Social and Emotional Learning for School and Life Success: An Overview for S taff and Parents

1. Social and Emotional Learning for School and Life Success:An Overview for Staff and Parents Ecole Heather Park Elementary

2. Reflection Question: What knowledge, skills, and qualities do students need to possess by the time they graduate from high school?

3. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) SEL is the process whereby children and adults develop essential social and emotional skills, knowledge, and attitudes related to: Recognizing one’s emotions and values as well as one’s strengths and limitations Self-awareness Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve one’s goals Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior Self-management Responsible decision-making SEL Social awareness Relationship skills Forming positiverelationships, working inteams, dealing effectivelywith conflict Showing understanding and empathy for others

4. How Do You Promote Social and Emotional Competency? Skill development Providing explicit skills instruction for all students Learning environment Creating safe, caring, well-managed learning environments Adult competency Modeling social and emotional skills for students

5. SEL Improves Academic Outcomes 23% increase in skills 9% improvement in attitudes about self,others, and school 9% improvement in prosocial behavior 9% reduction in problem behaviors 10% reduction in emotional distress 11% increase in standardized achievement test scores (math and reading) Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Taylor, R.D., & Dymnicki, A.B. (submitted for publication). The effects of school-based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytic review.

6. 21st Century and Workforce Skills • On the SCANS Report, half of the 16 skills are social and emotional in nature and are considered essential to life success. Skill categories include: • Self-esteem • Integrity • Self-management • Sociability • Responsibility • Listening • Decision-making • Problem solving Partnership for 21st Century Skills

7. How Does SEL Lead to Student Success? Inputs ProximalOutcomes Distal Outcomes Evidence-based SEL Programming • Effective Learning Environments: • Safe • Caring • Well-managed • Engaging • Supportive • High Expectations Greater Success in School, Work, and Life Greater Attachment, Engagement and Commitment to School SE Skills Instruction: • Self-awareness • Self-management • Social awareness • Relationship skills • Responsible decision-making Less Risky Behavior, More Positive Development

8. How Does SEL Fit with What We’re Already Doing? While academics are a very important piece of the puzzle for student success, research indicates that there are many other puzzle pieces that make up the whole child and that these pieces, like academics, can be taught. SEL Prevention Programming

9. How do SEL and PBIS Work Together in School Settings? Evidence-based SEL programs teach these skills explicitly and provide opportunities for practice, feedback, and application within content areas and throughout the school setting. PBIS establishes a common purpose and approach to discipline throughout the school by establishing positive expectations for all students. SEL and PBIS are both rooted in the belief that students learn best in a safe and well-managed learning environment. Both SEL and PBIS support using assessment information to help establish organizations that are committed to effective practice.

10. SEL Can Be a Coordinating Framework

11. Linking It All Together

12. What resource are we going to use to teach Social and Emotional skills? Skills for Social and Academic Success

13. 32 year old, non-profit organization • Global leader in social and emotional learning, and the prevention of bullying, violence and child abuse. • 40 million children reached • 26 countries

14. Program Goals The K-5 Second Step Program is a universal, classroom-based program designed to: Increase students’ school success Decrease problem behaviors Promote social and emotional competence and self-regulation

15. Executive Function Skills Key contributors to self-regulation • Skills include: • Paying Attention: Direct, focus and shift attention while screening out or ignoring distractions • Using memory: Remember and use information, such as teacher’s directions, how to multiply or rules of a game • Controlling behavior: Stop automatic but inappropriate responses or actions e.g. shouting out, talking to neighbor

16. Skills for Learning • Listening • Focusing attention • Following directions • Using self-talk • Being Assertive

17. Empathy • Identifying and understanding feelings • Respecting similarities and differences • Showing care and compassion • Conversations skills, joining groups, making friends

18. Emotion Management • We feel feelings in our bodies • Managing frustration • Calming down strong feelings • Managing anger • Managing accusations, disappointment, anxious and hurt feelings • Handling put downs • Managing test anxiety • Resisting revenge and avoiding jumping to conclusions

19. Problem Solving • Solving problems • Playing fairly • Taking responsibility • Solving classroom problems • Solving peer exclusion problems • Handling name calling • Dealing with peer pressure • Dealing with gossip • Seeking help when you need it

20. Are lessons taught in order? Yes! Here’s why…. Each unit and lesson builds on skills presented in the previous lessons, and the integrity and effectiveness of the program is based on following the order of lessons provided. The Second Step curriculum is a skill-building program.

21. The Role of Parents Long before children can say their first word or take their first step, they respond to the touch, of voice, and moods of their parents. This is the beginning of learning about emotions and relationships. It happens as naturally as their bodies grow and develop. “Family life is our first school for emotional learning,” states Daniel Goleman. In the family, he says, ”we learn how to feel about ourselves and how others will react to our feelings.” This learning happens both through what parents say and do to their children and how they treat each other.

22. Home Links: Building A Common Language

23. To find out more about SEL and Second Step at your child’s school : • Talk to your child’s teacher • Explore www.cfchildren.org (Committee for Children) • -E-newsletter • -Funding page • -Online community • -Video clips • Explore www.casel.org (Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning) • Explore www.secondstep.org