SDPBC SEL Spotlight
January 2022
Happy 2022! 2021 was a busy year so we want to start 2022 being mindful and not having our mind's full. Throughout January we invite you to be more present by engaging in some mindfulness practices.
According to Elena Aguilar, "Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental cultivation of moment to moment awareness. It's a mental state in which you are focused and without judgment."
Throughout this month we invite you to give yourself permission to have a mindful start to the new year. Help us change the culture from being busy to being more present and promoting mindfulness through social media by using the hashtag #BePresentPBC. Also don’t forget to tag us @selpbc.
Mindfulness BINGO Challenge: We are challenging you to practice being more present everyday by engaging in at least one mindfulness exercise daily from our Mindfulness Bingo Card. If you complete your BINGO card by the end of the month and turn it in then you will be entered in a raffle to win a prize.
Below are some resources for mindfulness activities for adults, teens, and children. Remember, mindfulness exercises make great brain breaks for both adults and young people!
22 Mindfulness Exercises, Techniques, & Activities for Adults
30 Mindfulness Activities to Find Calm at Any Age
9 Fun Mindfulness Exercises & Activities for Adults
51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom
SEL Themes for January
This month we will wrap up our second SEL unit: "Understanding Each Other & Appreciating Diversity" and then start our third SEL unit: "Communicating with Each Other".
January 5th-7th: Flex Week- After returning from Winter Break you may want to use this time to review and revisit your classroom shared agreements, expectations, and continue to strengthen your classroom community. This is also a great time to review SEL themes and skills.
- January 10th-14th: Offering Help (Relationship Skills)-Although people may need help sometimes, they don't always ask for it. It is important to recognize when others may need help. Learning how to offer help is one way to be a better friend, classmate, and community member.
- January 18th-21st: Listening Attentively & Making Conversation (Relationship Skills)- One way to establish and maintain relationships is to participate in balanced conversations that include attentive listening and clear communication.
- January 24th-28th: Communicating Assertively (Relationship Skills)-
There are three types of communication styles that we can use to interact with each other: passive, assertive, and aggressive. When we communicate assertively, we show respect and stand up for ourselves and others.
Adult SEL Resources for the January Themes
- Asking and Offering Help (Everyday Learning)
- 10 Steps to Effective Listening (Forbes)
- Use Active Listening to Coach Others (Center for Creative Leadership)
- 9 Immediate Ways to Improve Communication in the Workplace (Atlassian)
- Modeling Assertiveness with Students (Edutopia)
SEL Integration Ideas for January SEL Themes
Below is a menu of options of possible ways to integrate the SEL themes that are being explicitly taught in January. Please keep in mind that this list is not grade level specific so it is important that you select ideas that are developmentally appropriate and align to your grade level standards and expectations.
Offering Help
Model offering help.
Prompt for and reinforce when students offer help to others.
In language arts, prompt students to offer help to others by peer reviewing another student's written draft.
Invite students to look for examples of when a character or individual offered help to someone. What impact did it have on their relationship?
Discuss situations in social studies or in science when people collaborated on work or to solve a problem. How did someone ask for or offer help?
In mathematics, if some students are struggling with a concept, prompt the students to offer help. Ask students who understand the concept to share how they solved the problem.
When students are in small groups, challenge them to notice when someone in their group needs help and to offer help to that student. They can also ask if anyone needs help in their group.
I’m finished with my part. Does anyone need help with theirs?
Listening Attentively
Teach, model, prompt, and reinforce different types of conversation stems that can be used to enhance conversation.
Use whole group conversation and/or socratic seminars as opportunities to teach, practice, and reinforce conversation skills (attentive listening, adding on to others’ ideas, asking clarifying questions, etc.).
Provide opportunities for students to engage in partnership or small group conversations.
Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their listening and conversational skills after participating in a conversation.
During hands-on labs, emphasize to students the importance of listening attentively to directions, and of communicating with group members .
Pose a discussion question about a classroom text and have students “Think, Pair, and Share” their answers with their classmates.
Communicating Assertively
Model what assertive language would look and sound like before beginning tasks.
Invite students to pay attention to the way a character and/or individual communicates: Is it assertive, passive, or aggressive?
Prompt for and reinforce when students communicate in an assertive way.
January Adult SEL Sessions
Take 30 minutes for yourself and join us as we cultivate, discuss and reflect on adult social and emotional competencies.
- Wednesday, January 19th at 2:30pm or 4:15pm
- Facilitators: Frances Basich & Dr. Tieandra Lewis
Register at https://forms.gle/DpnhMUpGYFSMgEz46. Calendar invites will be sent with Google Meet link. Click here to check out our other Winter Adult SEL Sessions.
Elementary SEL Book of the Quarter
Introducing Our 3rd Book of the Quarter: Just Ask!
Click here for read aloud ideas, classroom extension activities, school-wide announcement ideas and activities, and more.
SEL Contact Information
SEL Manager for the School District of Palm Beach County
Email: kristen.rulison@palmbeachschools.org
Phone: 561-432-6345
Twitter: @kristenrulison