Signature Strategies for Student-Centered Learning
Signature Strategies for Student-Centered Learning
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The Signature Strategies are tools for fostering and promoting engagement and SEL in supportive learning environments. The strategies included intentionally and explicitly help build a habit of practices through which students and adults enhance their SEL skills. While not an SEL curriculum, these strategies can be integrated into classroom instruction, staff meetings, and collaborative professional learning to foster interactions that model SEL in action and help create an equitable experience. Intentionally chosen strategies establish a safe container for equity of voice, for truly seeing one another, and for celebrating one another as our fullest selves. By integrating moments of collaboration, positive interactions, and reflections, we craft the climate and culture we’re striving for—one in which everyone in the room feels they belong to a safe and caring community of learners, where they are valued and able to learn and work together productively.
Set the Tone for Learning
Open each class period, meeting, or professional learning experience with an INCLUSIVE OPENING that builds community, creates a climate of inclusion and communicates belonging.
Everyone’s voice is heard by at least one other person.
There is an element of personal choice.
The strategy used matches the purpose and needs of participants.
Whenever possible, each person is greeted by name.
Make Sense of Content & Foster Transitions
Embed ENGAGING STRATEGIES, including brain breaks to anchor their thinking and learning, throughout the learning experience. Engagement and learning are supported by intentionally chosen strategies and activities that suit your group’s current needs.
Create an opportunity for sense-making for self or with others.
Support everyone’s learning.
Help the group stay focused and in a state of optimal learning.
Includes a variety of strategies that honor the array of cultural norms and personal learning/working preferences that exist in your group.
Reflect and Look Forward
Each experience ends with an INTENTIONAL CLOSING that highlights an individual and shared understanding of the importance of the work that provides a sense of accomplishment. The closing may be reflective of learning, help identify next steps, or make connections to one’s own work.
Give participants time to reflect.
Be forward/future focused.
Respect the diversity and varied experiences of the group.
Everyone’s voice is heard by at least one other person or in writing.
Explore the Integrating SEL slide deck to find scenarios and ready-made templates for many of the Signature Strategies.
Explore the Integrating SEL slide deck to find scenarios and ready-made templates for many of the Signature Strategies.
The SEL Signature Strategies guide:
Offers a structure to support thoughtfully selecting and facilitating SEL instructional strategies.
Provides questions for consideration for each strategy to make explicit connections to the VBCPS Graduate Profile attributes.
Provides samples of SEL strategies for specific contexts and purposes.
Identifys key SEL competencies and skills for each strategy, while noting that these competencies are interconnected and that a strategy may support more than one competency.
Adapted from CASEL, SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook
The SEL Stockpile is maintained by the VBCPS SEL-Implementation Team. Questions can be directed to Angelyn.Nichols@vbschools.com.
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