Agents Of Change

There is not a “Grand Narrative” to SEL implementation rather endless “Little Narratives” that are fluid and changing.​​according to the community in which they exist.

 

The community of students has endless “Little Narratives”.

 

Efforts are organized by connecting SEL implementation to the 5 core competencies.

 

Example:

Deepening Self-Awareness 

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Students participate in partnered drawing.  On a single sheet of paper students are instructed to silently create a drawing incorporating the marks that are on their paper.

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Student Observer notes:

• Students were hesitant to begin

• Showed signs of uncomfortableness

• Were unaware that the way they were drawing was inhibiting the other student from drawing

• Drew a line down the middle of the page to create boundaries

• The majority of the students drew on “their side of the paper” with the exception of 1 or 2 students

• Students were silent and not smiling 

• Minimal use of the page

 

In whole group self-awareness is discussed and students are prompted to monitor how they felt by identifying their emotions in the beginning, middle and end of the exercise.  Discussed is how we create boundaries to keep others out of our space but how that also cages us in.

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With a deepened Self-Awareness students had a 2nd chance to complete the exercise with a new partner.

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Student Observer notes:

• Students were Giggling 

• Students were engaged for a longer period of time

• Students were watching what their partner was doing

• The page was full of drawings—majority of the page was utilized

• Students did not create boundaries on the page

 

In social settings we are in a shared space.  It is important to have self-awareness of "who you are being" in social situations.  A component of self-awareness in this exercise is to respect another person’s space, being comfortable in someone else’s space and being comfortable with someone in their space.

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