Social Emotional Learning:

A Self-Paced Field Guide and Strategy Journal

for In-person and Distance Learning

​

Module 1B SEL Learning Goal 1: SELF-AWARENESS

Subgoals A-C Grades 7-Adult

​

A Training Module Using the MVSD SEL Curriculum as a Guide

SEL in MVSD

“At MVSD, we acquire, practice, and apply academic and social-emotional skills to develop ourselves and each other as engaged, responsible citizens.”

How to use This SEL Module Learning Journey Series

• PLEASE PRINT OUT THE MODULES and create binders for each so you can use these like a guide or journal and refer to them whenever you may need a strategy.
• The module series is based on the 5 Learning Goals (Competencies) in the SEL Framework.
• The first one is based on SEL Learning Goal 1: SELF- AWARENESS
• These modules are based on the newly created SEL Curriculum that MVSD developed in 2020.

​

How to use This SEL Module Series continued...

​

• To increase knowledge and understanding of how to incorporate and embed SEL skills into everyday activities that students participate in at school with the intention of transferring skills learned to other environments such as home, community, on the job, and in any environment where interaction takes place.
• You can also use these modules as personal SEL Field Journals that you use to create your own strategies, compile additional ideas, and write reflections along the way!
• IMPORTANT- This module is set up in grade level sections. You may be tempted to only skip to slides that pertain to just the grade level you teach or are working in. PLEASE go through all of the slides and do all of the activities, responses, and view the videos!
• Strategies in RED are from the MVSD Guide. Strategies in black are added ideas/strategies for this goal.

​

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & SEL

Just a note that ALL of the SEL skills, strategies, ideas, activities to do with students can be adjusted, adapted, and accommodated so that ALL students can ACCESS and PARTICIPATE in Social- Emotional Learning Goals and Competencies.

Through:

Multiple Means of Engagement

Multiple Means of Representation

Multiple Means of Action and Expression

​

​

What does Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Mean to You?

In your own words, describe what each word means as you see it and then write your own definition of SEL?

Social: ________________________________________________________

Emotional: _____________________________________________________

Learning: ______________________________________________________

When I think about SEL, I think of it as: _____________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​

In your own words, what are your beliefs about WHY teaching students Social-Emotional skills is such a big focus in schools today?

​

My BELIEFS about WHY teaching social emotional skills is so important for students:

​

• _______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________

​

A Review: SEL Description

CASEL (The Collaborative for Social Emotional Learning) in a new definition describes SEL as:

“ the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decision.”

​

​

CASEL: https://casel.org/what-is-sel/

SEL

Social and emotional learning (SEL) enhances students’ capacity to integrate skills, attitudes, and behaviors to deal effectively and ethically with daily tasks and challenges - CASEL Definition

​

​

​

SEL 5 Core Competencies (Learning Goals)

​

*This will be the focus of Module 1:

SELF-AWARENESS

Image from CASEL: The Founders of SEL

The Collaborative for Academic, Social,

and Emotional Learning

The First of the SEL Learning Goals

(Also known as: Competencies)

Learning Goal 1: SELF AWARENESS

CASEL defines this as:

• The ability to accurately recognize one’s emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior.
• This includes accurately assessing one’s strengths and limitations and possessing a well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism. (CASEL)

​

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1a: Demonstrate an Awareness of Emotions

Definition: Identify Emotions

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

MVSD Benchmark Skills: Grades 7-9

• I can identify and utilize appropriate time and place to safely process emotions with adult support as needed.
• I can recognize a basic range of emotions that impact myself and others.
• I can explain how others’ responses to situations can impact my emotions and the behaviors I engage in.

Learning Goal 1 Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1a: Identifying Emotions: Useful Strategies, Links, and Activities- Activities in BOLD RED come from the MVSD SEL Curriculum Guide

​

Learning Goal 1: Self Awareness

Sub-Goal 1a: Identifying Emotions: Strategies, Links, Activities

Strategy: Emotion Graffiti Activity

Emotional Graffiti: This activity is designed for middle and high school-aged kids..

1. Attach chart paper to the walls around the room, as equally distributed as possible, with enough room between posters to accommodate small groups of students gathered around each. Write a primary emotion at the top of each piece of chart paper: Anger, Sadness, Joy, Fear, and Love (or Attachment).

2. Put students in cooperative groups of 3 – 5. Give each group a marker or two and assign each group to stand by a poster.

