Embedded Files
eee
CASEL is a website dedicated to SEL
Self-awareness
The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior. The ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset.”
- Identifying emotions
- Accurate self-perception
- Recognizing strengths
- Self-confidence
- Self-efficacy
Self-management
The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations — effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.
- Impulse control
- Stress management
- Self-discipline
- Self-motivation
- Goal-setting
- Organizational skills
Social awareness
The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
- Perspective-taking
- Empathy
- Appreciating diversity
- Respect for others
Relationship skills
The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. The ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.
- Communication
- Social engagement
- Relationship-building
- Teamwork
Responsible decision-making
The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. The realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.
- Identifying problems
- Analyzing situations
- Solving problems
- Evaluating
- Reflecting
- Ethical responsibility
Integrity
May 6 - 10
Integrity - speaking your truth. How do we stay true to who we are while also learning about ourselves and becoming the best version of ourselves. What happens when our values don’t match our friends?
Intermediate:
Speak your truth
Activite Activity: Card Deck pick a card, if you are Ace, King, Queen, Jack, ect. Students will treat you like you are so cool
If you are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 students will treat you like they don’t like you or want to be around you
Without saying a word.
Lesson: Our body language says a lot. So even if we aren’t saying something to someone our actions can say a lot.
Friendship at school: How do we hang out with other students? What if we find out that someone is not the right friend for us
Reflection and discussion:
What does this quote mean to you?
Do you speak your truth?
How can you speak your truth when you friends might think differently?
Primary:
What makes me special and unique?
(Remarkably You - book)
Activite Activity: Card Deck pick a card, if you are Ace, King, Queen, Jack, ect. Students will treat you like you are so cool
If you are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 students will treat you like they don’t like you or want to be around you
Without saying a word.
Lesson: Our body language says a lot. So even if we aren’t saying something to someone our actions can say a lot.
Friendship at school: How do we hang out with other students? What if we find out that someone is not the right friend for us?
First grade:
Ruthy and the not so tiny tiny lie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSem_ss1YyQ
Week 2
Integrity Art -
Discussion
What is integrity?
Examples of integrity.
What is it challenging to use integrity?
How do we still choose integrity in those challenging situations.
Art: I will show integrity by...
Week 3
Integrity
Focus: Working together as a team, how do we encourage others, listen to different ideas, and support each other even when we are frustrated?
How do we get our ideas heard? How will you allow others to get their ideas heard? How do we react in adversity and failure? (students will drop the marble a lot)
Rollercoaster races
Focus: Working together as a team, how do we encourage others, listen to different ideas, and support each other even when we are frustrated?
How can we have more success in the roller coaster activity? What is another way that we can get heard and feel heard?
Week 4
Integrity
Focus: Working together as a team, how do we encourage others, listen to different ideas, and support each other even when we are frustrated?
Cross the Swamp - 2 people blindfolded, 3 people can’t talk, one person is disabled and can only be on one foot
How does you body feel when you are stressed or frustrated?
Primary
Building pictures as a team
Toothpicks
Week 5 swamp and building toothpick pictures cont.
Week 6
Games
Earth and Nature
Journals Students will be using in SEL:
Primary (using during SEL)
Intermediate: (using during SEL)
SEL Focus Earth - 2019
Week 1
Trust -
Active activity:
Trust walk
Primary will reflect on the following questions and we will discuss:
What does it mean to have trust?
How can you lose trust?
How can you get trust back?
Who do you trust in your life? Why? Draw a picture of them.
Intermediate: Students will choose one quote, write about what it means to them, and discuss as a group.
Week 2
Intermediate:
Speak your truth
Active Activity: Would you rather…
Reflection and discussion:
What does this quote mean to you?
Do you speak your truth?
How can you speak your truth when you friends might think differently?
Primary:
What makes me special and unique?
Active Activity: Would you rather…
Week 3
What does nature mean to you? How can we use nature as a way to take care of ourselves?
Active Activity: Nature Walk
Game: Drop the Cookie
Journal reflection: Nature Poem with a picture
Week 4
How do we use our senses to notice and take in what is around us?
Active Activity: Nature Walk recording what students noticed (other side of students “normal” playgroup in nature area)
Journal Activity: Walk on the Wild Side
Week 5
Memories that shape who I am
Reflection: Tree of Life in Journal - Share in teams when complete
Love
Kindness Week:
50 Acts of Kindness
Students will be focusing on these ideas daily:
Monday: Kindness Toward Family
What do you love about your family? What is one thing you are going to do at home tonight to show kindness towards your family?
Tuesday: Kindness At School
Shout-outs Model this one for students for the first few weeks (perhaps it will take a month or two, if it’s a tough or shy crowd): “I really like how . . .,” “I noticed that . . .,” or “I’d like to give a shout-out to . . . for bringing her best to her group today!” Eventually, in their own ways, they will begin to echo your sentiments to each other, and this will become a class routine. Be sure to make time for it. You can fit a lot of shout-outs in the last three to five minutes of class.
Article with other kindness activities you can you in your classroom.
Wednesday: Kindness In The Community
What are some things you could do to help your community while earning Sparrow hours for Lucy? (brainstorm ideas and students could fill out a sparrow sheet Thursday)
Thursday: Kindness Toward Yourself
Brainstorm what words we would like to hear from a friend when we mess up or are being hard on ourselves. Suggest that we can say these things to ourselves, that we can be our own friend. If this is challenging, have them think about what they would say to a friend who is struggling. Create Speech bubbles saying kind things and put them around your room.
Empower Your students to have Self Compassion
An article for teachers: How Self Compassion Can Help Teacher Burnout
Friday: Kindness Toward Earth
Our next character trait is nature, starting March 4. What are some ways that you like to get outside into nature? What are some ways that we can help our Earth?
