Second, I really liked how in class we talked about the importance of remembering that parents are the experts of their children and we should include them in the decision making process. Sometimes educators think they know better than parents, but including them in the conversation would be very helpful.

Third, the reading reminded me that it is often the school's responsibility to teach relationship skills. The article explains the importance of "getting along with students, teachers, parents, and independent observers" (Durlak, et al. 423). Relationship skills will be applied in schools, but they will also be helpful throughout their entire lives. Employers, partners, and friends seek out people who can get along with others.

Another point which I find significant when considering the impact of SEL is the statistic we learned in class which stated that “92% of employers say SEL skills are equal to or more important than technical skills.” This shows the value of students developing these skills throughout the k-12 grade spans as it will continue to benefit students throughout adulthood in areas of their lives such as college, the workforce, and personal relationships.

Lastly, I found CASEL’s Schoolwide SEL Walkthrough Protocol to be a useful tool when assessing the implementation of schoolwide SEL instruction. I like how the protocol looks for evidence in both classroom climate and schoolwide systems to show progress of schoolwide SEL implementation. This tool seems like a valuable resource to utilize when measuring the effectiveness of SEL implementation and highlighting areas which need improvement.

Secondly, in class we discussed the importance of making sure SEL does not seem like a daunting task for teachers to tackle. I think RIDE does a nice job on their website of providing examples and resources for teachers to access. Teachers already have so much on their plates and are likely already incorporating SEL in their classrooms in some way or another.

Finally, the article described how when students lack social emotional skills they lack a connection with school. I think it is important for teachers and schools to use SEL in their classrooms from the time students are in elementary school through high school to ensure that they have exposure and built SEL skills to motivate them for life after high school.

Class discussions reminded me that implementation strategies matter- and the article highlights that as well. Getting other faculty and staff on board can be a hard process, but if successful student outcomes will show progress in all areas SEL supports.

The RIDE website also provides lots of information and I can appreciate that it is easy to navigate. If I were to look through a this part of the website I feel that navigating it is very user friendly full of links and resources perfect for a family/educators looking for resources.

A second point is to understand the different important topics of positive social behavior including: positive social behavior, academic performance, and more. There are so many factors to a child’s life and we must do our best to be empathetic towards students and be understanding with all aspects of their life.

A third point is the importance of interventions with students and making sure that there are positive components to programs and inclusive for all.

A second point is to use my resources. I want to be reliable and knowledgeable. The best way to do that is to use my resources and to continue my education.

Third, it is important to remember that SEL is still not in all schools and I very well may have to advocate for SEL to be incorporated in my school. I will have to be an advocate for SEL and to show the data and significance as to why SEL would benefit my school.

I learned that it is a team effort to incorporate SEL into schools and that it will be my job to bring the data, programs and voice to making sure my school has SEL if they do not already.

Another point that stuck out to me was how SEL programming incorporates two coordinated sets of educational strategies to enhance school performance and youth development. This involves instruction in processing, integrating, and applying SEL skills developmentally, contextually, and in culturally appropriate ways.

Lastly, there is an increasing recognition that effective implementation influences program outcomes. Problems encountered during implementation of the program can limit the benefits participants will derive from intervention.