Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Since 1975, social and emotional learning has been a central part of our school. As a community-centered school, we prioritize time and space for children to build relationships and grow socially and emotionally to support their overall growth and future success.
We teach SEL both in the classroom and in dedicated time with our Social-Emotional Learning Specialist through role-playing, projects, reading stories, group discussions and agreements, and interactive games.
We focus on the five critical areas of competence for social-emotional learning:
Self-Awareness
Children learn to recognize and label their emotions and understand how feelings affect behavior and well-being in different contexts. They explore their identity and interests, identify their strengths and challenges, and build confidence and a strong sense of self and purpose within their community.
Together University Co-op students:
Identify people, places, and ideas that are important to them
Describe family traditions and values
Examine feelings, values, and ideas
Learn with a growth mindset
Reflect on their personal role and contributions to our community
Self-Management
Students practice identifying and regulating their emotions and behaviors, learning to calm themselves when upset, following classroom rules and routines, setting personal and collective goals, and showing the courage to take initiative.
They explore many techniques for self-calming - some examples include:
Mindfulness activities such as breathing and mental exercises, checking in with our bodies, Yoga, and taking movement breaks in our gym, commons (mountain room), or “Great Space” areas
Exploring Art or quiet time in a cozy space as a way of self-soothing
Experimenting with helpful tools like noise-canceling headphones to help us concentrate, wiggle chairs, or fidgets that let us move while focusing on group discussions
Social Awareness
University Cooperative School kids develop empathy by recognizing and understanding the feelings of others. They learn to appreciate diversity, listen actively, and show respect for others. Learning activities might include:
Acting out or drawing different emotions and then guessing which emotion is portrayed to help us identify how others might feel.
Kindness Chain – Each time a student performs an act of kindness, we write it on a slip of paper and add it to the chain!
Service Learning projects
Relationship Skills
Students learn to form positive relationships, communicate effectively, cooperate with peers, take turns, and resolve conflicts. Examples of learning activities:
Role-play social situations, like resolving a conflict or advocating for a friend.
Class and pod-level discussions empower students to share their feelings and wishes with their schoolmates.
Teachers schedule time for students to work through a conflict with the guidance and mediation of their homeroom teacher.
Responsible Decision-Making
Children learn to make thoughtful choices about their behavior and interactions, considering the consequences of their actions.
Example activities:
Class cohorts meet to create agreements about how students want to treat each other, their teachers, and classroom materials.
Students have proactive discussions about thoughtful and responsible decisions we can make within the classroom.
A class debate on an ethical issue or a social dilemma
By fostering these abilities early on, children are better prepared for the social and academic challenges they will face in the future.