Resources for teachers: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/my-drive
December 19 - 23
"Love” - appreciation letters to staff members and bus drivers
January 10 - 14 and art Jan, 21-25
Self Confidence, taking care of yourself, and acceptance of oneself
Videos: Self Confidence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgF1Enrgo2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o&list=PLDWUYS8TtaHeRDrSGq3FZz2h2cFy179A8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2oCP_wk1TA
4th and 5th - discussion
I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.” – Johnny Depp
“I found in my research that the biggest reason people aren’t more self-compassionate is that they are afraid they’ll become self-indulgent. They believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be.” – Kristen Neff
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”
Art: I am…
3rd grade - discussion
“Encourage yourself, believe in yourself, and love yourself. Never doubt who you are.”
“Loving yourself starts with liking yourself, which starts with respecting yourself, which starts with thinking of yourself in positive ways.”
“I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.” – Johnny Depp
Art: I am…
2nd and 1st
Mary Lou Stand Tall book - link to video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-558WXi7LY
Questions:
What does Believe in yourself and the world will too?
After snowflake… What is Molly Lou doing when Ronald makes fun of her?
End… What can Molly Lou teach us?
What do you do when someone teases you?
Art:
I am...
Game: Build a shape as a team with your eyes closed and yarn
Jan 28- Feb 1
Challenge and Expectation: Acknowledging people in the hall, giving people a smile and eye contact when you walk by
I am going to expect students to greet each other and myself by looking at me, saying hi or good morning back when I greet them.
Partner Introduction - Page 18 in playbook
Skills - active listening to others - showing you care
Game: Build a hula hoop castle as a team or shape building
Feb 4 - 8
Working together - roller coaster challenge, cup stacking challenge, shape challenge
Feb 11 - 15
Cont. games above
Generosity
1st grade and kinder with 5th grade class
Dog and cat toys for the Humane Society
We are in need of supplies for the project. Can you send in any old tshirts that we could cut up, fleece, and yarn. We also would love rope, tennis balls, and small bells for cat toys. We will need the supplies in by November 30.
2nd grade
What we need : chapstick, comfy socks
Please bring in a smooth rock for students to paint.
3rd grade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRjDBd6tBBY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCsy5Q8cqhI
4th grade
What we need: smooth rocks and ribbon by November 5th.
Bookmarks - with positive quotes and comments given to middle school students and put in library books
Kindness Rocks painted and delivered
Pacific Crest
Phil's Trail area
5th grade
Ronald McDonald House
Stories for 5th grade students
https://www.rmhc.org/post?p=rmhc-gave-us-peace-of-mind
They are also helping kindergarten make toys for the Humane Society.
You can make dinner as a family anytime you would like. Please call the Ronald McDonald House at 541-318-4950. PLEASE take a picture of you and send it to me and we would love to put the picture on our slideshow for the next assembly.
Friendship and Kindness
RESOURCES for teachers - quotes, writing prompts, morning meeting questions, and book list
Week 2 and 3
Focus: “There is only one you in this world make it a better place.”
How do we make Miller a better place?
Read aloud - Only One You
Sept 24th Week 4
Finishing Art - Only one you!
- 1 - 2 designing a fish that represents them (one to two words for intention)
- 3 - 5 designing a fish that represents them with words that describe their best self and how they want to be as a friend, and student, ect...
Setting an Intention - Why it is helpful for students and adults.
What I telling students about intention - just FYI
October 1 Week 5
Focus: Questioning our assumptions and judgements.
3- 5 What makes a strong community at Miller? (school poster)
Video I am showing Snack Attack
https://youtu.be/iDcWB3seS0w - kids making assumptions
Quotes from Stephanie:
1 - 2 What makes a strong friendship? (school poster)
Book (1 - 2) Friendship is like a Seesaw
Oct 8 and Oct 15 - Week 5 and 6
Focus: Empathy review and team art around what represents community and friendship.
5th - Beginning project of building videos around community, friendship, and problem solving
Oct. 29 - Week 7
Buddy get together practicing empathy and team games
Week 8
Scenarios - Friendship (We will be doing these in SEL but feel free to discuss too)
Responsible Decision Making
(the rest of the year)
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss what it means to have respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on safety concerns
- Students will learn how responsible decision making can help with peer interaction
- Students will learn to reflect on different consequences both positive and negative depending on the choice the make.
- Students will learn how their choices can affect other people.
We are going to be finishing the year with decision and a lot of role play around responsible decision making.
Students in the primary grades are making a book of responsible decisions they can make at school and at home. The upper grades are reflecting on questions and then we are discussing thoughts in class.
After our reflection students will be role playing different scenarios of friendship issues they come across and practicing ways to solve those problems.
Next we will be discussing different consequences for choices that we make and reflect on how consequences can be positive or negative.
Lastly we will be reflecting on how our choices affect other people.
We are also playing a lot of games outside and having some free play time.
If you want specific lessons please email me jenny.white@bend.k12.or.us and I will give you a more detailed outline so you can support your child/children at home.
Relationship Skills
4/24 - 5/6
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn how they all can be connected to one another and the importance they play in creating a positive culture for their classroom.
- Students will learn that they can build a friendship with the most unexpected person if they give everyone a chance.
Video: Bella and Tarra
Art: Haiku poem on a puzzle piece representing friendship
This week we are focusing on how it is important to give others a chance and you never know who you will become a friend with if you give others a chance before making a judgement about them.
We did talk about how it is important how others act, but not how they look or that they might seem different. It is important that students know they can choose who to be friends with and if someone is not being kind to them then they shouldn't be expected to play with them. It is also important that students know people can change and sometimes when another person is included or feels safe they show their kindness.
Students began to draw and create a poem on their puzzle. The puzzle is a great analogy about how we all fit together.
The puzzle pieces are the same, which we are all the same in some ways. Then they become very different when decorated and a poem is added to it. We are also all very different. The important part is that we all fit together.
I talked to students about how I am sad or disappointed when my puzzle at home is missing a piece. This is the same thing at school when a student is treated unkindly. When they are treated without kindness their puzzle piece is taken out of the class's puzzle and it makes the class less strong, safe, and enjoyable.
In the bigger picture Miller is an amazing school and when students are treated unkindly it doesn't make Miller as strong, safe, and enjoyable.
