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Opening & CLosing Routines
Opening & CLosing Routines
On this page you can find a collection of SEL Opening and Closing Routines that are targeted to secondary students. While an elementary classroom has more leeway for beginning and end of day SEL practices, in a secondary classroom you need something quick so that the opener and closer don't become the entirety of your time with students.
Consider:
Adding Pear Deck SEL slides to a Google Slide Presentation you are using that day in class.
These are PRE-MADE! With one click you can add them to your deck and launch as either Pear Deck or Google Slides
Adding a few SEL Opener/Closer Choice Board in Schoology and have students help you select which to use for the day.
Youtube Playlist of Mindful Moments--I include two playlists on Youtube geared toward mindful minutes for secondary students.
Quick processing activities like "One Word Whip Around"
There is a brain break interactive Google Slide embedded below from Ashley Halkum, a middle grades guidance counselor in Pickerington.
Add a "On a Scale" Meme or "Mood Scale"to your Slides for the Day and have kids rate where they are.
These can be super fun! There are a bunch in a Slide Deck below, but also searching "on a scale of" + a topic + meme in Google generates some easy results.
Here is a Pinterest Collection of a Bunch.
Pair this with a Pear Deck Draggable Interactive slide and kids can drag an icon onto the image that represents them.
Want to go a step further? Collect info in a Google Form or Schoology Poll.
Pear Deck & NEWSELA
Pear Deck & NEWSELA
ON A Scale Check-Ins
ON A Scale Check-Ins
RIGHT: Here is a folder of collected & themed "on a scale" check ins. Thanks Melissa Dent for sharing these in the Gold Edu Google Group.
BELOW: This deck is from the wonderful ladies at GoldEDU LLC. They run "Make and Take" Sessions on Youtube. This is a copy of the deck produced from a Make and Take teacher collab where everyone contributed "on a scale of" slides for teachers to use for quick SEL openers/closers. Feel free to grab a slide. Want more info on how to MAKE one? Check this out!
Google form Check ins
Google form Check ins
Brain Breaks
Brain Breaks
Mindful Minute videos/Playlists
Mindful Minute videos/Playlists
Instructional Strategies & Ideas for Quick SEL
Instructional Strategies & Ideas for Quick SEL
Think of:
Something I learned today
Someone I was able to help
Something I want to share with an adult
Something I am looking forward to doing tomorrow
Something I enjoyed about the day
Someone who was kind/helpful to me
Source: SEL Playbook OUSD
One Word Whip Around
Prepare a statement or question prompt that is aligned to the content of the class. For example, “Think of one word about how you are feeling now that you have participated in this engagement,” or “Share one word that sums up your learning for today.”
2. Invite participants to stand in a circle.
3. State the prompt, explain that everyone should prepare a one-word response, and allow a minute of think time.
4. Ask for a volunteer to start off by sharing their word. The volunteer then chooses a direction to go in (left or right), and participants continue to respond in turn around the circle. As always, it’s okay to pass by saying, “Pass.”
5. If time allows, debrief the activity by asking participants if they noticed any themes or similar responses and ask what that might that tell us about the engagement or participants.
Source: SEL Playbook OUSD
Suit Yourself
Pass out a playing card to each participant. The suit the participant gets describes the category of their response as follows:
Hearts: generate conversations about something from the heart—how you felt, what it meant to you, etc.
Clubs: describe things that grow—new ideas, new thoughts, a new point of view. Diamonds: are gems that last forever. What are some of the gems of wisdom gathered from people or content?
Spades: used to dig in the garden, so generate conversation about planting new ideas or things participants dug up during class.
2. Provide 1-2 minutes of quiet time for each participant to jot down (or think about) their answer, then use one of the following three options:
Ask for one volunteer from each ‘suit’ to stand and share their response. Do not comment between sharing.
Ask participants to turn to a neighbor and share their response.
Invite each participant to answer aloud to you as they walk out door, or hand in their written response as an exit ticket.
Source: SEL Playbook OUSD
My Next Step
Ask students to think of their first next step based on what they learned during class. It might be a conversation, gathering additional resources, or thinking more about the topic.
2. After giving participants a minute to think about what that step would be, ask them to share their next step with a partner or at their table.
3. Ask participants to write their “next step” on a sticky note and post the note somewhere where they will be reminded of their task, such as on their desk, inside the cover of their related text, etc.
Source: SEL Playbook OUSD
I Am Curious
At the end of class, ask participants to complete this sentence, "I am curious to learn more
about..." or, "I am curious about..."
2. Give participants a minute to think and write a "note to self."
3. At the end of the minute ask participants to share their “curiosity” with a partner or their table group.
4. After 1-3 minutes of partner talk, ask for for 2-3 people to share what they are curious about with the whole group.
5. Collect the “notes to self” if you are using this as a formative assessment for future planning.
Source: SEL Playbook OUSD
Above is a link to a pretty cool experience you can do with students on TRUE COLORS. This has the potential to support you in your group collaboration all year once kids learn their TRUE COLOR.
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