Hello! I am Lesa Haney. I learn alongside amazing students and wonderful colleagues in Austin TX. Today, I am feeling strong and healthy. I hurt myself in December and have been in chronic pain. Today was a pain free day! #3rdchat
Kathryn checking in from the Los Angeles area. Been a busy week. State testing started. I've fallen asleep early on my couch each night so far this week! #3rdchat
A1: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process
all of us learn strategies and skills to manage emotions, develop empathy, and build positive
relationships (1/2) #3rdchat
A1: It looks like intentionally selecting read alouds, discussions during class meetings, class check-ins, role playing, applying to content areas like reading and language. Also embed in STEM activities. (2/2) #3rdchat
A1: Reaching our Ss on a deeper emotional level is so important. In my classroom we talk about our brain, emotions, social interactions with our peers and feelings. We meditate and practice breathing exercises. #3rdchat
1) Helping Ss figure out emotions/actions & how to handle them. Intentional choices with read alouds & discussions, and lots of encouragement/modeling. #3rdchat
A1: Pardon the intrusion of this parent as I momentarily decloak to offer some neurodiversity, disability, and pigeons of ed-tech perspective on SEL and then return to lurking.
#3rdchathttps://t.co/RvayNozRJ6
A1: Saw this 2day...SEL puts Maslow before Blooms...equipping students not only with academia, but preparing them 4 life. SEL classes teach ss, not standards. Lots of conversation, respect is taught & practiced, time 4learning life skills is prioritized over test prep. #3rdchat
A1: Social Emotional Learning helps students to build capacity to form healthy relationships with their peers while understanding their own wellness and how manage it. #3rdchat
A1 sel is tching strategies to work w/ others,develop empathy,form positive relationships,interact with others on a daily. It looks like modeling out loud, reading books, class meetings, openly discussing emotions/ feelings and how to react to situations. #3rdchat
A1: Tonight’s topic is one of my favorite since we are a trauma informed school. SEL is loving the child where they are at emotionally, regardless of their economic status. Teaching Ss to understand their emotions and THEN soaring into learning core academics. #3rdchat
I find we're talking with our daughter's teacher as much about her coping and adjustment as about her academics. That seems about right to me. #3rdchat
2) As @hellojenjones puts it, you can teach all of the necessary topics from a picture book. Trying to help Ss connect with characters within a story can really make a difference with SEL as well! #3rdchat
A2: I integrated it into the stories and articles we read . I used the SEL competencies to build a common vocabulary. https://t.co/CDmkTYioIp This was my first year to make it a focus. Made lots of mistakes and earned a lot. #3rdchat
A2: We do classroom chat times where we all sit on the rug and discuss different topics and how we reacted to them. We try to come up with strateigies to help us the next time we encournter a similar situation. #3rdchat
A2: I'm finding it's important to MAKE time. @schweppster is helping with me some ideas like meditation, teaching about the brain and taking the time to check in at the beginning of the day #3rdchat
A2) We make time for it. The time I save not dealing with behavior issues makes it worth the investments. I use morning meeting to review skills, spend lots of math time building growth mindset. #3rdchat
A2: You have to be intentional about inserting SEL into your daily talks & teaching. When reading a book, discuss the SEL of the character, have a morning circle to discuss SEL, & open your ❤️ to tell the kids about your past experiences. #3rdchat
A2 daily through literature, we also have class meetings where I am very open and honest with my class about my own experiences. This frees them to relate themselves to the characters we read about and to each other. #3rdchat
A2: Our school counselor @SSEScounselor is AMAZING. She has made SEL a focus on our campus. We have learned about our brain, etc. through class sessions that are incorporated into our instructional day. #3rdchat#sycaMOREyr1
Love this. This year it was a professional growth goal for me to be more intentional about building a more well rounded approach. Trying to be more proactive and less reactive. #3rdchat
Autumn from Newton, KS. Checking in late, but excited to read and learn from others about this topic! Feeling tired after a week of meetings after school and state assessments! #3rdchat
A2: I incorporate SEL with academic learning through journaling, listening and speaking, and writing. I MAKE time. SEL is a priority in my classroom. #3rdchat
SEL is embedded in our everyday/subject learning. In Ohio we have SEL Standards. I will introduce a word (ie compassion, mindfulness) on Friday with a picture book and we will do an activity to go along with the word. That word then becomes a (1/2) #3rdchat
A2: Daily class meetings in which we teach a guiding principle for each month. @2ndStepProgram lessons that are amazing, teach students to manage emotions using the
Zones of Regulation throughout the day and teaching mindfulness. #3rdchat
I focused on the Zones of Regulation this year to help us learn not only about our feelings but to learn to recognize how others are feeling. Learning about our triggers and the triggers of others have helped us create a more caring classroom. #3rdchat
A3: Compassion and empathy go hand in hand. It goes back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If a child doesn’t feel safe, important, and cared for, you will not be able to effectively teach him or her. We must learn about them before we expect them to learn. #KidsDeserveIt
A2: Making the time. For years we were told to make the most of our instructional minutes. However, Kids need the breaks, movement, and flexible seating. Also allowing for more choice and voice. #3rdchat
A2: We have a daily class meeting where I do explicit teaching. Then I also try to incorporate SEL in our read aloud and anywhere else it seems to fit. #3rdchat
3) Because SEL/soft skills are needed for ALWAYS. Every job, yes, even "youtuber" requires you to interact with others! Ss have to have those skills, & they need our help to cultivate them! #3rdchat
A2: The studies Google and others have done on psychological safety is relevant. It talks about social-emotional intelligence of teams, and does it without the usual tinge manipulative behaviorism.