So I told students that it is really important that we keep our puzzle strong and together so that we are the best class and school we can be!
Relationship Skills
4/18 - 4/22
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn strategies that will help them with friendship issues.
- Students will learn that they are connected and their actions affect the success of the others and the group.
- Students will learn to problem solve and work as a team to accomplish a goal.
- Students will learn the importance of staying calm and work to stay calm even when they are feeling frustrated.
This week students worked together building pyramids with cups, yarn, and a rubber-band.
The point of the exercise was to emphasize teamwork and how they all depended on each other to be successful.
We also talked about how students talked to one another, how they encouraged each other or didn't, and how did they handle frustration? We talked about how the teams that stayed calm and positive were the ones that were more successful. Also, the groups that were encouraging and problem solving were more successful!
It has been a great week and kids love this. We will do it again.
Relationship Skills
4/11 - 4/15
Learning Objectives – Relationship Skills
- Students will learn strategies that will help them with friendship issues.
- Students will learn to have empathy for others by listening to different scenarios and deciding how they would feel in the same situations.
- Students will learn strategies to help them when others want to play with someone else.
This week students had a chance to role play different scenarios that could happen at school and worked on ways to solve the problems.
We will continue to work on these important skills. Often students don't know how to solve their problems on recess so practicing and rehearsing can help students when a problem actually arises.
Relationship Skills
4/4 - 4/9
Learning Objectives – Relationship Skills
- Students will learn strategies that will help them with friendship issues.
- Students will learn to have empathy for others by listening to different scenarios and deciding how they would feel in the same situations.
- Students will learn strategies to help them when others want to play with someone else.
K and 1
Video: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Get Along
We discuss the choices Howard is making that causes him to not get invited to a party, what did he do to get help, and how did he help himself?
2nd - 5th
Read Aloud: Two by Kathryn Otoshi
We are going to be focusing on relationship skills and what to do if someone doesn't want to play with you or what if you want to play with someone else? How do we go about that in a kind way.
The book also brings up the discussion about excepting everyone even though they might seem different, finding others to play with, and forgiving our friends if they make a mistake.
Relationship Skills
4/24 - 5/6
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn how they all can be connected to one another and the importance they play in creating a positive culture for their classroom.
- Students will learn that they can build a friendship with the most unexpected person if they give everyone a chance.
Video: Bella and Tarra
Art: Haiku poem on a puzzle piece representing friendship
This week we are focusing on how it is important to give others a chance and you never know who you will become a friend with if you give others a chance before making a judgement about them.
We did talk about how it is important how others act, but not how they look or that they might seem different. It is important that students know they can choose who to be friends with and if someone is not being kind to them then they shouldn't be expected to play with them. It is also important that students know people can change and sometimes when another person is included or feels safe they show their kindness.
Students began to draw and create a poem on their puzzle. The puzzle is a great analogy about how we all fit together.
The puzzle pieces are the same, which we are all the same in some ways. Then they become very different when decorated and a poem is added to it. We are also all very different. The important part is that we all fit together.
I talked to students about how I am sad or disappointed when my puzzle at home is missing a piece. This is the same thing at school when a student is treated unkindly. When they are treated without kindness their puzzle piece is taken out of the class's puzzle and it makes the class less strong, safe, and enjoyable.
In the bigger picture Miller is an amazing school and when students are treated unkindly it doesn't make Miller as strong, safe, and enjoyable.
So I told students that it is really important that we keep our puzzle strong and together so that we are the best class and school we can be!
Relationship Skills
4/18 - 4/22
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn strategies that will help them with friendship issues.
- Students will learn that they are connected and their actions affect the success of the others and the group.
- Students will learn to problem solve and work as a team to accomplish a goal.
- Students will learn the importance of staying calm and work to stay calm even when they are feeling frustrated.
This week students worked together building pyramids with cups, yarn, and a rubber-band.
The point of the exercise was to emphasize teamwork and how they all depended on each other to be successful.
We also talked about how students talked to one another, how they encouraged each other or didn't, and how did they handle frustration? We talked about how the teams that stayed calm and positive were the ones that were more successful. Also, the groups that were encouraging and problem solving were more successful!
It has been a great week and kids love this. We will do it again.
Relationship Skills
4/11 - 4/15
Learning Objectives – Relationship Skills
- Students will learn strategies that will help them with friendship issues.
- Students will learn to have empathy for others by listening to different scenarios and deciding how they would feel in the same situations.
- Students will learn strategies to help them when others want to play with someone else.
This week students had a chance to role play different scenarios that could happen at school and worked on ways to solve the problems.
We will continue to work on these important skills. Often students don't know how to solve their problems on recess so practicing and rehearsing can help students when a problem actually arises.
Relationship Skills
4/4 - 4/9
Learning Objectives – Relationship Skills
- Students will learn strategies that will help them with friendship issues.
- Students will learn to have empathy for others by listening to different scenarios and deciding how they would feel in the same situations.
- Students will learn strategies to help them when others want to play with someone else.
K and 1
Video: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Get Along
We discuss the choices Howard is making that causes him to not get invited to a party, what did he do to get help, and how did he help himself?
2nd - 5th
Read Aloud: Two by Kathryn Otoshi
We are going to be focusing on relationship skills and what to do if someone doesn't want to play with you or what if you want to play with someone else? How do we go about that in a kind way.
The book also brings up the discussion about excepting everyone even though they might seem different, finding others to play with, and forgiving our friends if they make a mistake.
Social Awareness/Relationship Skills Lesson 6 - 8
and games outside
(2/15 - 2/19)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn to give specific feedback to help a student revise their work.
- Students will learn how specific feedback can help others’ work get better.
- Students will learn how to receive feedback as a tool to help them improve on their work.
For the next three weeks we are going to be working on giving specific feedback to our peers. This will help students learn to give feedback to each other that is helpful and it will also teach students how to receive feedback as a way of helping and not criticism. Part of having a growth mindset is learning that our work can improve and when we receive critique it doesn't have to be something negative. I am teaching students that critique does not take away from their effort.
Through the video students see how a first grader improves on their art work with feedback and numerous drafts.
