SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Years ago I would get some disapproving looks when I mentioned how much classroom time I dedicate to social emotional learning. “What about the curriculum! You’ll never get through it all if you don’t start right away!”
But I did get through it all, sometimes with time to spare. Why? I found that if we solidified expectations for kindness, inclusion and self-management early, and spent a LOT less time on disruptions through the year. Plus, we were shaping future citizens; it’s not [Read More…]
Books That Teach Friendship and Social Skills
Our class spends a LOT of time learning social skills, problem solving, friendship and conflict resolution. This helps to create a peaceful environment where learning can thrive, and we do not have to spend the majority of our time solving interpersonal conflicts. We use interactive lessons from The Kindness Classroom SEL curriculum, along with many of the books listed below to reinforce concepts.
Click on any cover to see details of the story.
Llama Llama Time To Share by Anna Dewdney
Franklin Plays the [Read More…]
Top Children’s Books To Teach About Emotions
A large part of my curriculum is purposely spent exploring emotions with my students. We explore what they are called, what causes them, and how to handle them appropriately in the classroom. The big idea is that emotions are all okay, but how we react to our emotions is worth some thought.
There is also a large part of my teaching week dedicated to unplanned teaching of social skills and emotions. These are during the conflicts that arise daily during any [Read More…]
