
Practice Makes Perfect
The SEL Blog
Prior to COVID, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade teachers attended training on a social emotional curriculum. With this project, those teachers will focus on three units of the curriculum during the 2021-2022 school year with the goal of explicitly addressing trauma from losses due to COVID and the impact of racial violence within the Black and Asian communities. Using the initial units as a starting off point the teachers will adapt and expand “building community,” “feelings” and “diversity” units in order to weave the concepts more deeply into classroom routines and curriculum. During the first few months of the school year, the building community unit will be enhanced by the use of student-led circles, during which students will meet in small groups to share experiences and challenges. The feelings unit will be elaborated with the use of cozy corners and break stations for children to take mindfulness breaks alone or in pairs. Creative arts materials will also be woven into helping children express, process and share feelings that they experience during the day. Finally the diversity unit will be expanded through the use of read-alouds and book clubs that feature protagonists from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. In addition to highlighting and celebrating cultural diversity throughout the curriculum, this unit will focus on advocacy and how to speak out against discrimination using role-plays and bringing local activists to speak to the class. Kindergarten through second grade teachers will plan extension activities collaboratively to ensure continuity of concepts across grade levels.
FILTER STORIES BY:


Luke Midnight-Woodward
A central strategy of Pa’lante Restorative Justice (RJ) Program’s work to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline has been the development of... October 2021Read Story
Lisa Vasquez
Grant funds will be used to purchase books, SEL materials, and teacher resources that will help our students and teachers... October 2021Read Story
Lisa Fornwald
The Three R's of Mindfulness program is designed to assist students by reducing levels of stress and developing feelings of... October 2021Read Story
Linda Noble
In 2017, our high-performing Title I high school established a Mindfulness Center offering mindfulness-based practices to nurture student SEL. Facing... October 2021Read Story
Lauren Blonde
ARCK’s Creators Program is a 36 week push-in program taught by ARCK Teaching Artists that focuses on creativity as the... October 2021Read Story
Laura Grace
As Buddy Circles were born out of a naturally occurring conversation between peers who were able to express themselves without... October 2021Read Story
Kristy Hill
The Keller Changemakers Project is a year-long project consisting of a youth-lead Changemaker Summit, a community collaborative art installation, and... October 2021Read Story
Kristen Rulison
The School District of Palm Beach County will implement "Providing Mirrors and Windows for All Students." Select elementary, middle and... October 2021Read Story