I will have sample work posted when we are finished! I can't wait!
Is there something at home you can work on together to make better and refine? Maybe try building something, writing a story together, or doing your own art project.
Happy improving!
Also we are going to be going outside and doing team work activities building our relationship skills! This week we did balloon races. There was a lot of fun happening!!
We also played Ameoba tag. The kids ran A LOT and had fun!
Social Awareness Lesson 5 -
Listening and Speaking Awareness- and time outside
(2/15 - 2/19)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn to communicate specific directions to others through games.
- Students will learn to communicate and work together in different ways.
- Students will practice being active listeners.
- Students will learn how to give helpful feedback.
This week students will be working on giving specific directions by having their partner or table group build different objects.
Students will learn the importance of specific directions.
They will also learn that even though they say one thing someone else might interpret it differently or they may think their directions are super clear when they are not. The person who is doing the describing or directions will be the only one who sees the object. The builders will not so this will create a need for the person giving directions to be more specific. It may be challenging because when we have a picture in our minds about what something is like or how it should look we can tend to leave out important details.
I am excited to see how this goes. I am practicing at home myself. :)
Students will also be learning how to give and receive feedback.
Social Awareness Lesson 4 -
Kindness Reflection
Listening and Speaking Awareness- and time outside
(2/8 - 2/12)
Learning Objectives
- Students will reflect on what kindness means to them.
- Students will learn and be reminded that "No act of kindness no matter how small will go unnoticed."
This week students will reflect on the following questions: (2 - 5 will write in their journals and then we will discuss all others we will discuss without writing)
- Is it really that difficult to be kind?
- What gets in the way of kindness?
- What does kindness mean to you?
- Some people say that kindness is contagious, do you agree?
- How many kind deeds did you perform during the Great Kindness Challenge and do you believe those deeds made a difference?
I am excited to be sharing this video with students about A Wave of Kindness.
I will also be reading Here Comes Valentine Cat by Deborah Underwood - a great book about friendship and what happens when we judge someone before we get to know them.
(or animal :) )
Then we are going outside to enjoy the amazing weather!! The kids need to play and get some fresh air :)
Social Awareness Lesson 5 -
Trust and Other Team Building Games - and time outside
(2/1 - 2/4)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn to work with others.
- Students will learn to communicate and work together in different ways.
- Students will be mindful and proactive about how their actions and choices affect others.
- Students will learn to have strategies that help them if they feel uncomfortable or nervous.
- Students will learn to work together as a team.
This week we are doing a couple partner activities pushing kids out of their comfort zone and talking about trust, what it means to be respectful, and what to do when you feel uncomfortable?
Trust/Sensory Walk: Students are partnered up with someone in class that I assign.
One person is supposed to walk around guiding the other person in a respectful way around the room. The person with their eyes closed are also guessing what their partner is putting in their hands.
As we reflected on what it felt like many kids said, "Fun!" and others said that they felt scared and uncomfortable at first, but as the time passed they felt better. It was a great chance to help students reflect on how they encouraged themselves to keep their eyes closed and had the self management to keep their eyes closed.
Students 3rd - 5th worked on nonverbal communication by getting into a line by their birthday starting January 1 - December 31 without talking.
Read aloud - Kindergarten
The Recess Queen by Alexis O'neil
The rest of the time we went outside or Cosmic Kids Yoga.
Social Awareness Lesson 3 -
The Great Kindness Challenge
and
A Lesson on NOT Listening to Rumors or Judging Others Before You Meet Them
(1/25 - 1/29)
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn how kindness can create a positive culture.
- Students will be mindful about how they are being kind to others.
- Students will learn how positive acts of kindness can spread.
- Students will learn how rumors and judging others can mislead us into believing someone isn't kind when they are.
I am soooo excited we are doing The Great Kindness Challenge this week!! And our chain is getting sooo long.
If you make some at home take pictures or bring them in and we will add them to the W.E. Miller chain.
Another lesson we are talking about is how rumors or judgements can hurt others and lead to confusion. We are reading a fun book that can bring out this conversation and the importance of not listening to what others say, but forming our own opinions by getting to know people.
Students 2nd - 5th are getting to write:
I want my teacher to know...
I want my classmates to know...
Then they get an opportunity to tell their teacher and myself something that is important to them. They also get to tell their classmates something.
Kindergarten and first graders are drawing a picture of what is in their heart. Things that are important to them.
Read Aloud: The Monster of the Woods by Claire Freedman
Social Awareness Lesson 2 - Kindness
(1/19 - 1/22)
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn how kindness can create a positive culture.
- Students will be mindful about how they are being kind to others.
- Students will learn how positive acts of kindness can spread.
We are preparing for The Great Kindness Challenge Next Week!
Kindness Matters!
I am excited that we are focusing on kindness so much. It is a big part of social awareness and making a school environment awesome. This is my first year at Miller and I love our school. We are just building off of a wonderful community Miller already is.
This is my first time doing this so it will be a learning experience for me and stronger next year.
We will be adding to the kindness garland by creating a kindness chain around our halls.
***If you have some extra time I will need some help because I know there will be a lot of kind acts recorded next week!
Check out some videos kids are watching in preparation.
The Great Kindness Challenge Theme Song
The Life Vest - Kindness Boomerang 1st - 5th
Color Your World with Kindness kindergarten
Kindness at a participating School
Feel free to make a kindness chain at your house too!! Take pictures and send them in. Kids can share the next SEL!
Social Awareness Lesson 1 - Saying Thank You and Spreading Kindness
(1/11 - 1/15)
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn the importance of feeling grateful and how it can impact their lives.
- Students will learn about how gratitude for what they have can make them happier.
- Students will learn to share their gratitude for others.
- Students will learn how kindness can create a positive culture.
Read Aloud: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodsen - 1st grade - 5th grade
Read Aloud: If you Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson - Kindergarten
We are making kindness/ thankful garlands at school!
Students thanked their table partner for something they have done kind in the last couple of days. Kids loved being thanked for something!!!
Then they wrote something they did that was kind. My hope is that we keep adding to it.
