Title: Turning discipline issues into teachable moments for SEL
Source: Education DIVE
Author: Tara Garcia Mathewson
Date: December 22,2016
URL Link: http://www.educationdive.com/news/turning-discipline-issues-into-teachable-moments-for-sel/432939/
Audience: Educators
Key Points: SEL (Social and Emotional Learning). Teachers should take advantage of classroom conflicts for SEL instead of just addressing them with disciplinary actions. Teachers were concerned that it would take up too much academic time, be a waste of academic time. Once the practices were implemented, they found the opposite response; students had a great response.
Teachers are using "I need" and "I feel" statements/techniques with their students. "No Fault Zone(s)"- a term used for an area to take a break.
Also links to other resources.
Relevance: I saw this article as being a tool to encourage us, as educators of students with disabilities, to continue doing what we are doing. We've discussed the daily implementation of a more intense PBIS/SEL protocols. We spend a lot of academic time and resources helping our students be successful communicators of their emotions and concerns. We might see progress, therefore being able to just "refresh" on a day to day basis. We are sewing seeds of change and skills that will benefit them as they grow and live their adult lives. We might not reap the full benefits, but their middle school or high school teacher might see the skills they have developed.
I appreciate that this article focuses on teachable moments and social emotional learning. I think educators can be creative and thoughtful about how they approach conflict in their classrooms. Frequently, I hear frustrations from teachers about having enough time just to cover the academic content. As a result, social emotional learning ends up taking a back seat, even if they are interested in it. I agree with you, and see importance in allowing students opportunities to practice being successful communicators. As you mention, these skills that they learn will benefit them into adulthood. Also, as educators, we should not make assumptions that students already have the skills to self-regulate or to be self-aware. Any new skill requires practice, similarly to academic skills like reading and writing.
ReplyDeleteI believe our culture today, most notably the breakdown of family and rise of social media, has had a negative impact on our students' social and emotional development. This puts additional pressure on teachers to incorporate SEL into their classroom management agenda. What was once under the purview of the parents is now an issue in the classroom. Unfortunately, there are time constraints that limit SEL, if SEL is considered an entity separate from curriculum. Alternatively, without the positive behaviors that result from SEL, academic learning becomes a struggle. I think highly trained and qualified teachers, who are able to integrate SEL into their everyday academic teaching, are the key.
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