Treasure Trove of Social Emotional Learning Activities from Good People

Posted on by
Reply

SEL is needed more than ever in schools. Here is some amazing resources and materials to help support teaching SEL skills in a very accessible manner. Take some time and look around the resources below.

SOURCE

Who created Be Good People?

Be Good People was a “quarantine project” developed between April and July 2020 by a team of educators who worked for or with the St. Croix River Education District (SCRED):

  • Nic van Oss, School Psychologist by training
  • Raycheal Zamora, School Psychologist and Special Education Teacher by training
  • Molly Gavett, Board Certified Behavior Analyst by training
  • Courtney Strelow, Special Education Teacher by training
  • Ry Bostrom, Special Education Teacher by training

Be Good People was a reinvention and evolution of curriculum resources that Molly and Nic had created and used at the Chisago Lakes Education Center, a K-12 behavior-focused setting IV program. The aforementioned team “sprinted” to create Be Good People because it quickly became apparent that the COVID pandemic would have a significant mental health impact, and the team wanted to ensure that our schools were able to access and rapidly implement high-quality SEL instruction across all levels of the MTSS framework, particularly Tier 1.

Development of the curriculum is an ongoing process, which is led by SCRED’s SEL Services Team (Nic van Oss, Angela Christenson, and Kevin Krzenski) and Autism Services Coordinator (Raycheal Zamora).

Lessons and Extension Activities

Organized by Minnesota’s overall K-12 learning goals. Perfect for planning the scope and sequence of your intervention or for browsing.

Self-Awareness


Demonstrates an awareness and understanding of own emotions.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Demonstrates awareness of personal strengths, challenges, aspirations, and cultural, linguistic, and community assets.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Demonstrates awareness of personal rights and responsibilities.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12

Self-Management


Demonstrates the skills to manage and express their emotions, thoughts, impulses, and stress in effective ways.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Demonstrates the skills to set, monitor, adapt, achieve, and evaluate goals.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12

Social Awareness


Demonstrates awareness of and empathy for individuals, their emotions, experiences, and perspectives through a cross-cultural lens.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Demonstrates awareness and respect of groups and their cultures, languages, identities, traditions, values, and histories.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Demonstrates awareness of how individuals and groups cooperate toward achieving common goals and ideals.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Demonstrates awareness of external supports and when supports are needed.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12

Relationship Skills


Demonstrates a range of communication and social skills to interact effectively.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Cultivates constructive relationships with others.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Identifies and demonstrates approaches to addressing interpersonal conflict.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12

Responsible Decision Making


Considers ethical standards, social and community norms, and safety concerns in making decisions.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12
Applies and evaluates decision-making skills to engage in a variety of situations.

Extension Activities: K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12

Lessons

Organized alphabetically. Perfect if you know just what you’re looking for.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

Take It Further

Just a few examples of how you can embed this learning throughout the school day.

Mood Meter Visuals

Whether you’re beginning class with a temperature check, chatting about the emotions of characters in a novel, or helping an agitated student calm down, we’ve got you covered.OPEN

Calming Strategies Toolbox

Posters and visuals of various sizes can dot your hallways, classrooms, and staff lounges, reminding everyone of the calming tools they’ve learned about via Be Good People.OPEN

Skill Mini-Posters

Whether they’re hung in your classroom or used in your school’s discipline process, these mini-posters are a handy tool that summarizes Be Good People skills for students.OPEN

Think Sheets

Help students reflect on and learn from their mistakes by making Be Good People’s Think Sheets part of your school’s discipline process. Click below to print them all at once.

Foster Youth Rights (California)

Posted on by
Reply

Foster Youth Rights are important to know as these students need and deserve first rate service in schools.

The CA Foster Care Ombudsperson has revamped their Know Your Rights website, which includes a know your rights activity/coloring book and a foster youth bill of rights handbook in both English and Spanish. The rights include education, personal rights, family connections, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and more.