You can make one at home!! Each time you see you child or children do a kind act you can make a square to be part of your garland. Or a kindness chain??
Miller's garland
·
Self Management Lesson 6 - Gratitude
(1/4 - 1/9)
Learning Objective
- Students will learn the importance of feeling grateful and how it can impact their lives.
- Students will learn about how gratitude for what they have can make them happier.
- Students will learn how to reflect on things they are grateful for by creating a mural.
We finished our gratitude art.
Self Management Lesson 6 - Gratitude
(12/7 - 12/12)
Learning Objective
- Students will learn the importance of feeling grateful and how it can impact their lives.
- Students will learn about how gratitude for what they have can make them happier.
- Students will learn how to reflect on things they are grateful for by creating a mural.
Read aloud: Gratitude Soup by Olivia Rosewood
Students will be creating gratitude soup as an art project.
This time of year can be about giving and also receiving. When students get in the want want want mode then they may feel disappointed when they don't get all they hoped for. They may not even feel gratitude for what they got even if they got everything on their list.
I wanted students to think about what they already have they are grateful for such as experiences, family, and friends.
When we start to be mindful of what we are grateful for instead of what we don't have we see more happiness and contentment with what we have instead of disappointment and sadness.
The students have LOVED doing this exercise so far and I have too.
Self Management Lesson 5
3 - 5 Shared Posters and Reflection
Ways to Cool Down if You Feel Angry
K - 2 Self Control
(12/7 - 12/12)
Students' reflection on how they feel when they or others do NOT use self management:
I feel bad, mad, annoyed, disappointed, confused, frustrated, distracted, guilty, and uncomfortable.
Kids will feel hurt or like crying if people are calling them names.
I can’t concentrate; it distracts me so I feel disappointed. When someone is being disruptive they are stomping on others learning.
It affects everyone because the class gets in trouble.
Students' reflection on how they think the teacher feels when they or others do NOT use self management:
The teacher feels mad, sad, disappointed, scared, angry, stressed, grumpy, aggravated,
It is harder for the teacher to teach. She won’t be able to get her lesson done that she worked hard at.
Students' reflection on why students might mess around:
They don’t know how to do something.
They want to get out of something.
They want attention from others.
They think it will make them popular.
They want any sort of attention from people.
Kids might not get enough attention at home so they want any kind of attention at school.
To draw attention to themselves because they might be going through hard times.
Peer pressure
They take their anger out on others.
They don't like the lesson or they are bored.
We talked about how these reasons are probably true, but it still doesn't make it right to not use self control.
Students' reflection on why self management is IMPORTANT:
Kids can concentrate
It helps you learn
It can keep you safe
It helps you focus
So you feel good about yourself
You will get respect
You will make new friends
It’s good to know how you feel
It makes everyone feel important and good
It makes you feel good inside and keeps you happy
Help you do better
You will have a good future
The classroom would be crazy without it
It creates a healthy environment for school
So you have a good life
You can have a better time and not a rotten one
It helps you care
It helps keep you and other people around you happy
You will be more successful
So you can talk positive to yourself
Because other people have feelings too
It helps you be you
You need to be aware of your surroundings and how it could affect you
It is the key way of controlling yourself
Class can run smoothly
Learning Objectives 3 - 5
- Students will learn the different parts of the brain that control problem solving and emotions and how it can influence how they react to feelings.
- Students will learn how the brain reacts to different emotions.
- Students will learn how to deal with strong emotions such as anger, frustration.
- Students will learn different strategies they can use when they feel a negative emotion.
- Students will become aware of signals in their body that tell them they are getting a negative feeling.
We began by reviewing what the owl and alligator's jobs are in the brain and what part of the brain the are in.
Visualization – reflection: Students will close their eyes and think of a time that they felt angry. If they can they will try to notice how their body felt. These are signals that let us know we are feeling angry, frustrated, or maybe hurt.
Video: Breathe
We began to create a poster on strategies to cool down and will finish it next week.
K - 2 Self Management
- Students will learn to set goals by thinking about what they would like to improve on in self management.
- Students will reflect of what it means to self manage oneself and understand that they can improve if they need to.
Read aloud: My Mouth is a Volcano by Julie Cook
Poster: What is Self Management
We recorded what choices were that show self management and what choices did not show self management.
Self Management Lesson 4
Continued for upper grades
K - 2 Ways to Cool Down if You Feel Angry
(11/30 - 12/4)
Learning Objectives 3 - 5
- Students will learn to set goals by thinking about what they would like to improve on in self management.
- Students will reflect of what it means to self manage oneself and understand that they can improve if they need to.
This week students in third through fifth grade reflected on what self management means to them. We talked about how self management could be following the rules, being kind, making the right choices, and doing things that are helpful to others. When we are doing those things we are managing ourselves.
Student wrote there own examples of what was and wasn't self management. They also wrote their own examples of self management around IPADS.
Next week we are going to be making a class chart that describes what they expect of themselves as a class.
Letting students reflect of self management can bring more awareness to how their actions are either helping others or how their actions aren't. By being more aware of their actions hopefully they make better choices and be reflective on the choice they are making that is not helping them in a positive way.
I will have answers to 3 questions I asked students soon.
1. How does it affect students if you or someone else is NOT using self management? How do students feel?
2. How does it affect your teacher if you or someone else is NOT using self management? How does your teacher feel?
3. Why is self management important?
Kindergarten - 2nd grade
Self Management
- Students will learn the different parts of the brain that control problem solving and emotions and how it can influence how they react to feelings.
- Students will learn how the brain reacts to different emotions.
- Students will learn how to deal with strong emotions such as anger, frustration.
- Students will learn different strategies they can use when they feel a negative emotion.
- Students will become aware of signals in their body that tell them they are getting a negative feeling.
We will begin by reviewing what the owl and alligator's jobs are in the brain and what part of the brain the are in.
Visualization – reflection: Students will close their eyes and think of a time that they felt angry. If they can they will try to notice how their body felt. These are signals that let us know we are feeling angry, frustrated, or maybe hurt.
