Module 1: Emotional Safety
Competency
Social Awareness connotes perspective-taking; empathy; respecting diversity; understanding social and ethical norms of behavior; and recognizing family, school, and community support.
Relationship Skills connote building relationships with diverse individuals and groups, communicating clearly, working cooperatively, resolving conflicts, and seeking help. (Iowa’s SEL Competencies)
Learning Outcomes
Recognize why learners/families/teachers may feel emotionally unsafe.
Identify practices for reducing stress and promoting safe and emotionally supportive environments.
What I will DO in this module:
Create an action plan that incorporates specific strategies to support the emotional safety of all students.
LEARNING PATHWAY
Use the Module Slide Deck in the Module Resources below to begin your learning pathway.
The learning tasks below are in a similar order to the order of the Module Slide Deck, and slide numbers are often referenced for your convenience.
The intent of this module is to provide participants with a foundational understanding of Emotional Safety. No prerequisite knowledge is needed to engage in this learning.
LAUNCH
THINK ABOUT
How aware are you of your response to the coronavirus pandemic?
To what extent has this situation caused you personal and/or professional trauma?
LEARN
LEARN ABOUT
What symptoms might students who have experienced trauma/toxic stress exhibit? Use the Emotional Safety Checklist as a resource.
Ways to maintain relationships during remote learning. Use this website as a resource.
TALK ABOUT
How can you identify gaps in the emotional safety of your learners/students?
DO
Create an action plan that incorporates specific strategies to support the emotional safety of all students.
REFLECT
TALK ABOUT
What can you do to create an environment that supports emotional safety for your learners/students?
SHARE
What is one thing you will do to promote emotional safety in your classroom at the beginning of the school year?
DO
Preschool-2: Provide many opportunities for creative play (may have had fewer opportunities for creative play when distancing); provide play materials for learning at home, if possible. For more ideas, use this RESOURCE by scrolling down to the What Can Adults Do? section.
Elementary: Select and engage from the Care for the Caregiver: Tips for Families and Educators
Middle and High School: Engage in relationship mapping activity
DLTs: Make self-awareness for staff a part of the system routine and infrastructure with opportunities to connect (professionally) socially-emotionally, reduction of workplace stressors, and access to nutrition, exercise, and rest. NASP and REL resources
DO
Preschool-2: Select from the Book Nook to embed social-emotional skill building activities into everyday routines.
Elementary: Make needed classroom accommodations for anxiety and revisit for continued adjustments.
Middle and High School: Check in with students by google (example: Distance Check-In Form) and determine actionable steps from results.
DLTs: Determine if the DLT’s internal professional learning plan needs continued development in helping traumatized children learn.
Teacher Leaders: Adjust support time and structures based upon need, communicate staff needs for emotional safety including self awareness within the infrastructure to DLT/BLT.
MODULE RESOURCES
R2L SEBH Emotional Safety 7_31_20
Checklist for Emotional Safety/Trauma/Distress
CHECKPOINT
Checkpoints include self-assessments, quick checks, peer feedback opportunities, etc. This is a way for you to determine if you are ready to move to the next module and/or if you would like to go deeper or return to previous modules for additional learning or practice.
Self-assessment
Revisit the learning outcomes for this module:
Recognize why learners/families/teachers may feel emotionally unsafe
Identify practices for reducing stress and promoting safe and emotionally supportive environments
Would you feel comfortable discussing each of these with a colleague or might you need to revisit a section of learning in this module?
CELEBRATION OF LEARNING
Use the Celebration of Learning to: synthesize key ideas gained, network with others inside and outside of your district, crowdsource knowledge and/or design ideas, and extend your learning beyond this module.
Option #1: Give Two, Take One
With another colleague who engaged in this module, share two things you will do to promote emotional safety in your classroom this year (Give Two). Then ask your colleague to share two ideas with you. Write down one idea that your colleague shared that you would like to try (Take One).
Option #2: Communicate with parents about how you will promote emotional safety in your classroom this year. This can be through a class Facebook page, newsletter, email communication, etc.