Source- Newsletter from- Foster Youth Services Coordinating Program (FYSCP)

Foster Youth Links

pub396Download
fostercare-help-pave-the-futureDownload

Individuals involved in the foster care system have rights and protections. Reinforcing these rights allows for greater success for the youth of California.


General Foster Youth Rights
Foster youth have rights regarding their health and well-being. These range from the right to see a doctor to the right to private storage space. More information can be found on the Foster Youth Bill of Rights.
Education Rights Holder


Foster youth under 18 should have an education rights holder (ERH). The ERH is responsible for advocating for the education needs of the student. This individual must be someone other than the youth’s social worker, lawyer, or staff from the youth’s group home or school.


Foster Youth Education Rights
• Right to remain in your school of origin: Foster youth have the right to stay in the school they attended when they first entered foster care, the school they most recently attended, or any school they attended in the last 15 months that they choose.
• Right to immediate enrollment in school: Even without paperwork such as immunization records, foster youth have the right to attend school after displacements.
• Right to partial credits for high school students: The partial credit model allows foster youth who experience disruptions to receive partial or full credit for work satisfactorily completed.
• Graduation rights: A fifth year of school is offered for some youth who face displacements that might affect their graduation status.
• College rights: Application fees may be waived for foster youth applying to college. Foster youth also have access to specific scholarships and grants.
• School discipline rights: Suspensions are limited and foster youth or care providers can request a formal hearing with an attorney present.
• Right to school records: Foster youth have rights to their school records if they are 16 or older or have finished 10th grade.

Source- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcirinc.org%2Ffile_download%2F2c992c6d-3bb1-4fc6-be59-52e32416f531&psig=AOvVaw1CTbDJGwuaoIHAUKQQhnHd&ust=1622914024054000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwj6_cCAwP7wAhULiJ4KHQIfDY4Qr4kDegUIARCpAQ

Glasses for Your Student

Posted on by
1

Glasses for students are obviously very important for learning. Before we assess students for special education we check their hearing and vision. Sometimes it can be outside of a family’s budget to purchase glasses (especially with active students breaking their glasses). This post should provide you with some ideas to help obtain affordable glasses and why it is important.

Articles

Promoting Wearing of Glasses

Third of children who need glasses aren’t wearing them – and this may be impacting their academic, social and emotional learning

Encouraging your child to wear glasses

UCLA Study: Impact Analysis of Vision to Learn

Math GPA among all students before and after glasses graph
Reading GPA among all students before and after glasses graph

Resources

Vision To Learn started with a single van in Los Angeles in 2012 and now operates in more than 325 cities from Honolulu to Baltimore, becoming the largest school-based program of its kind in the nation.

New Eyes

New Eyes for the Needy purchases new prescription eyeglasses for low-income individuals in the U.S. through a voucher program. To be eligible for the program, applicants must:

  • Meet the U.S. Poverty guidelines.
  • Have had a recent eye exam. New Eyes does not pay for eye exams.
  • Have no other resources available to them to pay for glasses, including federal or state programs or assistance from local charitable organizations.

After applying for assistance and being provided with a voucher, clients will then be able to present a New Eyes eyeglass voucher to any one of a number of participating local eye doctors, retailers or optical dispensers. These locations will then proceed with fitting you with the proper prescription eyeglasses that will be free of charge. A New Eyes voucher typically covers only the cost of a basic pair of single or lined bifocal eyeglasses. The dispenser or doctor will then receive reimbursement directly from New Eyes.

For more information about New Eyes, call 1-973-376-4903 or visit the New Eyes website.

VISION USA

VISION USA is a service of the American Optometric Association and provides assistance to uninsured, low-income individuals and households.

You will need to apply for help. If after applying, you are found to be qualified for assistance you may be eligible to receive services from a local eye doctor.