3. Explain to them that when you say, “Begin” that they are to brainstorm as many related emotions as they can. (Give a couple of examples: Joy – happiness, contentment, excitement; Sadness – grief, depression, etc.). Continued on next slide...

From: https://www.funderstanding.com/featured/social-emotional-learning-identifying-emotions-in-ourselves/

Emotion Graffiti continued:

4. After 2 – 3 minutes at one poster, have the groups rotate clockwise to the next poster.

5. Repeat until every group has been to every poster.

6. Have students bring the posters to the front of the room and process what they have listed. In some cases, you may need to help them correct their examples.

7. End by displaying a poster of the Emotions ‘R’ Us Chart, discussing any important emotions that students omitted from their list. You may want to leave this poster on the wall to refer to throughout the year.

​

​

Other Strategies you have tried with regards to helping students identify their emotions:

Other strategies I have tried: Circle Successful or Unsuccessful (if so,

why?)

_______________________________ S U Why? ______________________

_______________________________ S U Why? ______________________

_______________________________ S U Why? ______________________

_______________________________ S U Why? ______________________

_______________________________ S U Why? ______________________

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

MVSD Benchmark Skills: Grades 10-12

• I can recognize a complex range of emotions that impact myself and others.
• I can identify and utilize appropriate time and place to safely reflect on personal emotions either independently or with support.
• I can explain how others’ responses to situations can impact my emotions while identifying ways to regulate a response.

​

Learning Goal 1 Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1a: Identifying Emotions: Useful Strategies, Links, and Activities- Activities in BOLD RED come from the MVSD SEL Curriculum Guide

​

Emotion Detectives: A Strategy for Teens and Older Students

Teach students how to pay attention to and name the emotion they are feeling and name the sensation that they are experiencing with it. Naming the emotion takes its power away. For example:

Name the emotion: “I’m anxious.”

Name the sensation that is experienced by the emotion:

“My stomach is tense.”

Naming emotions and the sensations they cause can help shift improve a person’s mood and help them to respond respond better right then or in upcoming interactions and situations.

Source: https://blissfulkids.com/mindfulness-activities-kids-teens-emotion-detectives/

​

​

​

​

​

Read the Blog and Reflect

Blog Name: Good Therapy- click on the link below and read the Blog.

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-to-help-teens-manage-their-emotions-and-accept-their-feelings-0705175

Title: How to Help Teens Manage Their Emotions and Accept Their Feelings

Topic Expert: Kathie Hardie-Wiliams

In this blog, the author has many suggestions on how to help teens express their feelings. She shares a technique called: The Empty Chair Technique- a technique that can be very effective for teens who are experiencing emotional dysregulation regarding another person or social situation.

After reading the blog and watching a short video clip of a role play (on the next slide) reflect on what resonated with you.

​

The Empty Chair Technique Video Role Play

Problem: The student wants to date a guy but her best friend doesn’t think it’s a good idea.

​

Blog Reflection: Is there a strategy you would try?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

The Empty Chair Technique video reflection: ____________________

__________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

MVSD Benchmark Skills: ADULT

• I can model how identifying and labeling emotions informs my thinking and influences.
• I can evaluate verbal, physical, social, cultural, and environmental cues to predict and respond professionally to the emotions of others.

Learning Goal 1 Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1a: Identifying Emotions: Useful Strategies, Links, and Activities- Activities in BOLD RED come from the MVSD SEL Curriculum Guide

• Take a personal strength inventory

https://www.truity.com/test/personal-strengths-inventory

• Delegate tasks and projects to people who exhibit strengths in areas in which you are limited.
• Reach out to persons and/or groups for support and resources in areas of limitation.
• Reduce stress by focusing on strengths.

​

​

​

Tips for Enhancing Your Own Emotional Intelligence

​

If your goal is to boost your own emotional intelligence or help your clients boost their emotional intelligence (e.g., any EI work on an individual level), keep these seven tips in mind:

1. Reflect on your own emotions;
2. Ask others for perspective;
3. Be observant (of your own emotions);
4. Use “the pause” (e.g., taking a moment to think before speaking);
5. Explore the “why” (bridge the gap by taking someone else’s perspective);
6. When criticized, don’t take offense. Instead, ask: What can I learn?
7. Practice, practice, practice (Bariso, 2016).