#3rdchathttps://t.co/YmuXSc3wd5https://t.co/AYtAeTAexn
A3: Building relationships and ensuring our schools are safe are two of the most important aspects of education. We have been hyper focused on testing and grades. SEL is vital to ensure our students thrive. #3rdchat
A3) Because sooooo many of our students have deficits in these areas. These deficits are obstacles to their learning...and to their future success. #3rdchat
This is a good point. I personally don't want a "canned program." I want to have a focus but also to be responsive to the individuals who I learn with. #3rdchat
A3: Communication and interactions with others have changed so much in our society. Some kids are not learning basic needs like emotional development. If we want to teach children to succeed in life, we need to reach the whole child #3rdchat
A3: Compassion and empathy go hand in hand. It goes back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If a child doesn’t feel safe, important, and cared for, you will not be able to effectively teach him or her. We must learn about them before we expect them to learn. #KidsDeserveIt
A3: 18 yrs ago, I began teaching in PreK. SEL was an expectation within my teaching. It was never explicitly said, but expected. As I moved through the grade levels teaching, I found it went away the higher the grade. What happened? #3rdchat
A3 because the most important thing we can do is build relationships and teach them how to nurture relationships with each other. School needs to feel safe. So many students are lacking these skills. Then we can get to the business on learning #3rdchat
A3: I believe as an educator that it has to be addressed now. #kidsdeserveit Teaching it early is key for our Ss to learn and grow socially and emotionally throughout their life. We have a responsibility to our Ss to teach them these skills. #3rdchat
I do it with them. I have been in blue quite a bit lately after getting hurt. Sharing my struggles and having them help me brainstorm coping strategies has been so powerful. #3rdchat
A3: No one exists in a vaccuum, everyone brings their emotions and feelings into the classroom. For the best learning to take place students need to learn about themselves emotionally as well as academically. #3rdchat
A3: We are preparing students for a future. They need to understand themselves emotionally. We have a responsibility to teach them this skill and then academic success is more attainable if they understand how to regulate themselves more effectively. #3rdchat
A3: I think we need only look to the daily news reports to see the need for SEL. We can all benefit from learning how to deal with feelings & empathize with others (among other skills). #3rdchat
A3: It doesn't in its mainstream ed-tech form. In that form, it is incompatible with neurodiversity and the social model of disability.
https://t.co/RvayNozRJ6
Instead, frame SE and soft skills in terms of psychological safety.
https://t.co/YmuXSc3wd5#3rdchat
A3: SEL isn’t something new, but rather went by the way side in recent years. We’re seeing the affects of that & are finding it’s necessary to the whole child development. We must give students a voice in expressing their feelings to better help development. #3rdchat
This is something that helped me with a student this year. Focusing on safety rather than conformity or compliance. Also recognizing that we all experience a range of emotions. #3rdchat
And we also don't live in the vacuum of our own social and emotional needs, but also with others'. #SEL helps us understand how to live with others as well as how to cope ourselves. #3rdchat
A3: No one exists in a vaccuum, everyone brings their emotions and feelings into the classroom. For the best learning to take place students need to learn about themselves emotionally as well as academically. #3rdchat
A4: Picture books are my favorite resource for bringing up social emotional issues. I love The Name Jar, The Memory String, Thundercakes to just name a few. #3rdchat
It’s important bc we are working with little growing, developing human beings and teaching them how to be contributing members to our world. If we are not fostering their SEL, I feel we are doing a disservice to them #3rdchat
A4: The SEL of mainstream ed-tech doesn’t understand empathy, far from it. It doesn’t prepare kids to navigate the double empathy problem.
https://t.co/UjE8CGQHWR
Instead, consult the neurodiversity and social model of disability communities. #3rdchathttps://t.co/MPaLM4XPXZ
A4: We Use @2ndStepProgram but I have also collected many books along the way which I use. I started the year this year by reading 100 Dresses. #3rdchat
I’m researching the use of restorative justice & restorative circles to better help students learn socially. I also love using books that demo social skills of problems the students can make connections to. However, truly giving the students time to respond is key. #3rdchat
A4: MindUP has 15 lessons and materials, very easy to follow.