Patients will be provided with information and partnered with one of the many volunteer doctors of optometry who are located around the nation and in your local community. They will provide you with a free, high quality, comprehensive eye exam at no charge to the individual. While currently a contact lens exam and / or  contacts are not available through the VISION USA programs, free eye wear may be provided at no cost to the client or for a small fee/donation in some states under certain conditions and situations. At least one person in the household must be employed to participate in the program.

To apply for a free eye exam or glasses, call VISION USA at 1-800-766-4466 or visit the VISION USA website.

Lions Club and OneSight

Lions Club international has gained worldwide recognition for their work to improve sight and prevent blindness. OneSight, A Luxottica Group Foundation, is a family of charitable vision care programs dedicated to improving the vision of people around the world through outreach, research and education.

Lions Club and OneSight work together to provide eyeglasses to those in need through:

  • Special Price Voucher – Lions clubs may purchase an unlimited number of eyeglass vouchers for pre-screened individuals. The special price is US$50 per pair in the United States and US$70 per pair in Canada. Eye exams are not included. The vouchers are available in a book of 10. To order a book or single voucher, call OneSight in Mason, Ohio at 1-888-935-4589.
  • OneDay – On OneDay [formerly known as Hometown Day], the second Tuesday of December, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical and Target Optical open their doors early to provide free optical exams and new eyewear to thousands in need.

Lions Club assistance varies across the country, so check with your local club to see what they offer. For example, in our local community, the Lions Club focuses on helping children who have been referred to them through the school. Visit the Lions Club website to find a club near you.

EyeBuy Direct and ZenniOptical

Several online eyeglass companies have started to crop up and fill the need for affordable eyeglasses. With no overhead or ‘middlemen,’ online eyeglass retailers have some of the lowest prices I’ve seen, with a complete set of progressive lens glasses coming in at $45 when you start with a $6 frame; they look good, too. Visit EyeBuy Direct or ZenniOptical website to learn more.

These are some of the resources that I have found to help adults who can’t afford to buy a pair of glasses. What other resources can you add to the list?

Accommodations

CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL ISSUES

Videos

Great Behavioral Resources from “Behavior is Communication” by Senaida Mehmedovic, Ed.S., NCSP

Posted on by
Reply

In looking at the source for my previous post on resources, I came across the name Senaida Mehmedovic Ed.S. NCSP. I then saw that she had this google site and was really impressed. They include Teacher and School Psychologist tools to help support student behavior. I thought these resources looked really worthwhile. 

TOOLS
School Psychologist Behavior Tools

Teacher Tools

Visual and Miscellaneous Tools

More Google Drive School Psychologist Tools and Treasures

Posted on by
Reply

Here are two new treasure troves of School Psychologist tools. The first was found on a Facebook group for School Psychologists. The second link is from a prominent group called “Said No School Psychologist Ever”.

First Link

Click this Link- Treasure Trove

Second Link

From “Said No School Psychologist Ever” – Link Here

Eclectic Collection of Executive Functioning Resources

Posted on by
Reply

Supporting students with Executive Functioning deficits is a big part of the consultations that I do at my schools. Below is a Google Drive link with a wide variety of materials, readings, and tools to help out those students who need more support with Executive Skills.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IF3RLR0Y7GGaBcKS_m5DrMEZDdiqqAqY?usp=sharing

Use the 5 Love Languages to Better Understand and Connect with your Kid(s)

Posted on by
1

We all want to connect with our children on a deeper level. Understanding the needs and wants of our kids is a short cut to connecting. The 5 Love Languages is a tool to elicit what best translates to love for that individual. Using the short activity questionnaire (below) you can easily do (in a half hour) with your kids to find out a little more about how they tic.

