented: "There is this huge dissonance right now between the messages such as 'be well' and 'take care of yourself' at the end of emails, and 'in this time of uncertainty.' Yet we have to partake in multiple seminars, read links related to online instruction, legal requirements in special ed, due process, timelines, etc. Everyone needs to be reminded again about how the brain works."

YCEI will be conducting more formal data collections as it designs additional SEL supports for educators during the COVID-19 crisis.

Fortunately, the importance of educator self-care has gained more traction over the past few years. More resources and tools - largely unavailable when Wendy Turner started her teaching career 10 years ago - have become available to help educators address their own anxiety and trauma.

"We're finally hearing from school leaders that this is something we must do - we have to take care of ourselves," Turner says.

"As educators, we're facing days with a lot of ups and downs. So stay connected whatever way works for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions and find peer groups. If you're struggling pause, breathe, rest, and maybe try the next day. We're all in the same situation."

Resources

The National Education Association recently co-sponsored a webinar that explored how educators can use trauma-informed self-care and resilience-building strategies to help cope in these stressful times. You can listen to the entire webinar, recorded on April 23, below.
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence - Managing Anxiety Around COVID-19: Tips for You and Your School Community
CASEL Cares - A new initiative from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning that connects the SEL community with experts to support schools and teachers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Social-Emotional Learning: Not Just for Kids. In this post on The Cult of Pedagogy, Wendy Turner explains how she models the five core SEL competencies in her classroom and why teachers should lead by example.

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Social-Emotional Learning Should Be Priority During COVID-19 Crisis

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In Wendy Turner's class, social and emotional learning (SEL) comes first. "SEL is the foundation, the heartbeat of the classroom," she says. "It's about connecting everybody and making them feel safe and secure before you get to the academics."

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In January, our team published a report on social-emotional learning research that has taken on new importance during the past few months. Written in partnership with New Schools Venture Fund, the report sought out practices that lead to positive outcomes for students learning skills, such as goal setting, relationship building and independence.

Since this paper was originally published, the worldwide spread of COVID-19 has changed the educational landscape into an entirely different space-one that we find ourselves only marginally prepared to educate children in, and a space where social-emotional skills are more important than ever.

Millions of students have been home for months now and are unwitting participants in a real-time distance learning experiment. Parents and teachers are doing the best they can in these circumstances, but there are so many obstacles in the way-from equity issues such as having enough to eat and reliable internet connectivity to the new emotional landscape created by these drastic shifts. Even once the immediate threat of the pandemic has passed, students will inherit the legacy of deep rooted unexpected physical and emotional traumas.

The social fabric and security of students' lives has been entirely upended. To an adult, missing a graduation ceremony may seem trivial in the face of a pandemic. But to a student, this is the culmination of their life's academic and social world up to this point.

This is all to say that we are living in a deeply stressful time where we are literally drawing the map of how to move forward. While there is not specific research on the best practices for supporting students through a pandemic and its attendant stressors, there is information on how to navigate choosing the best tools to teach social-emotional learning, which is an increasing priority for people of all ages.

In pre-COVID-19 times, SEL was just starting to gain nationwide traction as a critical component of K-12 education. The outcomes are clear -students who have learned social-emotional skills attain greater academic success than those who have not. And intuitively it follows that if a child can develop the skill of recognizing and regulating her emotions, that's going to help her succeed well beyond academics.

After reviewing over a hundred articles, reports and whitepapers, we pulled together essential findings that shed light on promising practices when it comes to creating or evaluating social-emotional, or SEL, tools. Our initial report was written for edtech developers. But as a team of former teachers, we can see how valuable this information is for educators and decision makers who are struggling to choose effective and appropriate SEL tools amidst a rapidly expanding marketplace-especially now, when the stakes are even higher and the technology needs are even more specific.

Specifically, the research we studied indicates that students are more likely to experience positive outcomes when the tools used for social-emotional learning:

1. Prioritize teacher learning in addition to student learning.

2. Incorporate learning experiences that are Sequenced, Active, Focused and Explicit (aka SAFE).

3. Take a developmental approach to organizing content and presenting learning opportunities.

There are many contextual factors that influence the outcomes when a district begins using a new program or product-including leadership support, professional development and competing priorities. Yet based on our review of the research, it is clear that the combination of a strong plan for implementation, along with evidence of best practices within these feature areas, can increase the likelihood that schools and districts will get the most bang for their buck when choosing an SEL tool. For each of these feature areas, we recommend that teachers and decision makers look for evidence of the specific research-based best practices detailed in the next three sections.

