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SEL Embedded into Academics -

Fostering Academic Mindsets

A Collaborative PDS Project:

Elementary Instruction, Secondary Education & the SWSS Department

Growth Mindset

Self-

Efficacy

Sense of Belonging

Relevance

Welcome to this 2nd of 4 trainings in the SEL Embedded into Academics training series. We’re glad you’re here and hope you’ve had a chance to watch the Project Overview which is linked at the bottom of the slide. Today’s voiceover is provided to you by Jamie Allen and Suzy Johns of the SWSS department. Today’s content has been a collaborative effort between Elem Ins, Sec Ed and the SWSS Dept.

This is a on-your-own presentation so spend as much time as you need on each slide - just click the right facing arrow when you are ready to move on. Keep an eye out for links that will take you to supporting resources.

This training focuses on how embedding SEL activities into instruction can Foster the Academic Mindsets that contribute to academic success.

We hope you enjoy this presentation.

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Maurice Elias quoted in Social and Emotional Learning: A Short History (edutopia, 2011)

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

A Quick Refresher

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. CASEL

The SBCUSD SEL Standards & K-12 Benchmarks outline the five SEL Competencies:

SEL 1.0: Self-Awareness

SEL 2.0: Self-Management

SEL 3.0: Social-Awareness

SEL 4.0: Relationship Skills

SEL 5.0: Responsible Decision-Making

Additional Foundational PPTs:

Introduction to Social-Emotional

Learning (SEL)

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Academic Mindsets: We All Have Them

casel.org

Consciously or not, students come to school with beliefs about who they are as learners. These beliefs are influenced by parents, peers, past classroom experiences, and the wider culture, and can either support or undermine school success.

Farrington, C.A. et al, 2012

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Academic Mindsets: We All Have Them

casel.org

Consciously or not, students come to school with beliefs about who they are as learners. These beliefs are influenced by parents, peers, past classroom experiences, and the wider culture, and can either support or undermine school success.

Farrington, C.A. et al, 2012

Academic Mindsets

The attitudes or beliefs one has about oneself as it relates to academic work - mindsets may be positive or negative.

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Teachers Have a Strong Influence

casel.org

Teachers have a strong influence over academic mindsets through instructional practices and creating environments that shape students’ motivation, engagement, and persistence.

Allensworth et al., 2018

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casel.org

The hidden curriculum...

refers to the unwritten, unofficial, and often unintended lessons, values, and perspectives that students learn in school. While the “formal” curriculum consists of the courses, lessons, and learning activities students participate in, as well as the knowledge and skills educators intentionally teach to students, the hidden curriculum consists of the unspoken or implicit academic, social, and cultural messages that are communicated to students while they are in school.

Glossary of Education Reform

How is this influence

Thoughts on the ‘hidden curriculum.”

HIDDEN CURRICULUM

LAST UPDATED: 07.13.15

The hidden-curriculum concept is based on the recognition that students absorb lessons in school that may or may not be part of the formal course of study—for example, how they should interact with peers, teachers, and other adults; how they should perceive different races, groups, or classes of people; or what ideas and behaviors are considered acceptable or unacceptable. The hidden curriculum is described as “hidden” because it is usually unacknowledged or unexamined by students, educators, and the wider community. And because the values and lessons reinforced by the hidden curriculum are often the accepted status quo, it may be assumed that these “hidden” practices and messages don’t need to change—even if they are contributing to undesirable behaviors and results, whether it’s bullying, conflicts, or low graduation and college-enrollment rates, for example.

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Foster Academic Mindsets
Align SEL & Academic Content
Use Interactive Pedagogy

Source: Integration of SEL and Academic Instruction

Collaborative for Academic, Social, Emotional Learning - CASEL

Three Ways Teachers can Embed SEL into academics...

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Learning Intentions

casel.org

By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

Name four Positive Academic Mindsets that support academic performance.
Identify which SEL competency best supports the development of each Academic Mindset.
Identify at least one way schools can seek student input regarding their beliefs about the school culture as well as their own SEL development.

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For Further Study

Positive Academic Mindsets...

motivate students to persist at school-work which manifests through better academic behaviors which lead to improved performance.

Culture of Growth: Academic Mindsets.

Evidence strongly supports the relationship between positive academic mindsets, increased academic perseverance, and improved academic performance

Academic Mindsets as a Critical Component of Learning

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When a student feels a sense of belonging in a classroom community, believes that effort will increase ability and competence, believes that success is possible and within his or her control, and sees school work as interesting or relevant to his or her life, the student is much more likely to persist at academic tasks despite setbacks and to exhibit the kinds of academic behaviors that lead to learning and school success.

Farrington et al, 2012

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Student Beliefs
“My skills and competence can grow with effort.
“Success is possible and within my control.”
“This work has value to me.”
“I belong in this academic community.”

