SEL for Well-being
Tips & Ideas to Improve Outcomes in your Classroom & School
Stress, Trauma and SEL
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network estimates that as many as one in three students in America's classrooms has been exposed to a traumatic event capable of impacting their ability to learn. Trauma, and the resulting loss of core self-regulation capacities, impacts a student's ability to learn in the following ways:
Body:
- Inability to control physical responses that lead to feeling the need to fight or escape
Brain:
- Difficulty with thinking, learning, concentration and memory
- Difficulty switching from one thought or activity to another
Emotions:
- Low self-esteem
- Trouble with friendships
- Depression and anxiety
Behavior:
- Lack of impulse control
- Fighting, aggression, running away
- Substance abuse
All of these challenges are rooted in our foundational need for physically and emotional security before being able to focus on the development of self-regulation skills. Students who are coping with trauma are in need of social, emotional learning (SEL) strategies that foster self-monitoring, self-evaluation, self-instruction, and goal setting that can be learned and used in their core content courses as well as other areas of the lives.
SEL strategies are good for ALL kids! (TREP project, April 2018).
Our team encourages you to...do the 2 x 10!!
The 2 x 10 is an intentional relationship building strategy. Think of student you do not know well. Make a commitment to invest two uninterrupted, undivided minutes a day for 10 consecutive days to talk about anything other than school (learn about the students interests, activities and hobbies and share things about yourself). Academics and behavior is off the table. Expect awkwardness and abrupt communication during the first few days: most students will be wary of your intentions, and you are unlikely to feel comfortable about knowing what to say and do. Don't quit trying! By the 10th day, most teachers report improved communication with the student, as well as evidence of better behavior. (Mendler, 2001)
This newsletter was created by the PLAEA Social, Emotional, Behavioral Leadership Team.