You can't teach something you haven't practiced

As a public school student in the '90s, I did not receive any direct SEL instruction, nor was my social-emotional development supported in my undergraduate coursework or my teacher training program. If I were to go back into the classroom today, I would benefit from explicit instruction about the ways to engage in healthy social-emotional living as an adult, as well as best practices for teaching SEL to my students. Most of today's teachers are in a similar situation; SEL was not an explicit part of their school experience. The research backs this up: explicit teacher education is often crucial to the success of new SEL programs. When looking at new solutions, consider teacher learning on two fronts:

Teach social-emotional skills to adults, so that they can teach students. We cannot expect the kids to learn a new skill until the grown-ups have a good handle on how to model it! Prioritize tools that help teachers develop their own social-emotional skills and support them to build healthy social-emotional habits. Specifically, look for tools that support teacher development of the skills that will be addressed by the learning resource that will be adopted.

Provide professional learning experiences for teachers that help them understand how to use the new learning resources. In this case, prioritize tools that offer well-designed professional development. Look for professional development that is collaborative, hands-on and ongoing over an extended timeframe. Make use of your excellent teachers, instructional coaches and administrators to further support professional learning.

For example, if teachers will be responsible for teaching students to notice and name emotions as they arise during conflict, teachers must first be taught how to do this and be given opportunities to practice this skill and reflect on their progress. Social-emotional learning is not like math or language. You can feel secure in your knowledge and skills in the morning only to have them evade you later that same day. Ever try to engage in emotional regulation when you are hungry? Exhausted? Overworked? These things develop with consistent practice over time. In this way, social-emotional learning is more like strengthening a muscle than it is mastering a standard.

If and when teachers have some social-emotional foundation, they will then benefit from professional learning experiences that help them to understand how a given tool will be used to support students in developing this skill.

Social-Emotional Learning is SAFE

Relative to traditional academic subjects, there is less common knowledge about what is needed for SEL instruction. In math, for example, we look for elementary programs that include manipulatives and opportunities for students to demonstrate their thinking. In language arts, we look for activities that allow students to critically engage with fiction and nonfiction texts. Only in the past few years have states have begun adopting their own sets of SEL competencies. And because of this, what is accepted as good practice often varies by context.

So, what should you look for in an SEL tool? While this is still playing out in terms of education policy, a look at the research can help answer this question. It turns out, there is a handy acronym from University of Chicago researcher Joseph Durlak that sheds some light on the qualities of SEL curriculum that tend to promote positive outcomes.

Look for tools that make SEL instruction SAFE. Effective social-emotional learning is Sequenced, Active, Focused and Explicit. This means that tools offer learning experiences that are intentionally ordered, active/interactive, provide ongoing focus on essential topics and explicitly instruct students on these topics.

Many solutions excel in some areas of SAFE while glossing over others. Given this, it is important to keep in mind that the research indicates the importance of each criteria being covered by a single tool or program.

The SAFE method for choosing social-emotional learning tools. (Source: MBZ Labs)

Follow the yellow brick road

In the "Wizard of Oz," Dorothy follows a particular pathway to get home and she does so while making good friends and uncovering lasting truths based on her journey. This hero's journey has all the same characteristics as a research backed SEL tool. Dorothy develops healthy relationships, finds support in caring adults and follows a known path to learn what defines her. When evaluating SEL tools, look for the "Wizard of Oz" filter.

Put the social in social-emotional learning. Social-emotional development is more social than traditional academic instruction. Prioritize tools that foster healthy interactions among students and their peers, teachers, parents, and/or other supportive members of the community.

Consider known learning progressions. Good Glinda says, "It's best to start at the beginning." The same is true for SEL. Several social-emotional skills are known to be stepping stones for other more complex skills, indicating that for some aspects of social-emotional development, there may be common progressions of skills. Look for tools that "follow the yellow brick road" by drawing on age, developmental level, personal experiences and prior knowledge. If a tool is designed to teach SEL, be sure that it introduces skills in a way that follows developmentally appropriate sequences.

For more on learning progressions, we highly recommend checking out the Building Blocks for Learning framework by Turnaround for Children. They have an interactive infographic and whitepaper that can help readers see which social-emotional skills are foundational and which can be considered higher-order social-emotional skills. With this in mind, we can find tools that support our students in building from early stepping stones like attachment and self awareness to skills such as perseverance, independence and their own unique and lasting identities.

We know educators' inboxes are bursting with unread emails from companies offering the newest, greatest thing. This is a pivotal moment in education, and many companies are desperate to sell their products as a panacea.

Source: MBZ Labs. Find the full version here.

Hopefully, understanding the research behind what makes an effective SEL product can help you make decisions that are going to benefit students and help to equip them with necessary skills to cope in the trying times to come. While the exact shape of the future may be uncertain, you can make an educated guess about how things may play out for this coming school year. Likely, there will be a combination of distance and in-person learning, and the physical ways that students experience school will be a very different experience.

