The 2017 Early Childhood Conference. Application of SEL Strategies in the PreK-Grade 3 Classrooms

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1 The 2017 Early Childhood Conference University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, WI Application of SEL Strategies in the PreK-Grade 3 Classrooms Workshop Presented by Inna N. Dolzhenko, M.Ed. University of North Texas What is Social-Emotional Learning? Social-emotional learning (SEL) is defined as a process of acquiring the competencies to identify and regulate emotions, develop empathy and coping skills, establish positive relationships, and act prosocially. The Elements of SEL The core competencies of SEL include the following: The Core Competencies of SEL Self-awareness is an ability to accurately identify feelings and thoughts of others when analyzing the behaviors. Self-management is an ability to control emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Social awareness is an ability to understand and take into consideration cultural differences, to follow social and ethical norms for behavior, and to identify family, school and community support and resources. Relationship skills is an ability to build and proceed with positive relationships. Those skills include clear communication and active listening, cooperation, resistance, conflict mediation, and support. Responsible decision making is an ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior, social interactions and school and life expectations based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self and others. 1

2 Standards for Creating Positive SEL Climate Create clear, visibly posted classroom and school rules. Provide opportunities for all children to make regular contributions to the routines and maintenance of the classroom. Redirect Create free from violence and threats environment. Build consistent, stimulating contact with caring adults. Periodically provide opportunities for physical movement. Provide positive recognition and acknowledgement of the strengths of all children. Foster curiosity in children about how and why things happen in the school, community and world. Celebrate holidays and family customs, and respect those of others. Participate in community events (recycle classroom materials, participate in food drives). Promoting Social-Emotional Development in the Classroom Classroom practices to promote overall social-emotional development: Arrange and equip classrooms for social play (involves several children). Implement predictable schedules and routines. Plan transitions. Create opportunities for socio-dramatic play. Classroom practices to promote specific social-emotional knowledge and skills: Model through teaching by example. Coach children by breaking behavior into sequenced steps. Provide opportunities for practice. Step-by-Step Guide to the Skill-Building Process Select a focal skill (listening, paying attention, etc.) Present the skill to the class Review past experience Break the skill down into component parts Provide a cue Illustrate the skill Discuss use of the skill Review the skill Follow up Pedagogical Techniques to Foster Skill Development Gathering Topics versus lessons Caveats: Taking care with student disclosure and student hurt The facilitative approach to open-ended questions Using FIF TESPN questions to teach a problem-solving process The two-question rule: A specialized questioning approach Role-play or rehearsal and practice Using the Four R s to aid retention (review, repetition, reminders, reinforcement) The FIG TESPN acronym reflects the following skills: F: My feelings tell me I have a problem to solve. I: Identifying the problem is my first task. G: I establish goals guide me. FIG TSPN Problem Solving Strategy 2

3 T: I think of possible solutions. E: I envision what can happen. S: I select the best solution. P: I plan what to do. N: I notice what happens. Example 1 Group Building: Speaking Power (SP) Setting up: select Speaking Power object; demonstrate and model by giving your own name before passing the Speaker Power object on to the next person. Practice group exercise by asking a simple and nonthreatening question What is something that makes you feel happy? Summing up: What was easy or hard to remember about using SP? How did it feel to have SP? Practice asking additional questions: What is your favorite animal (thing to eat for lunch)? Establish the importance of listening. Introduce LP model the position: 1. Sit or stand straight. 2. Face the speaker. 3. Make eye contact with the speaker. Example 2 Sharing Circle: Listening Position (LP) Demonstrate and practice LP. Ask children to look at a wall/window and at the count of 5 to show you a LP. Reinforce. Practice again (children look down, children pretend to be talking to someone). Practice listening skill using LP. Game Clap when you hear the word Summarize and follow up. Introduce the FD skill. Example 3 Sharing Circle: Following Directions (FD) Practice activity If I Say So (I say stand up. I say I say Sit down.) Game Follow Me. Summarize and follow up. 3

4 Mindfulness is present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness. Mindful teachers: Interpersonal Mindfulness in Teaching Listen with full attention to children, parents and colleagues. Maintain present-centered awareness of emotions experienced by self and others during interactions. Maintain openness, nonjudgmental acceptance and receptivity to others thoughts and feelings. Practice self-regulation in teaching low reactivity and low automaticity in reaction to normative child and adolescent behavior. Maintain awareness and responsiveness to students individual needs ( teachable moments ). Maintain compassion for self and students. Mindfulness for Teachers Three Breaths This is a simple exercise to calm your nervous system. You will take three long, slow, mindful breaths. Procedure 1) Put your hands on your abdomen. 2) Breathe with your diaphragm so your body fills with air. 3) Feel your abdomen rise on the inhalation and fall on the exhalation. 4) Feel the flow of the air as it fills your body from your nose to the bottom of your lungs. 5) Feel the air flow out of your body. 6) Repeat this a total of three times. Suggestions 1) Your breaths should be relatively slow and deep but not uncomfortable. 2) Don t hold your breath or try to inhale or exhale too quickly. 3) After the third breath, allow your breathing to return to normal and notice any changes in your body. Setting Intention Setting intention is not the same as setting a goal. It can be adjusted or re-set. Application: Setting an intention everyday provides an opportunity to give meaning to our work. It reminds us why we are teachers, the value and importance of teaching to the lives of our students. Steps: 1. Consider your intention for the remainder of this day. Spend a few moments contemplating this question ( My intention is to spend the rest of this day being calm and centered. My intention is to enjoy my class today. Today I intend to find something positive to enjoy. ). 2. Focus attention on your intention for a short period of time. 3. Practice setting your intention every morning and check it during the day. Recommendations 1) You can set your intention right before you get out of your car to go into school. 4

