As I began to read this article, I was at first a little
surprised that author categorized various techniques to develop social
emotional skills as novel and innovative.
He writes about learning progressions, reflective
journaling, student-led conference, cooperative learning—all of which are now
deeply embedded in a Trinity education—as new.
While commonplace at Trinity, these are novel ideas for
other more traditional schools where there’s a preponderance of
teacher-directed instruction, one-size-fits-all assessment, and little student
empowerment and voice and choice.
By the end of the article I couldn’t help but be very proud
to be part of Trinity where what’s novel and ideal for other schools is the
norm and the real for us!
Joe
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The
emergence of smartphones and their apps has created a new world of
personalization, instant results, and the ability to connect with others
without actually making contact, but some of the basic foundational
skills—perseverance, social skills, and more—that were once developed naturally
have gone by the wayside.
Below are non-cognitive
factors commonly lacking in today’s students and ways to address how to develop
these skills through specific (and easy to implement) instruction.
ACADEMIC PERSEVERANCE: This skill is best
explained as the ability a student has to stick with a task, even when it is
not a quick or easy one. One way to build this skill is to use learning scales,
which are a convenient way to help students monitor their progress toward
proficiency and eventually mastery of standards. Learning scales can be created
by setting the standard you’re teaching at the proficiency mark (typically
called level 3), then writing more simplified versions of the standard for
levels 1 and 2, and a more intense version of the standard for level 4
(mastery). Another way to build academic perseverance is to use reflective
journals with your students. Have them write about their level of understanding
or points of confusion. You can incorporate this at the beginning of a lesson,
several times throughout the lesson, and at the conclusion of the lesson. Allow
students to read through their reflections at least once a week to see the
progress they made simply by continuing to do their best.
LEARNING STRATEGIES: These skills are just
what the term says: strategies we use in order to learn. While your students
are familiar with strategies you regularly use in your classroom, they are
likely not aware of why you’re using those strategies. Be explicit about the
why. For example, when you introduce a new lesson with an activating strategy,
tell your students about it: “We’re doing this because we need to connect what
you already know to this new topic.” What you’re doing by being explicit is
teaching students how to monitor their metacognition. Help them to keep tabs on
their learning by asking them to be aware of how much they are paying attention
to what they are hearing, or reading, or writing. Asking your students to pay
attention to their cognitive engagement can yield big returns.
SOCIAL SKILLS: These foundational
skills influence a student’s ability to communicate and work effectively with
others. While this seems like something all students have mastered, it is often
a skill set they need direct instruction in order to develop. A good place to
start is with setting norms for speaking and listening in your classroom.
Ideally, you should involve your students in the norm-setting process, but some
non-negotiables should be: When someone speaks, provide them with your full
attention; only one person should speak at a time; and leave three seconds of
quiet between when one person stops talking and the next person starts
talking. Often, students fall into the trap of halfheartedly listening to what
others are saying because they’re busy planning their own response. Have them
practice listening and replying to a partner with the opening line, “What
I hear you saying is _____. I agree or disagree because _____.” This
exercise is best done in pairs so that each student has a direct responsibility
to a partner and there’s not an opportunity to not participate.
ACADEMIC MINDSET: The work of Carol Dweck,
the leading researcher on academic mindset, is readily available and provides
excellent guidelines for helping students and teacher achieve an academic mindset.
Creating a classroom environment where students see the relevance of learning,
and where they feel a sense of belonging, is an excellent way to foster an
academic mindset in them. You may also consider having students lead their own
student-parent conferences. This provides students with a sense of ownership
and the ability to identify their strengths and opportunities for growth.
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