Social and Emotional Learning for Grades K-4

Standards:

Using the Social Decision Making and Problem Solving curriculum guides developed by Dr. Maurice Elias of Rutgers University, students will learn skills necessary to solve social problems and make responsible social decisions.  At Hillside, we call the approach TOPS, for Tools of Problem Solving.

Anticipated Student Outcomes:

By June of this year, students should be able to:

·        Understand and use the “Listening Position”

·        Keep calm in the midst of stressful situations

·        Understand and apply the acronym “Be Your BEST”, which includes body posture, eye contact, saying appropriate words, and using an appropriate tone of voice

·        Begin to solve social problems using an 8-step process

Materials Used:

Sharing circle

Role playing

Speaker power

Mnemonic posters

Assessment:

Students are assessed based on participation in classroom activities as well as their response to actual social problems and decisions.