Info for this slide from: https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-intelligence-exercises/

​

“Be the Fog” Strategy

Be the Fog (Regulate Your Emotions)

It can be very difficult for many of us to accept criticism, especially if receiving criticism provokes strong emotions. This simple exercise will help you “be the fog” and learn how to regulate and modulate your emotions in a difficult situation and learn how to not let it bring you down.

Here’s what to do: “Act like a fog! Imagine you are a fog. When someone throws a stone at you, you absorb that stone without throwing the stone back. This is a very easy and effective technique to use against people who keep criticizing you repeatedly.” (Skills Converged website)

Info for this slide: https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-intelligence-exercises/

“Be the Fog” continued...

For example, if someone tells you something like: Respond with:

“You just don’t understand.” “Yes, I just don’t understand.”

“You are lazy.” “Yes, I am lazy sometimes.”

“You are always late.” “Yes, I was late.”

“You don’t feel responsible.” “Yes, I just don’t take responsibility.”

When you accept the criticism that is thrown your way (without actually taking it to heart), you will find that you disarm the person criticizing you. To practice, ask someone you know well to criticize you at rapid speed, one after the other, and employ the fogging technique to counter it. From: https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-intelligence-exercises/

​

​

The Fogging Technique: What is It?

Created by: Psychologist, Manuel J. Smith

His book is titled: "When I Say No, I Feel Guilty"

The idea is that by accepting the constant criticism and repeating it back to the person, eventually, that person won’t have any more “stones” or criticism to throw at you.

Source: http://wiki.c2.com/?FoggingTechnique

​

​

A More in In-depth Look at The Fogging Technique

Excerpt taken from the article titled: Fogging: One Communication Technique to Deflect Criticism (from: https://hwebbjr.typepad.com/openloops/2008/03/fogging-one-com.html)

Fogging is:

• an assertiveness skill that is aptly named for the dense mist that has often confused many travelers.
• In a fog, we lose our bearings, miss important landmarks and find ourselves off the road in a ditch that we failed to see.
• The assertive communication technique of fogging works the same way by confusing the verbal bully, who expects his victims to get angry and defend themselves, entering into a fight that the bully knows all too well how to win.
• Fogging works because the technique presents to the bully a tactic they don't expect: agreement.

The Fogging Technique in Action

​

Teaching Students how to Use the Fogging Technique for Negative Inquiry

An effective Fogging technique to use for Put-downs:

​

How can you teach this technique to students?

We know how hurtful kids can be with the words they use.Using a strategy like the fogging technique could help the student who is on the receiving end of the criticism. HOW might you have to tweak this strategy if you are teaching it to a student who:

has autism with limited communication skills: __________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

has extreme anxiety and is very shy: _______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

has significant challenges regulating behavior and has frequent outbursts: __________

_____________________________________________________________________

SELF- REFLECTION: Where are YOU on the Self-Awareness and Identifying Emotions Section of the Wheel?

GO back to slide 10 with the SEL Wheel and take a look at the first Learning Goal: Self-Awareness and the Competencies under it.

Use the Field Guide Journal Note pages (following this slide) to reflect upon where YOU see yourself in each of these areas. This is for your eyes only and you are not expected to share.

​

Learning Goal 1: SELF-AWARENESS: Sub-goal 1a: Demonstrate an Awareness of Your Emotions: Areas to Self-Assess include being able to label your feelings (additional journal pages included)

How do you relate your feelings and thoughts to your behavior?____________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Share your strengths and challenges: _________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

What is your level of self-efficacy? (your belief in your ability to succeed in situations or completing tasks): ____________________________________________________________________________________

​

__________________________________________________________________________________________

​

What is your level of optimism? _____________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Other: _________________________________________________________

Additional Journal Page for Strategies and Self-Reflections

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Sub-goal 1a Identifying Emotions

Recap Discussion/Conversation with a Colleague

If we were doing this in person at a training, there would be discussion groups and you would be placed within a group. SInce we are not able to do this, the next best idea is for you to find another paraeducator in your building and, staying socially-distanced, have a brief (5-10 min) discussion/conversation to answer this essential question about identifying emotions. If you need to jot down your ideas to use when you share, there are journal pages included, following this slide.

Q1: Why is it so important for students to be aware of their emotions and be able to label them?

Q2: What is the benefit for them to be able to identify how they are feeling so that they can access their learning?

