Classroom Strategies for Social and Emotional Learning
Artifact: One way to foster inclusiveness is to select a 'teacher lesson helper' everyday. In this role, students help with handing our paper and with the Smart Board. Write students names on craft sticks and put them in a "waiting to help" tin. Once they have helped, put their names in the "I have helped tin." At the end of the lesson, a certificate is distributed around the classroom. Students are asked to write a compliment about the 'helper' but are not allowed to write negative comments. This strategy helps build self-esteem through peer support and provides leadership opportunities. Special helpers receive a treat at the end of the day. The intrinsic reward is that the students enjoy being a part of the classroom activities. While this strategy seems primary, older students participate with equal enthusiasm and will often prompt you to select a helper.
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Motivation Strategies
Proper motivational strategies can enhance the desire to learn. Intrinsic motivation builds academic achievement over the long haul. The desire to learn is vested within the student and not in winning a tangible reward. At the same time, extrinsic motivation can beneficial when working towards a class goal, like completing a unit, or when playing games and showing good work effort.
In my classroom, I used mostly intrinsic motivation and some forms of extrinsic motivation. The first step that I took in motivating my students, intrinsically, was to show enthusiasm for the subject or topic being addressed. Student were found motivation in lessons that incorporated games, art, drama, and music. I found that when the teacher shows enthusiasm, the students will draw on that energy. For example, if I am excited about math being a 'mystery to be solved', my students were more likely to look forward to discovering math facts and solutions. I want the students in my classroom to grow and learn in a positive environment. I believe that proper motivation is fundamental in developing healthy attitudes in students for learning. Students should not feel that learning is a punishment.
In my classroom, I used mostly intrinsic motivation and some forms of extrinsic motivation. The first step that I took in motivating my students, intrinsically, was to show enthusiasm for the subject or topic being addressed. Student were found motivation in lessons that incorporated games, art, drama, and music. I found that when the teacher shows enthusiasm, the students will draw on that energy. For example, if I am excited about math being a 'mystery to be solved', my students were more likely to look forward to discovering math facts and solutions. I want the students in my classroom to grow and learn in a positive environment. I believe that proper motivation is fundamental in developing healthy attitudes in students for learning. Students should not feel that learning is a punishment.
Classroom Strategies
1) A teacher is a role model. As an educator and a role model, teachers need to show their students what emotional control looks like through their own behavior. Your posture and emotions emanate many feelings including, confidence, nervousness, and anger. Teachers are more effective and productive when they learn how to “regulate their negative emotions.” One way to do this is to use “humor” and to express positive emotions rather than negative emotions (Schutx and Reinhard-Pekrun, 2007, pg. 271).
2) Cooperative versus competitive learning: Promote a cooperative classroom style rather than a competitive environment (Schutz & Reinhard Pekrun, 2007, pg. 202). Emotional-regulation can flourish in a cooperative, positive learning, environment where students can learn from their mistakes.
3) Teachable moments: take advantage of the various situations that arise to teach your students about their actions (School Advisor, conversation). It is important that as a teacher, you don’t tell students what their values should be. Encourage students to utilize their own value systems in addition to rationalization, and perspective taking, to come up with respectable solutions.
4) Scaffold self-regulation. Scaffolding can help in many situations, such as teaching students simple courtesy, active listening, and anger control (Tools of the Mind).
5) Teach reflective thinking: Students can use journals and drawings to record their emotions and thoughts (Tools of the Mind). Encourage students to look back at situations and examine their own perspectives.
6) Use drama and role-play to teach critical thinking and perspective taking (Schonert-Reichl, 2011, pg. 168). The results may not be immediate but after a few weeks, incidents of teasing and bullying in the classroom will be reduced. When incidents arise, students have the opportunity to identify the situation and find practical solutions.
7) Drawing, painting, or coloring to music for the purpose of self-regulation. Even very young children can do this. The teacher plays music and the children make marks, draw, or paint. When the music stops, they also must stop what they are doing. This is repeated a few times with different songs (Tools of the Mind). The purpose of this activity is to teach students self-control. Students learn to control their impulse to continue drawing when the music stops.
8) Create classroom code of conduct or individual contracts. Take the classroom code of conduct seriously (Roderick, 2009, pg 13). Use the school motto as a basis. For example, my practicum school’s motto is “Be safe, Be Fair, Be kind.” I discuss what it means to be safe, fair and kind in the classroom and on the playground.