Video: Breathe
Read aloud: Cool Down and Work Through Anger by Cheri M Meiners
Students will pick one strategy they want to try the next time they get mad. They will write and draw a picture about what strategy they would like to try in their SEL journal.
Self Management Lesson 3
(11/15 - 11/20)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn to set goals by thinking about what they would like to improve on in self management.
- Students will reflect of what it means to self manage oneself and understand that they can improve if they need to.
- Students will learn to reflect on new learning, mistakes, extra effort, and challenges as a way to get smarter.
- Students will learn to notice what kind of learner they are and understand it can change.
- Students will practice self control through games.
3rd - 5th
This week students in third through fifth grade reflected on what self management means to them. We talked about how self management could be following the rules, being kind, making the right choices, and doing things that are helpful to others. When we are doing those things we are managing ourselves.
Student wrote there own examples of what was and wasn't self management. They also wrote their own examples of self management around IPADS.
Next week we are going to be making a class chart that describes what they expect of themselves as a class.
Letting students reflect of self management can bring more awareness to how their actions are either helping others or how their actions aren't. By being more aware of their actions hopefully they make better choices and be reflective on the choice they are making that is not helping them in a positive way.
Kindergarten - 2nd
Movie: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen.
In this movie Howard shows many ways that he doesn't self manage himself and then ways that he chooses to begin to manage himself after a time out. We talk about when Howard is not making good choices how those choices effect the teacher, the students, and his friends. By reflecting on others it helps students to learn to be empathic and think about how their actions might effect the way others feel.
We also talked about how in the timeout Howard thought about his actions and wanted to change. We talk about how he had the choice to continue to make poor choices or to change those poor choices into positive choices.
Then student reflect on the way that he began to self manage himself. We also discussed how the teacher, students, his mom, and friends felt when Howard managed himself well.
Students then had an opportunity to draw and write a picture of something they would like to work on around self management.
Self Management Lesson 2 - Growth Mindset
(11/9 - 11/14)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn what a growth mindset is.
- Students will learn about Neurons and how they can make themselves smarter.
- Students will learn to reflect on new learning, mistakes, extra effort, and challenges as a way to get smarter.
- Students will learn to notice what kind of learner they are and understand it can change.
- Students will compare growth mindset verses fixed mindset.
Video 3rd - 5th grade
Maybe it was my Fault - Michael Jordan
Read Aloud: How I Can Grow My Brain by Kendra Coates
Also students had an opportunity to reflect on the difference between a fixed mindset and growth mindset. I gave students the below fixed mindset comments and they worked on changing them to a growth mindset.
I have both filled in so you can see what we were working on.
This week students in 2nd - 5th are recording in their journals times that they learned something new, challenged themselves, put extra effort into something, or made a mistake. By recording and reflecting on the above they will begin to be aware of all the hard-work they put into school. By being reflective on their learning students will be more likely to be excited about their new learning and understand how they are actually making themselves smarter. They will gain confidence in their abilities to become active learners and have ownership in challenging themselves and putting extra effort into their work.
Self Management Lesson 1 - Growth Mindset and our "growing" brain
(11/2 - 11/7)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn what a growth mindset is.
- Students will learn to set goals.
- Students will learn to notice what kind of learner they are and understand it can change.
Students are learning to discover what type of learner they are. At times they might notice they are a fixed learner and at times they might notice they are a growth mindset learner.
It is our goal to become a growth mindset learner in what ever we are doing. When we have a growth mindset we know that our ability is not fixed, but can improve. We don't think that we are born with or without a certain talent, but can get better through practice and learning new things.
People with a growth mindset take adversity and rise to the challenge instead of giving up or telling themselves they aren't good enough. Also, people with a growth mindset think of effort and time to accomplish a task as a positive rather then not looking smart. Lastly, people with a growth mindset don't look at other people's talent as a threat to them, but rather a way to help them improve.
Students are learning that they can make their brain smarter and get better through perseverance, grit, and learning from others along with learning from themselves.
Growth Mindset Video 3 - 5 graders
Read aloud - Hey You It's Me Your Brain by Kendra Coates kindergarten - 2nd grade
Students are going to be reflecting this week on their new learning, struggles, challenges, and mistakes that create new neurons and make them smarter.
If you would like to do this at home then feel free to download the brain below.
Whenever your child or children have a new learning, struggle, challenge, or mistake and work through it CELEBRATE by putting a star in the brain to represent the new neuron they gained. Then below add a small description of what the star means. See how many stars you can get in a week! It can be a fun way to join your child or children in letting them know how you even persevered or learned something new.
Click here to download brain sheet with "Ways I am gaining neurons and growing my brain."
Click here to download blank brain sheet.
Social Awareness Lesson 7 - Growth Mindset and Challenges
(10/20 - 10/28)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn to understand and notice what they are good at.
- Students will learn to understand and notice what they would like to get better at.
- Students will learn the importance of accepting themselves for who they are while understanding that they can get better at things.
- Students will learn what positive self-talk is and how to cultivate a habit of positive self-talk
Learning how to have positive self - talk can be very difficult for some students.
For example, a student was working on an activity with me and said, "This is so bad." Instead of saying, "This is so bad," a way to give oneself encouragement would be to say, "I can do much better on this drawing," or "Next time I am going to slow down so I am proud of my work."
Another part of self awareness is learning about what kind of learners we are. I am teaching students about the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset.
Read aloud for kindergarten and first:
In this book students learn that challenges grow their brains and a just right challenge can give them more neurons. Neurons help us build connections and get smarter.
Video for 2nd - 5th
We are also playing movies in our heads about something students want to get better at. Visualization can help students learn to see themselves accomplishing things in school or out of school that they hope to. It gives them a way to believe in themselves.
At home check in with students and see if they struggled with anything at school. Talk about how they handled the situation and if there was anything they learned from the challenge.
Also I encourage you to take look at loosing or mistakes as a way to learn and get better instead of something negative. Carol Dweck a psychologist from Standford found that when children where taught about learning from mistakes and praised for effort instead of success they were more likely to look at challenges in a positive way instead of trying to avoid them.
