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Through my research and instruction, I have seen various ways in which Differentiation is deeply rooted in SEL skills and practices. At its core, SEL addresses individual students needs, with the intention of developing each student to be their best self, and be in the right mental space to learn. SEL asks each student to consider their personal feelings and experiences in developing their skills. Objectives for SEL programs and units naturally require differentiation in order achieve intended outcomes.

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How is Social and Emotional Learning essential to the future success of a student? How do we differentiate within Social and Emotional Learning?

Welcome to my Quest about how Social and Emotional Learning meets Differentiation. I was excited to learn, and am even more excited to share, what I discovered. Through this padlet, you will find videos, documents and articles that will be quite useful in understanding SEL.  Please read each text and watch each video.  The key points are summarized before each video clip. Enjoy!

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Quick Question (post your responses below):

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Quick Question (post your responses below):

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How did you do on the Emotional Intelligence quiz?  Think back to a group of students you have worked with.  How successful do you feel they would have been with this quiz? Why? (Please list their age or grade level of the group your thinking of.)

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Social and Emotional Learning and Differentiation

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Social and Emotional Learning and Differentiation

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Social and Emotional Learning and Differentiation.docx

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My 19 month old daughter's first introduction to intentional Social and Emotional Learning outside of our daily interactions.

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Sesame Street Les Misérables Parody 2013 (very funny)

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Below are the five key principles of Social and Emotional Learning.  The following chart is similar to the one you just looked out, however it provides a more detailed glimpse into what each competency means.

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Attached here is a blog post from Amber Chandler, discussing her growth to and experience in using the "flexible classroom" model to reflect differentiation both in instruction and in social and emotional learning. This is a good example of how a topic such as discipline, where teachers often feel the need to be 'fair', can be differentiated for each student to meet their individual needs.

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Education Week - Prove It: Math and Education Policy

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Last year, around this time, I published a guest post by my colleague Myles Brawer in which he described his philosophy of "easing the sail" when it comes to guiding students' behavior choices. Since then I've written a few more times about the way I think about social emotional learning (here and here for example) while continuing to write predominantly about making math and science instruction accessible to all students through differentiated curriculum and assessments. What I love about the following piece by my colleague in the New York Educator Voice Fellowship, Amber Chandler, is the way she braids together these two strands of the work that so many of us are doing every day. All teachers want our students to learn content. All teachers also want our students to learn how to be thoughtful and caring people. Amber's idea is to apply the things we know about good teaching towards teaching students how to "be good." The care she has for her students comes through in her vivid descriptions of them as well as in the thought she puts into every one of their interactions. I hope you enjoy her perspective as much as I have and that you'll let us both know your thoughts on Twitter and in the comments. - JRTM
I have this horrible story.

So, once upon a time, about ten years ago, Kelsey was a bubbly, funny, social butterfly who also happened to be a good writer and avid reader. She had a problem though. Kelsey was late every day the first week of class. Perpetually. Kelsey's class before mine was pretty far away, but without fail, just as I had finished attendance, taken my I'm-getting-ready-to-teach-big-breath, Kelsey would make a Kramer-like entrance, apologizing profusely. Second week of school: she's still late every day. We had a little talk. By the end of the third week, middle school students have their schedule figured out and routes adjusted. Not Kelsey.

"Kelsey, why are you late? No, don't tell me. I don't care because you are late. Every. Single. Day. Enough is enough. If everyone else can get here, why can't you? Go to the assistant principal."

Kelsey burst into tears, and made an exit that rivaled anything she'd ever done on the way in the door. Kelsey did not get detentions. Kelsey got 100's and lots of stars and checkmarks. This was not a girl who was going to understand how to look appropriately bored and detached in detention, and I was immediately remorseful that I had been so rough on this happy-go-lucky twelve year old. The more I imagined her in detention with her Minnie Mouse t-shirt (I'm not making that up), the more I worried that I was scarring her for life. I wanted to just drop the whole thing. But, back then, I had one little problem: I was fair.

When you are fair, as I was back then, I had to dole out the same punishment for every child. Over time, I found myself more and more uncomfortable with this approach, but somehow being accused of not being UN fair was enough to keep me from making any changes. What finally happened?

