Guidance Curriculum
What are students learning in Guidance classes?
Guidance classes are a combination of social emotional learning, character development and mindfulness training.
What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Why it Matters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikehX9o1JbI#action=share
Second Step Curriculum
Second Step is a developmental and sequential curriculum designed to promote school and life success and to prevent problem behaviors. Skills are reviewed and expanded on each year, gradually becoming more complex as students get older. Many of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards are specifically addressed in older grades (for example, goal setting), but foundational skills that build toward the standards are taught in the earlier grades
https://app.secondstep.org/Kindergarten/Families/Second-Step-Kit/overview
Character Development and Titan Traits
Each month, CBES focuses on a character trait as a school wide theme. We call this our “Titan Trait”. Students explore this trait in guidance classes and also learn about the trait at a monthly assembly.
Why character?
Overwhelming scientific evidence now shows that character strengths like grit, self-control, curiosity, optimism, and gratitude are critically important to social and emotional well-being, physical health, and achievement. Character traits are not fixed. While we are born with a propensity for certain traits, character traits can be cultivated through education, self-awareness and practice.
What kind of character strengths lead to thriving?
Research has demonstrated that character is plural, encompassing a multitude of strengths that can be organized into three dimensions: Interpersonal strengths, like gratitude, empathy and compassion enable harmonious relationships with other people; intrapersonal strengths, like grit and self-control, enable achievement; and intellectual strengths, like curiosity and creativity enable a free life of the mind and a passion for learning.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness training is integrated into the guidance curriculum. Broadly defined, mindfulness involves a conscious awareness of the present moment: by focusing our attention and controlling our breath, we can learn to reduce stress and optimize the learning capacity of the brain. Mindful awareness also teaches us to think before reacting and to act with compassion and empathy.
Mindfulness training has been shown to:
- Improve self-control and self-regulation skills
- Strengthen resiliency and decision making
- Boost enthusiasm for learning
- Increase academic success
- Develop positive social skills, such as empathy, compassion, patience, and generosity
- Reduce conflict