Q3: Is it easy for you to share how you are feeling? Why or Why not?

Additional Journal Page for Strategies and Self-Reflections

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Additional Journal Page for Strategies and Self-Reflections

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Additional Journal Page for Strategies and Self-Reflections

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1b: Demonstrate an Awareness of personal qualities and interests including strengths and challenges

Definition: Self-perception; recognizing strengths

Benchmark Skills: Grades 7-9:

• I can identify how my interests influence academic and social opportunities.
• I can identify my interests and experiences to enhance my own learning.
• I can describe how my personal strengths and challenges

​

Learning Goal 1 Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1b: Demonstrate an Awareness of personal qualities and interests including strengths and challenges

Definition: Self-perception; recognizing strengths

Useful Strategies, Links, and Activities- Activities in BOLD RED come from the MVSD SEL Curriculum Guide

​

Increase Your Background Knowledge

The following slide is a Strengths and Qualities Inventory.

Take the time to take this inventory yourself.

It is important that you become familiar with tools that can be used by students so that you can assist them in increasing their own awareness about their personal qualities and interests including strengths and challenges (Self-Awareness Sub-goal 1b)

​

Strengths and Qualities Survey

​

​

How are surveys and inventories helpful?

The earlier that a student can begin to self-evaluate, think about, and take a look at their interests, preferences, strengths and challenges, the more meaningful, purposeful, and cohesive their transition plan can be.

Beginning this journey in junior high and at the start of high school will allow this to happen. Information learned from these surveys will be useful information to consider when the team- including the student as a member of his/her team- begins to develop transition activities and goals for the transition plan.

More to come in the Grades 10-12 section!

​

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1b: Demonstrate an Awareness of personal qualities and interests including strengths and challenges

Definition: Self-perception; recognizing strengths

Benchmark Skills: Grades 10-12:

• I can acknowledge my strengths and challenges and make post-high school goals.
• I can identify a potential career path that builds on my personal strengths.
• I can create a post-high school plan based on my personal qualities and interests.

​

Academic and Personal Strategies Grades 10-12

​

Students in your class or students you worth with are now required to have Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs). At age 16, students who are on an IEP need to have a Post Secondary Transition Plan.

The link below is to the VT Agency of Education Special Education IEP forms.

https://education.vermont.gov/student-support/vermont-special-educati on/special-education-forms

• Scroll down to FORM 5: Individualized Education Program
• Click on: Instructions to FORM 5.
• Scroll down to page 2.
• Find the section that says: Post Secondary Transition Plan.
• Read through that section to learn about all of the important information that the IEP team needs to include in this section of a student’s IEP. Info from a student’s interest surveys and career inventories can be used in the student’s Transition Plans.

If you have a student who is 16 in your class and on an IEP or are working with a student who is 16 or older, their IEP will include a Transition Plan. Ask the special ed case manager to take a look at it.

Direction: Take this Interest Inventory- see what it entails so that when a student in your class or one that you work with takes it, you have some background knowledge.

The O*NET Interest Profiler offers a FREE Online Interest Inventory- It is a free assessment and one of several tools that are part of O*Net Online, a project sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.

(Info from: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/interest-inventories-526168 )

​

Link to take the Inventory: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip

​

Record Your O*NET Interest Profiler Results

Please reflect/summarize your results and anything that stood out to you.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________.

Direction: Now Take this Character Strengths Inventory

​

​

​

​

​

http://www.embracecivility.org/wp-content/uploadsnew/Character-Strengths-Inventory.pdf

​

​

Info for this slide from:

These Character Strengths were first included in Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Tis inventory of strengths was developed based on material from the VIA Institute on Character. A more comprehensive survey of personal strengths is available on their website. © Copyright 2004-2014, VIA Institute on Character. Used with permission. All rights reserved. http://www.viacharacter.org

Reflect on your Character Strengths Inventory Results…

Any Surprises?

Note a couple observations that you noticed after doing the Character Strengths Inventory.

My observations: ______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1b: Demonstrate an Awareness of personal qualities and interests including strengths and challenges

Definition: Self-perception; recognizing strengths

Benchmark Skills: ADULT

• I can model how my awareness of my strengths and challenges influence my decision-making.
• I can maintain and model a “growth mindset” about my abilities to succeed and grow and will persist through challenges.
• I can anticipate and plan for variations in personal strengths, interests, and challenges in students, colleagues, and parents; respond to these variations professionally; create and contribute to an inclusive community.