5 2) Check your intention during lunch or breaks between classes. 3) You can keep an intentional journal to help yourself remember your intentions. Mindful Wait Time Helps to improve the quality of your students answers and the quality of your own questioning. Involves waiting three seconds after asking a question during discussion time. Procedure 1) Explain to your students that students learn better and teachers teach better when we give ourselves time to think about a question before answering it. 2) Tell your students that you will wait about three seconds after you ask a question before you call on anyone to answer. This will give them time to think how they d like to answer. 3) Give yourself some time before you respond. Suggestions 1) During a three-second wait time, take a nice, deep breath. 2) Notice the weight of your feet on the ground. 3) Scan your class, noticing each student as they raise their hands, and choose a student you may not have called on much lately. 4) As the student delivers the answer, listen mindfully and spend time considering it. 5) Think about a follow-up question. 6) Respond to your student s answer in a way that encourages higher-order thinking and problem-solving. Mindfulness for Children Mindful Listening Mindful listening is useful for: transition times, beginning of class, after lunch, before dismissal. Children can listen to the sound of chimes until it disappears. For the extended listening, when the sound of the bell fades, tell children to pay attention to what else they can hear. Mindful Walking This activity is very helpful for getting your students focused during a transition from one activity or lesson to another. Introduce this activity in a place where you have lots of space (gym, playground), with your students in a circle. Tell your students that they are going to practice paying attention to how they walk. Demonstrate walking slowly and describe how your weight shifts from the heel to the ball and then to the toe on your foot. Have the students all face the same way and begin slowly walking in a circle. After a few minutes stop and ask them how that feels (not so easy to walk slowly). Use slow, mindful walking during transitions to and from lunch, recess, and so on. 5

6 Mindful Eating Purpose: To bring mindful awareness to the sensory experiences involved in eating as well as greater awareness of what is being eaten. Prepare a few boxes of raisins enough for each student to receive one raisin. Have your students wash their hands before you start the activity. Tell them that they will do an exercise that will help them focus their attention on their sense of taste using a raisin. Pass out one napkin and one raisin to each child. Tell children to keep the raisin on the napkin until you tell them to pick it up. Tell children to pick up the raisin and put it in the palm of their hand. Tell them to look at the raisin and think about its color and texture. What does it feel like against the skin of your palm? Tell them to pick up the raisin with their other hand. How does it feel like in between their fingers? Is it sticky? Rough? Smooth? Soft? Hard? Tell children to gently squeeze it. How does it feel? Tell children to put the raisin up to their nose and smell it. How does it smell? Tell children to put the raisin into their mouth but do not eat it. Can you feel it against your tongue? What does the texture feel like now? How does it taste? Tell children to move the raisin around their mouth. Tell them to take a small bite of the raisin and notice what they taste. Tell them to slowly finish chewing the raisin and swallow it. How did it taste? Have your students draw a picture about their experience of tasting the raisin. Discuss their drawings. Suggestion: This exercise can be integrated into art projects or in teaching about nature. Bell Activity Promotes focused attention, coordination, and motor planning. This activity can be done with 10 to 12 small hand bells. The aim is to not let the bells ring. Step-by-Step Procedure 1. Invite your students to stand together in a circle. 2. Take one bell and begin passing it carefully around the circle, trying not to let it ring. 3. To increase the difficulty, you can add more bells to the circle so that several are being passed around the circle simultaneously, with some moving in opposite directions. 6

7 References Butler, L. B., Elias, M. J., & Romasz-McDonald, T. (2011). Social decision making/social problem solving: A curriculum for academic, social, and emotional learning. Grades K-1. Champaign, IL: Research Press. CASEL (2012) CASEL guide: Effective social and emotional learning programs. Preschool and elementary school edition. Retrieved from Jennings, P. A. (2015). Mindfulness for teachers: Simple skills for peace and productivity in the classroom. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Jennings, P., Turksma, C., Brown, R., Snowberg, K. (2016). CARE for Teachers: Cultivating awareness and resilience in education. Participant workbook. Garrison, NY: Garrison Institute. 7

