Its great to see how everyone seems to be on the same wavelength with how Social Emotional Learning is effective. I just wish there was a school on long island that was driven by this social emotional learning philosophy. I know some districts are implementing practices and aren't completely there. But wouldn't it be nice if a bunch of teachers came together and collaborated a combination of their ideas together and their views on social emotional learning and emotional intelligence and created a school that is driven by this philosophy? How can we do that. I feel in a district you are so constricted and don't have the ability to do everything you would like to do. Just a thought

I agree with starting early and implementing it through the school years that may work. I think learning diffferent techniques and skills needs to start at an early age.

Crystal - I hear what you are saying about your 8th graders not taking some meeting activities seriously, but think about the school in the video that had been doing the same EI building activities from K through 12th grade! In the video it looked like were taking part in a relaxation exercise. I think that with consistency in a program from K all the way through high school, students would approach "class/team building" activities differently.
Peg - So true what you said about the many opinions just within our small group! Even with all the different perspectives I think we are all dedicated educators who truely care about the success of our students. We will all continue to search for ways to help our students succeed academically, socially and emotionally.

Everyone - Thanks for a great conversation! I feel rejuvenated and enthusiastic about focusing on EI skills in my classroom!

Edited by author 10-16-2007 05:27 PM
I am from the HHH team of half hollow hills and I love idea of emotional and social learning taking place in the classroom but I feel it is so sureal. I think as a 8th grade teacher in the middle school these students have alot of social and emotional issues that I as the teacher have to address. As a teacher of 100 kids for one school year it is difficult to get to know these students. I agree with the article that having students continue with the same teacher for more than one school year will help. The students probably feel the same way that I do in that we only have the year to deal with one another and it is hard as teacher because I do want to get to know my students and help them not with just acadedmics but their social and emotional needs as well to better them as students. I also think to address these needs we need appropriate training. Students today are entering school with issues that as a teacher we may not be able to deal with and sometimes have to get the guidance counsler or psychologist involved. If I was to encourage anything like they showed in the video or wrote in the article my students would not take it seriously and laugh like it was a joke or a game. The group hand shake the morning activity would encourage my students to take andvantage of the sitution and goof around.

Having been away from the discussion for a few day gave me the opportunity to read all the posted messages in one sitting, which was very interesting and showed the trends or reactions everyone was having! It is interesting to note that many of us see the teaching of emotional intelligence as a "class" or something that we need to take out specific time for, whereas others see it as a constant that is addressed normally and naturally. Some see sports cutting as something that teaches character. Others believe that it is detrimental! These differences of opinion occurred just within our small group! Can you imagine opening this up on a schoolwide level?

I completely agree with what Sharon, we are all teaching emotional intelligence. That is the reason why we all became teachers. We are all responsible for creating well rounded graduates. This takes place in the classroom, on the sports field and in every other aspect that the school takes part in. If that means that everyone makes the team on the middle school level, then so what.

   After reading all of the articles and responses, I think we should have a workshop to train us how to use Emotional Intelligence in our classrooms. I am convinced that using Emotional Intelligence will help the students that I teach. I think that in order to get co-workers, administrators and school districts on board we have got to start teaching Emotional Intelligence in our classrooms.
  Many of you disagreed with "Everyone Makes the Team." I believe the author was discussing modified sports in Middle School. I agree with the philosophy of allowing everyone to make the team for that age group. Boys and girls are growing so fast at that time in their lives. One year one child could be the best on the team and the next year that child could be cut. By cutting too early you are not able to develop players that might otherwise become a great player. Also, you are giving all children a chance to decide if they really do want to participate and make all of the sacrifices necessary to compete in a sport.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's responses to EI. It sounds like there are many educators who understand the importance of EI. Responsive Classroom appears to be a program that is allowing teachers to address parts of EI. I think I will have to bring this program up to our adminstrators. Children come first--then the rest will follow!!

I found this article to be so inspiring. As I read this article I found myself thinking about some of the special needs students in my school and how broad the field of helping students with special needs can be. In one of my classes I once had to use a "trainer" (I hope I am identifying this tool correctly) to help a student in my class hear and clearly understand the material I was presenting. I'll be honest and say that I found using this "trainer" to be very frustrating and I hated having to use it. I cannot imagine how challenging it must be for teachers in these classrooms who are working with students with these severe disabilities. At the same time I have to emphasize what Marion said that a student must feel safe in their learning environment. If I would have let on to my student that I found using the "trainer" to be frustrating I probably would have done more harm to my student then good. I think the reason why these students with such severe disabilities are so successful is because they have quality educators and technology specialists. This story is a credit to all the students, educators and technology specialists involved with these students.

