Social Emotional Learning
May 17, 2024
 EWU School of Education faculty model a Strategy for Building Positive Relationships
This month’s message comes from Suzie Henning, SELAC member and Associate Professor in the School of Education at Eastern Washington University, and the co-creator of their Social Emotional Learning for Educational Equity Certificate.
Educator Preparation Programs, like the one at Eastern Washington University, work with prospective teachers to prepare them for a future career. Program orientation sessions offer opportunities for candidates to learn more about the profession, the program of study, and others with similar interests. Orientation practices to boost connection are transferable to a successful start of any professional learning collaboration or classroom community.
The primary goal of an initial orientation session is to build trusting relationships, the Super Anchor of SEL for equity (Markowitz & Bouffard, 2020). Consider three teacher moves or approaches to the design of orientation sessions aimed at relationship-building.
First, provide an opportunity for everyone to talk, every time. This can include any number of Inclusive Welcome strategies from the CASEL SEL Playbook (SEL 3 Signature Practices - SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook, 2024). We really like asking, “What’s the News?” and offering learners the chance to share successes, struggles, or celebrations. As facilitators, we participate and model care and kindness, especially when learners engage in selective vulnerability.
|
Secondly, we seek opportunities to offer support beyond basic advising. Orientators can provide a “connective thread” between the community, program, faculty, learners, and the profession. A key teacher move is to introduce participants to others with similar interests, questions, or goals to develop collaborative support networks both in school and beyond school. Building trusting relationships is an on-going, essential component of creating safe learning spaces.
Finally, making our practice explicit with participants is an important step in helping them to understand how their experiences connect to and offer SEL preparation. Closing our sessions by soliciting concrete associations between experiences in the orientation and modeling of SEL strategies is a necessary step for teachers to begin to design their own SEL-focused lessons in the future.
References
Markowitz, N. L., & Bouffard, S. M. (2020). Teaching with a Social, Emotional, and Culture Lens: A Framework for Educators and Teacher Educators. Harvard Educational Press.
SEL 3 Signature Practices—SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook. (2024). Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://signaturepractices.casel.org/
|
The next SEL Advisory Committee meeting is Tuesday, May 28, 9:00AM–12:00PM. The meeting will be held via Zoom (link attached).
We encourage the public to attend and provide time for public comment. You may also share public comment to the SEL Advisory Committee at any time by using the comment link on the SEL website.
Focus Areas
The SEL Advisory Committee (SELAC) is working on three focus areas with the following goals:
SEL Implementation Evaluation- This subcommittee is gathering data collected by OSPI on or related to SEL, specifically the adult practices around SEL implementation. This subcommittee will review and identify what data is still needed. This work will help inform the creation of an SEL needs assessment.
Family and Community Engagement- This subcommittee will work on developing an SEL focused companion module for a family and community engagement tool that school districts can use to build meaningful family school partnerships for SEL implementation.
SEL Assessment- This subcommittee will work on gathering community perspective on student SEL assessment to inform the development of a guidance or decision-tree document to use as districts consider assessing SEL.
Membership is not necessary to participate in subcommittee work in these focus areas! If you would like to participate in one of the subcommittees or for more information, please email the SEL Team.
Want to make a difference in Social Emotional Learning in Washington?
The SEL Advisory Committee is accepting applications for new members to fill vacant seats. We would love for you to apply if you have the following:
- A passion for helping our students and for social emotional learning
- You have the time and capacity to fill the position for a year (The Advisory Committee’s 2023–2024 schedule is in the application.)
If you apply for a seat that is currently filled, we are happy to hold applications to fill future vacancies. Our current vacancies are:
- One superintendent or principal from a rural school district
- One school counselor currently working in schools, a district, or ESD
- One representative from a coalition of youth-serving organizations working together to improve outcomes for young people
For more information on the SEL Advisory Committee, please visit our web page. If you have any questions, please contact Emme Williamson.
|
Debra Parker, SEL Program Supervisor, visited Evergreen Forest Elementary of North Thurston Public Schools to see SEL in action. Read on to learn more!
 Debra Parker visiting Evergreen Forest Elementary School, North Thurston Public Schools
At Evergreen Forest Elementary, fourth grade teacher, Mary Ziegert, infuses SEL into her everyday classroom practices. This helps her to know her students, understand their needs, and challenges them to stretch their academic thinking and creativity with productive struggle. During my school visit, students were tasked to create a product that would be helpful to an animal. They had to create a plan, an advertisement poster, a cost (financial literacy), and finally a marketing “pitch.” By intentionally pairing students in groups who wouldn’t usually choose to work together, this gave them opportunities to practice social awareness, social engagement, and social management. They had to use decision-making skills, communication skills, and several times had to pause and make sure everyone in the group had an opportunity to share their ideas. This was a great use of self and social-awareness skills.
