SEL Rockstars

Boy, were we wrong! Kelly and I thought EAPs were 5-sessions-and-done propositions, but there is a lot more to support school employees' mental health at the Employee Assistance Network. They have a leadership academy, groups, and can fast-track people into counseling that matches their needs. Why didn't we know this?LinksEmployee Assistance NetworkThe mindfulness course Kelly is taking

PE teachers make it seem easy, but a more careful look at the work they do can clue us into the skills they employ to reach kids, create relationships, and sometimes become some of the most effective school leaders. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Natalie Boone, who started her career in Haywood county schools and now shares her work on movement, trauma, and the learning brain with WNC teachers and Mars Hill University teacher candidates. Bringing Learning to Life Through Movement - NCCAT

Empathy is highly valued in our profession, but it puts us at risk for compassion fatigue. Also known as "the cost of caring," compassion fatigue negatively affects our work satisfaction, our relationships, our sleep, our mental and physical health, and it can lead to burnout. Martha Teater co-authored Overcoming Compassion Fatigue: A Practical Resilience Workbook and she talks here about what might be put in place to insulate teachers from conditions that can take us away from the work we love.Here's a link to the bookAnd a link to my notes on her excellent presentation

Enka Intermediate's Michael Clair was unsure about SEL when coach Sam Marines talked to him about it. Ironically, he was already an excellent SEL practitioner! Here we discuss the way his morning meeting is more than confetti and disco lights; it creates community and fosters the development of 5th graders. Check out the video hereHere is the CASEL framework he and I look at during our discussion.

At last, MLL Coach and master teacher Tsianina Tovar is here to talk about the teacher moves on the video we made. Before you listen, check it out to see high impact practices and the ways she creates points of entry for students who often can't find an easy way to participate.Tsianina Tovar - Frontloading and Framing Content for Multi-Language LearnersEpisode 3 where we fangirl about TsianinaFluency Folder

Is it PBIS? IABS? MTSS? Michelle Smith is my supervisor and she sat down to talk about fundamental elements of behavior instruction and support: teaching school-wide behavior expectations, protocols for reinforcing those expectations, and a committee that analyzes data taken on those behaviors.Michelle leads and coordinates the SEL programming for Buncombe County Schools. She is a licensed (K-12) Exceptional Children teacher with a Masters in Educational Leadership. You can find her at a variety of schools supporting core SEL, PBIS, Restorative Practices, and Student Support Initiatives.NC MTSS Strategic Plan 2020Core Behavior Practices from the NCDPI

Daniel Crone joins the podcast to nerd out with me on task analysis, Now foundational in instructional design, it was developed first by the US military. Breaking tasks down into their elements helps people with cognitive differences master daily living skills. As Daniel says, a lot of time what's good for the 1% is good for the 99%, so the theory can be applied to all learners including teachers acquiring new skills. Get your slide rules out because we cover Scarborough's Rope, hierarchical talk analysis, cognitive task analysis, and my husband's pizza oven.

Eblen Intermediate's Kelly Corriher returns to educate me on the Anatomy of Trust. This time the emotional vocabulary breaks down trust's elements:BoundariesReliabilityAccountabilityVault (bank, not Olympic)IntegrityNonjudgementGenerosityBraving the Wilderness Review from Angela Mcclintock on SocialWorker.comStudent Notebook Insert BRAVINGBonus Link:Lumio Morning Meeting/SEL Smartboard tool

NWRI's Devon Prott discusses how he uses the Carousel Walk protocol in his 5th grade Math/Science classroom. He also shares procedures (which are apparent in the video linked below) that he has for using instructional time efficiently.Video of Carousel Walk in Devon Prott's Room

Morning meeting, predictable routines, and homework are core, right? They are simple but not easy, so Woodfin 3rd grade teacher Emily McKinney shares her systems for those plus how she decreases disruptions and ensures task completion.McKinney's Is This a Good Time for the Bathroom ChartFront of Board - Schedule and Timer