Mindfulness-Based SEL in Action

Welcome and happy September! In this month's newsletter we thought it would be best to go back to the basics--within you'll find many resources to help you get started in the classroom with social emotional learning and mindfulness. Remember if you have any questions be sure to reach out with our information below--we would be glad to share our experiences and support in this incredibly important work. Be sure to check out MyLearningPlan for updates on workshop opportunities.

We invite you to share this newsletter with others who may benefit from all that is here. :-)

Liane & Kate

Since June, 45 educators across the region have been engaged in a year long book study with the book, Onward. In Chapter 1, Elena Aguilar introduces the disposition of purposefulness: “Self-knowledge is the portal through which we cultivate our disposition of purposefulness. When you feel purposeful, you’ll sense it in every confident stride you take, in the words you speak, and in the way you dust off your knees and stand up tall again after you’ve fallen down.” How well do you know yourself? Maybe answering the question What is your purpose in life will help you figure yourself out a little more clearly. What a great way to set the tone for the new school year! See how folks of all ages answered this question in the video below!

Excerpt from OnwardTheBook Blog Post

Each month in this section, we will showcase a variety of resources, articles, or documents for you to use as they relate to each of the three goals from New York State Education Department. Our pictures will remain the same, but our links and resources will be updated.

The SEL Signature Practices Playbook offers practical ways to introduce and expand the use of SEL aligned activities in classrooms and across the entire school system. By incorporating these practices at all levels of the learning environment, systemic implementation is more likely. This Playbook was developed in response to the questions: "What does SEL look like?" and "How can I start implementing SEL now?" Check it out!

Below is a beginners guide to mindfulness and meditation. Within this concise guide, you will find explanations related to mindfulness and tips on how to get started. We really liked the Myths Debunked section as it truly paints what mindfulness practice is and is not. Additionally, if you have yet to experience meditation, this portion of the guide will be especially helpful for beginners to wrap their mind around this experience before diving into a meditation. The guide will also be a powerful resource for teachers looking to integrate mindfulness into their every day teaching practices as it provides easy to understand language on the how-to's of mindfulness and meditation.

Liane and Kate are here to support you in a variety of ways. We spend a good portion of our time in classrooms modeling these practices with students, offering workshops, facilitating learning experiences in small group settings, coaching, book studies and more! Please check our catalog for offerings that may be of interest. You can also sign up for our email blast of offerings ~ see below!

Please reach out for support!

Email: SEL@citiboces.org
Website: https://www.citiboces.org/SEL
Location: 179 County Route 64, Mexico, NY, USA