Social Emotional Learning

We prioritize trusting and loving relationships between teachers and students. This approach helps secure the child’s emotional wellbeing and leads to more successful learning. Feeling supported, seen, and heard are so important in creating the nurturing and empowering environment that helps children grow and flourish. There will be a lot of empathy, respect, and hugs!

Responsive Classroom, and Restorative Justice at La Scuola – A Relational Approach to Education

La Scuola is committed to providing a caring, safe, and supportive school environment that ensures all students have access to a quality education. We recognize that a key aspect in achieving this environment is establishing healthy relationships between all community members, and building a culture in which the well-being of everyone is the first priority. 

Strategies of Responsive Classroom and Restorative Justice in Education give us tools with which we build relationships, classroom and school community, and enable learning to occur at the highest level for everyone. By putting people at the center of our mission, we create a school culture based around love and respect, which addresses conflict in meaningful ways, when it undoubtedly appears in the school. By honoring the many diverse perspectives students bring into the classroom, we are bonded by our sense of empathy, we teach children how to truly listen with an open heart and mind. 

We value accountability and see it as a skill that must be taught. We truly believe that mistakes are our greatest teachers, and we help students understand the importance of owning them without shame.  Our community is built on a foundation of respect, responsibility, collaboration, and empathy, setting the stage for us to successfully set forth on our mission to inspire brave learners to shape the future.

Foundations for SEL from the CASEL Framework - Toolbox of Skills for building Social and Emotional Intelligence

Check in: Building Community/Getting to know each other
What is SEL? What does it mean to understand self and others? How are we alike and different? Who am I? What do I want others to know about me? How do we show up as a community member?
CASEL Competency: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills

Developing Vocabulary to talk about Emotions
What words can we think of for mad, sad, and glad?
CASEL Competency: Self-Awareness and Self-Management

Active Listening
Can we feel more than one thing at once? Which feelings do we show the world, and which feelings do we keep inside.
CASEL Competency: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills

I - Messages
How can we express strong feelings effectively?
How can we use I-Messages to express happiness and appreciation?
CASEL Competency: Self-Awareness and Self-Management

Calming Down and Cooling Off
What Strategies can we use to manage strong emotions and reduce stress so that we can communicate effectively? How do we manage stress?
CASEL Competency: Personal Decision Making

Win-Win Solutions
How can we solve problems so that both people get what they need?
CASEL Competency: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills

Talk it Out: A Conflict Resolution Model
How can we use SEL tools to solve conflicts? How can we become independent problem solvers? When do we need help from adults?
CASEL Competency: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills

De-Escalator: Escalating Staircase (Escalation and De-Escalation)
What actions, thoughts and feelings tend to escalate a conflict (like going up the stairs on an escalator)? Which might calm a conflict? How do we use non-blaming language to communicate in a conflict?
CASEL Competency: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills

Boundary Bubble: Boundaries
Why are personal boundaries important? How can we respond to boundary violations with children and adults?
CASEL Competency: Personal Decision Making

Put-Ups
How do we encourage others? How do you stand up for what is right and just?
CASEL Competency: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills

Appreciations
Acknowledgement of others' efforts. How do we express gratitude?
CASEL Competency: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills

Emotional Thermometer
How do you find grace under pressure? How do you find mental calmness and composure when the stakes are high?
CASEL Competency: Personal Decision Making

Hidden Voice and Inner Ally
What does it mean to have a growth mindset vs. fixed mindset? What are helpful messages you can say to yourself or others that support a growth mindset? The “Power of Yet” Tool! Book: Bubble gum Brain
CASEL Competency: Self-Awareness and Self-Management

On-Going SEL skill building

• Check-In with self and others
• Focusing Attention/Grounding
• Active Listening
• Communication with body language
• Relaxation Exercises
• Developing Respect and Empathy

Values

• Kindness
• Inclusion
• Health
• Communication
• Peace
• Self-Advocacy
• Mindfulness
• Integrity
• Respect
• Empathy
• Responsibility
• Cooperation
• Compassion
• Resilience
• Leadership

Ten SEL Learning Concepts

SEL Goals

• Develop self-calming strategies Use active listening and positive communication including encouragement and supportive language
• Build healthy, respectful relationships by expanding the conscious repertoire of pro-social behaviors during work and play
• Gain insight into cooperation and conflict resolution
• Increase empathy and tolerate differences within the community students

Lessons

• Promote critical intrapersonal and social skills for children in elementary grades
• Improve students’ well-being and academic performance
• Both affective and cognitive skill-based and designed to incorporate different learning methods: kinesthetic, visual, auditory, etc
• Teaching strategies: discussion, reflection, drawing, building, critical and creative thinking, and hands-on learning