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Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

Understanding SEL

Lesson 13:

Social Awareness & Relationship Skills

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Self-Awareness

Self-Management

Social-Awareness

Relationship Skills

Responsible Decision-Making

CASEL 5 Competencies

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) FOCUS

Social Awareness - Involves the ability to understand and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Social awareness encompasses several key elements.

Key elements for social awareness include empathy, respect for others, recognizing social norms, and recognizing family, school, and community resources.

Relationship Skills - the ability to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups�
Through their projects, students will demonstrate cultural competency, work collaboratively, show positive leadership, offer supports, problem solve

Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

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Essential Questions

What is social awareness?

What is the role of social awareness in developing and maintaining healthy relationships?

How can effective communication and active listening contribute to building strong relationships?

Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

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Inclusive Opener

Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

Explore the importance of social awareness and relationship skills in building positive connections with others.
Recognize differences across experiences, identities and backgrounds that shape how we see the world
Embrace and value differences

T: In this lesson, we will explore the importance of social awareness and relationships skills in building positive connections with others. We recognize that each one of us has our own experiences, identities, and backgrounds that shape our understanding of the world. By embracing and valuing our differences, we can create an environment that respects and celebrates the richness of our diverse perspectives.

T: Remember, our classroom is a space where we can learn from one another. Each of us brings unique insights and experiences that can broaden our understanding of social dynamics and enhance our relationship-building skills. By actively engaging in discussions and activities, we contribute to a collective learning experience that embraces our diversity and fosters an inclusive atmosphere.

(1 minute)

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Engaging Strategies

Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

Social Awareness

understanding and empathizing with the feelings, needs, and perspectives of others

Relationship Skills

encompass effective communication, active listening, collaboration, and conflict resolution

DISCUSSION- SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY

On the next slides we’ll discuss social awareness strategies and relationship skill strategies, role play in pairs and discuss how each strategy can be applied in real-life situations.

T: Social awareness is characterized by understanding and empathizing with the feelings, needs, and perspectives of others. For example, if you and I feel differently about the value of testing in school, if I am socially aware, I will take your perspective into account and try to understand your point of view.

T: Relationship skills encompass effective communication, active listening, collaboration and conflict resolution. So using the same example, if we really have a difference of opinion on the value of having school tests, then I will try to also maintain my relationship with you by actively listening to your point of view, effectively communicating my position and trying to resolve any conflict that we may have.

T: On the next slides, we’ll discuss social awareness strategies and relationship skill strategies. In your teams, you will quickly read the descriptor then have act out what that can look and sound like in a real life situation.

Be prepared to share with the class!

(2 minutes)

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Engaging Strategies

Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

Social Awareness Strategies

Practice Active Listening: Pay full attention to the speaker, maintain eye contact, and avoid interrupting. Show empathy and understanding by paraphrasing and reflecting on their feelings and perspectives.
Develop Perspective-Taking Skills: Put yourself in someone else's shoes to understand their experiences, emotions, and viewpoints. Consider how their background and context may shape their perspectives.
Cultivate Empathy: Show genuine care and concern for others. Try to understand and share their emotions, and offer support and compassion.
Recognize Non-Verbal Cues: Pay attention to body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to better understand people's emotions and feelings.
Appreciate Diversity: Embrace and celebrate differences in cultures, backgrounds, and opinions. Seek to learn from others' experiences and perspectives.

T: There are several strategies for developing social awareness. They are practicing active listening, developing perspective-taking skills, cultivating empathy, recognizing non-verbal cues, and appreciating diversity.

T: I’m going to call on pairs students to role play these in action. I’ll give you the scenario and you role play, trying to include all 5 strategies.

[Select pairs to come to the front, keep the slide up so they can reference, read one of the following scenarios or use one of your own; instruct audience members to watch and be prepared to share what they saw when done. Then take feedback from the audience, having them give examples of strategies in action. Each role play should be limited to 2-3 minutes.]

