Social Emotional Learning
Session 5: Effective Teacher Language
Why Effective Teacher Language?
Skillful teacher language is language that supports students in three broad categories:
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Developing self awareness and self management
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Building their sense of community (social awareness and social management)
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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
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Be direct and authentic
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Show faith in children's abilities
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Keep it action oriented
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Keep it brief
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Know when to be silent
Types of Effective Teacher Language
Envisioning Language
Envisioning language helps children foresee what they could accomplish with persistence and hard work.
Open Ended Questions
Open Ended Questions support the natural way children learn, promote engagement, encourage self-control, and nurture a sense of classroom community
Reinforcing Language
Reinforcing Language coaches students as they practice academic and social skills, help them move past stuck points, point out leading-edge behaviors, and increase their awareness of their own growth
Reminding Language
Reminding Language helps children develop the autonomy and competence that lead to self-control and intrinsic motivation
Redirecting Language
Redirecting Language provides kind but firm external control to get children back on track when their self-regulation is failing them
The Power of Our Words, Paula Denton