The ABCs of S.E.A.L.: How S.E.A.L. (Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning) Strengthens Achievement, Behavior, and Climate

This informative, interactive and highly-engaging full-day session explores the research that supports the importance of S.E.A.L. practices in educators’ personal and professional development. Staff will learn how to implement S.E.A.L. strategies and build skills in classrooms and school sites to actively engage students and prepare them to be successful in school, college, career, and life. Tools such as Neuroscience, Mindfulness & Mindset in Education, Science of Belonging, and Cultivating Kindness, Empathy, and Compassion will be reviewed. Emphasis will be placed on how they play a critical role in building social, emotional, and academic skills while also enhancing school climate and culture.

Seal Team 2.0: Cultivating a Community of Internal Champions (7 full-day sessions)

Research makes a compelling case that social and emotional factors have the strongest impact on academic learning, affecting motivation and commitment, behavior, and performance. Explicitly addressing these components of learning can change how much and how well students thrive and achieve. The research also shows that district-wide SEL implementation is the most effective and sustainable when it starts with the adults first. Teachers with stronger SEL competencies have more positive relationships with students, manage their classrooms more effectively, have lower stress and increased job satisfaction, and implement SEL programs for students with greater fidelity.

Understanding the research supporting teacher engagement and collective efficacy, this course is designed to be a highly engaging, hands-on, seven-session journey that is unlike any other educational training. Participants will focus on strengthening their own SEL competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and decision-making so that they can more effectively model and teach others. The Professional Learning/Coaching model encourages communication between participants and facilitator in-between sessions via email and our on-line Professional Network community (made up of 500+ educators) and promotes the continuous sharing of best practices to build community and collective efficacy. Because it is a continuous series, building on prior knowledge, participants should plan on attending all seven sessions.

This year-long course is designed for teachers, counselors, and administrators who are committed to championing SEAL and leading trainings at their sites and within the district. Throughout the year, they will have the opportunity to implement strategies learned, share best practices, and lead trainings at their site. We highly recommend that participants attend in groups of three or more with an administrator.

Each session of the course will contain elements of:

• 5 SEL competencies
• 10 Teaching Practices That Strengthen SEAL
• Mindfulness
• Mindset
• Cultural Intelligence
• Neuroscience
• Infusing SEAL into Instruction and Content
• Classroom Community Building
• Cultivating Climate on Campus
• Best Practices in SEAL

Additionally, each session will have a theme to be explored more deeply. These include:

• Building Belonging: Creating Community with Classroom Circles
• Igniting the Sparks: Promoting Passion, Meaning, and Purpose in the Classroom
• Nourish to Flourish: Raising Resiliency Through Optimism & Strengths Practice
• Mind Matters: The Neuroscience of Motivation, Mindfulness, Metacognition, & Mindset
• Cultivating Climate: Connecting Kindness, Empathy, and Compassion to Learning
• Understanding B.I.A.S.—Beliefs, Identity, Assumptions, and Stereotypes
• Relishing, Repairing, & Restoring: The Power of Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Restorative Practices

ONLINE COURSE: ABC’s of SEAL: How S.E.A.L. (Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning) Strengthens Achievement, Behavior, and Climate

In this 12-module online course, educators will learn the foundations of Social, Emotional, and Academic Teaching and Learning. Each module incorporates video lecture sessions with Dr. Hood, supplemental reading, and links to outside resources. The modules in this course take an average of about 2-4 hours to complete and is available for both secondary, elementary, AND classified levels.

Looking to earn credit?

