What about Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

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What about Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

• Katherine Utter
• Ginny Nyhus
• Intermediate District 287

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What is SEL?

• SEL is the process of developing social and
  emotional skills in the context of safe, caring,
  well-managed, and engaging learning environments
  (CASEL, 2006).

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Where does this stuff come from any way?

• The Collaborative for Academic and Social
  Emotional Learning (CASEL), 2006
• Intermediate District 287 Social Emotional
  Learning Steering Committee, Curriculum and
  Leadership team
• Anchorage School District/Illinois Standards for
  Social and Emotional Learning

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Why Teach SEL?

• Emotions affect how and what we learn
• Schools are social places--relationships provide
  foundation for learning
• Effective as classroom management
  strategy
• 2006, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
  Emotional Learning (CASEL)

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Why Teach SEL?

• Reduces barriers to learning
• SEL skills can be taught
• Demanded by employers
• Has positive impact on academic performance
• Required for positive citizenship
• 2006, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
  Emotional Learning (CASEL)

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The Need for SEL

• Reduces risk taking behavior by developing assets
  in students
• Complies with NCLB mandates that schools be safe
  and drug free, prevent drop out, and implement
  evidence based prevention programs.
• 2006, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
  Emotional Learning (CASEL)

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The Need for SEL

• Develops skills that employers want
• Learning to learn skills
• Listening and oral communication
• Adaptability creative thinking and problem
  solving
• Personal management self-esteem,
  goal-setting/self-motivation

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The Need for SEL

• Develops skills that employers want
• Group effectiveness interpersonal skills,
  negotiation, teamwork
• Organizational effectiveness and leadership
• Competence in reading,writing and computation
• U.S Department of Labor (1999)

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What Does the Research Say?

• SEL leads to improvements in
• Attitudes Motivation and Commitment
• Behavior Participation and Study Habits
• Performance Grades and Subject Mastery
• Zins, J., Weissberg, R., Wang, M., and Walberg,
  H. (Eds.) (2004). Building Academic Success on
  Social and Emotional Learning What Does the
  Research Say? New York teachers College Press

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What Does the Research Say?

• School Attitude
• Stronger sense of community
• Higher academic motivation and educational
  aspirations
• Better understanding of consequences of behavior
• Better ability to cope with school stressors
• More positive attitudes toward school and
  learning
• Zins, J., Weissberg, R., Wang, M., and Walberg,
  H. (Eds.) (2004). Building Academic Success on
  Social and Emotional Learning What Does the
  Research Say? New York teachers College Press

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What Does the Research Say?

• School Behavior
• Participate in class more
• Demonstrate more pro-social behavior
• Have fewer absences and improved attendance
• Show reductions in aggression and disruptions
• Are on track to graduate and are less likely to
  drop out
• Are more likely to work out their own way of
  learning
• Zins, J., Weissberg, R., Wang, M., and Walberg,
  H. (Eds.) (2004). Building Academic Success on
  Social and Emotional Learning What Does the
  Research Say? New York teachers College Press

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What Does the Research Say?

• School Performance
• Improved math, literacy, and social studies
  skills
• Higher achievement test scores and/or grades and
  no decreases in standardized test scores
• Improved learning-to-learn skills
• Better problem-solving and planning ability
• Use of higher-level reasoning strategies
• Improvements in reading comprehension

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The Ultimate Goal
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What Does SEL Address?

• Self Awareness Knowing what we are feeling in
  the moment having a realistic assessment of out
  own abilities and a well-grounded sense of self
  confidence.
• 2006, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
  Emotional Learning (CASEL), Anchorage School
  District Standards for SEL

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What Does SEL Address?

• Examples of Self Awareness
• Recognize/label emotions, distinguish
  intensity,understand physical responses
  describe the situations that cause them
• Aware of personal traits, what I do well and
  what I can work on
• Personal responsibility--know and understand
  rules and consequences of actions, know and
  understand what things are within our control

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What Does SEL Address?

• Social Awareness Sensing what others are
  feeling being able to take their perspective
  appreciating and interacting positively with
  diverse groups.
• 2006, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
  Emotional Learning (CASEL), Anchorage School
  District Standards for SEL

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What Does SEL Address?

• Examples of Social Awareness
• How our behavior affects others
• Listening skills
• Sportsmanship
• Identifying cues as to how others are feeling
• Demonstrate caring
• Understanding how culture impacts perspective

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What Does SEL Address?

• Self Management Handling our emotions so that
  they facilitate rather than interfere with the
  task at hand being conscientious and delaying
  gratification to pursue goals persevering in the
  face of setbacks and frustration.
• 2006, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
  Emotional Learning (CASEL), Anchorage School
  District Standards for SEL

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What Does SEL Address?

• Examples of Self-Management
• Identify use calming strategies
• Understand the difference between a truth a
  lie act with integrity
• Use a problem-solving model
• Demonstrate ability to set and achieve goals

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What Does SEL Address?

• Social Management Handling emotions in
  relationships effectively establishing and
  maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships
  based on cooperation resisting inappropriate
  social pressure, negotiating solutions to
  conflict and seeking help when needed.
• 2006, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
  Emotional Learning (CASEL), Anchorage School
  District Standards for SEL

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What Does SEL Address?

• Examples of Social Management
• Give receive compliments
• Recognize difference between positive and
  negative relationships
• Understand the benefits of boundaries in
  relationships
• Conflict resolution skills

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The How of SEL

• Within the school setting, SEL can best be
  accomplished through a layered approach of skills
  lessons, infusion into the curricula and
  classroom practices, and an environment of
  safety, respect, and caring which models SEL
  values.
• Anchorage District Social Emotional Learning
  Standards

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The How of SEL

• Skills lessons
• Stand alone curricula (i.e PATHS, Second Step,
  School-Connect, Wise Skills)
• Lessons on social skills, character education,
  relaxation, conflict resolution,
  self-assessments, etc.
• Teaching self-regulation through strategies such
  as the Incredible 5 point scale, How Does Your
  Engine Run?

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The How of SEL

• Infusion into the curricula and classroom
  practices (Generalization)
• Anticipate the day/Reflect on the day
• Standard practice for problem solving
• Daily practice of relaxation
• Routines
• Daily goals setting
• How conflict is managed in the classroom
• Intentional integration in all core curriculum
  areas to teach skills

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The How of SEL

• Environment of safety, respect and caring which
  models SEL values
• Responsive classroom
• Ross Green
• Nurtured Heart
• Love and Logic
• PBIS
• Health Services
• School/Family/Community Partnerships

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The How of SEL

• What we know about Social Skills Training
• Social Skills Training for students with
  disabilities needs to be more frequent and
  intense
• Social Skills intervention must be linked to the
  students social skills deficits
• The most effective social skills training
  strategies are a combination of modeling,
  coaching and reinforcements

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What Are We Doing in 287

• Pilot Curricula including PATHS, Second Step,
  Mindfulness, Project M, Labyrinth
• Character Education
• Love and Logic
• Ross Green Strategies
• Social Learning Profiles

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What Are We Doing in 287

• Restorative Practices
• Teaching Relaxation Strategies
• Social Stories
• The Incredible 5 Point Scale
• Service Learning
• Experiential Education

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What Are We Doing?

• Standards Benchmarks
• Website
• www.district287.org

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What Are You Doing?