Includes Adult SEL Professional Development with the focus on Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

To form a long-term plan to build pro-social skills in our students in a serious way, and raise academic test results, we should make certain that adults receive the professional development and learning opportunities they need to support student social and emotional learning.  These opportunities include learning about the values of:

• SEL School-wide Plan that should be transparent so that every citizen can see what is SEL and what they can do to help;
• Data Collection and Data Dialogues (including using student voices) to help determine students’ SEL needs;
• School Leaders committed to creating policy and using advocacy at the district and state level as necessary to prioritize SEL in the classrooms;
• Research-based strategies to implement SEL in teaching & learning communities;
• Adult SEL professional development opportunities.

Let’s use the existing infrastructure of the schools to educate young people in habits of thinking that improve the chances of leading a positive and successful life.

• Educate both education professionals and our community that a long-term plan must be in put place as a priority;
• Educate both education professionals and our community about the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) because of how it changes behaviors that concern and cost our society so much.
• Educate both education professionals and our community that building pro-social skill development in our students has an effect on all citizens in Illinois as we all want well-rounded students with healthy social and emotional learning opportunities to support their growth and development.

The plan:

• Use safe and supportive schools to teach the social and emotional control skills necessary to build skills to foster positive and engaged students;
• Have children develop and practice strategies that result in community service, conflict resolution and mediation;
• Learn and use social-emotional learning (SEL) practices and strategies to teach how to manage emotions and make responsible-decisions so it becomes a life-long habit;
• Conduct workshops and educate the community in SEL skills and competencies to support all our schools and improve the quality of school and community life in Illinois;
• Require SEL training for all earning degrees in teaching, thereby building SEL teachers before they even enter the classroom and ultimately reducing the cost of training substantially.

Action Steps:

• At home by learning and using the material on our site as well as other sources;
• By telling your friends, colleagues and family about SEL and how it can support student growth and healthy development;
• By encouraging school leaders to promote SEL in the classroom in order to make our schools meaningful and our society more positive.