Page 34 - EdViewptsSpring2021

(Discussion and Engagement). The The action that was taken was to
third goal would also assist and/ provide staff an opportunity to facilitate Our goal was to build
or promote job embedded support assemblies for our students, co- a communal under-
(restorative practices and culturally facilitate PD sessions, and teacher
responsive approaches) approved interviews in order to increase their standing of social-
by administration. The goals were input and accountability through emotional learning and
developed in response to a needs voice and agency in SEL instruction. interpretation of school
assessment and data analysis from Teachers shared input through
2018-2019 walkthroughs and end-of- surveys, pre/post conferences, and wide norms to increase
year survey data. The following data interviews. Our goal was to build a teachers’ awareness
was obtained: communal understanding of social- in order to build that
• 86% of the teachers surveyed emotional learning and interpretation
feel that students lack skills in of school wide norms to increase voice and agency for
responsible decision making; teachers’ awareness in order to their students.
• 80% of the teachers surveyed build that voice and agency for their
students.
feel that students lack skills in shift to virtual instruction, the progress
self-management; seemed to go stale, as morale in the
• 62% of the teachers surveyed are Implementation of Strategies students and staff decreased. From
not doing SEL with students on a March 2020-June 2020, it felt like
daily basis; The second action, implementing people were just working to make it
• 52% of the teachers are not using consistent SEL instruction, was to to the next day. Our team redirected
discussion and engagement provide strategies, resources, and its work and used this time to identify
techniques when facilitating SEL tools to increase discussion and students who would need the most
discussions. engagement within the classroom, support in the upcoming year.
We were faced with the question of lunch/recess time, morning and Students who were identified as
what to do with this data. When I afternoon dismissal. The team absent during the March - June
speak of we, I mean me, my principal, planned for Student Assemblies/ remote learning were our first priority
our teachers, our support service Morale Boosters, such as Beginning in September 2020. Special Area
staff, and our paraprofessionals. In of the Year Student Assembly and Teachers and paraprofessionals were
essence, our whole school community Student of the Month Morning/ Lunch intentionally given specific students,
is responsible. Celebrations/Game Time. These with the only purpose for the first
assemblies helped model what we month being to build relationships
wanted in our school climate and gave and trust. During CPTs and meetings,
teachers an opportunity to follow-up
Creating Staff Buy-in with the strategies, the norms, and the staff was given training and
strategies to implement with students.
It is important to build a shared the expectations through discussions Tools included guiding questions,
understanding of SEL competencies. and engaging activities in their ice breakers, practical strategies for
As a building administrator, human classrooms. To help with the transition making sure the student shows up to
capital is extremely important. The of returning to school in September the meeting and how to have effective
push to establish a SEL Team was remotely, schools in our district communication with the parents and
needed to create that space for extended homerooms to provide time teachers.
voice and agency. When it comes to build relationships and participate in
to our students and building a culturally responsive SEL activities. The third action, promoting job
positive culture, it must be done embedded support measures, was
with sincerity. We hear day after the key to make sure that staff
day what the parents could have, Promoting Job-embedded could effectively increase SEL and
should have, ought to do, but is that Support culturally responsive practices in their
really in our control? That was my classroom. Strategies, reflections,
constant reminder, in a question that In early January 2020, we sent out discomfort, and opportunities to
simply asked, “What can we do in a check-in survey to see if our three engage all became possible with
our classrooms and in our school to main actions (buy-in, implementation, our school book study - Zaretta
help our students? Focusing on the and support) were making progress. Hammond’s Culturally Responsive
staff was intentional. Let’s be frank. From the results of this survey, we Teaching and the Brain. Throughout
Teachers are more likely to genuinely learned that the push out of the the school year, even during our
engage in practices endorsed by their initiatives all at once was too much remote learning time, the staff
colleagues whereas if the directive is for the staff. As we were planning engaged in building professional
only from administration, it might be adjustments, Covid-19 intervened and growth with culturally responsive
done for compliance purposes only. ended our in-person school instruction practices. The highlights of this
on March 12, 2020. During the rapid book study include references to

Educational Viewpoints -32- Spring 2021