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** Slide Show can be viewed at http://app.emaze.com/@AOCZZRIF/strategies-for-teaching-socialemotional-competencies **

Title Slide: Social-Emotional Competencies
Since most of you are in Group B, I just want to check if you have the same background knowledge
as those in Group A. In Dr. Wagners class last term, did you have a discussion on whether
teachers should be responsible for teaching things other than the basic academic requirements laid
out within the program of studies, such as teaching our students about sexual education?
If yes:
Ok, I just want you to think back to those discussions as you consider this next question.
If no:
Basically, the discussion was if teachers should put a lot of focus on teaching things that are not
specifically laid out in the program of studies and whether or not teaching other skills should be the
teachers responsibility or should the responsibility lie upon parents or other guardians.

- Next Slide: Think on It: To what extent should teachers be responsible for teaching students socialemotional skills in the classroom?
A couple weeks ago in class, Irene talked about social-emotional competencies and explained that
children with higher levels of social-emotional competencies are able to recognize and manage
their emotions, set and achieve goals, demonstrate care for others, establish and maintain positive
relationships, make responsible decisions and handle interpersonal situations effectively. (taken
from class slide)
Ill give you a few minutes to think over this question, then I want to begin by going around the circle
and having you state your name and your thoughts on this question.

- Classmates to reflect on question, then share with group - Teachers should step in if they have to, example child in the classroom wants to touch
everyone so the teacher has to control the learning aspect of the physical touch.

- Parent responsibility, but the teacher should also have a positive influence role model for those
who dont necessarily have that at home.

- Kids will come in and not have the foundations of life so the teacher should try their best to
inform the students the best they can

- Parents and teachers should work together for the well-being of the child
- The teacher should foster the right environment for positive social environment

After researching what social-emotional competencies are and how they affect students in both
positive and negative ways, I think that it is important that we try to teach these skills to our students
within the classroom. As you will see later in the seminar, there are many ways to encourage socialemotional competencies which are easy to implement. Before we get to the actual strategies, it is
important to understand what social-emotional skills are and how the lack of these skills affect our
students in a negative light.

- Next Slide: Terms used to Describe Social-Emotional Competencies

First, there are many ways that Social-Emotional competencies are talked about in the world of
education, some of which include, Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL),
Behavioural, Social and Emotional Difficulties (BSED) and Social Success.

- Next Slide: What does it mean to be Social-Emotionally Competent?

- Next Slide: Social-Emotional Competencies

There are many aspects which reflect high Social-Emotional Competencies. These include
awareness, which incorporates both self-awareness, the ability to be aware of your own feelings
and being able to regulate your emotions, as well as being aware of the emotions in others (John &
Schutte, 2007, p 3). This allows students to be more empathic to others by understanding emotions
in general. This also includes respect, again for both yourself and others (John & Schutte, 2007, p
3). Other indicators of social-emotional competency includes self-confidence (John & Schutte,
2007, p 3), the ability to think positively (John & Schutte, 2007, p 3; Santomauro, Carter, Marino &
Santomauro, 2011, p 9), the ability to communicate effectively (Santomauro, Carter, Marino &
Santomauro, 2011, p 9), and the ability to set goals which encourages independence, persistence
and the ability to cope with adversary (John & Schutte, 2007, p 3; Santomauro, Carter, Marino &
Santomauro, 2011, p 9). Being social-emotionally competent allows students to have empathy for
others, because they recognize emotions both in themselves and in other people and are confident
with their own abilities. I have a short video I want to show you on empathy and what it is, and how
it differs from sympathy.

- Next Slide: What is Empathy?

http://youtu.be/1Evwgu369Jw

- Next Slide: Why Should we Care?

So why should we care about teaching our students to be socially and emotionally competent?

Ill give you a couple minutes to think about this question, then Ill let you share your ideas with the
group.