Lastly, when you hear your son or daughter say something about themselves or something they did in a critical way encourage them to change it to be positive and encouraging. It is good to know we can improve and strive to be better, but there is a difference in wanting to get better and telling ourselves we did a "bad" job.
Social Awareness Lesson 6 - Growth Mindset and Positive Self -Talk Continued
(10/13 - 10/21)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn to understand and notice what they are good at.
- Students will learn to understand and notice what they would like to get better at.
- Students will learn the importance of accepting themselves for who they are while understanding that they can get better at things.
- Students will learn what positive self-talk is and how to cultivate a habit of positive self-talk
Read Aloud: The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
I love this book because there is a part where the alligator takes over her owl and she gets VERY MAD! Then she calms the alligator by going for a walk. The entire book is also about trying and trying again!
Video: Ducks vs. the Stairs
This video teaches children the key to success is making many mistakes, trying new things, and not giving up. I love this video because it doesn't matter if we are the first duck or the last duck they all made it to their goal. This is a great example of how life can be. Sometimes we will find that we are the first duck and sometimes the last. There are different things everyone is talented at, but following through is the key to success.
I am going to encourage children to begin to be more mindful of their positive vs. negative self-talk. We are going to practice having positive self- talk by visualizing something that we want to get better at, but haven't mastered. Then students will be their cheerleader in the mind creating a movie were they get better at whatever it is they want to with perseverance and trying again.
Students should be bringing home their picture of what they are good at and want to get better at in two weeks right before conferences.
Social Awareness Lesson 5 - Growth Mindset and Positive Self -Talk
(10/6 - 10/14)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn to understand and notice what they are good at.
- Students will learn to understand and notice what they would like to get better at.
- Students will learn the importance of accepting themselves for who they are while understanding that they can get better at things.
Students have been learning about and noticing what makes them feel certain ways. They have also been noticing how they react when they are feeling certain feelings both positive and negative. Is it helpful to them and others?
Another part of self awareness is noticing how we treat ourselves. It is important to first be kind to ourselves and appreciate the amazing qualities we have the make us special and unique.
When we focus on those qualities we cultivate more of those positive actions that help us. We also build confidence. When we have confidence we don’t have to put others down, we can persevere through obstacles and we can be kind to others and ourselves.
This week I will be talking about appreciating themselves along with focusing on what it is they would like to improve on.
Read aloud for 2nd - 5th grade: Zero by Kathryn Otoshi
Read aloud K - 1st grade: It’s Okay to Make Mistakes by Todd Parr
Videos students will get to see:
Everyone Can Learn 1st - 5th grade
The Power of Yet K - 1st grade
Students will also learn about the importance of improvement and understand that they can get better at what they want through hard work and perseverance.
Students will learn that how we look at struggle by either having a growth mindset or fixed mindset can determine how successful we will be or the chances we take to get better at something.
Don’t give up for K - 1st Grade
Grit: The Key to Your Success for 2nd - 5th grade
Activity:
Students will draw a picture of themselves doing something they love.
On one side of the picture they will write things that they are good at…
On the other side they will write things that they want to get better at…
We will discuss part of creating what you want is being aware of what you are good at and giving yourself credit for it and the other is determining what you want to get better at and knowing you can!
Ideas for at home:
Ask students what mistakes they made at school and how they learned from those mistakes. Celebrate the mistakes and learning.
Also, ask students what they struggled with at school. How did they handle that struggle? How did it help them? Celebrate struggle.
Note: If students say that they gave up or couldn't do anything about it try asking them what they would have liked to do, or if they could do it again how might they change giving up, what would they tell a friend if they saw them struggling and giving up? This allows kids to reflect on something they might feel disappointed at themselves for. By not giving them advice or telling them they need to work harder it creates a safe environment for them to work through a struggle and talk to you again.
Students will bring their papers home next week so you could have them share what it is they think they are good at and what they want to get better at.
Again letting students decide how they want to get better at something teaches them about setting goals themselves and feeling safe to talk about what they want to improve on without being correct, scolded, or told what to do.
Social Awareness Lesson 4 - How the Brain Reacts to Emotions and Expressing Feelings
(9/29 - 10/7)
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn the different parts of the brain that control problem solving and emotions and how it can influence how they react to feelings.
- Students will learn how the brain reacts to different emotions.
- Students will learn different ways to express their feelings.
- Students will learn "okay" ways to express their feelings and "not okay" ways to express their feelings.
Students in Kindergarten and First grade will learn a simple analogy about how their brain processes emotions. Second grade - fifth grade will also learn this analogy and the terms that students
Students will learn that we have many important parts to our brain, but there are two parts we are going to talk about. The upper and lower part of the brain.
The lower part of our brain is known as the reptile or alligator part. The alligator is where we feel our emotions.
The upper part of our brain is where we learn, problem solve, and make decisions. This is the wise owl.
The alligator and the owl do not always know how to work together. It is our job to teach the alligator to always work with the owl.
When we feel positive feelings the alligator has no problem working with the wise owl. The wise owl can tell our brains to make good choices and we can learn more.
When we feel negative feelings the alligator takes over because it is his job to keep us safe. Even when he doesn't need to react to something he does unless he is taught to calm down. For example, when we are really upset the alligator part of our brain might react by yelling or pushing and that is not okay. Also, when we feel really frustrated because we are struggling the alligator part of our brain might tell us to freeze or give up when we should keep trying.
One way to calm the alligator part of our brain down is by taking deep breathes. This will allow the alligator and the wise owl to work together so we can make a good choice even when we feel frustrated or angry.
Then we practiced three deep breathes with our breathing ball.
For grades second - fifth I will also introduce the names of the parts of the brain that help us problem solve and the part of our brain where we feel emotions.
The terms for the reptile or alligator part of our brain is the temporal lobe.
The amygdala regulates our emotions and feelings. It is know as the “flight, fright, or freeze” part of our brain when we are feeling negative feelings. It is what also protects us from threats or something harmful. The Hippocampus is the part of the brain that helps us in managing our response to fear and threats. It is also the place where we store our memory and learning.
