Socioemotional Learning

The Importance of Relationships

Every child wants to do well in school and to have rewarding friendships. The child's relationships in four key areas are the most important factor in determining whether they have a happy and successful school experience.

The Child and Other Students

Child relationships can be nearly as complicated as adult relationships, and you know how complicated those can be! The difference is that adults are able to both understand and verbalize their feelings better than children. A big part of third grade is teaching students to monitor their emotions and to respond appropriately when they get into conflicts. Despite the fact that we will be remote learning, we will still fully address friendship issues, respectful talk, and acceptance of differences.

The Child and the Teacher

Children behave better when they have a positive and respectful view of the teacher. It is the teacher's responsibility to listen carefully to what each child has to say and to act in the best interests of the class as a whole. It is the student's responsibility to make his/her needs and opinions known to the teacher in a respectful manner and to follow the directions of the teacher willingly. I try to develop a trusting relationship with each student by discussing issues with them one-on-one, by explaining my reasons for making decisions that affect them, and by being patient with them when they exercise poor judgment. When persistent problems do occur, such as when a child is unwilling to follow directions, I will contact the parent so that we can discuss ways to help your child.

The Child and the Classroom

At school, handling books, pencils, and other materials in a proper manner is important in order to maintain a pleasant environment. With regards to remote learning, the classroom is a Zoom meeting. Students who are serious and respectful of our online procedures are able to take full advantage of distance lessons.

The Child and Schoolwork

Most children enjoy the activities that we do in class most of the time. Activities are designed to be as engaging and relevant as possible. Of course, even the most hard-working students become tired or unmotivated at times. This is especially true during remote learning when kids generally have more freedom and less structure than in the classroom. Reminders to kids to complete assignments work well in the majority of cases. If reminders are not effective, I will let you know so that you can work with your child to motivate them to get back on track.

Helping Your Child With Behavior

We all want our children to be caring, thoughtful, hard-working, responsible people, both now and in the future. Third grade is a time when most students are content to follow rules that are applied in a consistent manner. Students are becoming more aware of how their peers are feeling and developing a greater sense of fairness and equity. However, just as a young child takes years of practice to develop their reading skills, so too does it take many lessons and a great deal of repetition for kids to learn how to share gracefully, to empathize with others, and to treat each other with respect. You can help at home by being patient but firm with your child, by reinforcing the importance of having good behavior at school, by discussing with your child how to solve any problems they might be experiencing, and by communicating with the teacher about any issues that may arise that may affect your child's well-being.

Toolbox

Our district sociemotional curriculum, Toolbox, employs a set of 12 tools that students can use to make the best of their social situations. Teachers role-play the tools with the students and encourage kids to utilize the tools in their daily interactions.

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