
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING NEWS
SEL - SERVICE LEARNING - CULTURE & CLIMATE
Guilford County Schools
September 2019
The Vision
MEET OUR TEAM
Lisa Brenner - Director for Social Emotional Learning
LaTrayl Adams - SEL Specialist
Cynthia Brown - SEL Specialist
Shan Carter-SEL Specialist
Tinisha Shaw- SEL Specialist
Jacob Hicks- Character Education & Service Learning Coach
Tawanda Carpenter-Positive Support & Bullying Prevention Coordinator
Sherry Rogowski- Positive Culture and Climate Coordinator
Charissa Cowley- Transition Coordinator
What is Social Emotional Learning?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
The Big 5
- Self-awareness: Self-awareness is recognizing one’s emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior. This includes accurately assessing one’s own strengths and limitations and biases, and possessing a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism and growth mindset.
- Self-management: Self-management is regulating one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and working toward personal and academic goals.
- Social awareness: Social awareness is taking the perspective of and empathizing with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, understanding social and ethical norms for behavior, and recognizing family, school, and community resources and supports.
- Relationship skills: Relationship skills include establishing and maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking and offering help when needed.
- Responsible decision-making: Responsible decision-making is making constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self and others.
SEL Quick Wins
- Smile (Smiling can trick the body into helping you elevate your mood because the physical act of smiling actually activates neural messaging in your brain.)
- Prioritize learning the names of co-workers and students. (Calling someone by their name connects you better with that person, but it also increases accountability, trust, empathy, and positive communication.)
- Recognize leadership in self and others. (A leader creates a work environment in which people feel important and appreciated.)
Service Learning
As you start the year take time to really think about what service learning means to you and the students you will be serving.
Please take a moment to review the new service-learning handbook to learn more about what service learning will look like this year. The new service learning hours link is coming.
Educators! Check out this article on why students need responsible decision making here. Also, look at a blog explaining the benefits of responsible decision making in the classroom here.
Please reach out to Jacob Hicks (hicksj@gcsnc.com) the coach of character education and service learning if you need help or would like to co-facilitate a service learning lesson in your school.
The Media Center
Quotation Station
Check out some ideas here.
Reading Corner for September
K-5 Book Choice: The Paperboy
A quiet mood piece that depicts the bond between a paperboy and his dog. Human and canine both struggle to rouse themselves, eat breakfast from bowls, and have an intimate knowledge of their route. Pilkey paints their shared experiences with a graceful economy of language.
6-8 Book Choice: Seedfolks
It takes just a nine-year-old girl who plants a handful of lima bean seeds to remember her father that turns a derelict lot into something that brings her diverse community together. In each story, neighbors come together over the promise of something hopeful and previously unexpressed. Curtis hopes the tomatoes can win Lateesha back. Virgil’s dad sees a cash harvest of lettuce. Sae Young regains her trust in people. I love the idea that a child can be the catalyst of turning a vacant lot into a community garden. Responsibility can go beyond just caring for oneself but also for one’s community.
9-12 Book Choice: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky’s epistolary, coming-of-age novel about an introverted, emotionally scarred high school freshman named Charlie. Primary themes of interest to high schoolers: introverts and extroverts, teen romance, alcohol and drug use, the effects of abuse.
School Tools
Staff pick for Educators: The Energy Bus
Upcoming Events
- Start with Hello Week Register here.
- Day of Service Find ideas and information here.
- National Character Day: Find resources here.
9/09
- Service Learning Training- High Point (Ferndale Middle School at 4:30)
9/10
- Service Learning Training- Greensboro (Franklin Boulevard Board Room at 4:30)
9/9, 9/10, and 9/11
- MTSS for Behavior – Building Core: Members of a school leadership team sign up here.
9/24, 9/25, 10/14
- Workshop 2 of MTSS – Behavior in the Classroom: CHAMPS – Classroom Management: Any GCS employee may sign up here.
10/1-10/31
- National Bullying Prevention Month
10/20-1026
- Character Counts: Find resources here.
Upcoming Professional Development
Social Emotional Learning & Character Education