5 Love Languages
A) Words of affirmation – These are the ways you express your gratitude, and even your
needs to someone else in a positive manner, such as: “I appreciate your help running
skit lines when I was sick;” “I really appreciate you doing such a good job with your
small groups.”
• Verbal compliments – “Your enthusiasm in the mornings at orientation has
been excellent;” “Thank you for answering my questions about Mason. I’m really
excited about coming here in the Fall;” “I’m sure your small group members
really love you.”
• Encouraging words – “I know you’ll do great;” “You’ve got great potential;”
“Keep it up”
• Kind words – Said in a kind and gentle tone of voice: “I care about you;” “I hope
we can learn from this experience;” “You’re not a failure just because you failed;”
“I know you can”
• Humble words – Making requests, not demands: “I really liked it when you
were on time for PL training, do you think you can do it again;” “Do you think it
would be possible to swap duties farther in advance next time;” “I’d really like it
if we could talk about this and find a solution.”
B) Quality Time – Time spent with another person with your undivided attention focused
on them. This can happen in groups, but it is a little more difficult. Togetherness
(focused attention) and Quality Conversation (focused not on what you’re saying, but
what you’re hearing) are 2 types of Quality Time.
• Sitting around and talking (TV off) – Maintain eye contact; don’t listen and do
something else at the same time; listen for feelings; observe body language;
refuse to interrupt
• Taking a walk or going somewhere together
• Playing games
• Doing something you mutually enjoy
C) Receiving Gifts – A gift is any tangible item that reminds you that someone was
thinking of you when they gave it to you. These gifts don’t have to cost any money or
take a lot of time to create. They just have to show thoughtfulness and remind them that
you care.
• A handmade or store-bought card
• Candy
• Flowers
• Snack or a meal
D) Acts of Service – This is a way of expressing love or care for someone by serving them,
doing something for them, or helping them to accomplish a task without expecting
anything in return. Sometimes, actions can speak much louder than words.
• Bringing someone coffee
• Cleaning up a mess
• Putting up someone else’s posters
• Volunteering when someone is asking for help or input

Book

The link below is to Gary Chapman’s Book on the 5 Love Languages

The 5 Love Languages of Children: (PDF) Secret of how to Love Children. (Book 317pages)

Click to access The-5-Love-Languages-Of-Children-Gary-Chapman.pdf

Parent Quiz

Click to access Love%20Languages%20Activity%20.pdf

LOVE LANGUAGES MYSTERY GAME-This is the activity to discover your child’s love language.

Click to access 5LoveLanguagesChildren9-12.pdf

Source

Maple Syrup Urination Disease (MSUD)

Posted on by
Reply

 

MSUD Diagram

Recently, I had a student diagnosed with MSUD. It was the first time I had heard of the disease. This post will review all that I learned about MSUD.

Defined

Maple syrup urine disease is an inherited disorder in which the body is unable to process certain protein building blocks (amino acids) properly. The condition gets its name from the distinctive sweet odor of affected infants’ urine. It is also characterized by poor feeding, vomiting, lack of energy (lethargy), abnormal movements, and delayed development. If untreated, maple syrup urine disease can lead to seizures, coma, and death.

Maple syrup urine disease is often classified by its pattern of signs and symptoms. The most common and severe form of the disease is the classic type, which becomes apparent soon after birth. Variant forms of the disorder become apparent later in infancy or childhood and are typically milder, but they still lead to delayed development and other health problems if not treated. Source

MSUD means that the person’s body is unable to break down protein in the usual way. This condition is a rare, non-contagious condition, which, left untreated, can result in irreversible brain damage. Fortunately, the condition can be treated by a special diet, medications and careful management during illness.

Great resource- The ASIEM Low Protein Handbook for MSUD

 

 

Books

MSUD related books published by both casual and professional authors.

 
MSUD Food List Booklet
Recipes your whole family will enjoy
MSUD & Me
Glossary of Terms pertaining to Maple Syrup Urine Disease

Talking to students about the Insurrection at the US Capitol (Teacher and Administrator Resources)

Posted on by
Reply

In considering the events on January 6th 2021 we must help our students process this to better understand what occurred.