- Classmates to reflect on question, then share with group - Self-regulation

- So that students understand that others have gone through the same thing and the can get
through it

- We need to create a better world where people care

- Feelings have become a bigger part of schooling and how it affects each student will show in
each child at school

- If they feel cared for at school they carry that with them in the rest of the world
According to Katz the author of our textbook, there is a link between the social-emotional
development of children and their academic success. By increasing a child's self-confidence, we
increase their motivation and aspirations for greater learning and their drive to be academically
successful (Katz, 2012, p. 27). When we teach our pupils to be socially and emotionally competent,
we give students a sense of belonging, which improves their attitude, behaviour and school
performance (Katz, 2012, p. 27). By having a sense of belonging, children are more likely to want to
attend school which will clearly have a positive impact on their learning (Katz, 2012, p. 27). High
levels of social-emotional competence has also been linked to lower childhood depression and
increased optimism (John & Schutte, 2007, p 14). While many students with lower levels of socialemotional competence may show signs of disconnectedness and depression, as teachers, we must
be careful to not neglect those who seem happy and healthy, because these students may also feel
along and isolated within the school (Katz, 2012, p. 31).

- Next Slide: Possible Signs of Social and Emotional Difficulties

While there are some signs of possible social and emotional difficulties, it is important to remember
that students who display these signs may not necessarily have low social-emotional competencies,
likewise, those who do not display any of these signs may not be socially and emotionally
competent (Cooper & Tiknaz, 2007, p 13). Some of the possible signs that a student may not be
socially or emotionally competent include being withdrawn or isolated within the class or at recess,
disruptive in class, hyperactive or having a lack of concentration, having immature social skills
which make it difficult to work in a group setting or in unstructured time, or are verbally aggressive
to both peers and adults (Farrell, 2006, p. 3-5).

- Next Slide: Causes of Low Social-Emotional Competencies

Some of the possible causes of low social-emotional competencies are stress, mental health, food
and drink, crime and addiction, the disintegration of the family structure, media, school setting and
nurture. There are a few of these causes that I wanted to expand on a little further, these being
stress, the family structure and the school setting. I found these causes particularly interesting and
feel that they are very interconnected to each other and to the feeling of disaffection towards school.

- Next Slide: Causes of Low Social-Emotional Competencies: Stress

Have any of you ever been in a car accident? What do you remember feeling immediately after the
accident? How did you body react? (ie. Were you shaky? Did your heart rate increase?)

- Allow time for classmates to share experiences with group -

I was scared
Terrified of what my dad would say
Panic
Bad vocabulary
Shaky feeling

It will be one year ago tomorrow that my husband and I got in a car accident on our way home from
work. I was in the passenger seat when someone hit the front-passenger side of the car. I
remember being really shaky afterwards and feeling kind of like I was in a trance. The driver of the
other vehicle was in complete shock and just stared out the window of her car not moving for
probably a good 5 minutes after the collision.
That shaky feeling that we get (I got) after an (our) accident is a result of the hormone cortisol
being released into our bloodstream. Cortisol is used by our bodies to deal with stress, and if the
stress that we face becomes chronic, the cortisol remains in our bloodstream which affects our
ability to concentrate, to remember or to feel joy or connection, and causes us to become irritable
and unfocused (Katz, 2012, p 27). In normal stressful situations, such as a car accident, the
cortisol leaves the body quickly after the stressor is removed and we begin to feel normal again
(Katz, 2012, 28). For children who live in continuously stressful situations, we need to be there as
teachers to assist them in relaxing so that they are able to concentrate and focus in school. This
can be done by creating safe learning environments for them (Katz, 2012, p 28).

- Next Slide: Think on It: What are some ways that we would be able to create a safe environment for
students to be; away from stress so that our students are better able to concentrate, remember and
feel safe?