Four Positive Academic Mindsets

Additional Reading: Academic Mindsets as a Critical Component of Deeper Learning (Farrington, 2013)

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Student Beliefs
“My skills and competence can grow with effort.
“Success is possible and within my control.”
“This work has value to me.”
“I belong in this academic community.”

Four Positive Academic Mindsets

Additional Reading: Academic Mindsets as a Critical Component of Deeper Learning (Farrington, 2013)

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Student Beliefs	Positive Academic Mindsets
“My skills and competence can grow with effort.	Growth Mindset
“Success is possible and within my control.”	Self-Efficacy
“This work has value to me.”	Relevance
“I belong in this academic community.”	Sense of Belonging

Teacher Practices

That Support Student Success

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Student Beliefs	Staff Can Foster...	SEL Competency
“My skills and competence can grow with effort.	Growth Mindset	SEL 1.0: Self-Awareness
“Success is possible and within my control.”	Self-Efficacy	SEL 2.0: Self-Management
“This work has value to me.”	Relevance	SEL 3.0: Social-Awareness
“I belong in this academic community.”	Sense of Belonging	SEL 4.0: Relationship Skills

SEL Skills That Support

Academic Success

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Fostering Growth Mindsets by

Developing Self-Awareness

SEL 1.0: Self-Awareness

The ability to accurately recognize one's own emotions, thoughts and values and how they influence behavior. The ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism and a ‘growth mindset.’

Growth Mindset

“My skills & competence can grow with effort.”

According to Carol Dweck, people with a strong Growth Mindset believe their intelligence and skills are like muscles that can grow stronger and improve with work and effort. People with Growth Mindsets are able to cope with frustration and tend to view errors and hard work as part of the learning process - rather than evidence of inferiority or failure.

As we review the definition of Self-Awareness, let’s look for specific skills that could support a Growth Mindset. Self-awareness states that I can accurately recognize my emotions, thoughts and values and accurately assess my strengths and limitations.” This competency even refers directly to a “well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism and growth mindset.”

Let’s dig deeper in the next slide to see how embedding opportunities to develop Self-Awareness can also support the building of a Growth Mindset.

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Developing Self-Awareness to Foster Growth Mindsets

Examples

Creating opportunities for students to practice Self-Awareness:

recognizing and labelling emotions
reflecting on personal strengths and growth areas
engaging in safe and honest conversations regarding failures and weaknesses
developing a plan to address a personal weakness/growth area
reframing errors as opportunities for growth

SEL 1.0: Self-Awareness

Now let’s turn our attention to the Self-Awareness SEL Standards & Benchmarks. If you have not already downloaded a copy to your computer, you can click on the link in the slide

Take a moment to review the grade-level you currently teach noting the specific skills students are typically ready to learn during that time frame.

Examples of a few Self-Awareness benchmark skills are listed on the right side of the slide. Are there times of the day when practicing these skills could be embedded into your instruction? Perhaps you are already doing this but haven’t made an explicit connection to SEL.

Embedding Self-Awareness skills into authentic academic tasks provides a rich context to foster Growth Mindsets.

When students feel safe enough to identify and express their emotions - especially as it relates to their ability and performance - they are learning the skills of a Growth Mindset. When they are part of a classroom where it is safe to honestly talk about strengths and weaknesses and where mistakes as seen as a normal part of learning they are also learning, they are experiencing a classroom that fosters Growth Mindsets.

Take a moment to review the additional examples and see what connections come to mind?

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Self-Efficacy

“I can succeed at this. I have the skills to meet

the demands of what is being expected of me.”

Developing Self-Management

to Foster Self-Efficacy

SEL 2.0: Self-Management

The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts and behaviors in different situations - effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.

People with a strong sense of Self-Efficacy anticipate success and believe that they have the skills and resources to meet the demands of the task. Students with Self-Efficacy are more willing to engage in tasks and expend sustained effort in order to meet their goals.

As we review the definition Self-Management, let’s look for specific skills that could support Self-Efficacy. Self-Management states that I can successfully regulate my emotions, thoughts and behaviors, I can managing stress, controlling my impulses, motivating myself and set and work towards personal and academic goals -- all of which are important skills when helping students develop a Sense of Self-Efficacy.

Let’s dig deeper in the next slide to see how embedding opportunities to develop Self-Management skills can also support a Sense of Self-Efficacy.

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Developing Self-Management to Foster Self-Efficacy

Reflecting on Your Classroom

Creating opportunities for students to practice Self-Management:

identifying ways to calm themselves
encouraging self-regulation strategies - breathing, mindfulness
generating possible solutions to a problem and predict outcomes
setting goals and identify the steps necessary to accomplish it
reflecting on what could have been done differently to achieve greater success on a recent goal

SEL 2.0: Self-Management

The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situation -- effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.