Linda - It's great to hear that Responsive Classroom is making a difference in your school. Our school has a small group of teachers who follow Responsive Classroom and we are finally, this year, taking an actual training course from an RC trainer! It's excellent and even being a part of it makes me feel like I "belong" and want to work harder at improving my ERS skills (language and reactions to conflicts, etc.) Special area teachers in our school say that they can see a difference between the classes with "RC Teachers" and without.
Frank - I agree with you that a large part of EI is helping students learn to cope. Think of the many, many pressures, influences and problems these children are growing up with! It's not about coddling at all - sometimes it's even about tough love and knowing that you're helping a student in the long run by holding them accountable today.
Marion - It's so true that kids cannot learn if they do not feel safe, cared-for and worthy of being part of the class. I went to a conference once about "disciple for the hard-to-discipline child" and the entire conference was brain-based research about WHY these kids are acting out. How can they sit, listen, follow directions, behave and basically function if their world's are turned upside down? The problems children deal with are endless and sometimes with think every child has a childhood like our own. As teachers, we really need to step into those childrens' shoes sometimes and see where they are coming from. You made an excellent point - you really do need to love the children first.

I enjoyed everyone's remarks, and there are two issues in particular that rang bells for me. One is the discussion about "everyone makes the team." On the one hand, it's true that such competition can spur students to excel. But I've always had a bigger question when it comes to tests, rankings, etc.: What about the "losers"? If we set up education like a game or a contest, then we are setting up winners and losers. And unlike an athletic contest, where you may walk away to struggle again at the next game, education is too important to be reduced to the level of a contest pitting one against another. In a contest, there HAVE to be losers. I'm sure that's not the way we want to approach education.
And the other part of the discussion that rings a bell for me is the misunderstanding between emotional intelligence and the notion of "coddling." I read Daniel Goleman's book ("Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ") ten years ago, and it was quite a revelation. Goleman wrote about it, "...helping children improve their self-awareness and confidence, manage their disturbing emotions and impulses, and increase their empathy pays off not just in improved behavior but in measurable academic achievement." His intent and definition of EQ is deeper than a shallow understanding of feelings, but is aimed rather at helping children to learn to cope with all of the challenges they face emotionally each day.

Edited by author 10-15-2007 08:13 AM
There is no doubt that students have emotional needs that are often overlooked in school. However, meeting those needs will require that school culture and curriculum be altered to allow for those needs to be addressed in a way that is age and grade-level specific.

I am currently a teacher in an elementary school in Queens. Reading this article was very enlightening. When I came to teach at this school the students were a mess and so was the staff. On my interview for the school I had mentioned the Responsive Classroom and how I was familiar with it and strongly believed in it. My first experience at this school was defiantly not the best. I used my morning meeting as a time to teach my students how to deal with their own emotions and how to become members of a caring community. Unfortunately the majority of the students in my school have a bad family life and this school is their safe place. Our students were in major trouble.
Our staff became trained in responsive classroom and with time you can see the difference. We are able to connect to the majority of the students and we are not having as many fights as before. The students that would go off because of a bad situation at home are now learning how to control their emotions and make sense of what is going on inside of themselves. The students have become part of a community that cares and it shows.
I strongly believe in the morning meeting as well as having students vested in their school community. The students I am dealing with need to know what it is like to be part of a caring community that they take part in. All of the administration as well as the teachers say Good morning to any student/staff member they see. It is always with a smile and a friendly voice, so if a student is having a bad day at least someone has greeted them with a smile. Even if a staff member is having a bad day a student will be able to tell and give them a warm hello.
The student led parent meetings is something I will bring up to my administration. We have a great turn out for parent teacher conferences for the younger students but unfortunately once they get into the 3rd grade the parents seem to give up on coming or don’t think it is important anymore. This might be a way to up the parent involvement in our school.
I also like the teacher evaluations however I am not sure it would work as well for younger students unless we come up with an evaluation that is geared toward the younger students. Sometimes a teacher can hear feedback so much from an administrator and they might not take it to heart as much as they would if it was coming from their own student who sits in their classroom with that teacher.
This was a great article and I know that as a teacher sometimes we loose sight of the emotional needs of our students because we are so focused on the instruction in order to get our students to succeed on those dreaded state tests. These emotional needs that are getting overlooked might just be the means in higher test scores in all of our students. The students would be less stressed out and have a higher self esteem going into the test if we focused some more time on building their emotional intelligences.

