EDU-AM-3-Rm-100-EAST-ELIAS-Building-Enduring-Resilience-Social-Emotional-Character-and-Climate-Dimensions

Building Enduring Resilience: SocialEmotional, Character, and Climate Dimensions Maurice J Elias, Ph.D Dept of Psychology, Rutgers University Director, Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab (www.secdlab.org) @SECDLab Co-Director, The Academy for Social-Emotional Learning in Schools (SELinSchools.org) @SELinSchools maurice.elias@rutgers.edu www.edutopia.org/profile/maurice-j-elias Center for Great Expectations 3rd Annual Trauma at the Core Conference The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ December 6, 2019 What Are We Preparing Our Children For: The Context of Resilience www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpEFjWbXog0&t=10s One constant will be the importance of caring interpersonal relationships, civil discourse, and a commitment to democratic citizenship and the skills to enact it We cannot learn without caring relationships https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/opinion/le arning-emotion-education.html The Foundation of Resilience: Climate, Character, and SEL Competencies True academic and life success integrates the intellectual, emotional, and  social facets of learning.   These are inextricably interconnected Positive, Character-Building School Climate Explicit + Instruction in SEL Skills Reference: Aspen SEAD Commission Best Practice Guidelines + Habits of mind and patterns of thinking that include curiosity, explaining their reasoning, feedback process, asking questions, and defining and solving problems, and striving to communicate clearly and proudly The SEL Competencies Supported by the NJ State Board  of Education Resolution, August 2017 Recognize one’s emotions,  values, strengths, and  limitations Manage emotions  and behaviors  to achieve  one’s goals Self‐ awareness Self‐ management Show understanding and empathy for others Life Success Social  awareness Responsible  decision  making Relationship skills Make ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior Form positive relationships, work in teams, deal effectively with conflict Sample Activities in Handout We Must Shift Our Focus • Preparation for College Completion“+” and Career Continuity Ready, Willing, and Able– Savitz-Romer & Bouffard Closing the Revolving Door– Rutgers Collaborative Center Benefits of SECD  Good Science Links SECD to the Following Student Gains: • Social‐emotional skills   • Improved attitudes about self, others, and school • Positive classroom behavior  • 10‐11 percentile‐point gains on standardized achievement tests And Reduced Risks for Failure: • Conduct problems • Aggressive behavior • Emotional distress   Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K (2011) The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions Child Development (available at www.casel.org) and M Berkowitz & M Bier, What works in character education (Washington, DC: Character Education Partnership, 2006) (available at www.characterandcitizenship.org.) Our Guiding Beliefs • How we treat children in all aspects of our contact with them ‐as parents, teachers, clinicians, policy makers or advocates ‐matters, including many small things that add up to make a big difference • What matters most is the extent to which we act with respect, challenge, caring, safety, civility and encouragement of opportunity and resilience • All children can succeed Do we really believe it, and are we ready to act on that belief with no alibis, no excuses, and no exceptions? The Challenge of Resilience: We Must Turn our Jumbled Schoolhouses into Places that Synergistically Promote Social-Emotional and Character Development (SECD) School-Wide Efforts Violence A Jumbled and Fragmented Schoolhouse Academic Skills, Literacies ATOD Ed Community Involvement Sex Ed Prev Families Health, MH Ed SECD A School of SocialEmotional Competence & Character Violence Sex Ed Health, MH Ed Academic Skills and Multiple Literacies Service Learning ATOD Prev Ed Character Ed SCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Rethink Trauma • All learning must be trauma-informed • This is a continuum, not an absolute based on SES or race/ethnicity • Better: all learning must be emotioninformed • Schools must not inflict additional trauma on students • Schools and communities and wider social institutions are responsible for minimizing trauma and the disproportionality of trauma Teach Classrooms and Schools a Self-Calming Strategy How would you prompt and cue a self-calming strategy for an amnesiac? “Keep Calm”… derived from Lamaze, used in Social Decision Making How can We Infuse Keep Calm into our Day? • Keep Calm Corner? • Common Language/Prompt and Cue • Reflection • Keep Calm Journals • Other Ideas? Integration of EQ Skills you work on into lessons, for generalization Reading Written Expression Use feelings vocabulary in journal entries, poetry, essay writing; read wordless books Identify how passages reflect emotions FEELINGS Draw where people feel emotions; feelings and colors Math Collect and graph “feelings” data; track emotions during problem solving Computer Literacy Computer generated illustrations of feelings; download songs reflecting emotions Art SECD Lessons Build