top of page

Social Emotional Learning

Session 2: School-Wide Rituals and Routines

The Car Analogy

Why do we need consistent components/structures/vocabulary within the contexts for learning K-8?

The use of clear and consistent language and structures frees the learner to focus not on the structure, but on the rigorous thinking work necessary to achieve deep understanding of text and intellectually demanding world knowledge.  It is helpful to think of the car metaphor to make this important distinction more clear.  All cars are designed primarily in the same way. It is safe to say that any vehicle we get in to drive has the gas, the steering, the radio etc. in the same place.  Think about navigating a new road with poor conditions, you would be challenged for sure but add the component of all the basic structures being changed such as gas on the left, brake on the right and now your focus would be pulled to learn the structure instead of on successfully navigating the treacherous terrain you had been faced with.  The same is true for our students; if we keep the structures simple and elegant, predictable and strong then our learners are freed up to focus on the challenging new learning that they are faced with each day.  It is this that prompts us to clearly define our structures in a K-8 vertical articulation

Classroom Environment

(Refer to Classroom Environment: Session 2 for more examples of exemplar classroom environments.)

 

Space Design

●      Reduction of teacher footprint

●      Meeting space should allow for audience and circle

●      Small group space

●      Classroom Library

●      Take Five Space—clearly defined

●      Lesson Plans Posted

●      Blank bulletin boards ready for anchors to be added during the launch unit

Effective Teacher Language

Purpose:  Skillful teacher language is language that supports students in three broad categories:  developing self awareness and self management, building their sense of community(social awareness and social management), and gaining academic skills and knowledge. Across all of these areas, language is a tool that helps teachers to articulate a vision, convey faith that students can attain it, give feedback that names students’ strengths, and offer guidance that extends students’ skills.

 

Guidelines

●      Be direct and authentic

●      Show faith in children’s abilities

●      Keep it action oriented

●      Keep it brief

●      Know when to be silent

 

Types of Effective Teacher Language include?

●      Envisioning Language

●      Open Ended Questions

●      Reinforcing Language

●      Reminding Language

●      Redirecting Language

Effective Feedback

Purpose:   “The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback.  The simplest prescription for improving education must be dollops of feedback.”  Marzano

 

Guidelines:

●      Descriptive language that tells the learner what they are doing that they should do again (celebrate/reinforce)

●      Descriptive language that tells the learner what they need to change (prompt or teach)

●      Descriptive language that is connected to the strategic actions or knowledge that will support the learner as they make the needed changes (reference the anchor, use a mentor text)

●      Tone is one that indicates to the learner that you believe in them and that you will support all of them until they learn they become independent with the objectives

●      Timely (Immediate is best)

●      Follow up:  Notes are taken that capture the feedback given and allow for follow up either individually, small group or whole group based on the findings.  Notes all include other important findings that were not included in the teaching point for today, but are worthy of follow up.

Greetings

Purpose:  This develops social awareness-social management-and provides opportunity for scholars to repeatedly articulate the vision for the future and make a connection between current work and future goals. It also supports development of the 4 C’s Capable, Connected, Count and Courageous.

 

Arrival: 

  • All teachers greet scholars at the door

    • Shake hands

    • Good morning and how are you

    • Research each scholar's emotional state as they arrive

      • Follow through during breakfast and morning work to support self awareness and self regulation of emotion.

    • Make personal connection (family, outside activities etc.)

  • All Scholars greet each other every morning (see open circle for suggested greetings)

    • eye contact

    • include everyone, greet all not just my best friends

    • say the person's name

    • If a scholar arrives late or leaves and returned they should be greeted by the teacher and welcomed into the community by all.

 

When a Visitor Arrives

  • Scholar meets them at the door and greets them:

  • Eye contact

  • Name

  • Hand shake

  • Future goals (college/career)

  • Current Learning (not doing)

Transitions

Purpose:  Quick and efficient transitions reserve instructional minutes, and provide consistency in all classes, hallways, gym and more. 

 

1-2-3 Move

  • 1 - Stand up

  • 2 - Gather materials

  • 3 - Move to new location

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attention Getting Signals

 

Clap  

Teacher XX-XXX(bump, bump da bump bump)—this should be silent--- Scholars:  XX

Purpose:  Instant attention in times where a quick interruption is needed or safety concerns are present

  • Immediate silence

  • Eyes on teacher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zero Noise

(hand signal for a slower attention getting moment, teacher is silent until all scholars join)

Purpose:  When the chime is not available this will provide scholars an opportunity to finish their thought or last sentence of work: respect.

  • Use during partner conversation, small group or independent work times

  • Teacher puts two fingers in the air silently

  • Scholars join in until the room is silent and all eyes are on the speaker

 

 

 

 

Chime

Purpose:  Provides scholars time to finish their thought or last written idea before returning to school listening look: respect.

  • Teacher rings chime and lets it fully go until the sound ends

  • Teacher is silent and waits until the chime is done to expect 100% school listening look

Learning Arrangements

Purpose:  Brain research supports that sitting up in a state of relaxed alertness allows the brain to take in and retain new information.

