SEDL in Action - Nassau County
Approaches:
- Outreach to and engagement of families and community
- Attention to school - classroom environment and relationships
- Skill acquisition through sequenced social - emotional learning opportunities and standards-based instruction
- After school, out-of-school, extra curricular and service learning and mentoring
- Alignment of district and school personnel, policies, and practices to support students
- Collaboration between school district and community-based service providers
- Staff development for administrative, instructional, student support staff and willing partners
1. Outreach to and engagement of families and community
There are no programs listed for this approach.
2. Attention to school environment and student-adult relationships
There are no programs listed for this approach.
3. Skill acquisition through sequenced social - emotional learning opportunities and standards-based instruction
“Giving and Receiving Compliments: Grade 4-- California Elementary School, Uniondale, NY, taught
by school social worker.
A photo of teenagers in a playground and a brief story of an intended compliment mistaken as a slight.
Children discuss steps you follow to give a compliment, e.g., think what you’ll say about why the receiver
did well, be sincere. Think what skills for receiving a compliment are.
Practice activity: Every child compliments one other child in the class
Homework: think of two things you like about mom, compliment her on one and report on what happened.
“Conflicting Feelings:” -- California Elementary School, Uniondale, NY Grade 3 Bilingual Class. Book: I Speak English for My Mom
Photo: Boy looking for returning older brother who will help build a tree fort (but younger fears heights).
Activity: Kids are in pairs and have 4 faces (on lollipop sticks) and must choose with each new scenario
and discuss the feelings they observe, i.e., Happy – Excited; Scared – Nervous; Sad – Upset, etc.
Bullying and the culpability of bystanders: Grade 6 teachers Jericho, NY Middle School serve as
judges in mock court room. Sixth grade students act as lawyers and jury in a hypothetical case of
bullying and harassment. It provides a lesson in the definition of bullying and its effects. “The goals of this
activity are for students to recognize bullying and learn strategies to deal with it, especially their shared
responsibility as bystanders,” explains Principal Don Gately. “Students learn that every member of the
school community owns partial responsibility for creating the school’s culture.”
See “Social and emotional learning catches on” On Board Online, March 8, 2010 www.nyssba.org/
“Are you brave enough to be true to yourself?” Grade 7 ELA class, Jericho, NY Middle School
After reading Wings by Christopher Myers, students discuss how to go beyond being a bullying
bystander. Examples in literature are used to “decode” ones behavior and the behavior of others.
From Bully Reduction/Anti-Violence Education (BRAVE), locally developed with North Shore Hospital
“Indivisible:” East Rockaway, NY Jr. - Sr. High School
--Led by each member of the interdisciplinary teacher teams across grade 7 and grade 8.
--Topic (Grade 8): Class time is set aside once weekly in social studies, ELA, science, mathematics,
foreign language, home and career skills and technology to find application of a selected word e.g.,
“scapegoat,” “irrational,” “devastation.” Time is allowed for conversation on school and personal
experiences. This day’s word is “indivisible.”
Activity: Subject matter examples were cited in civil war, prime numbers, family life, etc. Discussion
coincided with Thanksgiving week and it was discovered that 14 students were products of divorce and
divided families. Students new to this situation expressed their stress. Experienced kids gave advice.
Another time, the word “alienation” was discussed. One girl suggested: “girls become alienated from
friends; boys become alienated from family members.” Lots of discussion followed.
For more information see “Emotional Literacy in the Middle School Classroom” www.ei-schools.org
4. After school, out-of-school, extra curricular and service learning and mentoring
There are no programs listed for this approach.
5. Alignment of district and school personnel, policies, and practices to support students
There are no programs listed for this approach.
6. Collaboration between school district and community-based service providers
There are no programs listed for this approach.
7. Staff development for administrative, instructional, student support staff and willing partners.
There are no programs listed for this approach.