skills via games, videos; practice with role plays and application to group work Integration of EQ Skills you work on into lessons, for generalization Reading Reading words carefully, not skipping sentences Written Expression Taking time to think of the right words to use; checking and correcting Self-Control Being careful when staying within lines and spaces Math Reading problems carefully; Checking your work Social Studies Look at historical events for examples of where people were impatient, acted hastily Art All Lessons Discuss in class how students should try to calm Themselves when upset, frustrated, confused Assertive Communication (M2, S7, L13) • “Without mentioning any names, what are the things that people that show you they are being aggressive, passive, or assertive?” • Recognize these communication patterns in others • Practice via video examples or role plays • A necessary step before improving their own communication skills Assertive Communication (M2, SX, L1) • • • • • • • • • • Your BEST Communication Skills Using your BEST communication skills means using assertive body language, eye contact, speech, and tone of voice B: Body language: posture and movements For example, Slouching, standing or sitting up straight, getting too close to the other person while you’re speaking E: Eye contact: whether you are looking at the other person and how you so For example, rolling your eyes, gazing steadily and calmly? Facial expressions: frowning, scowling; discuss cultural variations S: Speech: the verbal content of your communication avoid saying things that are likely to set other people off or make a situation worse (which can happen easily in trigger situations) Beb clear and direct T: Tone of voice: how you sound as you speak Is the tone calm, whiney, sarcastic, loud, or hesitant? An assertive tone of voice is moderate, confident, and sincere Assertive Communication (M2, S7, L13) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • “When is it hardest for you to be your BEST? Why? What is it about the person, place, time, or situation that makes it hard?” Homework: Monitor Trigger Situations and use of BEST skills in situations, especially stressful ones Trigger Situation Buster (TSB) Form Briefly describe the trigger situation that happened What feelings did you notice during this situation? What physical signs of stress did you notice? in your body? What self-talk were you aware of? What did you say and do? What happened after your actions? How did things end up? Rate how calm and under control were you while the situation was taking place? Rate whether you used deep/belly breathing and how it went Rate whether you used four-square breathing and how it went1: I didn’t try it Rate how satisfied you were with each element of your BEST skills What are some things you might differently or better next time you face this situation or a similar situation? Art is Equity • “Art reaches a segment of children who have not found their way in another specialty If we can help those kids find themselves in any way possible, then we’ve helped this generation get that much further along in how they will eventually contribute to society.” Heather Becker, Chicago Conservation Center CEO, February 2009 (Greater Good, p 30) Examples of Arts-SECD Integration • Using art to illustrate artists’ purpose and being an Upstander • Teaching SEL skills through the arts • Using multiple intelligences to express what you know • Sample lessons at: • https://www.secdlab.org/supplementallessons-1 John Pitman Weber, TILT (Together Protect the Community), 1976 Academy for Social-Emotional Learning in Schools: SELinSchools.org • • • • • Overarching goals are to address the gap in professional development of school leaders and teachers that exists today and to create a community for on-going mentoring, resource support, and sharing of experiences from walking the talk! The Academy offers a virtual Professional Learning Community and two certificate programs Certificate for School Leadership in Social-Emotional Learning and Character Development Certificate for Instruction of Social-Emotional Learning and Character Development (sel.rutgers.edu) Academy Overview Video: http://sel.cse.edu/ What is the Online Professional Development Community? • A unique feature of the courses and the certificate is participants’ involvement in a virtual Professional Learning Community (vPLC) Beginning with participation in one’s classes and practicum, there is an emphasis on being part of a community of learners who support and assist oneanother during the courses– and beyond– in making applications of SEL/SECD and academics for prek-12 Courage, Persistence, and Support Structures Are Needed to Sustain Resilience and Character “Don’t let what you cannot interfere with what you can do.” John Wooden “The children are watching.” Ted Sizer Contact Information for Materials and Follow Up • www.secdlab.org/STAT www.secdlab.org/MOSAIC • The Resource Center at SELinSchools.org • For Support or Questions about Implementation: • SECDLab@gmail.com Please follow the lab @SECDLab for updates and information on the latest projects and events https://twitter.com/SECDLab • For ongoing information about SECD: • www.edutopia.org/profile/maurice-j-elias