October 2022 at the SECD Lab

Hope everyone had a wonderful wrap to their October month. Here at the SECD Lab, we are striving to spread awareness on a multitude of topics, such as Mental Illness awareness week, National Friends of the library week, and many more. October is a month dedicated to National Prevention Bullying month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We encourage viewers to preview some of the readings provided below.

STAT BOOK IS NOW OUT!

A new book containing the teaching strategies of the STAT curriculum is now available for pre-order from ASCD.

Order  here: New STAT Book Now Available for Order! — Rutgers SECD La

Mental Illness Awareness Week 10/1-10/7

Mental Illness awareness week is to be celebrated between October 1 and October 7. It was created to educate and increase awareness about mental illness. Mental illness is defined as mental health disorders that care a wide range of mental health conditions such as disorders that affect mood, thinking and behaviors. A few examples of mental illnesses are depression anxiety schizophrenia bipolar disorder and more.

In high school, There are around 1 in 5 l students who have considered suicide in the past year. There is a stigma that sucicde is supposed to look a certain way, hoover it

When it comes to mental health and mental illness in boys and men, there is a stigma that not talking about your feelings encourages masculinity. When a child is unable to express their emotions in a health manner, this may lead to outburst and possibly violence. It is essential to incorporate and create safe spaces for young boys to connect, help students make connections with one another, and build an empathetic school culture.

Emphasizing the importance of understanding mental illness and creating safe spaces for communication can save a life!

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK (8255).

More resources emphasizing the importance of Mental Illness Awareness Month

 

National Domestic Violence Awarnanwess

In the year 1989, October was deemed National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is defined as aggressive and violent behavior within the home, usually abuse between partners/spouse. Dating/domestic violence refers to a relationship or one partner is trying to manipulate or gain power over another partner. Domestic violence can be physical abuse but it can also be emotional, sexual, and economic abuse. Dating Violence refers to violence in a relationship where the two parties are not married and typically refers to younger couples.

Rutgers University was able to compile a few facts on Dating/Domestic Violence:

  1. 1 in 3 college women and 1 in 10 college men may be victims of sexual dating violence.

  2. An average of 28% of high school and college students experience dating violence at some point.

  3. Nearly 1 in 3 adult women experience at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood.

  4. The rates of domestic violence in same-gender relationships is roughly the same as domestic violence against heterosexual women, about 25%

If you or someone you know is expericing Dating/Domestic Violence, you are not alone.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233

National Friends of the Library Week 10/16-10/22

October 16 to October 22 is dedicated to national friends of the library week, which is celebrates the contributions of friend groups across the world. National friends of the library week encourages and is dedicated to celebrate the positive impact people have on their libraries and their communities.

One of Social Emotional Learning Compentcies is responsible decisions making. Responsible decision making is defined as learning how to make reasoned descsions after identifying a problem and analyzing the data:

A few book for grade levels Pre-school to Grade 2 that demonstrate making choices are

  1. 88 Instruments, by Chris Barton, illustrated by Louis Thomas.

  2. Charlie Chooses, by Lou Peacock, illustrated by Nicola Slater.

  3. Choices, by Roozeboos.

  4. The Favorite Book, by Bethanie Deeney Murguia.

  5. I Voted: Making a Choice Makes a Difference, by Mark Shulman, illustrated by Serge Bloch.

  6. This or That? A Story About Choosing, by Kell Andrews, illustrated by Hector Borlasca.

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September 2022 at the SECD Lab

September 2022 - Back To School Month

Welcome back to school! Back to school month is usually very exciting for the kids, the parents and the teachers. After two long years being online, its exciting to be back in the classroom and interactions with our fellow classmates! There are some things to keep in mind, such as still maintaining social distances, ensuring open flow of communication with parents, incorporating Social Emotional Learning in the classrooms and overall having a wonderful school year! Here at the SECD Lab, we wanted to provide some back to school tips and how to make this year spectacular!

What is SEL?

SEL stands for Social emotional Learning and is used to help teach students mange their emotions themselves and create positive behaviors that can be used in the future.

Social emotional Learning has 5 compentienes:

  1. Self-Awareness,

  2. Self Management,

  3. Social Awareness,

  4. Relations skills

  5. and Responsible Decision Making.

Social Emotional Learning is essential for facilitating positive behaviors and helping with a students academic achievements!

Please check out this article on How social-emotional learning became a frontline in the battle against CRT

 

Teacher-Parent Communication Strategies

Communication is one element that is essential to healthy relationships and decrease any confusion that can occur.

Parent-teacher communication can be challenging but studies suggest that with more parentantal involvement in a students academics, the more academic gains the child can have. We wanted to share a few tips to help.

  1. Opening reliable Channels of Communication

  2. Add a personalized touch, such as embedding a introduction video in emails!

  3. Your child in a million words or less. Teachers would ask care-givers to tell them everything she would need to know about their child, any restrictions, etc.

  4. Establish back and forth communication: Encouraging healthy exchange of information between parents and teachers.

Check out the article for more tips:

Teacher-Parent Communication Strategies to Start the Year Off Right | Edutopia— By prioritizing communication with families at the start of the school year, educators can foster strong parent engagement, break down barriers, and provide support for all students.

 

Meaning-full Questions Guardians Should Ask

The best part of healthy communication between student and teachers, Guardian and teacher, Guardian and student, is an increase engagement in school and higher academic achievements.

