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Unit Three: Social Awareness

From KNILT

Introduction

How often do you find yourself in a room full of different feelings and perspectives every day? Children face this every day they go to school. Children have numerous interactions with peers, teachers, and more people throughout their school day. It is essential for them to understand the perspective of the various people they interact with and show compassion and concern for their feelings. Hence why social awareness, also known as socialization, is essential to building positive relationships and making responsible decisions.

Learning Targets

🎯 Understand the benefits of social awareness for students and the classroom.

🎯 Identify different ways to improve the environment of the classroom with social awareness.

Lesson One: Defining Social Awareness

In this first lesson, we will define social awareness in the school community and what it looks like for students and educators. Follow this link to find out more: Lesson One: Defining Social Awareness

According to APA

The American Psychological Association released an article in 2010 titled, Social Awareness + Emotional Skills = Successful Kids. In this article, APA discusses the tenets of social and emotional learning and how SEL is going national. Read through this article Social Awareness + Emotional Skills = Successful Kids (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/04/classroom s) and make a bulleted list of what stands out to you.

Materials needed

  • Paper
  • Writing utensil

Some key points to takeaway from this article are those of the following:

  1. If a child isn't emotionally prepared to learn, he or she will not learn. this also includes having a positive environment.
  2. Students who engage in SEL programs statistically show improvements on academic assessments.
  3. SEL programs do not focus on a single negative behavior but instead take a broad-brush approach t tackling all problems.
  4. Comprehensive SEL proograms create more opportunities for children to practice these skills in challenging situations.
  5. When we nurture children, they do better in all areas of their lives.
  6. Educators feel are though there are barriers to doing SEL in the classroom due to the expectations of standardized testing.

Social Awareness from Student's Perspectives

In this short clip, middle and high school students describe what social awareness means to them. Watch this video - Social Awareness in Students' Words (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d75gxU 6Nyq0) and pay close attention to either Nate or Mariela who share a story of time when they have felt down in a social atmosphere. In lesson two - Lesson Two: Creating a Positive Classroom Culture you will be asked how you could help them as an educator promoting positive social awareness.

Reflection

In this mini-course, reflection and collaboration are an important factor in becoming a skilled SEL educator. Use this link (Reflection Journal) (https://knilt.arcc.albany.edu/index.php?title=Reflection

_Journal&veaction=edit) to communicate and reflect with fellow participants on each lesson your complete. Under the section of what unit and lesson you completed, create a subheading beginning with your name (ex. Matilda Contreras - Reflection). Reflections should be about a paragraph long (5- 7 sentences) answering the question stated in each lesson under the reflection title.

What were your initial expectations of social awareness? And have they changed or remained the same?

Lesson Two: Creating a Positive Classroom Culture

In lesson two, I will share some resources on how you can establish a positive classroom culture while instilling social awareness amongst your students! Follow this link: Lesson Two: Creating a Positive Classroom Culture

Morning Meeting

One of the biggest concerns of educators when finding a place to start implementing SEL programs into their classrooms is time. However, this can simply be added into what you already do! A morning meeting can last anywhere from 5-20 minutes. Whatever fits well into your schedule. The example I will give you in this lesson will be based upon a schedule where a 20 minute morning meeting is possible.


✔ Step 1 - Create a slideshow where everything is easily accessible and seen by everyone. Sharing this time can provide a structured way to build a positive classroom community.

✔ Step 2 - Start your morning meeting by going over your special classroom information that is essential for everyone to know. This is your morning message. The first component of morning

meeting.

✔ Step 3 - This is the second component of four in your morning meeting - greeting. Have students and educator(s) greet each other. This could be super interactive, fun, and silly!

✔ Step 4 - The next part of your morning meeting should be a sharing activity of some sort. Depending on your classroom and allotted time, it could be a question, this or that, or anything that involves the students listening to each other.

✔ Step 5 - The last part of your morning meeting is the activity. This is interchangeable. It can be focused on what you feel is most necessary in your classroom. In the morning meeting example, our activity is based on social awareness

Check out my example:

Room-based Learning Activities

In this article you will read about four activities that you could implement into your classroom to help promote social awareness. After reading this article - Room-based Learning Activities (https://everyd ayspeech.com/sel-implementation/promote-social-awareness-with-these-room-based-learning-activi ties/#:~:text=Promoting%20social%20awareness%20is%20essential,can%20help%20promote%20so cial%20awareness.) think about the student who you chose to focus on from Lesson One (Nate or Mariela) and which activity did you read about would be the best fit for yout student. Write a 5-7 sentence summary of why.

Once you complete this assignment, congrats! You are heading into Unit 4. If needed, take a brain break. Stretch your legs. Get a snack or a drink. You are learning a lot and doing great! See you in Unit 4 (Unit Four: Decision-Making).

Reflection

In this mini-course, reflection and collaboration are an important factor in becoming a skilled SEL educator. Use this link (Reflection Journal) (https://knilt.arcc.albany.edu/index.php?title=Reflection

_Journal&veaction=edit) to communicate and reflect with fellow participants on each lesson your

complete. Under the section of what unit and lesson you completed, create a subheading beginning with your name (ex. Matilda Contreras - Reflection). Reflections should be about a paragraph long (5- 7 sentences) answering the question stated in each lesson under the reflection title.

Write a response to what you have learned. How do you feel about this experience thus far?

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