Video Overview (25 minutes)

1) I think it is great that we are finally recognizing the role that SEL plays in academics, college/career readiness, equity, mental health, and civic learning. I think the college and career readiness component is so important because that is what we are supposed to be instilling in our learners and without social-emotional wellness, students cannot be successful outside the classrooms.

2) It was interesting to me that SEL is seen as a wise financial investment; though I agree with the statement, I am curious to know by what measures they assess the "return on investment" as mentioned in the presentation.

3) I am glad the participants of this webinar overwhelmingly feel that they are trying to improve mental health through SEL in their classrooms- it makes me feel like we are all in this together to improve our students' lives beyond academics. 

4) The five different competencies are so important to ensure our learners are well-rounded. I think one of the areas that our students need more explicit instruction on is the self-management portion. Our students display learned helplessness regularly and need to know how to manage their behaviors in different settings.

5) The different settings that we are gearing SEL towards go hand in hand with the point I made in thought #4. Students are very egocentric and need to learn how to apply what they learn in their classrooms and schools into their lives outside of schools. 

5 Key Thoughts
1. My first takeaway was the explanation of CASEL. I have never heard of this term or that it had been around for 20 years and was so ride reaching. CASEL is collaborative and aims to advance the field of social and emotional learning. 
2. What SEL is includes establishing empathy, developing healthy identities, manage emotions and establish and keep good relationships. 
3. Although I was familiar with the five competencies of SEL I did enjoy refreshing these areas again and hearing them broken down a bit. (self-awareness, self managements, good decision making, social awareness and relationship skills).
4. Next I learned what the CASEL framework looks like in school which progresses from the classroom --> schools    --> families --> communities. I did like how the video overview broke down all the different ways that SEL can be incorporated into the various levels the areas stated above. 
5. The video concluded by providing detailed resources for SEL. One resource that I would consider using would be the SEL assessment guide. I think this resource would give me a good starting point for how I am currently implementing SEL in my classroom and what I can then improve upon. I would also like to use the Our Children are Leaders resource at home with my own children. 

5 Key Thoughts:1. The Casel Wheel is a great visual that shows the importance of SEL in all areas of students lives from school to community.2. Students need more support than what comes from school.  Family and community support is critical.3. Being aware- both self and social awareness- is key.  Promoting awareness of emotions, their surroundings and emotions of others is so important.  Teaching students how to manage those emotions is key.4. SEL skills help improve lifetime outcomes.  It helps impact their lives both in school and out of school.  It teaches how to handle social situations as they become adults.5. By adding connected community schools in the buildings this year helps build community involvement and provide appropriate resources to families.
1 resource that I plan on looking into further is the School workshop series and how to best implement SELin the classroom.

1.)  Mental Health is so so important in today's society.  We all say this but I feel as thought nothing is being done on a higher level to combat this very large issue in today's world.
2.) We need to be aware!  Aware of our surroundings, be self aware, be aware of our actions and how they may affect others.
3.) As teachers we need to be supportive.  Supportive of our peers, our students, our students families, and supportive of ourselves.  If we don't support ourselves, we can't support anyone else efficiently.
4.) College/Career Readiness.  I think it's important that schools done just promote college but also Career Readiness. College is not for every student.  Some students just don't excel in the classroom and that is okay.  They may excel more in a trade.  We need people to take jobs across the board.  We don't just need the doctors, lawyers, dentist, and teachers  We also need plumbers, and mechanics, and carpenters.  Trade school is also something that should be promoted heavily in all schools!

5.) We need to manage ourselves.  Be able to manage our emotions, persevere through the hard times, motivate ourselves to get what we want and need and manage our stress successfully.


I would use and do use the School Workshop Series.  I try to do as many PD courses as I can so that I can learn, stay up to date, and use new things in my classroom.

There are many different ways to use SEL in the classroom.  It does not always need to be an explicit lesson on SEL. It can be embedded into your content lessons. I think mental health should be a priority for SEL in our school.  Many students could use some support with this topic. SEL improves a student’s academic performance and has long-term life benefits.  I think it is important to implement SEL in my classroom and within each school building and community. The CASLE wheel is a great visual that represents how the competencies are linked together for form I SEL.  Self-awareness, self-management, decision-making, relationships, and social awareness are each very important for a student’s well-being but put together to form a solid social-emotional individual. I find it a bit more difficult to infuse SEL lessons in my high school math lessons.  It has to be taught through my interactions with my students.  I hope that I am providing enough SEL in my classroom. One resource I would use would be the CASLE wheel. I could have it hung in my room and near my desk as a reminder to myself to infuse the competencies into my lessons.  

I hope that my students leave my class with a solid understanding of empathy and kindness and that they will continue to practice.

Mental health is my number one priority for promoting SEL in my classroom.

I think our opportunities for adult SEL at New Hartford have really been great, I love all of the classes that our teacher center offers!

I feel like our school level could use some consistency, I would love solid training on the positivity project for everyone so that we are all on the same page and can have that common language throughout all buildings. 

I love how the CASEL framework includes the self, social, and responsible decision-making skills.