Read

RESPONDING TO THE INSURRECTION AT THE US CAPITOL

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS ON THE DAYS AFTER THE ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL.

Teaching in a Time of Crisis

Talking to Kids About the Attack on the Capitol NEA

NASP Statement on the Assault on the U.S. Capitol NASP

NASP Guidance for Ensuring Student Well-Being in the Context of the 2020 Election NASP

Teaching Resources to Help Students Make Sense of the Rampage at the Capitol New York Times

Dozens of lesson plan ideas, activities and Times materials for exploring the causes and consequences of this assault on democracy in the United States.

Resource Guide

Resources for School Communities in Times of Crisis – Great resources on a Google Doc


Navigation		Self Care Resources for EveryoneTeachers: Curricular Resources & Lesson PlansTeachers: Navigating Conversations, Addressing Difficult Topics, and Coping with Trauma
Leaders: Leadership, Teams, & CultureLeaders: Providing SupportStudents: Activities to Process EmotionsFor Families & Communities
Above is the Navigation of the various areas of the Resource Guide.

Streaming Event

PBS NewsHour Extra@NewsHourExtra·Teachers & school staff: TONIGHT at 7pm ET (4pm PT) w/ @YohuruWilliams@kennethcdavis@saribethrose RSVP: http://bit.ly/zoom1-7 Talk w/ other educators on how to process the #insurrection w/ students & support one another. #sschat#apgov#hsgovchat#USCapitol#CapitolRiots

Consider this when talking with students-

@misskatiesings

Abbreviated version — full vid & discussion prompts on IG @misskatiesings 🧡 // #fyp #preschool #parentsoftiktok #teachersof2020 #kids

♬ original sound – Miss Katie Sings | kids music

Organize your talk using these themes below-

Sigal Ben-Porath, an expert in civic education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and fellow at the Center for Ethics at Harvard, says teachers should not ignore yesterday’s historic events.  

But they have to be prepared for the conversation. Ben-Porath suggests starting with these areas of focus:  

  • The facts about the democratic process: according to grade and knowledge levels, discussing the roles of voters, electors, the courts, state legislative bodies, and Congress. The older the kids are, the more detailed the conversation can be, and more opportunities for independent research should be offered. 
  • The events that happened yesterday. Look at diverse and reliable news sources, and apply critical digital literacy skills to social media posts that come from unverified sources. Focus on local news and on public media (such as NPR) to support a habit of consuming reliable news.
  • Discuss the reality of living in historic moments. This can be compared to the lives of people in other crucial moments for democracy. Students can talk about where they were, what they did, what others who were nearby might have felt, etc. 

Teachers holding class online because of the pandemic will also have to think about how the platform might have to change the conversation. The country is clearly polarized. In an online setting, parents can potentially hear the discussion. Students might feel uncomfortable engaging if they know their parents, or many of their classmates’ parents, would hear them disagreeing with the parents’ beliefs.

The goal: finding ways to develop together true knowledge about the events. What happened, and why it matters, are the key questions. 

The process has to include the students, so that they create this knowledge together. The only way to overcome our current polarization is by learning to share the facts, to have a shared understanding of reality. The source of a lot of this chaos is the rift in the facts we have (who won the election, what body has what constitutional role, etc). If students can learn to rely on each other, on their teachers, and on reliable sources, to understand events around them, we can start building the path back to democracy. 

Source

NASP developed election resources to assist adults helping youth navigate feelings of uncertainty and strong emotions, understand hate-based violence, and cope with cope with threatening actions or speech.

Parents: http://bit.ly/39ntkKL

Educators: http://bit.ly/35gN2pU


NYC Department of Education Resources
january-6th-2021-resource-guide-Download

Class Activities

Breaking down with Incident with 3 prompts to reflect the students HEAD, HEART, and CONSCIENCE.

Holding a Community Circle for your class could help the discussion process.  

Community Circle Guidelines– Gives the concept of Community Circles and procedures.