Thriving YOUniversity is affiliated with UMASS Global. Email Janeen@thrivingyouniversity for further information or visit http://umassglobal.edu/ThrivingU (course EDDU9611) The self-paced online modules explore the following topics:

• Module 1: Foundations and Frameworks of S.E.A.L.
• Module 2: Stress, Well-being, and Emotional Contagion
• Module 3: The Biology of Belonging and Cultivating Connection
• Module 4: Space & Structures for S.E.A.L./10 Teaching Practices
• Module 5: Cultivating Connection with Circles
• Module 6: Purpose and Engagement: Know Your Why
• Module 7: Mindful Adults: Cultivating Presence and Resilience
• Module 8: Mindful Students: Practices to Boost Focus, Self-Mgmt. & Resilience
• Module 9: Mindset Matters: The Adult Mindset
• Module 10: Mindset Matters: Empowering Student Mindset
• Module 11: Integrating the Science of Kindness, Appreciation, & Gratitude into School Culture
• Module 12: The Transformative Power of Empathy

Learn More

There has been an explosive insurgence of research on how to ignite and cultivate optimum environments for learning. We know that social and emotional factors are NOT separate from academic learning. We know that many neuroscientific studiesare giving us easy and approachable ways to help ourselves and our students access and retain information and connect it to deeper learning… and yet, many educators are still using outdated strategies and aren’t familiar with the ones that
work.

Utilizing these science-based strategies can enhance teaching practices, lessons, student engagement, and student learning and achievement. Yet, as Goethe reminds us, “Knowing is not enough. We must do.” Staff and students must continuously explore and utilize these “brain rules” so that we can become more effective learners, educators, and leaders.

In this enlightening, engaging, and empowering session, the facilitator will review the research and explore powerful practices connected to how our brains best absorb and retain information. Participants will walk away with activities, interventions, and structures that they can use immediately in their classrooms to engage, empower, and enhance student growth and make learning stick.

What I Wish My Teacher Knew: A Strengths-Based Approach To Creating A Trauma-Responsive Classroom

Currently in the United States, more than 60% of children under the age of 16 have reported experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience.  As educators, we see the impact of trauma every day on students’ behavior, engagement, and academic readiness in our classrooms and on our sites. This informative, engaging, and experiential session guides participants to seek solutions, build relationships and cultivate environments that empower all students to thrive. In the last year, we’ve all experienced collective trauma in dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic that has been complicated by social isolation, uncertainty, and schools looking for new ways to reach and teach students.

In this learning session, facilitators connect the dots between initiatives such as SEL, Restorative Practices, MTSS, Equity, and Trauma-Informed Schools and help participants to understand how to integrate these important priority areas of focus together when planning their lessons and engaging with students. Participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of the impact of trauma on student learning and behavior, as well as research-based practices and strategies that they can begin to implement in their classroom immediately as part of a trauma-informed approach.

By participating in this transformational session, participants will:

• Increase awareness of the various types of adverse childhood experiences and their prevalence
• Understand the impact of trauma on the developing brain and learning
• Identify behaviors and learning challenges that may come as a result of trauma
• Learn strategies to build strong relationships and safe environments thatsupport student learning
• Create a culture of inclusion and compassion
• Address frustration and overwhelm by cultivating sustainable self-care practices that allow educators and students to flourish

We are experiencing a time of unprecedented uncertainty and change, and in response, Thriving YOUniversity has created a year-long curriculum of strategies, practices, and activities which explore key components of human resilience and how we can cultivate a transformational culture in which all students and staff can thrive. Additionally, this curriculum helps to strengthen a shared focus on stakeholder well-being and creates a common language for educators to use with their students, parents, and staff.

This engaging and meaningful curriculum is based on the research and writings of Dr. James Doty — Neurosurgeon, Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research (CCARE) at Stanford University, Keynote Speaker, and Author of Into the Magic Shop ; A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and The Secrets of the Heart. In Thriving YOUniversity’s partnership with Dr. Doty, we have designed Alphabet of the Heart to provide educators with the research, tools, and inspiration to ignite a school culture that prioritizes student and staff well-being and social emotional competencies.

Alphabet of the Heart focuses on 10 key values that have been shown to literally change the pathways of the brain. These are: compassion, dignity, equanimity, forgiveness, gratitude, humility, integrity, justice, kindness and love. The curriculum, which educators will access through an online portal, is designed to highlight one value each month beginning with the letter C: Compassion. Each month, the educator will receive lesson objectives, conversation starters, downloadable printouts to customize in the classroom, videos that help define and demonstrate the power of the featured value, as well as interactive activities to build belonging, cultivate connection and empower engagement among students. The strategies and practices can be done in order (alphabetically) or modules can be implemented in any order the educator chooses.