- Classmates to reflect on question, then share with group - Schedule on my sons desk so he knows what is happening, he needs to be talked to in a calm
voice, schedule pre communicated. Keeping instructions simple is important

- Using a calm voice is very important, if a child is used to be yelled at, at home then when an
adult speaks to them in a calm manner it allows the child to take in the information better

- In coaching when we start talking harshly to the players the players start doing it to each other
so instead of being negative staying positive allows the players to stay at a higher level or
energy and play their best
- Presenting yourself in a way that a child will always feel safe talking to you is important.

We will discuss some ways that we can make our classroom safe places for our students in the
strategy portion of the seminar, as socially and emotionally strong students contribute to safe and
caring classroom environments.

- Next Slide: Causes of Low Social-Emotional Competencies: The Family Structure

The disintegration of the nuclear family, which is the presence of two adults and their children,
results in the loss of an important support system which can lead to the creation of a confusing
world for children (Vizard, 2009, p 1). This confusion causes children to arrive to school disengaged
and they may find it difficult to connect to their learning (Vizard, 2009, p ix). In some cases, these
negative experiences can even cause children to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is
important to note as students who are coming from this background may be entering your class
dealing with chronic stress which will have the negative effects on his or her learning.

- Next Slide: Causes of Low Social-Emotional Competencies: School Setting

The school setting can affect how a student engages within the classroom, and often, if a student is
unable to engage in the classroom, they will find it difficult to connect with the learning process and
may have lower social-emotional competencies as they do not feel comfortable or confident with
themselves while in class (Vizard, 2009, p ix). School work can cause students to be disengaged
with school if it is not adapted to a childs level by being either too easy or too difficult (Vizard, 2009,
p 6). Students may also feel disengaged if there is a poor relationship between themselves and the
teacher through either a lack of trust or a personality clash (Vizard, 2009, p 6).

- Next Slide: Strategies to PromoteSocial-Emotional Competencies

Some of the different strategies I found to promote social-emotional competencies are teaching
students about Gardeners theory of multiple intelligences, thinking of the class as a team, creating
democratic classrooms, the use of social-emotional games and activities, spirit buddies, and
through the use of literature. I will try to get through as many as I can in the time remaining.

- Next Slide: Gardeners Multiple Intelligences

One method that you can use to promote social-emotional competence is to teach your students
about Gardeners theory of multiple intelligences which enable your students to become confident
with themselves and their abilities as well as gain respect for others who may have different abilities
(Katz, 2012, p 33). As children begin to learn what their abilities are and become aware that
everyone has different abilities and all abilities are equally important, they begin to develop
confidence in themselves, which encourages them to set personal goals and persevere through the
challenges they encounter (Katz, 2012, p. 31-32). When children are confident in themselves, it
improves their social skills and allows them to build positive relationships with others and work

cooperatively because they are aware that all the members of the groups have different abilities that
they can contribute (Katz, 2012, p 32). Teaching about multiple intelligences also helps children
understand about inclusion because they become aware that all students, no matter what their
physical ability, are intelligent in some way (Katz, 2012, p 49). I want to share a quote from our
textbook from a student who took part in a multiple intelligence program, You feel like youre not
the only one, and its OK even when everyone says you're dumb, yourelikejust because I
can't do this, doesn't mean I'm dumb. I'm just as smart as them, even smarter (Katz, 2012, p 47).
This child was able to gain confidence in their own abilities through learning that everyone has
abilities and its ok if you cant do everything.
Our textbook also has a series of pre-planned lessons that you can use within your classroom
which teaches Gardeners multiple intelligences.

- Next Slide: Classroom is a Team

A close tie in to this is the idea of thinking of your classroom as a team.
In Jr. High, I was on my schools basketball team for two years. I hated it. My coachs main concern
was winning, and since I wasnt the strongest player, that meant I rarely played but rather spent
most of the game sitting on the bleachers watching my teammates play and so it wasnt a good
experience for me.
Does any one have any similar experiences? Or a positive experience where you felt connected
and that the team was a single unit? Or an experiences where you coached a team?

