Rocketship Legacy 6

What does social emotional learning look like in your classroom?

It is lots of repetition, modeling and overexplaining and finding different ways to meet our students’ needs.  For example, we use lots of visual supports; we have signs with pictures on them that mean “please line up quietly”, “look and listen”, and “raise a quiet hand”. 

We also want our classroom to be student-led and centered to give them more of a voice in making their own choices.  We want them to show us what they think they should do; we are just facilitating it, not telling them what to do.

Can you speak to the value that SEL has in your classroom?  Why is it important to you?

It helps teach our students self-regulation, to manage their emotions and feelings.   It builds their critical thinking and their problem solving skills to find solutions to problems on their own.  They use the skills here but also begin to use them at home. 

What does your teaching team do to ensure all kids are growing their social emotional skills?

We try to make sure we are consistent and that our whole teaching team is on the same page, using the same language and using the same strategies.  We are also very intentional about the Calming Space - what we use it for, when we should go there.  

With all students, we are intentional about activating prior knowledge - we always refer back to the read alouds and try to incorporate it into everything.  For example, if we are getting ready to start Learning Lab, one of us will mention something that another teacher may have reviewed like blowing the pinwheel to calm my body to be ready for the component. 

It’s also important to meet the needs of all students.  For example, we have two students who have a hard time coming to the carpet - now, we give them paper and crayons so they can draw what they are hearing - on the carpet.  Sometimes we give them an extra book. They are still engaged even though they are not sitting criss cross - they sometimes even raise their hands. 

What advice do you have for teaching teams who want to improve their SEL practices?

Practice practice practice! Practice the strategies.  And even on the days you are not feeling your best, trying to keep the consistency within your teaching team.

Be intentional with recognizing the students feelings and talking to them about it.  Show what you noticed about how their moods are changing.  

Be realistic with your expectations because they are 3 and 4.  Sometimes because they can do one thing, we expect them to do other things - expectations they are not expected to have already mastered.

Reflect on your own directions, and think about maybe chunking them if students are having a hard time following directions.  For example on the first day, ask students to sit on the carpet. The next day, sit and put eyes on the teacher.  On the third day, add criss cross applesauce.  

Finally, take it one day at a time.  It’s not always going to be a picture perfect day.  You may implement all the best teaching strategies, and many of your kids are still having a hard day.  And after a hard day, start the next day fresh - try not to bring energy from the previous day to the next day.