I'm super excited to announce that we will be implementing a new SEL Curriculum across all grade levels this year to compliment our Responsive Classroom practices! The program is called Second Step, and is provided to the school courtesy of the CPS Office of Social Emotional Learning. All teachers were trained in the program in June of this year and we have already received the curriculum and materials so we can start right away in September. Ms. Magnuson and I are facilitating the scheduling and roll out of the program and are looking forward to seeing how our students grow socially and emotionally from what they will be learning.
In a nutshell, Second Step is a classroom based program that provides instruction in social emotional learning with lessons on emotion management, empathy, friendship skills, problem solving, and skills for learning. The program contains between 22 and 28 separate sets of lessons for each grade level, which are presented by the classroom teacher once weekly (preferably on a Monday or Tuesday). Throughout the week, teachers reinforce the weekly lesson using Second Step's four key strategies to reinforce skill development: brain builder games (to build executive function), weekly theme activities, reinforcing activities, and home links. Teachers are also encouraged to give children daily opportunities to practice. For additional information about Second Step, you can check out their website. If you would like to see the types of lessons taught at each grade level, check out the Second Step Scope and Sequence. Once you receive your first Home Link, you will also be able to log on to SecondStep.org to get additional information and materials to help reinforce the concepts the students are learning at home.
One of the things I love most about Skinner North is the value that is put on educating the whole child, and looking beyond academic learning to ensure that our students can become successful adults. I truly believe the addition of Second Step is going to positively impact our students' social emotional growth and help make them well rounded individuals.
In a nutshell, Second Step is a classroom based program that provides instruction in social emotional learning with lessons on emotion management, empathy, friendship skills, problem solving, and skills for learning. The program contains between 22 and 28 separate sets of lessons for each grade level, which are presented by the classroom teacher once weekly (preferably on a Monday or Tuesday). Throughout the week, teachers reinforce the weekly lesson using Second Step's four key strategies to reinforce skill development: brain builder games (to build executive function), weekly theme activities, reinforcing activities, and home links. Teachers are also encouraged to give children daily opportunities to practice. For additional information about Second Step, you can check out their website. If you would like to see the types of lessons taught at each grade level, check out the Second Step Scope and Sequence. Once you receive your first Home Link, you will also be able to log on to SecondStep.org to get additional information and materials to help reinforce the concepts the students are learning at home.
One of the things I love most about Skinner North is the value that is put on educating the whole child, and looking beyond academic learning to ensure that our students can become successful adults. I truly believe the addition of Second Step is going to positively impact our students' social emotional growth and help make them well rounded individuals.