Barriers to Bridges ECSE Essentials in Social Emotional Learning for Students and Staff

1. Barriers to Bridges ECSE Essentials in Social Emotional Learning for Students and Staff

2. HELLO! Jinny Datema, MS, LPC ECSE SEL Counselor - Springfield, MO vadatema@spsmail.org Christy Davis, MSEd Associate Director of Special Services - Springfield, MO cdavis1@spsmail.org

3. What are the barriers to SEL for your school or program?

4. Objectives: Identify barriers that keep students from learning and teachers from teaching Social Emotional skills. Identify Tier 1 best practices in Social Emotional Learning. Examine self-reflective tools that support high-quality Social Emotional instruction.

5. “Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” -Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

6. Barriers to SEL

7. Barriers to Learning AND Teaching Students Stress Trauma Skills deficits Staff Stress Trauma Skills deficits

8. Stress /stres/ noun • a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances."she's obviously under a lot of stress" Synonyms: strain, pressure, (nervous) tension, worry, anxiety, trouble, difficulty; informal hassle"he's under a lot of stress"

9. STRESSORS • Teaching is listed as one of the top 10 Most Stressful Jobs in America. • Modern families are stressed, tired and rushed. • Chronic stress can have traumatic effects on students and staff.

11. TRAUMA • One out of every 4 children attending school has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and/or behavior, students with a disability are at higher risk. • Teachers are at high risk for Vicarious Trauma/Secondary Traumatic Stress.

12. Emotional Disturbance Incidence: in the State of MO in 2017-2018, .77% of students received SPED for an emotional disturbance Symptoms are long-term (at least 2-9 months in the school setting) Symptoms do not respond to classroom interventions and require specialized instruction Statistics obtained from the DESE website and ideadata.org Trauma is prevalent Trauma • Incidence: 1 in 4 (25%) children in the schools have experienced a traumatic event • Symptoms are generally transient • Symptoms tend to improve with trauma-informed interventions in the classroom (RTI)

13. When students are traumatized, teachers are too. Trauma in students’ lives takes an emotional and physical toll on teachers as well.

14. Risk Factors & Causes of Secondary Traumatic Stress • Personal exposure to a traumatic event(s) or to individuals who are coping with their own reactions to trauma • Direct contact with children’s traumatic stories • Helping others and neglecting yourself

15. MISSING SKILLS While most teachers say it's important for them to teach social emotional skills, many still don't feel equipped to help students manage their emotions—especially when it comes to the children who are facing the greatest hurdles. • Nationally representative survey from the Education Week Research Center

16. Teacher Preparation When you’re learning to be a teacher, you think it’s just about lesson plans, curriculum, and seating charts. I was blindsided by the emotional aspect of teaching—I didn’t know how to handle it.

17. The Power of Unity carries the belief that “We are All in this Together.” www.ConsciousDiscipline.com

18. Best Practices for ALL

19. The Pyramid Model CSEFEL and NCPMI

20. Best Practices • Shared Philosophy for Managing Behavior/Teaching Social Skills Program-wide • Trauma Informed Schools Initiative • Pursuant to Missouri Senate Bill 638, Section 161.1050, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has established the “Trauma-Informed Schools Initiative.” • High Quality Professional Development • Resources & Reflective Tools

21. Philosophy and Shared Vision • Staff-Administrative alignment in philosophy • Create Shared Vision, Values and Commitments • Create classroom expectations to eliminate inconsistencies • Keeping the Vision and Values alive when making decisions • PC meetings focus on the values and/or non-negotiables • Admin provide feedback to staff on the targeted goal

22. Non-negotiables in the ECSE Classroom • We will… • Provide positive and specific feedback to children at ten times or more the rate we are giving corrective feedback. • Use schedules and provide alternative methods of communication. • Utilize rituals, routines and structures to provide consistency and predictability. • Teach the specific behaviors we want to see for each classroom routine. • Provide daily social skills instruction and embed teaching opportunities to practice these skills.

23. Trauma Informed Schools Initiative “Trauma-informed approach” - an approach that involves understanding and responding to the symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma and traumatic stress across the lifespan • “Trauma-informed school” - a school that: • realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery • recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in students, teachers and staff • responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into its policies, procedures and practices; and • seeks to actively resist re-traumatization

24. High Quality PD • High-quality, ongoing professional development • Child Development • Ages and Stages of Development • Early Childhood Best Practices • Balance of child directed and teacher-led instruction • CLASS - Teachstone • Special Education • High Leverage Practices • Social Emotional Teaching

25. High Quality PD Cont’d • Early Childhood Curriculum • Fine/Gross Motor • Literacy/Numeracy • Classroom management • Specialized Instruction for Special Populations • High Leverage Practices (CEC/CEEDAR) • Differentiation • Compliance • Prompting, Programing, etc.

26. Resources • Resources: • CASEL Website • CSEFEL Website • CEC/CEEDAR HLP • Conscious Discipline • VBMAPP • CLASS • Curriculum • Second Step • Baby Doll Circle Time • Feeling Buddies

27. Reflective Tools: Free Resources • Conscious Discipline Progress Rubric • CSEFEL Inventory of Practices for Promoting Social Emotional Competence (Module 1 Handout 4) Paid Resources • DECA Reflective Checklist (Teacher) • Devereux Adult Resilience Survey (Teacher) • DECA Student Profile Additional Tools: • OSEP Presentation:https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/about/history.html

28. Resources for Barriers Trauma - • Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire • The Missouri Model: A Developmental Framework for Trauma-Informed Schools Initiative Publication • Helping Teachers Manage the Weight of Trauma Article Stress - • Research & Resources on Teacher Stress & Burn Out Skills Deficit - • Education Week Research Center Article • Teacher Attitudes Article

29. THANKS! Any questions? You can email: Christy Davis - cdavis1@spsmail.org Jinny Datema - vadatema@spsmail.org