Mindful Games are fun to incorporate as well.
I think it’s also important for us as educators to have our own self-awareness practices
#3rdchat
A5: The challenge is always time.. adding it in throughout the day in brain breaks and in discussions about texts/writing/content are ways to get around the "never enough time" issue #3rdchat
A5: I will admit that when I began learning about SEL a few years ago, I thought, "that isn't my job. Parents and counselors should do that." The more I learned and looked at current events, the more I realized it is EVERYONE'S responsibility. (1/2) #3rdchat
A5: Time is another challenge. I think learning the competencies and looking at content through that lens has helped me find ways to integrate it in meaningful ways. (2/2) #3rdchat
A5: Anytime we teach SEL it can be subject to interpretation or opinion. You have to be prepared to navigate the waters as students share opinions or life experiences openly. You must model empathy and understanding...not just tell them to do it. #3rdchat
A5: Time is often a struggle. However, SEL is one thing which will pay you back time later when conflicts don’t occur or when they are easily dealt with using strategies learned. #3rdchat
I agree with @lesahaney it can easily be viewed as “one more thing” we have to do but when I am able to build the foundation at the beginning of the year, I think it just becomes the culture in our classroom #3rdchat
A5) T.I.M.E. As we try to stay hor/vert aligned...I get behind sometimes. But I really think it is worth the investment. Hoping the results speak for themselves...over time. #3rdchat
A5: being consistent with the SEL language, culture building, and support is also a challenge. Once that culture is creAted it just becomes “ how you do school” in your classroom #3rdchat
A5 as always - time. You have to find ways to integrate it into what you are already doing. I do believe that making time for SEL pays off in the end though #3rdchat
SEL is ongoing throughout the day, year, and lessons. Small “drops in the bucket” will make a large impact by the end of the year. Crockpot, not a pressure cooker. #3rdchat
A5: Pacing charts, numerous curriculum goals and standards, SNOWDAYS, schedule demands and many more challenges exist. There is a rythm to day, week, month and year. Find that rythm and maintain it when you can. #3rdchat
A5: Anytime we teach SEL it can be subject to interpretation or opinion. You have to be prepared to navigate the waters as students share opinions or life experiences openly. You must model empathy and understanding...not just tell them to do it. #3rdchat
A5: Big challenge is time. However, if it is scheduled as part of the day, the students know and expect it as part of their daily routine. Also, being prepared for students to trust you and say anything. You will be surprised at what they share. #3rdchat
A6: A few years ago, I worked at a school with an amazing counselor who helped us create school-wide focus for SEL related topics. She helped us develop common language and embed it into campus expectations and procedures. #3rdchat
Explicitly teaching what listening looks like. I used to say “let’s listen to ___ with respect and kindness” and teach what those words meant. I heard recently, I can’t remember where but let’s listen with our eyes, ears, and heart #3rdchat
A6: our P gives a "thought of the week" over morning announcements that can be used to discuss feelings and how we treat one another. Last year he did a word of the week and gave us resources to help lead discussions #3rdchat
Yes, I also tried to be the first one to share something. If kids react in inappropriate ways, it becomes a learning moment without a child being hurt. #3rdchat
So much talking about heart this year! We are reading with our BHH (Book, Head, Heart) this year too. Connecting and making sense of how reading and others make us feel #3rdchat
In reply to
@schweppster, @lesahaney, @JeremyDBond
A5: I will admit that when I began learning about SEL a few years ago, I thought, "that isn't my job. Parents and counselors should do that." The more I learned and looked at current events, the more I realized it is EVERYONE'S responsibility. (1/2) #3rdchat
A6 we have social skill of the week, character trait of the month as a focus.We also celebrate kids with a monthly character assembly and spend time looking for ss doing the right thing.I also love the Dignity work of @drdonnahicks I teach the essential elements to my ss #3rdchat
For SEL, and the concept of understand another’s point of view, have y’all ever thought about using “Fractured Fairytales”? You could use these in a genre study, but also incorporate a discussion about people’s thoughts and point of view. #3rdchat
