Culturally Responsive Minds

I like what one of the other teachers said this month about SEL being "the plate" from where you "serve everything else". It feels like the behaviors of the students this year are out of control and I am exhausted! I think as educators we are pushing too hard with curriculum and business as usual when we ARE STILL IN A PANDEMIC! Shifting our focus to SEL as our first order of business would mean that once those needs were met, the academics would fall into place. Instead, we are fighting to get the curriculum done and putting the SEL piece in wherever it fits. I know I can serve my lessons from the SEL plate and that is how I am going to approach STEAM this year. Especially with my 6th graders who are really struggling behaviorally for all kinds of reasons.

Students feel they are successful...It’s [CRM] a powder keg for success and accessibility, and advancement and achievement, and it’s foundational to success.

I feel like I tiptoe on subjects...I’m nervous, like, I feel I don’t want to offend anybody. I get nervous, but then you open these lessons up with them and holy moly, these kids have blown me away this year about what they talk about...and it just goes to show how powerful our students are, no matter what age.

I found the SEL + STEAM session very interesting and appreciated clearly seeing all the connections between SEL + STEAM. We talk about teaching the "soft skills" but having executive functions and 21st Century Skills clearly aligned, helped justify why we don't just teach STEAM concepts in 5-10 minute lessons. They are important and teach SO much more than just one thing.

“I am very excited about the CRM program-- I didn't realize that there was something already in existence and now I can stop trying to build that wheel and use what's already there. I also love the SEL connections; the 3rd-5th grade building actually has a SEL specific report card to report to parents at conferences and allows the students and teachers both to report on strengths and weaknesses in several SEL areas at conferences and at other times during the year.

I began using the curriculum in May with my seventh graders and they were so engaged with the lessons they didn’t want to leave class.

My students love the first thought, last thought lesson and begged for more..

I feel like I tiptoe on subjects...I’m nervous, like, I feel I don’t want to offend anybody. I get nervous, but then you open these lessons up with them and holy moly, these kids have blown me away this year about what they talk about...and it just goes to show how powerful our students are, no matter what age....

I began using the curriculum in May with my seventh graders and they were so engaged with the lessons they didn’t want to leave class.