Ameera Ali

Long Island University

January 22, 2019
Spring 2019
 Title of Slides Slide Number

Needs Assessment 3

Objectives 4

Project Planning 5, 6, 7

Project Description 8

Project Implementation 9

Project Evaluation 10

Project Reflection 11

Artifacts from Project 12

Lesson Observation Link 13

Shadowing Report Link 14

Memorandum Link 15

Cover Letter and Resume Link 16

Reflections - Professional Standards Link 17

Log of Activities Link 18

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Bibliography 19
 Needs Assessment
For the past two years, our school staff recognized that our students needed more than academic rigor and test preparation to succeed. As

educators, we must integrate skills in multiple areas, such as physical, cognitive, and social domains (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006). As a school, we

have been working with our students to become readers by using a specific set of skills and strategies that enable comprehension and decoding.

This is all fine and well; however, as educators we know that our students need our help, not only in education but in emotions as well. Our staff

wants to create a learning environment that fosters more extensive personal interaction and allow teachers to understand individual students better

and allow students to feel more engaged in the learning process.

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 Objectives
I wish to accomplish the following:

1. Do research to identify the best possible program to improve academic performance

and to increase students’ interest in learning.

❏ Improve academic performance – Schools where social-emotional learning is taught schoolwide has reported that 85% of students are
successful at developing key content knowledge compared to schools where SEL is episodic (72%) or not happening at all (63%)
(Bridgeland, Bruce, Hariharan, 2013).
❏ Increase students’ interest in learning – Research has proven that when students gets explicit SEL instruction, students’ attitudes improve,
including a greater motivation to learn, improved relationship with peers, and a deeper connection to their school. SEL also improves
students’ behavior. On average, there is a 10 percent point improvement in positive attitude, addressing conduct problems and reducing
emotional distress, compared to students not participating in SEL programs (Bridgeland, Bruce, Hariharan, 2013).

2. Once a program is selected, work with staff to identify the best way to incorporate the program into the existing
curriculum.

3. Once a program is identified, work with parents to help them understand their roles in making the program effective.

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 Project Planning
May 2018 – Created a social-emotional learning team – a grade 2 teacher, a grade 3 teacher, a grade 5 teacher, literacy coach, the
principal, and myself.

June-August 2018 – The team researched and read about an exciting, new social-emotional learning pathway called Super Reader. Super
Reader is social-emotional learning (SEL) that has been integrated into our literacy program daily. Research has proven that when there is
a secure and dependable teacher-student relationship, young children’s overall development thrives (Doyle & Bramwell, 2006). This
pathway will allow our students access to our literacy curriculum.

September 2018 – Wrote a memo to the staff informing them about Super Reader and that it will be further discussed at the faculty
conference.

September 6, 2018 – sent out memo to staff

September 10, 2018 – Had a faculty meeting about integrating Super Reader with our Balanced Literacy Program. Introduced the 7
strengths to the staff and handed out book Every Child A Super Reader. During this time, I talked about combining Book of the Month with
Super Reader strengths and provided a schedule of each month and the strength that will be emphasized that month. Furthermore, it was
discussed that one day each month parents will be invited to the classrooms to celebrate that strength.

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 Project Planning cont’d
Super Reader Rubric

October-December 2018 - Attended Super Reader professional development learning series with SEL team.
a. October - Session 1 – 7 Strengths of a Super Reader and Balanced Literacy
b. November - Session 2 – Using the Super Reader Rubric to understand strong Guided Reading
instruction
c. December - Session 3 – Plan and Model Guided Reading Lesson and Debrief the Super Reader
Rubric Results

January – June 2019 – Had monthly parent meeting to discussed what parents can do to promote each strength at home. It was also
published in the monthly parent newsletter. It was called Super Reader Family Guide.

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 Project Planning cont’d
February - Record each teacher in the SEL team as they model a guided reading lesson and use the super reader rubric in their class.

March 2019 – Create and organize a series of Super Reader workshops with SEL team that mirrors the Super Reader PDs that was
attended from October to December.

