Social Emotional Learning

"Starting the Journey and Following a Passion"

Photo Credit- Lyndsay James

Given my background, earlier coursework and concentration in my Teachers Professional Development Program in Social Emotional Learning, it has been fitting to have the opportunity to dig deeper into my passion, and find how it fits with Self-Regulated learning. I have always felt that SEL has been embedded into my classroom, teaching, and educational philosophy. I now view SEL and Self-Regulated learning as intertwined, and SEL skills and their growth and development is an important way to help students on their path to becoming self-regulating learners. The focus on Social Emotional Learning and the journey it has taken me on has allowed me to learn more about myself and push my thinking further. 

Artifact 1: Core Competencies Book List 

Description: I created a core competencies book list and published it on twitter and my blog as a resource for teachers to use when connecting picture books, core competencies, and SEL lesson example ideas to go with each book. I also presented this list in class to my peers. This assignment provided me with the opportunity to set sail out on an adventure and navigate three of my passions- picture books, core competencies, and social emotional learning. The assignment also allowed me to focus on SEL and literature to support its teaching in the classroom.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4ibP_aOqbdgY0pjVkFEMG5nbE0/view

Artifact 2 Connecting the (Pedagogical) Dots Between SEL and SRL, a group project.

Description: As a group we created a group project and powerpoint to share our learning with peers about the connections we found to SEL and SRL, and then we created and shared a carousel activity to support our findings and teach some of our new knowledge to peers in an experiential way.  This assignment provided me the learning opportunity to see how SEL and SRL weave together and support student learning and understanding of themselves.

Artifact 3: 565r Final Inquiry paper 

Description: How can a combination of Roots of Empathy and creating opportunities for self-regulated learning that are woven into the classroom foster and create active Self-Regulated learners was my inquiry question that I traced my thinking on during our EPSE565R course. I explored this question in my classroom over a term and completed a graphic novel/learning story based on my experiences and inquiry spiral. This artifact is connected to the goal because it provided me with the opportunity to explore the SEL program Roots of Empathy alongside exploring learning that fostered Self Regulated learning, and how that transpired and created learners who were in-tune with their self-regulated learning. Throughout this inquiry spiral I had a chance to experience and learn practice changing professional development. This helped me grow and change the way of how I presented and organized learning opportunities.