Differentiation is what happened. Academically, I had come to see the importance of meeting students where they were, personalizing my approach, and allowing choice. You might say I took Differentiation to the extreme as I launched a project based classroom a few years ago where I now act much more as an educated facilitator than the boss of any room. Yet, for many years, Differentiation was an academic concept, and for almost everyone I know, it still is. In the last year, as I wrote The Flexible ELA Classroom, I came to realize that there was a layer of Differentiation that doesn't seem to be occurring, and that is in the realm of social emotional learning. Why would I think that meeting kids where they were was a good thing academically without logically knowing that the whole child requires more than academic Differentiation, the whole child requires flexibility?

If, like me, you have that "F" word, fair , stuck in your thought loop when you consider handling even the most minor behaviors from children, here is how I've come to accept that there is a need for a Flexible Classroom, one where teachers Differentiate for children academically, socially, and emotionally. This is a whatever-it-takes approach, but I think the results are worth the additional scaffolding up front. How can we go wrong when pouring our time and attention into a child's well-being anyway?

Problem Solve, Don't Punish

Sometimes, the problem isn't really a discipline issue, but rather an issue of responsibility, maturity, or
development. I've written about this idea recently, in " Let's Stop Grading Students on Responsibility , and it evoked quite a bit of conversation. The reason is that many teachers are unwilling to consider that fair is not usually appropriate - in the sense that so many of us think about it (everyone receives the same punishment for the same infraction). Most teachers I know understand and implement Differentiation on some level, but this behavioral component seems to be a sticking point. I'm wondering, and I'd love to know what others are thinking, that this social emotional frontier is the last stronghold because we are such a "law and order" society where we expect fair to be the primary factor in considering punishment? The next time you feel you may need to "lay down the law," try to see where a problem exists, not an infraction.

Just last week, a substitute left me a note complaining about a student's behavior. I looked, first thinking that she had the wrong kiddo, next thinking I hadn't learned last names well, and finally realizing that there must be something that I don't know. I knew this child as one who behaved in a respectful, clever, and polite way. At that moment, it became clear: this student had acted the exact same way with a substitute as he normally does in our class. He does make funny comments, and he is a little bit of a showman. But I love his positive energy and enthusiasm as well, so we have struck a balance. This substitute had no way of knowing that this student was being himself, but the context was different. My guess is my student didn't see it that way either, rather he was just being himself.

My "rule" is that if a substitute teacher ever complains about you by name, you need a meeting, with our assistant principal, and likely detention. Even as I write that, I'm shaking my head. How can I be so naive? So, there I was last week, actually considering if this was trip to the assistant principal's office was fair punishment, for an infraction that the student most likely didn't even understand. I overcame my fear of being unfair, and instead had a conversation with this boy. It was quiet, and ended with him saying:

"Thank you Mrs. Chandler for not writing me up. I didn't know that she wouldn't understand that I am funny. But, that makes sense. Next time, I'll just be boring when there is a substitute."

While encouraging boring-ness wasn't my goal of course, I think we are on the right track, not sobbing through a detention, convinced that the only way a situation can be "handled" is by punishment. Please don't miss the point: these are small stories, but they are real stories, and though they don't cut to the serious matters of institutional power or disenfranchisement, they do speak to the everyday decisions most teachers make. I'm not arguing to drop disciplinary consequences, but I am suggesting that in a Flexible Classroom-a place committed to Differentiate academically, socially, and emotionally-we first seek to solve the problem before we dole out the punishment.
Amber Chandler is a National Board Certified middle school ELA teacher and the author of the Flexible ELA Classroom. She is an adjunct in the Masters of Differentiation program at Canisius College. Her MiddleWeb blog, The Flexible Classroom, is published monthly. Follow Amber @MsAmberChandler and visit her website, doyoudifferentiate.com. Photo by author

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Guest blogger Amber Chandler writes: I came to realize that there was a layer of Differentiation that doesn't seem to be occurring, and that is in the realm of social emotional learning. Why would I think that meeting kids where they were was a good thing academically without logically knowing that the whole child requires more than academic Differentiation, the whole child requires flexibility?

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Social and emotional skills are taught in every school, and every household, everyday.  Students are going to learn these skills, whether we are actively teaching them, or not.  Engaging in social and emotional instruction, along side of traditional content, is necessary in order to facilitate whole-student learning and make students college and career ready.  Social and emotional skills are the transferable skills that can impact a student's life before knowledge is ever acquired or displayed.  These skills are critical!

