This month, we discuss ways to lead at the beginning of the school year.
3 SEL Leadership Thoughts
What would it look like if – at the beginning of each school year – we asked every single student and teacher to respond to the following prompt:
“Someday in school, I would like to ________.”
Then, would it look like if – each day for the remainder of the year – a team of practitioners and school leaders went about making as many of those wishes come true as possible?
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Leaders who impose mandatory activities or tools without taking the time to listen to educators will find that buy-in and adoption suffer significantly. The same can be said for adult well-being; prescribing practices will not magically solve teacher wellness. A commitment to social and emotional learning requires ongoing and long-term investments in co-creation to authentically support the work from the ground up. [Tweet This]
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When you notice that folks in school buildings are struggling, it is important to increase your visibility. You have to be present on the ground and genuinely provide support. [Tweet This]
2 Quotes from SEL Leaders
“The right thing to do with all educators in every context is unknown and unknowable, and therefore everything is an experiment.” – Isobel Stevenson [Tweet This]
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“A calm, connected, and positive adult can create calm, even in the midst of crisis; a disconnected, dysregulated, and negative adult can create chaos, even in the midst of calm.” – R. Keeth “Coach Rudy” Matheny [Tweet This]
1 Question to Reflect On
In what ways are you intentionally creating a classroom and/or school environment that fosters the behaviors and mindsets you wish to see in your students?
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If you enjoyed that, please consider sharing SEL in 5 with others.
Until next month,
Nick Woolf
Author of SEL in 5
Founder of Inside SEL
p.s. here’s what else I’m reading and listening to: