Out-of-school time: "A supervised program that young people regularly attend when school is not in session. This can include before- and after- school programs on a school campus or facilities such as academic programs (e.g., reading or math focused programs), specialty programs (e.g., sports teams, STEM, arts enrichment), and multipurpose programs that provide an array of activities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)." https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/ost.htm
Aligning SEL and Academic Objectives
As your SEL team works with teachers to align SEL and academic objectives, it’s also important to consider how the content is delivered so that it supports the practice of social and emotional competencies.
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 cultivating personal social and emotional competencies and fostering the competencies of peers and students.
Professional Learning Communities
Professional learning communities provide an important opportunity to integrate SEL into existing practices, work collaboratively on the goals of schoolwide SEL, and cultivate their own social and emotional competencies.
Establish Discipline Policies that Promote SEL
When discipline policies and practices are supportive, developmentally-appropriate, and equitable, they reinforce SEL and support stronger relationships, student engagement, and equitable outcomes.
Students have a unique perspective on how high-level decisions impact the day-to-day life of the school, and their voices are critical to quality schoolwide SEL implementation. By listening to students, schools can make informed decisions about the changes that will best support all learners.
SEL is a powerful lever for creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy communities that support all individuals in reaching their fullest potential.
Carol Dweck is a psychologist who researches achievement and success. Her major finding is that those who have a “growth mindset”—those who believe that their abilities are developed through dedication and hard work, not innate talent—are more likely to be resilient when things get tough and persevere to achieve goals (Dweck, 2006).
Personalized Professional Learning Plans for SEL
As the SEL team works to develop a schoolwide professional learning plan, staff can choose to take it one step further and develop their own personalized professional learning plan to support the school’s SEL goals.
Collaboratively develop a shared vision for schoolwide SEL that is communicated to the entire school community, informs planning and implementation, and is revisited regularly.