 

School Listening Look

  • Rug: 

    • Criss-cross

    • hands in your lap

    • eyes on the speaker

  • Chair: 

    • feet flat

    • sitting up straight and tall

    • eyes on the speaker

 

EEEK position

  • Eye to eye knee to knee (for partner conversation)

 

Audience Position

  • In rows facing the teacher

  • Sitting next to a partner for partner conversation

    • Practice the transition from audience to EEEK and back again.

 

Shoulder to Shoulder text in between

  • Partner reading

  • Close reading

  • Any time scholars are working or reading together

 

Circle

  • School Listening Look: in a circle so everyone can see everyone else

    • In chairs: 

      • feet flat

      • eyes on the speaker,

      • speak to the group not the teacher

    • On Floor: 

      • Criss Cross

      • hands in lap eyes on the speaker

      • speak to the group not the teacher

Voice Modulation

Purpose:  Consistency in all environments K-8 these support the development of self awareness, social awareness and self and social management as well as the 4 C’s. 

  • 6 inch voice for partner or small group work

  • 6 foot voice for sharing with the whole group

Silent Signals - Non-Verbals

Purpose:  Increases engagement, participation and thinking by all even when they are not the speaker.

  • I agree with that idea because….

  • I disagree with that idea because…

  • Me too…(connection)

  • Change/revise my thinking

  • Complete sentence—stretch it out

  • Look at the speaker

Accountable Talk

Purpose:  Scholars will develop habits of discussion in order to socially construct understandings across content areas and in increasingly complex text.  Talk becomes the vehicle to build thinking habits that are practiced in the context of a variety of discussion modes publicly; the ultimate purpose of accountable talk is for scholars to internalize the thinking habits so that they can utilize them with automaticity and independence.  Scholars learn to talk differently and this in turn changes the way they think when reflecting and responding during any learning experience. 

 

Phases of Accountable Talk

  • Teach and practice (effective feedback) Class Norms for Talk

  • Teach and practice (effective feedback) Learning to Share Stems

  • Teach and practice (effective feedback)Learning to Build Stems

  • Teach and practice (effective feedback) Learning to Synthesize Stems

 

Teacher Cues

  • “Circle up for a whole Class Conversation”

  • “Turn and have a partner conversation”

  • “When you hear the chime or see the zero noise signal, finish your thought, thank your partner and return to school listening look position.”

  • “Track the speaker” (eyes on the speaker)

  • “Talk to the group not the teacher”

  • “Thinking all the time, use your non-verbals”

  • “Stretch it out”  (scholars should be speaking in complete sentences

Problem Solving Process

Take 5

A staff member may ask a scholar who is struggling to meet community expectations to sit outside the group until s/he is ready to return with appropriate behavior. (Note: “Take 5” strategy will not be effective if the student doesn’t want to be a part of the lesson.)

 

Take 5 rules must be clear and are non-negotiable, like any routine take five is a skill/habit that MUST be taught and practiced with feedback prior to a scholar needing to use the space.

  • The student must be quiet in the Take 5 space.

  • The student must return to the activity and participate appropriately once Take 5 has been completed.

  • Take 5 must be short – five minutes would be appropriate.

  • Prior approval from the Head of School or Academy must be obtained before any time-out can occur that will last more than 30 minutes).

  • Resources in the Take 5 Space include:

    • Five calming down strategies based on Open Circle principles:

      • Flower Breathing,

      • Candle Breathing,

      • Bubble Breathing,

      • Give yourself a time out

      • Count backwards from 10

Teaching Procedures, Rituals and Routines Until They Become Habits

Guideline:  Scholars must be explicitly taught and then practice the rituals and routines moving from novice to mastery in all K-8 classrooms.  Teachers gradually release responsibility adjusting pace based on student attainment of each habit.  It usually takes about 20 days to roll out all of these mini-lessons.  Scholars should be engaged in meaningful reading/content as the habits are taught and constructed by scholars.  The goal is independence and automaticity, over the first 20 days of school the teacher will be providing a great deal of ongoing effective feedback.

  • Name it –(creating a shared vision, goal setting)

    • Anchors (vision of excellence)

      • Clear simple language

      • Annotated photo

  • Claim it---

    • Practice—redo until 100% of scholars are successful

      • use a timer

      • reflect, set goal, plan, act, reflect and celebrate

  • NOTICING---(effective feedback) Remind, Reinforce, Redirect, Re-teach

    • Ground it in the anchor(VOE)——

    • Slow down less is more…once the expectation is clear expect 100%

  • Remind—

    • Once taught, anchored and practiced

    • Before a transition REMIND--”Who can remind us what a transition should look like, sound like and feel like?  Use the anchor to help you remember.”

It's All About Clarity

  • —Know where you are going:  Ensure a clear vision of excellence .  What does the routine look like when it becomes a habit.

  • —Use your resources and the videos to create your mental model and assure K-8 vertical articulation.

  • —Use clear and consistent language so the K-8 vertical articulation can become a reality.

  • —Name the WHY behind it……How is this going to help us as a learning community? (habits of mind)

bottom of page