When you are in a negative emotional state the amygdala can prevent that information from going to a very important part of your brain the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is where the wise owl lives.
The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that does our reasoning, learning, and thinking. This area of our brain controls our decision-making, focuses our attention, and allows us to learn.
When we feel calm and alert then our brain works together and our prefrontal cortex can make “good” decisions. When we are feeling a negative emotion then we need to train our brains to learn to calm down so that we don’t react and make a poor decision.
The amygdala reacts to emotional responses by determining whether sounds, sights, smells and movements are thought to be safe and positive or negative. If the response is positive then the signals can go to the prefrontal cortex and the response is negative our amygdala doesn’t let that signal go to the prefrontal cortex. That is when we can make poor decisions and do something that is not helpful to us in solving a problem.
The amgadala can’t determine between dangers that are not real and actual danger. So it can trigger a “false alarm.” An example of a false alarm is when we freeze when we are taking a test. We might have a fear of failing or we might have a had a bad experience taking a test. When we freeze and aren’t able to take the test this is a reaction happens before we think about it. Another example is when you are really angry with someone and yell mean names at him or her or push that person. This is reaction that is not helpful to you and the other person. We will be talking more about how to help your brain calm down, but we have been working on one simple way.
Does anyone remember that? Breathe…
We will be learning more ways to regulate our emotions. (taking a time out, visualization, closing your eyes, doing something active, doing something you like, talking to someone, drawing, writing (journal), dancing)
This lesson is mostly from the MindUp Curriculum. The reptile and owl lesson is from my own research on the brain.
We are finishing our expressing feelings sheet and getting a chance to discuss the papers from lesson 3. Students will be taking those papers home. Please feel free to complete them with your child or have it be a working document for you and your family to go back to.
Social Awareness Lesson 3 - Expressing Feelings Continued
(9/22 - 9/30)
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn to understand different feelings and how their thoughts affect their behavior.
- Students will learn different ways to express their feelings.
- Students will learn "okay" ways to express their feelings and "not okay" ways to express their feelings.
In the beginning of class students had an opportunity to add feeling words to their anchor chart from the first week of school. I showed students feeling words from a NVC document and they chose which words they would like on their chart. Showing students the NVC document helps students begin to expand their feeling and emotional vocabulary. It gives them more ways to express and also understand what is going on with them.
Read aloud: Sometimes I Feel Blue: A Book About Expressing Your Feelings by Margi Smith
At the end of the book it says, "Today I feel..."
I taught students one way to check in with themselves is by taking deep breathes and closing their eyes.
I used a breathing ball to create a visual of what a deep breathe looks and feels like.
Handout:
Students in 2nd - 5th grade were given a handout that they will keep at their desk all week. They will have the opportunity to notice what makes them feel different emotions. The handouts also allow students to reflect on ways they express their feelings. Although the handout just has a section for "okay" ways to express their feelings I encouraged students to notice both "okay" and not "okay" ways they are expressing their feelings and we will work on finding "okay" ways if they need help.
k - 1
2nd grade
3-5 grade
Feel free to try this at home to.
Social Awareness Lesson 2 - Expressing Feelings (9/15 - 9/23)
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn to understand different feelings and how their thoughts affect their behavior.
- Students will learn different ways to express their feelings.
- Students will learn "okay" ways to express their feelings and "not okay" ways to express their feelings
Read aloud: How Full is Your Bucket For Kids by Tom Rath
In this book there are many examples of how the characters express their feelings, both "okay" and "not okay."
For example, in the first page Felix's sister asks if she can stack blocks with Felix. Felix scowls at his sister and says, "Go away. You're too little."
Students guessed what he was feeling. Some of the feelings students guessed where angry, annoyed, mad, and frustrated. Then they talked about how Felix could have asked his sister to wait until he was finished with his building and then they could play. Some students suggested that Felix could have given his sister some blocks to build on her own while he finished his building.
Another example later in the book is when the teacher asked Felix to read his story in front of the class. Students expressed their enjoyment of the story in three ways without talking. They ooed, laughed, and clapped at the end of the story. This is a great opportunity to talk about expressing feelings without actually saying, "I really like your paper."
There are many other examples throughout the story of expressing feelings. At the end I love how Felix was angry at his dog for tearing his sister's doll, but instead of reacting and yelling he tried to make Anna feel better. This is a great example of choosing in the moment to do the right thing instead of being hurtful even when you feel mad.
Next week we will continue talking about and exploring ways to express feelings.
At home to reinforce what students are learning at school you could help students when they make a choice to express their feelings in a "not okay" way by asking them what they were feeling in the moment and then let them come up with a way to express their feelings next time. They could even practice it.
Also, if you notice your children expressing their feelings in a way that is helpful to them and others you could point that behavior out, which will help reinforce the behavior.
Below are three videos I have played for kindergarten in the last couple of weeks. The first two talk about feelings and emotions.
Trying to Come up with a Feeling Word
The last one is about how school and home are different.
Social Awareness Lesson 1 - Understanding Feelings (9/9 - 9/16)
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn what confidentiality is and the importance of trust.
- Students will learn to understand different feelings and how their thoughts affect their behavior.
- Students will learn to begin to check in with themselves using feeling words and chart to help them discover how feelings change and how they are feeling throughout a day.
This first lesson is teaching students to begin to be aware of their feelings and how they change throughout the day. We want students to begin to be aware of both positive and negative feelings without putting judgement on those feelings.
The first step in discovering what is going on is building a feelings vocabulary. We will be working on our feeling vocabulary throughout the year.
Read aloud: The Way I Feel by Janin Cain
Students have an anchor chart in their room to help them become more familiar with feeling words and remember to check in with themselves throughout the day. Below is the top of the chart paper students have in their class. The stars are colored in and students came up with their own words.
If you would like to do the same thing at home feel free to download the star sheet at the bottom of the page.
Also NVC has a great list of words to help you and your family get started with growing your feelings vocabulary. (feeling words)
Page updated
Report abuse