Mary and her student-teacher, April Erdahl, use project-based learning to enhance student experiences and engagement by leading with the expected learning targets and instruction, and complete the lesson with student reflections and input of their learning.
Seeing the smiles, watching and listening to students work together with enthusiasm demonstrates the positive climate and culture Mary brings to her classroom. The relationships between students and teachers are noticeably authentic. Thank you, Mary, for your dedication to your students and providing them with student-centered learning opportunities.
If you would like to share an SEL Spotlight story or nominate a teacher to be featured in the SEL Newsletter, please contact Debra Parker.
|
Join the OSPI SEL Team and colleagues for a virtual SEL Professional Learning Idea Exchange. This opportunity is open to all school district and ESD educators who would like to learn from one another and share resources about how they are planning and preparing for the legislatively mandated, state-funded professional development day of learning on SEL or SEL-related topics in the upcoming school year. SEL is a shared responsibility that needs to include all adults to build capacity, provide sustainability, and support for all Washington students.
Tuesday, June 4
4:00–6:00pm
Zoom (link available through pdEnroller)
OSPI will facilitate, provide guiding questions, and resources for participants to work with their team and partnering districts on best practices for professional development. Our goal is to increase SEL knowledge, awareness, and build the conditions and partnerships that enhance student’s academic, social, and emotional growth. OSPI will gather the accumulated SEL professional learning ideas from this event, previous stakeholder input, and additional feedback to create a menu of topics and resources for LEAs to plan meaningful and sustaining learning opportunities for their staff.
Register through pdEnroller. For additional information or questions please email the SEL Team.
Emme Williamson, Administrative Assistant
Debra Parker, SEL Program Supervisor
Tammy Bolen, SEL & Title IVA Assistant Director
|
Regional Coordinators from our Educational Service Districts are hosting learning standards feedback sessions during May 2024.
Attendees will review draft versions of the revised learning standards. Each event begins with introductions to the project by OSPI staff and provides opportunities for individual and group feedback to be submitted directly to OSPI.
There are both virtual and in-person opportunities to participate, as well as several dates to choose from. Select the content area to find more information and links to register for the events:
For more information, see the Learning Standards Project OSPI Website.
|
Native Literacy Convening
Tuesday, May 28 | 8am - 4pm
This is an in-person event that brings together professionals working in fields directly impacting Native student literacy across the state. See the flyer for more information and to register.
Tribal Language Educators' Gathering
Wednesday, May 29 | 8am - 4pm
This is an in-person event that brings together current and previous Tribal language educators as well as Tribal language departments/staff. See the flyer for more information and to register.
Both events will be held at Kiana Lodge | 14976 Sandy Hook Rd NE, Poulsbo, WA 98370.
Please note that priority registration will go to those whose work is aligned with focus on either of the two events. You may register for one or both, depending upon your work.
|
OER Grantee Resource Showcase
Thursday, May 23
3:30–4:30pm
Register through pdEnroller
Explore resources developed by OSPI Open Educational Resources (OER) Project grantees during this webinar. Areas covered include civics, global issues (integrated content), special education, and world languages.
OER Development/Adaptation Grant Opportunity
OER teaching and learning materials are free to use, adapt, and share. To be considered for funding, proposals must address: either the development/adaptation of an openly licensed series of lessons/unit or professional learning focused on a Washington developed resource found on the Washington OER Hub. Applications are due Monday 30, 2024 by 11:59pm. Read more about the grant opportunity and email Barbara Soots with questions.
|
The "Resources to Inform Your CSCP Staff PD" resource document now includes an index to serve as a one stop shop for all of the resources that have been cited or included in any of the CSCP professional development that have been offered. The 504 Team Coordination Planning Template has also been added to this document as a resource for CSCP teams.
The Washington State Social Emotional Learning Standards and Benchmarks x ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success Crosswalk is now available!
Please Note: When choosing the appropriate learning standard for students, it is important to ensure that the standards are directly aligned with the learning objective(s) for the lesson or intervention and the developmental level of the student(s). Refer to Washington Social Emotional Learning Indicators for more information.
These resources may contain links to websites operated by third parties. These links are provided for your convenience only and do not constitute or imply any endorsement or monitoring by OSPI.
|