A good SEL tool will help students to adapt, but only if it works in your context. As best you can, take an inventory of what your needs and resources are before assessing available tools. Prioritize a strong alignment between your objectives and the content and features of the tool you are considering. Beware the marketing messages that are aimed at solving all of your problems, and instead weigh the specific evidence of effectiveness, and filter choices based on the research backed criteria for teacher learning. By understanding the limitations of your context and leveraging your understanding of these essential considerations, you are well equipped to make decisions that can make a real difference in the lives of children in this historic time.

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SEL Skills Are More Vital Than Ever. Here's How to Choose the Right Tools. - EdSurge News

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In January, our team published a report on social-emotional learning research that has taken on new importance during the past few months. Written in partnership with New Schools Venture Fund, the report sought out practices that lead to positive outcomes for students learning skills, such as goal setting, relationship building and independence.

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Listen to an Extended Version of this Post in a Podcast:
Samira Fejz ic was used to people saying her name wrong, especially in school. "Through the years, as roll would be called, I would wait for that awkward pause-this is how I knew I was next. I accepted this ritual."

Fejzic (FAY-zich), whose family left Bosnia in the early nineties and moved to the U.S. in 1999, experienced this ritual for ten years, and she understood that people in her new town weren't used to names like hers, despite the fact that the area's Bosnian population had grown massive in recent years.

"It never hurt me until high school graduation," she recalls. "This was a big day for me. My grandparents from Bosnia came just to watch me get my diploma and of course, my name was butchered."

If you're in a position to say lots of student names-in your classroom, over the P.A. system, or especially at awards ceremonies and graduations-no one will be surprised if you mess up a couple of them. But this year, maybe you can do better. If you make the commitment now to get them all right, if you resolve this time to honor your students with clear, beautiful pronunciation of their full, given names, that, my friend, will be the loveliest surprise of all.

Three Kinds of Name-Sayin'

I grew up with a hard-to-pronounce name. Actually, it wasn't that hard; it just looked different from what people were used to: Yurkosky. (Kind of rhymes with "Her pots ski," minus the "t" in pots.) Year after year, i t threw everyone off. And the way they approached the name put them into one of three camps: fumble-bumblers, arrogant manglers, and calibrators.

The fumble-bumblers I didn't mind so much. They'd mispronounce the name, slowing down and making their voice all wobbly, not trusting themselves. They'd grimace, laugh, ask me how to say it, then try again. But then they sort of gave up. Over the next few attempts, they'd settle into something that was a kind of approximation, and that would be that. What made me not mind these people was that they put the mispronunciation on themselves- their demeanor suggested the fault was with them, not me or my name.

The arrogant manglers were another story. They assumed their pronunciation was correct and just plowed ahead, never bothering to check. In many cases, an arrogant mangler will persist with their own pronunciation even after they've been corrected. Adan (uh-DON) Deeb, whose family hails from Israel with Palestinian roots, experienced this as a middle school student in the U.S. "Every time I was called up to the office, EVERY SINGLE TIME, they would mispronounce my name, no matter how many times I corrected them. It made me angry. To me that shows that they just don't care enough to get my name right."

This group has a couple of sub-categories: One is the nicknamers-people who come across a name like Rajendrani and announce, "We'll just call you Amy." The other is the worst kind, the people who start with the first syllable, then wave the rest of the name away like so much cigarette smoke, adding "Whatever your name is," or just "whatever." I don't have a creative name for this group. Let's just call them assholes.

Finally, there was a small group I think of as the calibrators, people who recognized that my name required a little more effort. They asked me to pronounce it, tried to replicate it, then fine-tuned it a few more times against my own pronunciation. Some of them would even check back later to make sure they still had it.

My cousin Laura, who has the same last name I grew up with, remembers a professor who was a true calibrator. "It did take him a bit of time to learn to pronounce my name, but he was always apologetic when he said it wrong, and always insisted on the importance of getting such things right. He was easily the most inspirational and challenging teacher I've had...he just insisted that every student feel important."

If you're already a calibrator, keep up the good work. If you're not-if you've let yourself off the hook with some idea like "I'm terrible with names"-know that it's not too late to turn things around, and it does matter. Though it may seem inconsequential to you, the way you handle names has deeper implications than you might realize.

Kind of a Big Deal

People's reaction to this issue varies depending on their personality. If your student has a strong desire to please, wants desperately to fit in, or is generally conflict-avoidant, they may never tell you you're saying their name wrong. For those students, it might matter a lot, but they'd never say so. And other kids are just more laid-back in general. But for many students, the way you say their name conveys a more significant message.

Name mispronunciation - especially the kind committed by the arrogant manglers-actually falls into a larger category of behaviors called microaggressions, defined by researchers at Columbia University's Teachers College as "brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color" (Sue et al., 2007).