Stress among students, teachers, and educational leaders is rocketing. If we really want to reach and teach students, it is time for us to prioritize well-being for all stakeholders and provide strategies and practices to strengthen resilience. Alphabet of the Heart provides a powerful pathway to build these foundational skills.

Learn More

The return to school following the pandemic shut-down has brought with it an increased need to focus on students’ (and educators’) social-emotional skills. Educators throughout the country have noted that they are dealing with student behaviors that seem out of character for their grade level and which reflect a loss in social growth over the last few years. Educators have also reported increased stress levels and decreased job satisfaction.

Studies have shown that social-emotional learning is a crucial component of academic success and that educator stress can negatively impact the classroom and school culture. So, how do we shift from a place of surviving the school day/year to a place where our students and educators are thriving?

Now more than ever, there is a deep need to establish, maintain, and restore relationships (EMR) in classroom and school communities. Research has found that academic engagement increased and disruptive behaviors decreased in classrooms where educators used EMR techniques.

In this engaging and interactive session, participants will learn about the EMR framework, the importance of connection before content, and how to create structure and routine in the classroom to increase student engagement and decrease stress and anxiety. Participants will walk away with the tools they need to transform their classroom and school culture and to help their students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

When it comes to shaping our future, schools are one of the most critical public institutions. Educators are tasked with ensuring the academic growth of their students, encouraging their social and emotional development, and teaching them real-world skills of collaboration and conflict resolution.

How do we teach all students to build community and resolve conflicts in a healthy, appropriate way? How do we create a system that supports even the most challenging students and makes a positive difference in their lives?

Although often maligned as kumbaya, zero-consequence fluff, restorative practices is a highly effective, inside-out approach to school climate and culture. When implemented broadly and consistently, restorative practices promote and strengthen school culture, teach personal responsibility, and enhance relationships within the school and classroom.

Integrated Restorative Practices blends core priorities like SEL, equity, trauma-responsive practices, and student well-being with restorative practices to amplify the positive impact on school climate and culture. When we integrate these approaches, we create optimal student learning and growth environments for students.

In this interactive and engaging session, participants will leave with research-based strategies for building community and supporting informal and formal restorative practices in the classroom/school setting. Participants will learn the principles of fair process and strengthen their restorative practitioner style.

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in events and stressors outside our students’ control. As a result, there has been a negative impact on overall student well-being and academic performance. Now more than ever, we must teach students the resilience skills they need to succeed in academics and life.

Resilience, the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, is a key to helping students flourish. Teaching students to develop resilience by tapping into their natural strengths and abilities, optimism, and hope can increase their academic success and boost their well-being.

Studies suggest that having hope may predict a student’s future academic achievement MORE than having feelings of self-worth. Explicitly teaching students about hope and optimism can increase their academic performance and decrease feelings of anxiety and depression.

In this interactive and engaging session, participants will learn the role of hope and optimism in resilience. They will leave with tools and strategies to nurture growth and resilience in their classrooms.

It often feels like the news is filled with tragic and traumatic event after event. Even if we aren’t direct witnesses to these events, awareness of them can create a heightened sense of fear and anxiety about the world around us. This heightened sense of anxiety, stress, and trauma impacts students’ mental health and overall academic performance. We must develop strategies addressing events and work to build a community of care for our students.

Because students spend so much time in school, educators must create a framework for helping students navigate traumatic experiences and to help them develop skills for talking about difficult subjects openly and respectfully.

Having difficult conversations with our students can feel intimidating at first; we worry about saying the wrong things or the conversation getting away from us, resulting in hurt feelings or worse. But by implementing specific strategies, we can help our students work through their thoughts and feelings.

In this session, we will discuss the neurobiological impact of trauma on the brain and how traumatic stress may show up in the classroom and provide tools for creating a classroom that can be a safe place for having hard conversations. We will examine ways to structure classrooms for optimal connection, discuss the importance of knowing our implicit biases and coping skills, and share activities and approaches designed to help develop students’ listening and speaking skills.