April, May, and June 2019 - Super Reader workshops – 1 per month

September to November 2019 - Schedule inter-visitations with the SEL team (teachers).

December 2019 – Begin visiting teachers’ classrooms during guided reading and provide feedback (on-going).

January 2020 – Provide surveys and have on-going open conversations about the integration of Super Reader and Balanced Literacy.
 Project Description
This project requires specific components already in place at P.S. 290.

1. Each teacher receives a copy of Super Reader $32 x 50 = $1,600

2. Super Reader professional development learning series provided by Superintendent of District 19.

3. The help and cooperation from the grade 2, grade 3, and grade 4 teachers. About $1,000 will be set aside for per session rate.

4. In-school workshops by the SEL team. It will take place the first Monday of each month from 2:20 to 3:40.

5. Inter-visitations and feedback sessions held on a continuous basis.

6. Incorporate the help of the parent coordinator.

❏ hold monthly parent workshop

❏ Super Reader parent newsletter

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 Project Implementation
I started working on this project in May 2018 when my principal gave me the book, “Every Child a Super Reader.” She wanted our students

to be exposed to life skills that was absent from the in-school experience. We created a social-emotional team that consisted of a grade 2 teacher, a

grade 3 teacher, a grade 5 teacher, the principal, and myself. During the summer, the team researched and read more about Super Reader.

In September when teachers returned to school, a memo was sent out and each staff member received a copy of the book. The SEL team started

attending Super Reader Workshops that focused on integrating Super Reader with Balanced Literacy.

In January, a series of parent workshops were initiated called Super Reader Family Guide. Also, at this time middle of year data was

collected and analyzed. Guided Reading groups and centers were created. The teachers in the SEL team used the Super Reader rubric to collect

data on their students as they met with them. In addition, these teachers were recorded for modeling purposes to use in the teachers’ workshops.

Starting in April, teachers’ workshops were scheduled. The teachers attended the workshops and inter-visitations were scheduled with SEL

teacher members. Throughout this time, teachers and administrators had on-going open conversations about Super Reader and the Literacy

Program.

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 Project Evaluation
Starting in September 2019, the SEL team will meet with Grade leaders to discuss the progression of Super Reader in each of the grades’

classrooms. In addition, there will be regular visits and feedback with each teacher. A whole school survey will be given out in October gauging the

success of the program and improvements needed.

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 Project Reflection
Social-emotional learning is critical to students’ success in school, work, and life. Super Reader is social-emotional learning where students

build their sense of self and emotional resilience. The work that was involved from the process to the implementation to the end result was

challenging, engaging, and meaningful.

I learned a lot from this experience. As educators, we have the opportunity to change the lives of our students with the use of a very

powerful strategy – social-emotional learning. SEL gives students the fundamental skills to achieve in school and succeed in life. Recently, I

watched a video talking about the future of education. They mentioned that the current model used is a traditional model of education. This model

focuses on linearity (getting from point A to point B “in a straight line”) and conformity (everyone is the same and so should be taught the same).

And because of this our students’ spirit are impoverished, alienated, and well, disappearing.

I learned a valuable lesson from this experience and that is a revolution is on the horizon. As educators, we can incorporate SEL skills into

classroom instruction. We can use goal-setting instructions and focus on problem-solving strategies and decision-making processes. We can

personalize education based on the culture of the student and the need of the student. I learned that this takes a coordinated and explicit effort from

school leaders, teachers and supporting staff, and parents. Lastly, academics and SEL should be mutually enforced. You cannot have one without

the other.
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Artifacts from Project

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 Bibliography

Burmeister et al. (2018, January/February). Empowering Teachers Through Problem Solving.

Retrieved November 13, 2018, from The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Bridgeland, J., Bruce, M., & Hariharan, A. (2013). The missing piece: A national teacher survey

on how social and emotional learning can empower children and transform schools. A

report for CASEL. Civic Enterprises. Retrieval from

www.casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/the-missing-piece.pdf

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