Personal Strategies- ADULT

Strategies:

• Delegate tasks and projects to people who exhibit strengths in areas in which you are limited.
• Reach out to persons and/or groups for support and resources in areas of limitation.
• Work with a mentor/coach to overcome limitations; respond to variations in people professionally, and persist through challenges.

​

What are your personal strengths and weaknesses?

Print out the article if possible. https://www.myrkothum.com/personal-strengths-and-weaknesses/

Read the article.

Circle the words that describe your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Add your own words/phrases or descriptions of your strengths and weaknesses.

Choose a strength and think of one way/activity to improve upon it.

Choose an area of weakness. Think of one way/activity to improve it.

Continued

​

​

Decision-Making Strategies

Here are some helpful tips to consider when decision-making:

Identify the Problem: Avoidance, escaping, and/or ignoring a problem won’t work.

If you need to talk to someone about the problem to help you identify and state it clearly.

Brainstorm Options: Write down possible options to help you problem solve and make a

decision. You can refer back to them after to create PROs and CONs.

Review the Pros and Cons: Identify Pros and Cons that you brainstormed. Think about

How emotions play a role in our decision-making.

Create a Plan and Move Forward: after reviewing the PROs and CONs, decide how

best to move forward with the option you chose. Info for this slide: https://www.verywellfamily.com/steps-to-good-decision-making-skills-for-teens-2609104

​

​

​

How good are your decision-making skills?

Take this online assessment to see how good your decision-making skills are?

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_79.htm

What was your score? _________

Have your decision-making skills fully matured? (score of 18-42) YES NO

Is your decision-making process just “ok?” (score of 43-66) YES NO

Do you have an excellent approach to decision-making? (score 67-90) YES NO

Info for this slide from MindTools: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_79.htm

​

​

What is a Growth Mindset?

Read the article by Carol Dweck: What Having a Growth Mindset Really Means?

Reflect on these questions: Do you tend to have a growth or fixed mindset? ______________________

What characteristics do people with a Growth Mindset have? _________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

When companies or organizations embrace a growth mindset, employees feel: ___________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

People with a Fixed Mindset experience: _________________________________________________________

Choose one of the misconceptions. Which one did you choose? _______________________________________

What does Carol say about it?__________________________________________________________________

Source for this side: https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means

Listen to Dr. Carol Dweck, the author of the Growth Mindset

Developing a Growth Mindset featuring Dr. Carol Dweck (10 min):

Growth Mindset Video Reflection

What is something new that you learned after viewing and listening to Dr. Dweck’s talk about Growth Mindset: ___________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Take a Growth Mindset Assessment!

Take the Growth Mindset Assessment to see if you have a Growth Mindset or a Fixed Mindset.

Growth Mindset Fixed Mindset

Take a moment to reflect on what you have just learned about your mindset. If you tend to have more of a Fixed Mindset, what is one area you can commit to improving that will help you move toward a Growth Mindset? ____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Source:https://positivechangeguru.com/whats-your-mindset/

Tips for Responding to Change

Psychology Today offers 5 Tips to Help People Respond to Change:

KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE!

• Step back and look at the one event/transition within the “bigger picture” up to that point to help you moderate how you think and feel about a certain event.
• A single event may not seem as dramatic if it is placed within this context.
• Keep things in perspective helps reduce the distraction and mitigate emotional responses, keeping you focused on the “here and now.”

Info for this slide taken from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-flux/201107/5-tips-help-you-respond-effectively-change

​

Psychology Today’s: Practice the 5 “Ps”

1. Learn Patience. Don’t be impulsive or try to rush things.
2. Be Persistent. Don’t give up. Keep working at it. The outcome you seek may be just around the corner.
3. Be Practical. Maintain balance in your life. Stay present, firmly grounded in the here and now. Create a structure that has stability and support while you are in the process of change or transition.
4. Be Positive. Expect up and down.Try to stay as optimistic as you can.
5. Have a Purpose. No matter how many changes and transitions you go through in your life, have an organizing guiding principle that is important to you to help keep you moving forward.

Info from this slide: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-flux/201107/5-tips-help-you-respond-effectively-change

Stay focused on WHO you are and WHAT you need.

This is typically hard to do when we tend to define ourselves through external means such as relationships, work, money, etc.