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A Breakthrough in Social and Emotional Learning

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A Breakthrough in Social and Emotional Learning

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This video showcases a practice called the Daily Morning Meeting as a way to provide explicit skills, information, and an introduction to emotional learning.  This allows students to feel safe, known, and supported by other students and faculty.

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Deepening Understanding of Core Content Early Childhood Social & Emotional Screening

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A Breakthrough in Social and Emotional Learning

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Two years ago, Louisville, Kentucky, committed to a districtwide CARE for Kids program; now, the positive results are rolling in. For more videos, articles, and downloads from Edutopia's coverage of SEL in Jefferson County, visit http://www.edutopia.org/louisville-sel-schools-that-work

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Social and Emotional Learning: A Schoolwide Approach

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Social and Emotional Learning: A Schoolwide Approach

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This video does two really great things. First, it shows how integrated SEL is in the daily practices and organization of a classroom. This can be seen in cooperative learning strategies or when students are listing to their peers. Second, this video shows Lunch Groups as a way to meet with small groups of students to discuss various social and emotional needs.  These groups give students the opportunity to express challenges and sort out emotions with a small group of peers. Different from the above videos, not all of SEL must happen as an entire class.

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Social and Emotional Learning: A Schoolwide Approach

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This video showcases a Mood Meter as a way for students to illustrate their current moods, as they arrive to school.  Students use the mood meter to self-assess their own moods and develop/improve their strategies to improve their mood and ability to learn. Instructors use the mood meter as a way to assess where the students are and how to share strategies to get students ready to focus for class.

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Students build social and emotional literacy by using a mood meter and practicing calm-down strategies. Students begin their day with three minutes of silence and then report how they are feeling using a mood meter. Throughout the day, students gain practice using a variety of calm-down strategies.

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This video showcases emotion identification, empathy, role playing, and "I messages" as a way to introduce students to the skills needed to identify and manage their emotions, communicate those emotions effectively, and resolve conflict non-violently.

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Self-awareness is:
(1)  the ability to identify your emotions.
(2)  the ability to tie thoughts and feelings to behaviors.
(3)  the ability to see the impact of a your words and emotions on other people.
(4)  the ability to see their own impact on the world, and then how to shift that or make a different choice next time.

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Self-management is:
(1) the ability to self-motivate.
(2) the ability to have self-control. (3) the ability to regulate one's emotions.

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Social awareness is about embracing diversity and showing empathy for others.

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Relationship skills are the ability to work cooperatively with someone, to resolve conflict, and to handle challenges.

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Responsible decision-making is evaluating the consequences for various behaviors or actions on yourself or others.

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Emotional Awareness and Skill Development Contract

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Emotional Awareness and Skill Development Contract

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The attached contract is an example of how an instructor can continuously reassess each individual student and their skills related to SEL. This can be used for an individual situation or project and can be viewed over time to discuss student progress.

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Final Question (post your responses below):

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Final Question (post your responses below):

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As you reviewed the recommended practices, differentiation fit, and annotated lesson, have you thought of ways to adapt SEL into your teaching practices?  Briefly tell about one strategy you feel you could use, and how you could adapt it to fit your needs.

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Thank you for taking the time to review my Quest about Social and Emotional Learning and Differentiation.  I hope you learned as much as I did!

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Want to test your Emotional Intelligence?

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Want to test your Emotional Intelligence?

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Take this quiz!

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Facial expressions are a universal language of emotion. How well do you read other people?

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Before you look through the next columns and watch the videos, take a look at the attached chart.  This chart shares four approaches to Social and Emotional Learning, short-term outcomes, and associated behavioral/academic outcomes.  Working backwards, starting with the orange blocks, may provide a compelling statement for introducing SEL in your school.
Taken from CASEL - https://casel.org/what-is-sel/approaches/

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What is Social-Emotional Learning?

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Social-Emotional Learning: What Is SEL and Why SEL Matters

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SOURCE - Five Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

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SOURCE - Five Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

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This attached website and video is the source of the above information.

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5 Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

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Studies show that sustained and well-integrated social and emotional learning (SEL) engages students and improves achievement. Explore classroom practices that make up the most effective SEL programs.