- Allow time for classmates to share experiences with group - The team I coach has decided as a team they want set power play lines so that means when
that happens someone misses their turn on the field

- My running team is individual and a team at the same time, so doing your individual best helps
the team over all

- When I danced I had a horrible experience. I filled in for a friend and the teacher was
extremely mean and I cried every day, and I would get singled out in class, I would try my best
and my classmates were the ones who supported me. They were the ones who helped me get
through and if it wasnt for them I would have dropped out.
On a team, everyone should contribute in a different way but all have the same goal in mind. Your
class can be run in a similar fashion, instead of everyone competing with one another for the top
mark, they can be working together for a common goal; be the class who read the most books, or
the class who raised the most money for the school (Katz, 2012, p 28). In my experience, I didnt
feel like we were connected or that everyone was valued and as a result, I didnt like being on the
team. If we transfer this idea to the classroom, if students don't feel like they are a part of a team,
they are not going to enjoy being in the class and it will lead to disengagement with their learning.

- Next Slide: Creating Democratic Classrooms

Another strategy to promote social-emotional competencies is to involve your students on a regular

basis in the decision making within the classroom. By doing this, you are sharing with your
students the responsibility of creating safe classrooms and making it possible for students to take
ownership of their own learning in order to create pro-social problem-solving skills (Katz, 2012, p
53).
Democratic classrooms involve collaboration between the teacher and their students in order to
make the students learning a positive contribution to their environment. The students are given
choice with their learning and actively work with problems, ideas, materials, and people as they
learn skills and content (Katz, 2012, p 54). By involving your students and setting up your
classroom to be a democratic environment, you are holding them accountable to their own learning
and decisions.
Some ways to involve your students in setting up a democratic classroom is to involve your
students in creating classroom rules, and the consequences for not following these rules, to give
students choice in the projects that you assign to them and to take students input when arranging
the classroom. (Katz, 2012, p 55). Another strategy for setting up a democratic classroom is to
hold regular class meetings. In Teaching to Diversity, Katz suggests that you hold a meeting every
week, but allow for students to call a classroom meeting whenever an issue arrises. She warns that
meetings will be called by students fairly regularly at the beginning on the year, partly because of
the novelty of power students will have at being able to call meetings, and partly because the
community is still forming (Kats, 2012, p 56). Even though meetings may be called frequently at the
beginning of the term, Katz emphasizes the importance of allowing the meetings, as this sends our
students the message that how we treat each other and how we feel about ourselves is more
important than anything else (Katz, 2012, p 56).
In Teaching to Diversity, on page 57, we can see an example of the classroom meeting
procedure. You begin by going around the circle and having each student give a compliment to a
community member or express gratitude for something good that happened in the community, this
is followed by going around the circle again and having students point out issues within the
community framed by the sentence I would like to change ___ It is important that you do not allow
specific names to be mentioned. Then students will brainstorm possible solutions to the issue. At
this point we as the teacher must allow them to try out their solutions, as long as it is safe to do so,
even if we do not think they will work so that students learn to revisit their thinking if Plan A does not
work.

- Next Slide: Social-Emotional Games/Activites

Another strategy in teaching social-emotional skills is through the use of games and activities. As
mentioned earlier, being emotionally competent involves being able to read emotions in yourself
and others, in order to do this however, we must know what emotions look like. We can teach
children how emotions look through games, and by teaching these skills, children will learn how to
see emotions in other people and can use that knowledge to determine their own actions. For
instance, when you are able to see when someone is angry, you are able to make the decision to
not anger that person more, but either letting them have time to cool themselves down, or try to
help that person talk through their anger and help them calm down. (John & Schutte, 2007, p 15).