Scenarios:

A group of students is working on a project together, but one student feels their ideas are being ignored. The group needs to address this issue and find a way to include everyone's input.
A new student joins the class mid-semester and feels out of place. Other students role-play how they would approach and include the new student in activities and conversations.
A student witnesses another student being bullied during recess. The role-play involves how the witness can intervene safely, support the victim, and report the incident to a teacher.
During a class discussion, a student makes an insensitive comment about another culture. The role-play involves addressing the comment respectfully and educating about cultural sensitivity.
A student notices their friend is unusually stressed and withdrawn. The role-play involves how to approach the friend, offer support, and suggest ways to manage stress or seek help.

T: Great job on practicing those strategies, remember they work in your real life as well. We will do Relationship Skills next class session with new pairs!

(20 minutes)

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Engaging Strategies

Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

Relationship Skills Strategies

Practice Assertive Communication: Express your thoughts, feelings, and needs clearly and respectfully. Use "I" statements and avoid aggressive or passive communication styles.
Develop Conflict Resolution Skills: Learn to identify and address conflicts in a constructive manner. Listen actively, express your viewpoint, and work towards finding mutually beneficial solutions.
Foster Collaboration: Engage in cooperative group activities, projects, and discussions. Value and respect the input and contributions of others, and work together towards shared goals.
Build Trust: Demonstrate reliability, honesty, and integrity in your interactions with others. Keep commitments, maintain confidentiality, and follow through on your responsibilities.
Practice Emotional Regulation: Develop strategies to manage your own emotions and respond appropriately in different situations. Take deep breaths, practice mindfulness, and engage in activities that promote relaxation and well-being.

T: Remember last class we practiced social awareness skills with pairs of students role playing. [Refer back to slides 4 and 5 if needed].

T:There are also strategies for building good relationships, such as practicing assertive communication, developing conflict resolution skills, fostering collaboration, building trust, and practicing emotional regulation. As we did with social awareness strategies, it’s time to practice those strategies.

[Select pairs to come to the front, keep the slide up so they can reference, read one of the following scenarios or use one of your own; instruct audience members to watch and be prepared to share what they saw when done. Then take feedback from the audience, having them give examples of strategies in action. Each role play should be limited to 2-3 minutes.]

Scenarios:

Two friends have had a misunderstanding that has caused tension in their relationship. The role-play involves them discussing the issue openly and finding a way to resolve it.
Two students want to plan a group activity but have different ideas about what to do. The role-play involves them negotiating a compromise that satisfies both parties.
A student needs to give constructive feedback to a classmate about their part in a group project. The role-play involves delivering the feedback in a respectful and helpful manner.
A student’s friend is going through a tough time at home and is struggling to focus in school. The role-play involves the student offering support, listening, and suggesting ways to seek help.
A student realizes they have hurt a friend’s feelings with a thoughtless comment. The role-play involves them approaching the friend to apologize sincerely and make amends.

[Call time and thank the students for the excellent job.]

(20 minutes)

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Reflective Closure

DISCUSSION

Which social awareness or relationship skills strategy resonated with you the most, and how do you plan to incorporate it into your daily life to improve your connections with others?

Consider a recent conflict or disagreement you encountered. How could the strategies discussed in this lesson have helped to address or resolve the situation more effectively?

Understanding SEL/ Lesson 13

T: Let’s take a moment to reflect on the strategies for building social awareness and positive relationships and think about when we have had to put these strategies into practice.

Has there been a time when you demonstrated empathy or perspective-taking in your interactions with others? How did it impact the relationship and the overall dynamics?
Which social awareness or relationship skills strategy resonated with you the most, and how do you plan to incorporate it into your daily life to improve your connections with others? How will this help you achieve your personal and project goals this year?
How have you handled a recent conflict? Were you able to use any of the strategies discussed to resolve the conflict?

[Share out answers whole class or have production teams briefly discuss]

T: Remember, for this film project you will need to demonstrate awareness of others and practice relationship skills in order to create and execute on your film. Vital that you understand that.

(5 minutes)