Spirals of Inquiry

Framework for ESL

Question: What impact will we see for all students when we focus our instruction and intervention on the social emotional learning of our students?

Scanning

What do you already know about your learning and about the learners in the classes you work in or support?

- The staff completed a Self-regulation scan for our current students. We were able to identify different concerns such as: steady state of anxiety, lack of respect, sense of entitlement, impulsivity, lack of perseverance, fixed mindset, lack of compassion, distracted, lack of motivation, appear not present.

- Scanning will continue throughout next year to monitor success and identify new challenges.

- A new challenge identified this year was supporting students presenting significant behavioural challenges.

This will continue to be a fluid plan based on the needs of our students and will be discussed at staff meetings.

Continued Focus: “Tackling the Fixed Mindset” and “We Thinkers”

Upcoming in 22-23:

- Digging deeper into MDI Results

Focusing

Choose one particular aspect of the area/issue and/or an inclusive lens or competency that you want to focus on or develop. Compose a question that you would like to explore.

What impact will we see when we focus our instruction and intervention on social emotional learning of our students?

- Implementation of We Thinkers so K-3 staff/admin are using the same language. This is paired with Zones that some classes are doing.

- The main theme of the year is whatever we are doing with behaviour, assessment etc, is we all are using the same language.

- We are focusing on relationship building with our frequent flyers, communication with home, staff and providing intervention to support them so they have a voice.

Learning

What do you need to learn more about in order to answer What resources/people can help or support you through your question? your inquiry?

- We Thinkers

- Second Step – Committee for Children District Psychologist

- Zones of Regulation – Leah Kuypers OT – Julie

All homeroom teachers participated in class reviews. We have created an office referral form so language is similar.

Book Club: Lost at School (Working with students presenting challenging behaviours, supporting socially/emotionally)

Taking action

What steps will you take as you prepare to undertake this application of your learning to practise?

*Additions/Changes in 21-22*

- Collaboratively build discipline referral process/system

Defining and communicating clear expectations:

• Matrix

• Referral flowchart

• Referral forms

Ask kids “4 questions” and collect and analyze data

Establish common language around social emotional programs: Zones of Regulation, Second Step, Play is the Way, *We thinkers Program*.

Continue with best practice lessons from Second Step Program.

*Completed Class Reviews in Fall of 2021*

Educate parents in monthly newsletter

Staff Action Research Idea: With Social Emotional Learning as the Subject, determine a high needs student in your class and choose them as a yearlong case

study. Collect data on the student. Identify and focus strategies that support the identified student but teach them as a whole class routine. Make available to all students what is available to the identified student.

Create Learning partners or trios or club or morning meeting group to support your learning and debrief along the way.

Checking

How will you know that you’ve made a difference? What kinds of evidence will you gather / what will you pay attention to you to help you know the impact of your action plan/inquiry?

Debrief in your group what you have tried and your results at monthly meetings.

Talk to kids and parents

Report finds (successes and failures) to the staff for staff learning.

Class reviews and check ins.

Celebration:

The staff being open to moving in the same direction. A wonderful group of people who really were committed to the kids at FES in all capacities.