There are some procedural steps to consider when using emotional games in your classroom, such
as ensuring that you practice the activities before introducing them to your class to avoid some of
the glitches and boredom of your students. You should also participate in the games with your
students as often as it is possible, this will show your students that you are equal with them, not
above them or more superior. You should also be sure to allow some goofing off when first
introducing games, as for some, acting silly helps to alleviate tension and nerves. We will be able
to practice some of the activities at the end of the seminar if time permits us to do so.

- Next Slide: Other Strategies: Spirit Buddies

Spirit buddies is when you allow a few minutes at the beginning of each day for your students to
check in with and welcome their classmates to school. Each student would be a part of a small
group who they'd met with every morning. By having spirit buddies, you are creating an atmosphere
of community in your class and allowing the students to all get to know one another (Katz, 2012, p
53). Building community allows students to feel more safe and secure within the school classroom.

- Next Slide: Literature & Bucket Filling

A final strategy that I have for you is simple, just read books that involve emotions. Part of socialemotional competencies is being able to recognize emotions in yourself and others, as well as the
ability to regulate your own emotions. There is a wide selection of childrens literature which touches
on this subject. All the childrens books I brought today involve emotions in some way. To teach this
topic in class, pick a book that emphasizes an attribute of social-emotional competency and read it
to the class. Afterwards you can have a discussion on the theme of this book and relate it to the
lives of your students.
*If time permits*
For instance I have a book here that I want to read to you called When Miles Got Mad.
* Read book *
After reading this book to your class what are some things that you can ask your students that
might help teach them to be socially and emotionally competent?

- Classmates to reflect on question, then share with group -

Ask which students have experiences those feelings within their own family
Teach them to talk about their feelings before reacting. Think before doing
Describing what he looked like, ask they students what they look like when their upset?
What makes you mad?
What do you do when youre upset?

Some ideas that I came up with are, When Miles got mad his cheeks got burning hot, his chest felt
tight, and his hands curled into fists; what do you do when you get upset?, What kind of things

make you upset?, What did Miles do to calm himself down when he was mad?, What kind of
things could you do when you get mad?
Another way to use books to help with social-emotional competencies is to use a book that shares a
strategy. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is an excellent example of this. Have any of you seen
bucket filling done in the classroom?

- Classmates share with group * If time permits, read Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
This would be a good way to introduce the concept of bucket filling in your classroom. My
Cooperating teacher has a bucket filling board in her class, however, I dont really see much
interaction with it. The kids will write on sticky notes and post them, but Ive noticed that its usually
only one or two students who do anything with it. When youre putting stuff like this in the class, it is
important to interact with it, otherwise its just clutter on the wall. I found some other documents that
can go with the Bucket Filling concept, such as a weekly questionnaire. I wouldnt necessarily give
my students a page of questions to answer every week, but you could do an exit slip once a week
with a single question from the questionnaire on it and see how students are filling others buckets.

- Next Slide: In Closing: Exit Slip

In closing, I have an exit slip for you to fill out answering these questions:

- What is one thing you learned from today's seminar?

- What is one question you have about today's seminar? (If it helps consider these questions)
I didnt understand
Please explain more about
- What is something that surprised you about today's seminar?
*If time permits; play some of the social-emotional activities *
Taken from, Activities to Enhance Social, Emotional, and Problem-solving Skill: Seventy-six
Activities That Teach Children, Adolescents, and Adults Skills Crucial to Success in Life.
Emotional Charades p.17 (Activities That Teach How to Identify and Talk about Emotions)
What Am I Feeling p. 23 (Activities That Teach How to Identify and Talk about Emotions)
Precision Praise Bombardment p. 51 (Activities the Foster Self-Confidence)
Easy as A,B,C p. 53 (Activities the Foster Self-Confidence)
Pride Inside p. 56 (Activities the Foster Self-Confidence)

- My teacher has Friday meetings with her class, everyone has to say thank-you to someone for
doing something, and then they also have to air out their problem

- With my high school girls I volunteer with at camp we sit in a circle in cabin time and everyone
says a positive thing about the person sitting to their left