Social Emotional Learning (SEL) at Anderson 2017-2018
Meet Your SEL Support Team SEL Facilitators this year and their primary focus Alexa Humberson - homeroom, student leadership and involvement Natalie San Miguel - community resources, parent involvement, SEL Student Leadership Squad Katie Raymond - integration of SEL strategies into the classroom, SEL Campus Squad Megan Tesano - administrator SEL support Kevin Kerr - SEL specialist for Anderson (district-level) *Alexa will send out the weekly homeroom lessons/information. While she s on maternity leave, Katie will take this responsibility.
Learning Intentions Understand and explain the basic concepts of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Explain Anderson High s approach to SEL
What skills and qualities do we most want for our students?
What is Social and Emotional Learning? Social and emotional learning (SEL) involves the processes through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions.
Main Goals for This School Year 1. We will increase needs-based communication between students and teachers in order to increase empathy and understanding in the Anderson community. 2. We will increase the communication and carryover of SEL skills to home through increased parent support/reinforcement of SEL by communicating through multiple avenues the homeroom lessons, MAPS SEL lessons, and other SEL activities. 3. We will increase cross-curricular applications of SEL strategies. 4. We will increase student leadership in homeroom by supporting students to lead SEL lesson and community-building circles with peers.
Homeroom - Why Do We Do It, Again? Homeroom s primary purpose: Relationship building - to help create a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all Anderson students Develop SEL skills/competencies through direct instruction and community building circle discussions
Based on Homeroom Feedback, Here s What We Want to Do... Offer a variety of choices for activities in homeroom (community building circles as well as videos, activities, webinars, etc) so teachers/student leaders can adjust to the needs of their homeroom Create differentiated lessons for grade level homerooms by January to be used spring semester
What Homeroom Will Look Like This Year Homerooms divided by grade level (ex. Ms. Watson has an all 9th grade homeroom) Teachers will track with their homeroom in future years (ex. if you have 9th graders this year, they ll still be your homeroom next year) Student leaders will be placed into all 9th and 10th grade homerooms to lead community-building circles and SEL lessons on Mondays. Depending on numbers, may have some in 11th grade as well. In general, schedule will be like last year: Mondays = SEL instruction and discussion Thursdays = Student conferencing, school business
How Does Implementation of SEL Strategies Support Children?
Objectives Understand how SEL strategies offer support to children affected by trauma (as well as other students) Develop strategies to implement feelings of safety, support, and community in classroom and school Understand how and why adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may affect students : Behavior Learning Social interactions
How is Trauma Defined? Childhood trauma has been conceptualized as a response to a negative external event or series of events which render a child temporarily helpless and surpass the child s ordinary coping and defensive operations. A wide range of experiences can result in childhood trauma... Importantly, the event need not be [necessarily] violent and need not be [necessarily] directed at the child who experiences trauma. One well-known study describes traumatic experiences in childhood as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). This study linked ACEs to many common adult medical and psychological problems. (Education Law Center)
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) As the number of ACEs increase, so do risk factors. Here are ACE categories: Abuse Mental, physical, sexual Household Challenges Mother treated violently; divorce/separation; substance abuse in household; criminal member in household; mental illness in household Neglect Emotional, physical (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: TEDTalk... High doses of adversity not only affect brain structure and function, they affect the developing immune system, developing hormonal system, and even the way our DNA is read and transcribed.
Know Common Indicators: Anxiety, fear, and worry Changes in [or on-going inappropriate] behavior (anger outbursts, change in academic performance, irritability, absenteeism) Heightened difficulty with authority, redirection, or criticism Emotional numbing Over- or under-reacting to environmental stimuli (sirens, physical contact, doors slamming, bells) Repetitive thoughts and comments about death or dying (including writing and artwork) (The Children s Initiative Community Counseling Center)
(The Children s Initiative Community Counseling Center)
How Can SEL Help? The previous slide s strategies all connect to the three primary competencies focused on in SEL. Additionally, there is also growing evidence to suggest that just as adverse events can reorganize brain functioning to respond in maladaptive ways, building resiliency in a child can remodel the brain to respond in more adaptive ways, and this remodeling can endure into adulthood (Miller-Karas, 66-67). (Building Resilience to Trauma: The Trauma and Community Resiliency Models)
(The Children s Initiative Community Counseling Center) Strategies to Use at Home: Establishing Safety You can re-build resilience! Encourage positive relationships between authority figures and peers Behavior Management Clear, constant expectations & adherence Specific praise phrases Think-before-you-act strategies Understand consequences and accept them rationally Stress Management/Relaxation Mindfulness training Calming techniques de-escalate would-be violent episodes Feelings Expression and Coping Label and describe emotions of self and others Help children understand their own thinking (use handbrain model) Recognize triggers and cope to calm self and overcome Connect with Social Supports Teachers, Counselors, community resources, therapists Educate in self-regulatory strategies Enhancing Future Safety Provide safety maps/plans; role play scenarios Patience Empathy, understanding, commitment; relationship building
MINDSIGHT EDUCATION: Children must learn about the interconnectivity of their mind, brain, and relationships. (Dr. Dan Siegel)
How to Respond Instead of React https://www.gottman.com/blog/mindful-parentinghow-to-respond-instead-of-react/
How can using SEL benefit our families and our community? Many of our children are not affected by trauma and often we are unaware of those who have been. However, these strategies benefit all learners by lowering stress, building positive relationships, fostering genuine conversation, and guiding self-reflection and regulation. And for your work with children who have experienced trauma... It is not your fault, but it is your responsibility. - Dan Siegel, Clinical Professor of Psychology, UCLA
Remember, The first step to creating a positive environment, relationship, and example in your home starts with self-care and examination. Do you know your own triggers? Can you identify and cope with your emotions? Do you feel safe and comfortable? SEL strategies aren t just for your children!
Additional Resources National Child Traumatic Stress Network: http://www.nctsn.org/ Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/ childmaltreatment/index.html Child Trauma Academy : http://childtrauma.org/ Education Law Center: http://www.elc-pa.org/wp-content/upload s/2015/06/trauma-informed-in-schools-c lassrooms-final-december2014-2.pdf Collaborative for Academic, Social, & Emotional Learning (CASEL): http://www.casel.org/