8 Appendix A Key Skills for Social-Emotional and Character Development in Young Children (based on Denham & Weissberg, 2004; Elias, 1997; Kress & Elias, 2003) Self-Awareness Recognizes signs of different feelings. Names many different emotions and knows when to use those terms. Self-Regulation of Emotion / Self-Management Uses appropriate words to express feelings of anxiety, anger, sadness, and so on. Is able to calm down when prompted by adults and, to some degree, on his or her own. Expresses positive feelings about self, school, family, and friends. Shows self-control (for example, when waiting his or her turn, when entering and leaving a classroom at the start and end of the day and other transition times, when working on something in a group or alone). Understands the concept of trigger situation. Self-Monitoring and Performance Shows a good attention span. Remembers and uses feedback on tasks. Can stick with a simple project over a reasonable period of time. Is eager to participate and help out in class. Generally has a positive attitude and mood. Puts forth his or her best effort most of the time. Cares about social norms regarding health, appearance, and safety (for example, washing face and hair, brushing teeth, crossing the street with adults, not playing with electric sockets). Social Awareness, Empathy, and Perspective Taking Pays attention to the nonverbal cues of peers and adults. Can follow and confidently carry on a simple conversation with peers and adults. Knows how to join a group activity. Shows at least some concern for the distress of others. Shares in the joy of others. Listens carefully to others. Follow directions well. Responds well when presented with others perspectives, points of view, and feelings. Responsible Decision Making and Relationship Management Understands what makes a friend a friend. Helps resolve difficulties among peers in an appropriate way. Works well as part of a team or cooperative learning group. Uses age-appropriate social decision-making and problem-solving skills related to the following: a) Feelings of awareness (self and others) b) Articulating feelings c) Putting problems into words d) Realistic goal setting e) Flexible and creative thinking/generating alternatives f) Consequential thinking (short and long term, positive and negative, about self and others) 8

9 g) Decision making (in the service of goals, focusing on positive choices, etc.) h) Planning the details of how to carry out a solution i) Anticipating obstacles j) Rehearsing behavior to prepare for carrying out a solution or dealing with obstacles k) Responding to and overcoming setbacks in a constructive, problem-solving manner l) Utilizing previous experience for future decision making Grade Level: 2 nd Grade SEL Skill(s): Articulating Feelings: Grief Appendix B SEL Lesson Plan Example Materials Needed: Book: Grief is Like a Snowflake, Backpack, Books, Tube sock, Blank sheet of paper, Markers Procedure 1. Have students sit on the carpet for group time. Work on vocabulary words. Tell students vocabulary words that we are focusing on (Sap, Mumbling, Mulch, Grief, Blizzard). Tell the students the words we will be working on and what exactly they mean. (Work on the Marzano s 6-Step Process for building academic vocabulary) 2. Conduct discussion with open-ended questions like, When was a time you felt extremely angry and you didn t know what to do? or What do you do when you feel alone? 3. Read the book Grief is Like a Snowflake. 4. Introduce the skill, grief. Explain that grief is just like what we learned in our vocabulary, which it is when you have a really strong sadness. Ask questions about grief. When is a time that you have felt really, really sad? or How did you handle your feelings when you went through this grief? 5. Illustrate grief in the following activity: 1. Organize students into groups of 2. SEL Skill Activity 2. Each group will be handed an empty backpack and a stack of heavy books. While in these groups, the partners will take on two different roles. Role A: This student will act like the griever. This student will list all their heavy feelings and thoughts, or if they do not currently have any, list all the things that make them have heavy feelings and thoughts. While this student is standing and listing all their feelings/thoughts, the student will be wearing an empty backpack. Role B: This student will be the helper of the griever. This student will be listening to what the grieving child is saying. Each time the griever says something new that makes him/her have heavy feelings/thoughts, the helper will place a book inside of the backpack. 9

10 3. Once the griever is done listing all of his/her thoughts and feelings, the griever will then list ways that they can care for themselves. (For instance talk to a friend/family member, eat well, get enough sleep.) For each item that the griever lists that they can do to help care for themselves, the helper will then take a book out of their backpack to help take the weight off of the grievers back. 4. Have the students switch positions so that both students get both experiences of the griever and the helper. 5. Discuss the activity with the students and have a discussion with them. Discussion questions may consist of: What did it feel like to be a griever and have all of those feelings weighing heavily on them? What did it feel like to be a helper and have to put the weight on the griever? Activity that students can take home: 1. Talk with students about what makes them feel angry or any of the negative thoughts that they may experience. After the discussion have students write/draw these items on a sheet of paper. 2. After putting their thoughts on a sheet of paper, students will crumble up the sheet into a tiny tight ball. 3. Students will receive one tube sock, and will place the crumbled up paper into the tube sock. After placing the paper in the sock, tie the sock up so that the paper is trapped in the toe of the sock 4. Discuss with the students how it is hard to control our anger and emotions sometimes. When we feel this way we sometimes seem to hurt other people either with our words, or with our actions. However, this is not ok. This is a way to express our anger and negative thoughts out in a safer and heather way. 5. Have students spread out around the room where they are not close to another student. Tell them that they can then smack the floor with the sock and let go of their anger. After that, if applicable, allow students to take their anger sock outside and throw their sock to the building to let out their anger. This allows students to get out their anger in a way that will allow them to not harm anyone or anything around them. This is also an activity that they can take home and express their emotions when they are upset. 10