April 1, 2021

Social-emotional learning can foster a safe, supportive, and equitable environment that grounds students. It can also create the conditions for students to be able to access academic learning when they're back in the physical classroom.

As you build your reopening plan and welcome students back to campus, make sure SEL takes a front seat in the transition to in-person learning. 

At SV we hold community circles weekly or daily depending on the need of our classes, we teach character education lessons daily, we hold RJ circles, we use Inner Explorer,  we have implemented PBIS. Please reflect on these practices if your class is having a difficult time during this transition. What processes can you refine to better support your students. 

Check in on students' SEL and well-being—early and often. 

Neuroscience research tells us that when students are too stressed, they cannot learn. We also know that strong relationships and supportive school programs can help buffer the effects of stress. Children need to feel safe (physically and emotionally) and feel a sense of connection to peers and caring adults in order to access learning. 

As a school, we can create safe and supportive learning environments for students by listening to their feedback; by asking students what they need; by understanding how they’re doing socially and emotionally during the transition back to campus. Here are a few concrete ways to do this:

• Administer regular well-being check-ins with students as a complement to bi-annual SEL measurement. Building in time for quick, three to five question "temperature checks" during morning meetings, advisory, or general class time can build adult-relationships and increase students' self-awareness. Students may not understand their inner experiences until they start to label and unpack how they are feeling. Download Panorama's open-source Student Check-ins Question Bank for free-response and multiple-choice question prompts.
• Develop students’ capacity to accept and embrace all emotions (including unpleasant ones). Consider using a feelings wheel to help students acknowledge and label their feelings. In addition, WOOP goal-setting and “Rose, Bud, Thorn Journaling” are two activities that can help students explore emotions while building resilience.
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• Count Me Down, a strategy from Panorama Playbook partner Move This World, helps students identify ways that they are similar and different from others. For example, students might share three unique aspects of their family, two challenges they're currently facing, and one goal or dream they have.
• Two Word Check-In is a quick way to take stock of students' emotions and feelings during the start or end of class (or during a community circle) in which students choose two words to describe how they are feeling. With younger learners, consider brainstorming a list of feelings or having students draw facial expressions.

Students must know that their voices are changing mindsets and shifting practices. This means taking action on your student feedback and SEL data. What are students telling you they need?

In the context of reopening school buildings, prioritization is key. Use the data to identify one to two focus areas that are high impact and highly actionable.

Observable Fish Moments at SV:

Be There: Thank you Carole, Miura, Julie, Sarah, Jen G., Cecily, Robin, Janice, Heather M., Daniel, Kristin, Kristi, Krista, Christina, Patty, Donna, Gloria, Carlos, Chloe, Fern, Janet, and Melody making our second week back with K-3rd students successful!

Play: Take some time to just relax and enjoy! Enjoy your spring break!

Choose your attitude: 

To actually choose how you respond to life, not just react, you must be intentional. Ask yourself throughout the day, "What is my attitude right now? Is it helping the people who depend on me? Is it helping me to be most effective?" NO EXCUSES!!

Make Their Day:  Thank you for being creative when lesson planning for your students.