In other words, Although most of your students may not know the word mutilating someone's name is a tiny act of bigotry. Whether you intend to or not, what you're communicating is this: Your name is different. Foreign. Weird. It's not worth my time to get it right. microaggression, they're probably familiar with that vague feeling of marginalization, the message that everyone else is "normal," and they are not.

In her piece What's in a Name? Kind of a Lot, writer Tracy Clayton (under the name Brokey McPoverty) rails against Ryan Seacrest's move to shorten the name of actress Quvenzhané Wallis to "Little Q." She points out that Seacrest and other media figures treat the names of some actors-who happen to be white-differently: "The problem is that white Hollywood...doesn't deem her as important as, say, Renee Zellweger, or Zach Galifianakis, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, all of whom have names that are difficult to pronounce- but they manage. The message sent is this: You, young, black, female child, are not worth the time and energy it will take me to learn to spell and pronounce your name."

This, by the way, is how you say Quvenzhané:

This issue goes beyond names rooted in cultures unfamiliar to the speaker. Whatever it is your student prefers to be called, it's worth the effort to get it right. I'm sure I've not only mispronounced my own students' names, but I've probably also called them something that was not their preference-realizing in April that the kid I've been calling Stephan all year actually prefers to be called Jude.

And before you get all defensive about the bigotry thing, let's be clear: Discovering that something you do might be construed as bigotry doesn't mean anyone is calling you a bigot. It's just an opportunity to grow. An opportunity to understand that doing something a little differently shows others that you respect them. At some point in your life, someone probably taught you to hold the door open for the person coming in behind you. Before then, maybe you didn't know. Opportunity to grow. It's that simple.

How to Get it Right

The best way to get students' names right is to just ask them. Pull the kid aside and say, You know what? I think I've been messing up your name all year, and I'm sorry. Now that graduation is coming, I want to say it perfectly. Can you teach me?

By humbling yourself in this way, you let them see that you're human. You're modeling what it looks like to be a lifelong learner, a flexible, confident person who is not afraid to admit a mistake. Regardless of the outcome, a genuine effort on your part will mean so much, and when the big day comes, they might even root for you to get it right.

If you have hundreds of names to learn, get systematic: Starting now, carry around a clipboard with all the names you'll need to say - even those you think you already know, and start checking in with kids in the cafeteria, in the halls, in the stands at a basketball game. And for God's sake, write down what they tell you. When the big day comes, the page of names you read from should look something like this:

Do whatever it takes, using whatever kind of symbols or notes you need to get the right syllables out in the right order. (The apple is there to remind the speaker to say that "a" like they would in the word apple.)

If you've run out of time to ask students themselves, or if doing that is too uncomfortable for you, you can get some help online. On Pronounce Names, you can find a huge collection of names and their pronunciations.

Whatever you do, do something. For some students, you may be the first person who ever bothered. If the only time you say their name is in the classroom, your correct pronunciation will help the whole class learn it, too. Eventually that will ripple through the school, making that student feel known in a place where before they felt unknown.

And if you have the honor of announcing them on the day they receive their award, their diploma, the day that marks some big achievement, you have a unique opportunity to make it even more special, but you only have two seconds: Make it count. It's a gift they'll remember for a long time. ♥
Reference:
Sue, D.W., Capodilupo, C.M., Torino, G.C., Bucceri, J.M., Holder, A.M.B., Nadal, K.L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62 (4), 271-286.

There's more where this came from.
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How We Pronounce Student Names, and Why it Matters

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Listen to an Extended Version of this Post in a Podcast: Samira Fejz ic was used to people saying her name wrong, especially in school. "Through the years, as roll would be called, I would wait for that awkward pause-this is how I knew I was next. I accepted this ritual."

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What Can We Do? Bias, Bullying, & Bystanders

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Video on the importance of being seen and heard

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Video on the importance of being seen and heard

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A stop motion animated Christmas story for BBC, about a girl becoming closer with her dad.

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35 Children's books that teach empathy and kindness

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35 Children's books that teach empathy and kindness

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Parents today are very concerned about raising kids who will be forces for good in the world. There are many ways to teach children empathy and understanding, and one very simple yet powerful approach is through books.

Countless children's books offer beautiful lessons about friendship, acceptance, kindness and compassion. We've rounded up a sample of 35. Keep scrolling for a selection of diverse books that feature messages of empathy and kindness.

Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here's how.

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35 Children's Books That Teach Empathy And Kindness

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These stories feature messages of compassion, acceptance and inclusion.

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Find the Difference Morning Meeting Activity

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Find the Difference Morning Meeting Activity

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Have your students work on their social awareness and strengthen their focusing skills through this engaging Find the Difference Activity!