Focus on SELF FIRST when factors (such as people in your life) are a part of that change.

You may need to compromise.

Relying on your own personal resources is helpful when making change.

Diminishing outside forces makes it easier for the individual to reinvent themselves.

Info from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-flux/201107/5-tips-help-you-respond-effectively-change

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1c: Demonstrate a sense of confidence, personal responsibility, and advocacy.

​

Benchmark Skills: GRADE 7-9

• I can describe how personal responsibility is connected to my choices and behavior.
• I can confidently recognize the importance of handling tasks and challenges.
• I can reframe negative thoughts and engage in positive self-talk.
• I can demonstrate basic self-advocacy academically and socially.

Academic and Personal Strategies

​

Taking Responsibility for Our Actions and Choices

Here is an excellent short video to show students on why it is important to take responsibility for our actions and what can happen when we don’t.

​

Reframing Negative Thoughts:

Helping Teens Surrounded by Negativity-

Author: Colleen Klabon

​

“A negative environment = negative thoughts = negative self-image = a negative view of the world”

​

​

ANTS

ANTS- Automated Negative Thoughts are thoughts that automatically enter our brain while we are experiencing everyday situations.

ANTS are plaguing teens today more than ever.

When the majority of teens encounter a situation, their thoughts are trained to view things negatively.

Info for slide taken from: https://everfi.com/blog/k-12/surrounded-by-negativity-helping-teens-reframe-negative-thoughts/

ANTS in the Real World

Meet Lisa…

Lisa walks by a group of popular girls in the lunchroom. They burst out laughing as soon as she passes by. The ANT comes to Lisa’s brain as, “They are totally laughing at my hair. I should never have worn it like this. I look so dumb.”

​

The likely scenario is they were laughing about something that happened over the weekend or a funny joke someone shared.

​

What could you do to help reframe Lisa’s thoughts to be more realistic and positive? ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

​

​

According to the author, the first step is to...

​

“Consider the lense in which our students are viewing the

world through.”

• How they interpret situations is ultimately connected to how they view themselves.

Source: https://everfi.com/blog/k-12/surrounded-by-negativity-helping-teens-reframe-negative-thoughts/

​

Let’s look at Lisa again…

​

As you pass out the exam, you hear Lisa quietly say to herself: “I am totally going to fail this test.”

You can stop her and ask her one of the following:

• Is that really true?
• What is the evidence that it’s true? (If there is no evidence- it is not true)
• How does that thought make you feel?
• How would you feel differently about this test if you didn’t have that thought?

Students who make statements like this are desperately seeking attention and crying out for an encouraging word from anyone. You can be that person, but it takes assertiveness and effort. Info from: https://everfi.com/blog/k-12/surrounded-by-negativity-helping-teens-reframe-negative-thoughts/

​

​

​

​

So what can you do when you have students in your class who tend to have negative thinking like Lisa ?

• Guide them to reframe their thoughts into more positive statements.
• After class you could say something like, “Hey ___, I know you have taken exams and done well before. You are not going to fail this test.”
• Just a simple opposite statement can snap her back to reality.
• Or you can provide hope with something like, “Even if you were to do poorly on the test, I think you could get through that. I have seen you get through difficult things before.”
• Another strategy help students manage negative thoughts is to engage them with activities that will help them manage their thoughts and emotions.

Info for this slide: https://everfi.com/blog/k-12/surrounded-by-negativity-helping-teens-reframe-negative-thoughts/

EVERFI provides a free, digital resource for teachers and students looking to work on positive thinking called Character Playbook: Building Healthy Relationships. In addition to the online activities, educators have access to offline resources such as discussion guides.

Teaching Positive Self- Talk for Students

The Fortune Cookie Activity:

Get some fortune cookies.

Have students break them open and

Find all the positive messages.

​

• Give each student 5 strips of paper and ask them to write down 5 positive Fortune Cookie messages about themselves.
• Extended Activity: Have students write a positive message on a fortune cookie strip for each of their classmates, put them in fortune cookies (if possible) and give them out to classmates.

​

​

How are you with your own Positive Self-Talk?

Now it’s your turn.

Write down 3 positive statements

about yourself.

​

• __________________________________________

​

• __________________________________________

​

• __________________________________________

​

Teaching Kids to Be a Self-Advocate: What does that look like?

Watch the short video on Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy for Students with Disabilities:

​

How can I work with students to help them become more comfortable with this?

