The art of SEL is not just talking to students directly about emotions and strategies for self-regulation. I truly believe most teachers have this down pat. We talk about how we are feeling and we have our own individual styles and personalities that highlight mindfulness and community. We embody SEL because we have lived in the world of student and educator.
We understand the importance of a happy classroom and how that frames the learning experience. We greet them at the door. We smile. We lure them out of their shells. We anticipate their needs. We listen with intent. We look them in the eye and say their name and make them feel a part of a journey, adventure, a place where individualism and cooperation meet.
We have not only have a curriculum plan, but a behavior and well-being plan. We are educators, we have a lot of plans indeed. But, above all the plans - we have a presence that our students feel. They sense our compassion and love and because of this, they enter our classrooms in a positive frame of mind. The paint might be dripping around them- but in your classroom- it is bright and sparkly. Inviting and friendly. This is why SEL seems to just come natural for most of us.
The art of SEL is as I have said in many a blog post- personal. I know for me - using my mindfulness strategies are very different than my neighbor. I just tend to be bubbly and energetic. That is my nature. Here are a few of my strategies that I use daily- some take 30 seconds, some a few minutes- but they are routine and a main pastel in our mosaic.
Making it Stick
-One-minute check-in's- this is so important. On Zoom for my virtual classes I use breakout rooms and in my classroom a social distancing location. Every week I speak to every one of my students face to face, up close and personal. We chat about our emotions, science, I ask for feedback, I share feedback- for 1-minute a week they get my undivided attention. This really builds a relationship both strong and trusting.
-One-word, One-phrase- this is a quick write they add at the beginning of their journal page. So every day when they read over their notes- they will have a quote or phrase that they came up with to help them focus and smile. Sometimes I have quotes up on the smartboard, others I ask them to just think of a positive phrase to help them get focused for class.
-S.T.O.M.P. These lessons we have embedded in our classroom each week. I have had to tweak a few things for virtual learning, but my face to face classes are quite comfortable with these. I have added a link to my blog post all about S.T.O.M.P.
https://practicalrebellion.blogspot.com/2019/10/hocus-pocus-its-time-to-focus-stomp-out.html?spref=tw
-'Even with the Distance'- I have students use gestures to add to their masked smiles. We have come up with some hand signals and simple gestures to help express ourselves from a distance. I already model the 'huge smile' wrinkle system I call it. I smile big under the mask so they know I am smiling.
Every Word Matters
I share with my students a lot of tips on how I always say- "to prevent the tooth paste rut." Once words leave your mouth, like a tube of tooth paste, you can never put it back in. When we are frustrated and annoyed, our caps are not closed and our tooth paste is oozing onto the counter top. If we do not cap the tube and clean up the sludge it gets hard and caked on- in other words, difficult to remove.
So when they are starting to use words that display anger or frustration- I say and many students parrot- "tooth paste is oozing." This is a quick reminder that we need to self-check. I find words to be very powerful, they change the tone as quickly as any action. They stir up the mud from the bottom and things quickly get murky. So I spend a lot of time modeling positive words, gestures and stance.
Our posture matters too. When we stand up straight and tall it sends to our brains we are ready to engage. When we turn our heads to where the action is taking place, we engage further. Finally, when we make eye contact, we connect. It is the charger I tell them, that jolt of energy we need to rejuvenate and strengthen our charge. Names and eye contact are so important and they set another layer of awareness and personal connection.
SEL is not a curriculum or strategy based program. It is an embodiment of community that is built on a social contract per se. A value based platform that when we model not just a reason but an action- it sticks. When we repeatedly use the positive words we choose as our classroom mantra- when we share silly but meaningful gestures and hand signals and take the time to giggle and really connect- the social, emotional becomes engrained in the learning.
This is synergy. This is the sticky that unites the pieces. This is mindfulness, kindness, and individualism all in one. This is why SEL and mindfulness is so important. It takes everything to the next level- like a video game- these are the ways we gain tokens and rewards- and this is the reason why a classroom based on mindful pursuits are so successful.
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