Let’s turn our attention now to the Self-Management Standards & Benchmarks. Again, take a moment to review the grade-level you currently teach noting the benchmark skills students are typically ready to learn during that developmental period.

As you review the skills on the slide, think about times of day or subject areas where it would make sense to embed these activities and how doing so could provide a rich context for fostering a sense of Self-Efficacy.

Embedding Self-Management skills into authentic academic tasks provides a rich context for students to develop their sense of Self-Efficacy. Let’s discuss how. When students have the opportunity to identify and practice calming strategies, they learn that even strong feelings like anxiety and frustration are a normal part of school. Learning these feelings can be managed increases their sense of Self-Efficacy.

Take a moment to review other examples and see what connections come to mind.

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Sense of Relevance

“I can see how this work is valuable to me --

in the present and in the future.”

“This work has value to me.”

Developing Social-Awareness

to Foster a Sense of Relevance

SEL 3.0: Social-Awareness

The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Human beings come into this world hardwired to look for meaning and relevance. Unfortunately, school has often been perceived as being anything but meaningful and relevant. If students are going to be encouraged to focus their attention and expend sustained effort over time, it will be important to help them see how the work is relevant to their lives.

One way teachers can foster a Sense of Relevance is to embed Social-Awareness into academic tasks. Social-Awareness includes being able to take the perspective of others as well as demonstrate empathy - especially with those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. When students are given the opportunity to share their own perspectives as well as listen and ponder the perspectives of others, it provides a rich context for making the academic content relevant - to both their current circumstances as well as their future aspirations.

Let’s dig deeper into the next slide to see how embedding opportunities to develop Social Awareness can also support a Sense of Relevance.

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Developing Social-Awareness to Foster Relevance

Reflecting on Your Classroom

In what ways do you currently provide opportunities for students to:

assist in creating class and group norms?
show respect for others’ perspectives?
explore school and community needs to generate possible solutions?
identify the contributions of various social and cultural groups?
practice strategies for respecting similarities and differences?

SEL 3.0: Social-Awareness

The ability take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school and community resources and supports.

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“This work has value to me.”

Developing Relationship Skills

to Foster Sense of Belonging

SEL 4.0: Relationship Skills

The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. The ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate peer pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.

Sense of Belonging

“I belong to this academic community.”

Perhaps the greatest indicator of whether students will be successful at school or not is how deeply they feel connected to their peers and the adults at their school. According to Farrington, “Belonging is particularly important in an educational context because human learning is socially constructed: we come to understand the world through our interaction with others.”

In addition to all of the ways teachers build relationships with and between their students, embedding Relationship Skills into academics is a powerful way to foster a Sense of Belonging in students. The skills of this Competency include the ability to “establish and maintain relationships with diverse individuals and groups,” the “ability to communicate clearly,” “listen well,” “cooperate with others,” “resist inappropriate peer pressure,” “negotiate conflict” and “seek and offer help.”

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Developing Relationship Skills to Foster Sense of Belonging

Reflecting on Your Classroom

In what ways do you currently provide opportunities for students to:

practice listening for understanding?
practice using “I” statements?
respond to and seek feedback?
distinguish between positive and negative peer pressure?
discuss positive and negative ways to resolve conflict?
apply conflict resolution steps to de-escalate, defuse, and resolve differences?

SEL 4.0 Relationship Skills

The ability take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school and community resources and supports.

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Panorama Student Surveys

A School-Wide Data Source to Survey Student Beliefs

casel.org

Climate & Culture	Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Climate of Academic Support Knowledge and Fairness of Discipline, Rules, and Norms Safety Sense of Belonging (School Connectedness)	Growth Mindset Self-Management Hope Social Awareness Self-Efficacy

The Panorama platform provides a systematic way for schools to survey student perceptions and beliefs regarding:

the school culture (Climate & Culture Survey)
their own SEL development (SEL Survey)

For information regarding your site’s Panorama data,

contact the site administrator or the Tier 1 Climate & Culture Team.

The research is clear, the beliefs student have regarding their own abilities and likelihood for success play a large role in their academic achievement. Thoughtfully embedding SEL into classrooms and instruction provides one way for teachers to encourage the development of Positive Academic Mindsets.

As schools become more intentional fostering positive mindsets, it will be important to welcome them into the conversation and seek their perspectives.

This may be done informally by posing open-ended questions within classroom starters, writing assignments or Community Building Circles.

Another, more formal way, is to review the results of the Climate & Culture and SEL surveys in the Panorama platform. These surveys are given annually to all 5th-12 graders and provide schools a window into what students believe -- about their own abilities and the school culture.

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Thank You!

SEL Embedded into Academics Training Series

A Physically Distanced Learning Project, 2020

Step 5 Mental Health & Wellness Supports

Department Collaborators

Elementary Instruction

Secondary Education

Student Wellness & Support Services

Next Training in Series

Aligning SEL with Academic Content