Book review: SEL in the classroom
and then discuss outcomes after the lesson. According to Raven, there are three Anecdotally, Raven says, AISD is parts to SEL instruction: working on climate and culture, explicit instruction already seeing great results. After one year of SEL, the sixth-graders at one and curriculum integration. middle school had 40 percent fewer AISD chose to launch its program discipline issues during the first six with explicit instruction taught by weeks than the class before them. One classroom teachers for 30–40 minutes high school’s freshman class has had once a week. This allows teachers to a 40 percent drop in discipline issues reinforce the teachings throughout and in the failure rate. Counselors the week. The school counselor is the find that they have more time for tier program facilitator on most campuses. two and tier three interventions. And Explicit instruction consists of Raven says principals have noticed developmentally appropriate SEL lesthe program is sons, so while “rubbing off ” second graders on teachers, who are learning are solving probhow to respond Check out www.pinterest.com/ lems better with to playground atpe/social-and-emotionalone another. exclusion, learning for ideas on how Raven says seventh graders to bring SEL teachings into educators who are learning your own classroom. don’t have a about bullying schoolwide and coping program can with stress. At still incorporate the high school SEL practices by building a community level, AISD is really at the forefront and culture in the classroom that offers of learning what works best for SEL students choice and decision-making implementation. High schools curopportunities; challenging, engaging rently offer explicit instruction, either lessons; and the ability to process inforin advisory or as a freshman seminar, mation and/or move every 20 minutes. but Raven believes that curriculum This certainly doesn’t mean throwing integration will become most critical in high school once students have received out positive behavior supports or common expectations, Raven says: “This is SEL in K–8. Raven says curriculum putting the pieces together: SEL is the integration, which shows students that bedrock teaching of the skills that let SEL skills are used all the time, can kids do what you want them to do.” occur in two different ways: ▸ Content integration—For example, Raven says ultimately teachers find that they more than recoup the time when teaching about the American from SEL lessons because they’ve Revolution, also discuss alternative taught their students to resolve their conflict resolution. ▸ Pedagogical integration—For example, own conflicts and to stay on task. “The tradeoff, our teachers would tell tell students “today during group you, is well worth it,” Raven says. A work, your SEL objective is to make sure everyone participates equally,”
fall 2013
A different take on success In the book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell sets out to prove his theory that “there is something profoundly wrong with the way we make sense of success.” In a series of case studies, he analyzes the lives of the “remarkable among us” in order to uncover their secrets to success. He argues that success is not based solely on an individual’s position in life or family or even his talent. Instead, Gladwell believes, “Outliers are those who have been given opportunities— and have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.” Isn’t “success” the goal of education? As public educators, we want to give our students opportunities and guide them toward seizing them in order to be successful. This book helps one realize that there are ways in which we can guide both our students and ourselves toward our own definitions of success. This national bestseller is the focus of the next ATPE Book Circle study beginning Sept. 27. All educators are welcome to read and discuss this book for seven hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit. Visit www. atpe.websitetoolbox.com to view a course syllabus and to sign up for this free professional learning opportunity. —Kris Woodcock, ATPE professional learning manager
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