The SEL team serves as a model for positive practices that promote healthy relationships among adults, students, and families. It’s highly beneficial to build a strong team dynamic and positive working relationship by developing group norms and team routines.
Focus Area 3 Continuous Improvement Connections
There are a variety of data sources that can be used to continuously improve how SEL is implemented for students.
By building an SEL team that reflects the school community and incorporates many points of view, the school will be better able to meet its needs and build commitment to SEL.
Teacher stress has been found to affect teachers’ health and well-being, job satisfaction, turnover, and even student outcomes (Greenberg, Brown, & Abenavoli, 2016). For this reason, it’s essential that educators take time to prevent burnout, promote health, and protect themselves from the negative effects of stress.
Build on Strengths and Experience
Schools, like the greater society, are becoming increasingly more diverse in culture, ethnicity, race, language, values, and beliefs. This diversity has countless positive benefits, but it can also present challenges.
Focus Area 2: Continuous Improvement Connections
A safe and supportive school climate is an important factor for improving academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes for students (Thapa, 2013).
Support staff in modeling SEL competencies, mindsets, and skills throughout the school community.
Foster a Supportive School Climate
Schoolwide norms help operationalize how all staff and students will contribute to a school culture that achieves their shared vision.
Create meaningful partnership opportunities and two-way communication that invites families to understand, experience, inform, and support the social and emotional development of their students.
Set goals and action steps to cultivate SEL for adults
Supporting adults to engage in their own social and emotional learning, collaborating on strategies to promote SEL, and modeling SEL throughout the school is an essential part of schoolwide SEL. More than just professional learning, the SEL team should also take steps to foster a supportive work environment where SEL is part of the way […]