9) Engage in guided reading with the classroom. The website, Open Circle, at www.open-circle.org, gives a list of over 200 books relating to social and emotional learning and foster constructive thinking. Reading can bring rich discussion into the classroom.
10) Teach simple courtesy. Teach students to listen to others and to give appropriate responses. Encourage students to introduce people to the classroom. Make sure your students say “thank you” and “your welcome.” In addition, always meet and greet your students (Roderick, 2009, pg 14). Greeting your students sets a positive tone for the day.
11) Use self-talk strategies. Self-talk can help students calm down when they are angry. For example, by saying “I am not going to let this ruin my day,” the student can begin thinking before reacting (Roderick, 2009, pg 12).
12) Professional development. Take opportunities to attend workshops on SEL in the classroom. Your journey as an educator is continuous. Strive to learn the most effective ways to teach SEL.
2) Cooperative versus competitive learning: Promote a cooperative classroom style rather than a competitive environment (Schutz & Reinhard Pekrun, 2007, pg. 202). Emotional-regulation can flourish in a cooperative, positive learning, environment where students can learn from their mistakes.
3) Teachable moments: take advantage of the various situations that arise to teach your students about their actions (School Advisor, conversation). It is important that as a teacher, you don’t tell students what their values should be. Encourage students to utilize their own value systems in addition to rationalization, and perspective taking, to come up with respectable solutions.
4) Scaffold self-regulation. Scaffolding can help in many situations, such as teaching students simple courtesy, active listening, and anger control (Tools of the Mind).
5) Teach reflective thinking: Students can use journals and drawings to record their emotions and thoughts (Tools of the Mind). Encourage students to look back at situations and examine their own perspectives.
6) Use drama and role-play to teach critical thinking and perspective taking (Schonert-Reichl, 2011, pg. 168). The results may not be immediate but after a few weeks, incidents of teasing and bullying in the classroom will be reduced. When incidents arise, students have the opportunity to identify the situation and find practical solutions.
7) Drawing, painting, or coloring to music for the purpose of self-regulation. Even very young children can do this. The teacher plays music and the children make marks, draw, or paint. When the music stops, they also must stop what they are doing. This is repeated a few times with different songs (Tools of the Mind). The purpose of this activity is to teach students self-control. Students learn to control their impulse to continue drawing when the music stops.
8) Create classroom code of conduct or individual contracts. Take the classroom code of conduct seriously (Roderick, 2009, pg 13). Use the school motto as a basis. For example, my practicum school’s motto is “Be safe, Be Fair, Be kind.” I discuss what it means to be safe, fair and kind in the classroom and on the playground.
9) Engage in guided reading with the classroom. The website, Open Circle, at www.open-circle.org, gives a list of over 200 books relating to social and emotional learning and foster constructive thinking. Reading can bring rich discussion into the classroom.
10) Teach simple courtesy. Teach students to listen to others and to give appropriate responses. Encourage students to introduce people to the classroom. Make sure your students say “thank you” and “your welcome.” In addition, always meet and greet your students (Roderick, 2009, pg 14). Greeting your students sets a positive tone for the day.
11) Use self-talk strategies. Self-talk can help students calm down when they are angry. For example, by saying “I am not going to let this ruin my day,” the student can begin thinking before reacting (Roderick, 2009, pg 12).
12) Professional development. Take opportunities to attend workshops on SEL in the classroom. Your journey as an educator is continuous. Strive to learn the most effective ways to teach SEL.
Bibliography
"Open Circle." Open Circle. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. http://www.open-circle.org
Roderick, T. (2009). Educating the Heart as Well as the Mind: a Comprehensive School-Improvment Model Based on Social Emotional Learning. New York: Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility.
Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Hymel, S. (2007). Educating the Heart as Well as the Mind: Social and Emotional Learning for School and Life Success. Education Canada, 47(2), 20-25.
Schonert-Reichl, K. (2011). Chapter 7: Promoting Empathy in School-Aged Children: Current State of the Field ad Implications for Research and Practice. School Rampage Shootings and Other Youth Disturbances: Early Preventative Interactions (pp. 159-203). New York: Routledge.
School Advisor, anonymous conversation.
Schutz, P. A., & Pekrun, R. (2007). Emotion in education. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press.
Tools of the Mind. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2013. http://www.toolsofthemind.org/extendedcampus/toolsofthemind/about/index.shtml
What Is SEL? | CASEL. (n.d.). CASEL | Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Retrieved March 8, 2013. http://casel.org/why-it-matters/what-is-sel/