Develop Common Understanding

Before approaching comprehensive SEL implementation, it is essential to develop common understanding and shared language across all staff members. This process will help ground any conversations or implementation of SEL in MPS values and commitment to equity and inclusion. Part of our commitment means providing appropriate support and differentiation to make sure everyone has access to foundational literature, training and understanding of language and concepts to effectively engage in conversations and eventually, implementation.

As members of your school's SEL Team, your work starts with insuring you have a shared understanding of the definition of SEL as well as of the current research on the impact of comprehensive SEL implementation on students’ and staffs' daily experiences, academic successes, and life-long outcomes. Further, when working to develop common understanding, it is imperative to clearly communicate that when implemented with integrity, SEL has the ability to support equitable educational outcomes for our students. To do this we must recognize first and foremost, that SEL is not what we ask our students to demonstrate for us but rather what we do as adults, to create the conditions for learning that are safe, welcoming and inclusive for all of our students. When this happens, students and staff have the opportunity to flourish academically, socially and emotionally. SEL is not about creating a new behavior management system nor is it intended to reinforce compliance but to provide the chance for staff and students alike to gain in self-awareness of their own unique identities, experiences, biases and values. With that understanding comes the opportunity to reflect on how our actions, feelings and beliefs impact others around us and how we can use our strengths and passions to benefit ourselves and our community.

Prior to providing introductory professional development to your staff it is essential that each team member review and discuss the foundational SEL literature from the field. Use the resources below to support you in developing SEL fluency. Your team may consider using article reading groups, journaling activities or Talking Circles as a way to share new information and to process how to best facilitate the learning and practices of the larger staff community.

It is highly recommended that the SEL Team experience all 7 of the activities in exploration section of the toolkit as a small group first as a continued grounding activity but also as a way to inform your action planning and to identify SEL assets and possible road-blocks in your school before you roll the information out to the larger group. This will also give you the opportunity to strategically plan how to best weave SEL into the other priority work including MTSS and/or literacy.

Resources:

• The Source: SEL
• MPS SEL Literature Review
• CASEL District Resource Center Library (each team member will need to create a unique user name and password to access these resources)
• MPS SEL homepage

Next steps:

• Once your team has completed the review of the above information, you will need to begin planning how to best bring the information and resources to the rest of your staff. Depending on the PD plan at your site, this may be best accomplished at an all-staff meeting, with grade level teams or first as an optional session for interested staff as a means to garner added buy-in and assess other SEL expertise from the staff.
• Regardless of how you begin the exploration roll-out, it is important that the team members who will be facilitating the trainings and conversation are confident in their understanding and in their readiness to answer question, suggestions and possible resistance from co-workers. Coaching on facilitation, plan roll-out and action planning is available by contacting the MPS SEL Team members listed here.

Introductory PD materials:

• In order to insure common language and expectations across the district, this toolkit includes a deck of base slides for your use as part of your staff training. Create a copy of the base slides which include the core MPS SEL definition, Theory of Change, some of the core research findings and begins the conversation about why we start with Adult SEL first. You will also find a slide that includes a brief introduction to the 3 Signature SEL Practices for Adults as well as a sample Warm Welcome, Engaging Practice and Optimistic Closure. You may chose to add other slides about the work of the team, how SEL fits with the culture and climate of your school , or how SEL can support your Equity and Engagement efforts. You will find sample handouts and brief articles in the resource pages above. The MPS SEL Team is also available to assist with PD planning upon request.
• Allow a minimum for 45 minutes for the base slides and the completion of the 3 Signature Practices. If you add additional slides specific to your school adjust time accordingly,

SEL 101: Introductory PowerPoint

Facilitator's Guide to SEL Introductory PowerPoint

Given the importance of setting a foundation it is best-practice to collect feedback to ensure your staff appropriately understand the material. The easiest way to do this is provide staff with a small exit ticket or retrospective survey so that they can provide feedback.