How you approach teaching, practicing, and/or role playing self-advocacy skills with the student/s you that you work with will depend upon the student’s level of cognitive understanding and ability to take part in these activities. You may need to think outside of the box and get creative in order to teach this important skill to students with significant learning challenges and profiles.

Here are some self-advocacy role play scenarios that you can do with your students. Take a look at them. Choose 3 to practice with. You should play the role of the student so that you can model appropriate responses to help the student understand what an appropriate dialogue may sound like when advocating for his/her needs.

https://teachingselfadvocacy.wordpress.com/additional-resources/role-playing-scenarios-for-practicing-self/

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1c: Demonstrate a sense of confidence, personal responsibility, and advocacy.

​

Benchmark Skills: GRADE 10-12

• I can identify my strengths and challenges that correlate to post-secondary and/or life goals.
• I can analyze the level of control one has over situations in academic and social life.
• I can identify how my post-secondary and/or life goals will positively impact others.

Academic and Personal Strategies

​

Post-Secondary Career/Life Goals Strengths and Challenges

Brainstorming Worksheet

SELF-Control

Watch this video on self-control to put context around what self-self-control looks like and sounds like. See how energy affects will power and self-control and exercises you can do to help build up your self-control. Ask your special educator is this video might be helpful to share with the student/s you work with.

​

Short Term Goals- something to accomplish in the near future

Brainstorming Worksheet

​

Long Term Goals- something you want to accomplish in the future that takes

time and planning to achieve

Brainstorming Worksheet

​

7 Ways You Can Change the World

​

​

​

​

Read this article. Take notes (following slide) and share the essence of the article with your student/s. Ask them how their life goals can positively make a difference and impact others.

Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/7-ways-you-can-change-the_b_5962672

​

Notes from the Article

7 Ways You Can Change the World:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

​

​

Learning Goal 1: Self-Awareness

Sub-Goal 1c: Demonstrate a sense of confidence, personal responsibility, and advocacy.

​

Benchmark Skills: ADULT

• I can identify my strengths and limitations.
• I can use my strengths effectively.
• I can use a growth mindset to work on my limitations.

Personal Strategies

​

Personal and Character Strengths

​

Find Your Character Strengths

There are 24 character strengths that a person can have. What are yours?

Click here to read about each of the 24 character strengths.on the link.

Scroll down to the 24 Character Buttons and read on each one.

Print out the next slide so you can make a list of what you see as your Character Strengths. Then give an example of how or why you see that in yourself as having this strength.

Now do this self-awareness exercise with your student/s.

Source: https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths

Your Character Strengths

Developing a Growth Mindset” “Not Yet!”

You and your adult student/s can watch the Carol Dweck TED Talk on Growth Mindset and discuss interesting takeaways from the video.

​

Reflections on the Growth Mindset TED Talk

with Carol Dweck

Do you think of difficult challenges you face and tackle them with the growth midest of “not yet? YES NO

​

If yes, how? If not, what is one way that you can start to turn your fixed mindset into a growth mindset?

Yes , I do and here’s how _________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

OR

No, I don’t and I can start by _______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion of Learning Goal 1: Self Awareness

We’ve just been on a long journey into SEL Goal 1: Self -Awareness. Let’s recap the learning from this module:

We covered SEL Learning Goal/Competency 1: Self-Awareness:

Subgoals:

1a:Demonstrate an awareness of your emotions.

1b:Demonstrate an awareness of personal qualities and interests including strengths and challenges.

1c:Demonstrate a sense of confidence, personal responsibility, and advocacy.

​

Self-Reflection

1. What have you learned or discovered about self- awareness within yourself that you hadn’t thought about or didn’t know before participating in this module?
2. What is one action from each of the three subgoals can you commit to that you will do with the student/s that you work with?

Sub-goal 1a: Demonstrate an awareness of your emotions: _________________

____________________________________________________________________

Sub-goal 1b: Demonstrate an awareness of personal qualities and interests including strengths and weaknesses :____________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Sub-goal 1c: Demonstrate a sense of confidence, personal responsibility, and advocacy: __________________________________________________________

Thank you for your participation in the activities and reflections,in this Module 1 SEL Learning Goal/Competency 1: Self- Awareness!

​

Module 2 will take a look at SEL Learning Goal/ Competency 2: Self-Management