Lisa I completely agree with you. When children and adults are made to take ownership of their work it means much more to them. Students who know they will not only be sitting next to their parents, but will be the ones deciding on the work they want to show and share their academic successes and failures are students who will learn more. It takes the teacher off the stage and puts the student where they belong. When I return next year to the classroom in Kindergarten, I am going to try and schedule Student--Parent--Teacher conferences. I just believe that the conferences would be more meaningful and more effective. After all---what are teacher--parent conferences for??

If teachers and admistrators do not start making emotional intelligence a priority we will never get our students to reach their potential. Brain-based research has shown that a child who is feeling anxious, embarrassed, unappreciated, threatened,etc. CAN NOT LEARN. They are not just choosing not to learn, they are incapable of learning. People, in general, do better when they have positive encounters. I worked in a place where everyone was treated with dignity and appreciated. My adminstrator was very aware of how to get people to work harder and be happy. We all felt cared for, respected and supported and with out a doubt everyone in that building felt it--the teachers, the children and the parents. A teacher sets up a classroom and focuses on emotional intelligence--those students will learn!!! Understand emotional intelligence and the academics will follow. Too many educators are focusing ONLY on academics--and then wondering why their students aren't doing better. I don't care what grade a child is in--if she/he does not feel that they are being respected, cared for, appreciated, etc. in a class their grades may suffer.

As some of you know--I could go on. I was thinking the other night-- why do so many things that go on in my school bother me and why do other teachers not understand. I think the big difference is that I love children first and then being a teacher. I accept that it is actually about the children--then it's about me, the teacher. How could teachers not understand that having a "traffic light" discipline policy--if your good you stay on the green, if you have made mistakes you move to the yellow and if you are really bad you go on the red and stay there until you prove your not bad. And the best part is that all the other children know where everyone's name is. What the heck are we thinking. Public humiliation, negative reenforcement does not help children make better choices from within. Foster emotional intelligence and everything will fall into place and we will have students who are well rounded human beings.

I thought this was a great article with a lot of good strategies to making students feel safe and important at school. The one thing I do not agree with, which many of you have said, is the section "Everyone Makes the Team." Although I think it is a good concept, what good is it really doing? If they know they are going to make the team, how are hard are they going to strive to make it? They need to be challenged. In the article it says that plainview had 700 band and choir members I don't know how important or valued I would feel knowing that everyone makes it. I think if you knew that 700 people tried out and you were 1 of 50 that made it then you would be proud and feel valued. I did agree with the section "No 'Hey You." I think it is truly important to know students names. That is definitely a way to make someone feel like they belong. Even if it is a student you don't know but saw them playing a sport and congratulate them the next year if they have you as a teacher you have now started on a positive note. This also goes along with the part of the article "Listening Sessions." As well as knowing students names, you should try and learn something about them. I especially try and know something about a student who doesn't like math or isn't very good at it. At least if you can get through to them and talk about something else besides math or whatever subject you are teaching I feel they are not as turned off in class and try a little harder because you tried to talk with them about something they enjoy. I think everyone should feel safe and important and I will certainly be trying some of the things found in this article.

Hey sharon I want to address your attitude toward student lead conferences- I use to do them 10 yrs ago and I must say it was the best thing I ever saw of how a child has to take ownership of their learning and the grades they earned. First of all the conference was 20 min. 10 minutes w/the child 10 minutes without. The child had to pick his/her best writing to present, science experiment and they had to go over the report and explain how they recieved the grades- prior to the mtg. of course I would spend a week mtg. w/my students and having them organize their work they would have to decide what work their parents would see- I will tell u this from day one in sept. when the kids knew they would have to explain the grades and be present the work at the conference they took a totally different attitude toward the work- I mean honestly it is really the child you need to meet w/not the parent- if they take ownership and pride in their work it makes a HUGE diference. I bet on the high school and middle school level it would work even better- I did it with first and second graders and even now I will invite the kids in for a few minutes if they are in the hall waiting now and ask them to tell their parents how they think they are doing- it isn't like they will never see the report or that they have no idea what will be on it- honestly SHaron it works-