Students need to learn early in their educational career how to think about how they solve complex problems, what learning strategies work best for them, how they adapt what they are learning to new situations, and those questions will not be answered without a lot of help from their teachers.
The purpose of writing is what gets at SEL. Having the freedom and space to reflectively write can afford students the opportunity to think about and process how they are feeling, doing and learning. Through the insight gained into the students’ thinking, the teacher can build trust and relationships with students.
The first blog post in this series introduced the notion that teachers do not have to choose between meeting students’ educational or social emotional needs; they can naturally address both together. According to CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social and...
Within the context of what students are reading, writing and discussing, teachers can create community spaces where students feel connected, safe and engaged in the learning process.
One vocabulary strategy useful for social studies classrooms is Alphablocks. This tool helps students track their own thinking and organize vocabulary. The blocks are meant to capture words or phrases associated with a theme within a discipline.
Taking more time at the onset or at an important juncture in the learning process can help students internalize and solidify new ideas, allowing for momentum when it really counts.
In my experiences, pre-K through high school, children appreciate and will rise to the challenge of authentic learning experiences when given appropriate models and support.