Community Circle Flow for “Breaking News” for 3rd-6th Grade Students 

Read Aloud by author/illustrator Sarah Lynn Reul https://youtu.be/V-U3lF5Ei_E 

Opening Quote“I suspect that the most basic and powerful way to connect with another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it’s from the heart.” –Rachel Naomi Remen
Round 1Let’s do a check-in. Are you mad, sad, glad, and/or afraid today? What is that mostly about? 
Yesterday was a BREAKING NEWS day in the United States. When reflecting on what happened at the United States Capitol as Congress was working to verify the election…
Round 2 I am going to put on on some calm music for one minute, while you take that time to draw a picture of how you are feeling right: mad, sad, glad, afraid. We will take time for everyone to share their drawing. 
Round 3 It’s okay to disagree with others, but what would it look like, sound like, or feel like to have a peaceful disagreement? 
Round 4 Do you think that YOU need to be a better listener? Why or why not? 
Round 5  Is there anything else you want to add to the circle about yesterday’s events that we did not talk about? 
Close the CircleLet’s take a couple of minutes to close our circle with a mindful breathing activity. (Choose your classes favorite breathing strategy-Box breathing, Figure 8, Breath in-Breath-Out). 

Community Circle Flow for  January 7, 2021 for Middle School and High School

Opening QuoteRead the poem, “Let American Be American Again” by Langston Hughes https://poets.org/poem/let-america-be-america-again
Round 1As you listened to Mr. Hughes’ poem were you mad, sad, glad, or afraid? What is that mostly about? 
When reflecting on what happened at the United States Capitol as Congress was working to verify the election…
Round 2 What surprised you about yesterday? 
Round 3 What has changed or challenged your thinking? 
Round 4  How do we reject violence in our daily lives?
Round 5 What can you do to make a non-violent difference in Your Life, Your School, Your World?
Close the Circle Is there anything else you want to add to the circle about yesterday’s events that we did not talk about? 

Slide – Source

Upcoming (12-21-20) AFT Presentation on Supporting Students Experiencing Grief by Chelsea Prax

Posted on by
Reply
Grief Definition Flowchart

Grief might be the one topic that Schools and Teachers might be under prepared to deal with in 2021.

The AFT has many opportunities and resources available to its members. The AFT Share My Lesson website is a hub of many teaching resources such as lessons and webinars. One of the webinars available to members is about grief amongst our student population. The growing number of loss due to the pandemic places a greater burden on educational staff as we too are navigating loss within our own family circles. Earlier this year we met with Chelsea Prax from AFT to discuss offering this webinar series to our membership, but with the challenge of crisis teaching, we held off. The AFT will be offering the series in a few weeks. This article, Grief among students: tools for educators facing a wave of loss, speaks to the need to provide this webinar.

“As COVID-19 sweeps through communities across the nation, educators are on the frontlines witnessing unprecedented grief and loss among their students. Parents and other family members are getting sick and sometimes dying, household tension is rising with job loss and remote learning, routines are being disrupted and social networks shattered by the need to distance and isolate.”

If you are interested in attending this webinar is scheduled to happen on Monday, December 21 at 12 pm pacific time (3 pm eastern)

Webinar: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/2873575/6BCF55E259C6F7F8515B43163CD5043E

Chelsea Prax was also recently on the Podcast The Widowed Parent called, “Exploring grief in schools in the era of COVID with Maria Collins and Chelsea Prax” One of our members shared this podcast link with us to share with members:0

Podcast Link: https://jennylisk.com/podcast/wpp091  

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

Kai's Journey - A book series about grief, strength and love.


Kai’s Journey books – Kai’s Journey is a series about a little boy named Kai who, together with his mom, learns how to navigate a profound loss in their family. 

Scholastic Grieving Students logo

Coalition to Support Grieving Students –

Video- https://vimeo.com/394316350

[Infographic} 4 Grief Definitions