SEL Connections
Online Resources and May Newsletter.10
Students Learn Social-Emotional skills
As students learn social and emotional skills
- It is important that they have opportunities to practice and apply the skills in actual situations and be recognized for using these skills across a variety of settings (Bond & Hauf, 2004; Hawkins et al., 2004; Nation et al., 2003; Weare & Nind, 2011).
- Genuine school-family partnerships involve the promotion of two-way communication between teachers and families and the participation of family members in students’ education both at home and in school. This ensures consistency in the messages students receive and the practices they experience across multiple settings.
Strategies At Home
- Be a good listener. Joshua Freedman, Chief Operating Officer at Six Seconds, a nonprofit organization supporting emotional intelligence in families, schools, corporations, and communities, describes listening as a "core competency skill." Unfortunately, it's not always practiced by parents or children. For a list of strategies and activities for building listening skills, read Freedman's article on the subject, one of the many useful parenting resources at KidSource Online.
- Model the behavior you seek. Whether it's apologizing when you're in the wrong or treating others with respect and kindness, children learn a great deal about relationships from observing the behavior of their parents. In the words of Maurice Elias, co-author of two books on emotionally intelligent parenting, parents should remember the "24K Golden Rule: We should always think about the impact of our actions on kids, and be as particular in what we do with our kids as we would want others to be with our kids."
- Nurture your child's self-esteem. A child with a good sense of self is happier, more well-adjusted, and does better in school. Strategies for fostering self-esteem include giving your child responsibilities, allowing her to make age-appropriate choices, and showing your appreciation for a job well done.
- Respect differences. Every child has his or her own unique talents and abilities. Whether in academics, athletics, or interpersonal relationships, resist the urge to compare your child to friends or siblings. Instead, honor your child's accomplishments and provide support and encouragement for the inevitable challenges he faces.
- Take advantage of support services. Seek the advice and support of school counselors or other social services during times of family crisis, such as a divorce or the death of a close friend or family member. Remember that no matter how close you are to your child, she may be more comfortable discussing a troubling family situation with another trusted adult.
To learn more about the SEL Strategies for Parents, click here or visit Edutopia.
Restorative Discipline Practice at Home: How to Get Started
Here are some helpful tips to make learning and being at home fun with Restorative Discipline Practices:
- Develop an At Home Respect Agreement.
- Respect Agreements help us to talk to one another, help to reduce conflict and help to resolve problems.
- Everyone creates the agreement and becomes committed to the agreement.
Talk About Respect and Values
- As a family, watch the following video with Elementary students: https://youtu.be/GOzrAK4gOSo)
Or
- Watch the following video as a family with older students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTsvSAItPqA
- After the video, talk about what you liked the most? Discuss what value is important to each of you.
- Make a list of the values that are important to each family member.
- Post your Family Values in a place where it can be seen by all involved.
Create a Family Respect Agreement
- Let the children share ideas about how they will respect each other and the family.
- Parents/Guardians, share how you will respect the children in the home.
- Everyone talk about how to show respect for the home environment (keeping things picked up, taking out the trash, etc).
- Write down 2 statements for each box. You can use a sheet of paper to create it.
- After you have written your respect agreement, have everyone sign the paper.
- Post your Respect Agreement in a place where it can be seen by all involved.
Use a Talking Piece
In Restorative Discipline Practices, a Talking Piece is a small item that has meaning to your family, like an object or a picture. A Talking Piece is used to identify who the speaker is, and who the listeners are. It is used to help make the conversation organized and orderly.
- You can practice using the Talking Piece at the dinner table. Everyone can take a turn to share something about their day.
- A Talking Piece can be helpful when having a conversation. If someone is having a hard time waiting their turn, you can let the child know that if they do not have the Talking Piece, they will get a turn, and they are to listen to "with their heart" to who is talking.
The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
BISD Admin Dare
BISD Staff and Teacher Dare
At the end of each day this week, send one email of encouragement and/or gratitude to a co-worker/member of your staff
BISD Family Dare
It has been said that energy flows where attention goes. The things we focus on are the areas that will grow and expand in our lives. Focus on the best in yourselves and each other and that will flourish. In doing so, we will all come out of this better and stronger together.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow." - Helen Keller
SEL Coordinators
- Kim Bell -
- Elana Elie -
- San "Janie" Holtz -
- Laura Richard -
Email: sel_primary@bmtisd.com
Website: https://www.bmtisd.com/Page/6026
Location: 4315 Concord Road, Beaumont, TX, USA
Phone: (409)617-5200