If you are a first time Guardian, or someone who’s not sure how to involve yourself in a students academic career, here are some questions that could be asked:

To the Teachers:

  1. Do you focus on strengths or weaknesses?

  2. How exactly is learning personalized in your classroom? In the school?

  3. How do you measure academic progress?

  4. What are the most common instructional or literacy strategies you will use this year?

  5. How will you respond if or when my child struggles in class?

  6. How is education changing?

For more tips, check out : Parents: 19 Meaningful Questions You Should Ask Your Child's Teacher | Edutopia

Back to School Resources:

Distance Learning Strategies to Bring Back to the Classroom | Edutopia—When schools closed, teachers were forced to get creative—and they’ve learned things they can use when they’re back at school.

Back to School Stress: Establishing Good Habits | Edutopia—

Teachers: 5 Ways to Ease Back into School | Edutopia—

Next Generation Learning: Bringing Student Agency Back to Schooling | Edutopia— The internet has enabled students to follow their passions toward self-directed learning. How can we, as educators, fold that learning back into their schooling experience?

Back-to-School Night: The Ultimate Conversation Starter for a Successful School Year | Edutopia— When establishing that first contact with parents on back-to-school night, start the year right by being transparent, direct, and consistent.

Summer Prep for Back to School: Resources for School Leaders | Edutopia— Explore resources from Edutopia and the web that support school leaders -- including principals and other administrators -- as they guide school communities into a new school year.

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August 2022 at the SECD Lab

August 2022 at the SECD Lab!

Here at the SECD Lab, we are counting down the days for Back to School! The month of August is declared International Peace Month! We wanted not only to celebrate peace within SEL and classrooms, but advocating for peace national and internationally. We also wanted to spread awareness for National Smile week and many more!

Our very own, Dr. Elias had the opportunity to present for NJ Early Care and Education Alliance about the social and Emotional impact Covid-19 has had on Young Children.

“Emotional vocabulary is more than word recognition. It shapes how children see the world. If one only knows black and white, one will not be able to see and appreciate all the colors that there are in the world.” (Dr. Maurice J. Elias, PH.D)

Check out the presentation here, as well as more presentations in our Resources Tab!

International Peace Month

International Peace month was first declared by Democratic Peace Conference in Germany during 1926. Although intended for different reasons, International Peace month is now celebrated throughout the month of August  to strengthen our concept of peace and to help others understand that one's present day mistake will be followed by more  peaceful days. 

As we approach a new school year, many students and parents may experience levels of stress and anxiety. We wanted to ensure that all students feel safe in their new environments and provided some resources that will help with managing stress and emotions, so every morning can start off with mindfulness and peacefulness!

To help promote the importance of International Peace Month, we've provided you with some resources below! 

What Brain Science Teaches Us About Conflict Resolution | Edutopia–When a teacher noticed her kids fighting at recess, she turned to neuroscience and mindfulness practice to help them take control of their emotions.

Silence as a Co-regulation Strategy in the Pre-K Classroom | Edutopia–During tense situations, young children can learn to regulate their emotions when teachers calmly sit with them—using zero words at first

A Toolkit for Students in Crisis | Edutopia–An elementary school assistant principal shares a few ideas for how to help students calm down and regain self-control.

Starting the Day With a Calming Routine

How Short Breaks Help K-12 Students and Teachers Find Their Calm | Edutopia–Exercises that help young students who’ve experienced trauma transition into the school day in a relaxed and ready state

Self-Regulation Strategies for Young Students–An occupational therapist offers simple exercises for helping students from preschool through fifth grade manage their energy and emotions.

National Smile Week !!

National Smile week is celebrated the second week of August. The goal of National smile week is to try to do things that make us smile and to do random acts of kindness. As we get older, we tend to stress over many external factors, however if we learn at a young age to express ourselves and feel comfortable seeking help, we can reduce that anxiety and stress. For example, teachers are dedicating 60 seconds each day for students to talk about someone who is close to them! This encourages students to learn how to build trust and help with vulnerability in future relationships! 

In Honor of National Smile week, we celebrated in august and wanted to spread more kindness and ways smiling helps increase ones mood!

Here are some Resources: 

Cultivating Community With Smiles and Frowns– A simple activity helps students feel more comfortable sharing details of their lives, a foundation for a strong classroom community.

A Sense of Security Is Key for Students–A warm smile can go a long way toward helping a middle or high school student who is struggling academically.

Friendly Fridays Teach the Art of Kindness | Edutopia–During weekly creative time, students get to know each other—and learn the value of making others smile.

A Culture of Kindness in Early Childhood Classrooms-Encouraging kindness in the early grades helps children develop behaviors that have value far beyond their school years.

A Daily Ritual That Builds Trust and Community Among K-12 Students | Edutopia-An activity that encourages students to open up about a person close to them can bring a whole class together in profound ways. 

Using Dance to Promote SEL Skills-Bringing dance into the classroom with simple exercises can help elementary students develop social and emotional learning skills.

Making Prosocial Behavior Contagious in Classrooms | Edutopia

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To keep up to date with our lab on a day to day basis, please go follow our social media accounts! We are on Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, Facebook, and Pinterest. We also have a podcast titled, SECD On Demand! Check it out wherever you may listen to your podcasts!

 

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