SELAS
District 181 is committed to developing students’ fundamental social and emotional skills because of their impact on learning and success in life. Research shows that intra-personal, interpersonal, and decision-making skills are key to children’s readiness to learn, persist, collaborate, and make good choices. The teaching of such skills is done most effectively in schools with a safe, caring environment and by classroom teachers and other staff with whom students have ongoing relationships. Social emotional learning (SEL) in District 181 is coordinated across the district and guided by the learning goals articulated in the Illinois Social and Emotional Learning Standards.
The District’s Strategic Plan integrates academic and social-emotional growth in order to prepare students for the demands of the 21st century. SEL instruction, a continuum of services, a positive school climate, and school-wide activities are intended to provide all students with the learning and supports they need to learn and grow in school. Policy, research, and practice support this district’s ongoing attention to the whole child and commitment to involving families to consider the wide range of children’s strengths and needs.
Mission:
To provide the school community with the foundation for lifelong social and emotional learning in a safe and caring environment.
Vision:
To be a school district where children learn to:
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Be self-aware and able to manage their emotions and behaviors
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Have understanding and empathy for others and develop positive relationships
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Make responsible decisions
To be a school district where adults and children:
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Have positive relationships that foster the greatest learning and rewarding experiences for all, during both formal instruction of SEL and informal teachable moments.
Goals:
SELAS will:
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Support the leadership for SEL at each school.
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Provide on-going training of staff
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Communicate about SEL with staff and families
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Educate parents about the value of SEL
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Evaluate the district's progress in teaching SEL, according to the IL SEL Standards
- Classroom and School-wide SEL
- Evaluating Outcomes of SEL
- Illinois SEL Standards & Policy
- SEL and Child Development
- Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
- When Problems Come Up/Where to Get Help
Classroom and School-wide SEL
For any classroom to run smoothly, teachers must provide routines, communicate expectations, and give guidance for individual and collaborative learning. Activities that promote personal and social skills and teach students strategies to focus, self-regulate, and resolve conflict can go a long way in creating a classroom conducive to learning. In this sense, SEL is a pro-active approach and many teachers are explicit in teaching their students ways they can be successful as individuals and as a class. Our teachers use a variety of resources to teach SEL, from programs such as Lions-Quest and Second Step, to tried-and-true classroom management techniques such as class meetings, brain breaks, I-messages, and problem-solving processes.
When problems arise, such as conflict between students, teachers often use “teachable moments” to encourage students to reflect on the situation and their feelings, learn from mistakes, and consider and try solutions. Recess and lunchtime are often a proving ground for students to practice their social and emotional skills, learn when to compromise, self-advocate, and if necessary, get help.
Prevention lessons are a part of SEL across the grades and include topics such as preventing and responding to bullying, growing up drug-free (DARE and Lions-Quest), understanding peer pressure, making healthy choices (Robert Crown Center and Health class in middle school), responding to feelings of depression (Erika’s Lighthouse in middle school), and recognizing child sexual abuse (Erin’s Law). While each of these topics has specific content, they are all rooted in the fundamental social and emotional skills which are necessary to prepare students for the complex situations and problems they encounter while growing up.
All schools in District 181 place emphasis on preparing students to be good citizens by focusing on characteristics such as respect, responsibility, excellence, and caring for others. Parents, the PTOs, D181 Foundation, club leaders, and others give students opportunities to contribute to their schools and communities in myriad ways.
All together, social and emotional skill development and practice, pro-active information about risk-taking behaviors, and learning from mistakes in the presence of caring adults in a supportive community provide most students with the skills they need to learn and be successful in their lives.
Evaluating Outcomes of SEL
The District assessed students’, teachers’, and parents’ perceptions of social and emotional learning, the school environment, and self-reports about social and emotional competence and behavior in 2003 and 2007 in order to gather measures of school climate, student skill development and needs, and the alignment of teaching and learning with the Illinois SEL Standards.
Since 2008, the district has administered the Illinois Youth Survey to 6th and 8th grade students every other year. This survey includes questions related to social and emotional learning, students’ perceptions of their school environments, communities, safety, and personal behaviors.
In December 2016, students in 4th-8th grade, staff, and parents completed the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI). This survey takes into account the perceptions of students, staff, and parents and measures five categories of school climate: Safety, Teaching and Learning, Interpersonal Relationships, Institutional Environment, and Professional Leadership and Relationships (for Staff only). The data from this survey is used in several contexts, as input for School Improvement Planning within the District and to provide information about schools across Illinois via the Illinois State Board of Education for the school report cards. Illinois mandates that all schools survey their students, staff, and parents every other year about school climate and the learning environment. The CSCI is an approved survey for this purpose. More information and the reports are available on the CSCI page of our website.
Illinois SEL Standards & Policy
The District’s initiative to address Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) preceded the State of Illinois’ Children’s Mental Health Act of 2003. This law stipulates that “every Illinois school district shall develop a policy for incorporating social and emotional development into the district’s educational program. The policy shall address teaching and assessing social and emotional skills and protocols for responding to children with social, emotional, or mental health problems, or a combination of such problems, that impact learning ability.” The district’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum is aligned with the Illinois Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Goals, Standards and Performance Descriptors.
Illinois State Board of Education - Illinois Learning Standards - Social/Emotional Learning Standards (SEL) were articulated by the Illinois State Board of Education in 2004 and guide schools and districts to address three learning goals:
- Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.
- Goal 2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.
- Goal 3: Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.
The following Performance Descriptors outlined by the Illinois State Board of Education - Illinois Learning Standards - Social/Emotional Standards (SEL), detail the specific abilities expected of students at all grade levels and are a helpful guide for teachers and families.
SEL and Child Development
Information for children pre-K-12, provides growth charts, tips, and resources for academic growth, health/wellness, and social and emotional development. Sponsored by NBC Education Nation
Social Emotional Learning Links from the ISBE and the IL Children’s Mental Health Partnership
- Introduction to Social and Emotional Learning
- Physical, Relational & Cyber Bullying
- Self-Awareness & Self-Management
- Social Awareness
- Social Emotional Learning & Relationships
- Responsible Decision Making
- What Parents Can Do
Snapshots of your child’s social and emotional well-being, 2008, Life Education Committee of Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Office of Education.
Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Families play an essential role in children’s social and emotional development. By understanding the specific goals of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and showing children how we as adults use the skills effectively, children can more readily develop the social and emotional skills they need to learn and have to be successful in life. Modeling and using the skills is one way that they can be taught.
Five social emotional competencies align with the three Illinois Social and Emotional Learning goals that are addressed in our schools:
- self-awareness (IL SEL Goal 1)
- self management (IL SEL Goal 1)
- social awareness (IL SEL Goal 2)
- relationship skills (IL SEL Goal 2)
- responsible decision-making (IL SEL Goal 3)
When families partner with schools to teach the skills, children receive a more consistent and easily understood message.
- Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
What does it mean to model skills?
- Remember that your actions trump your words if they do not align!
- Use teachable moments as opportunities to talk about or show your social and emotional skills or even lapses. For example, if you lose patience in traffic, take a moment to express frustration in words instead of honking the horn. Take a breath, and acknowledge it.
- When showing your child how you think about something or solve a problem, break it down into a few steps and “think out loud” so your child can see your process.
- Remember that parents don’t have to have all of the answers and we aren’t right all of the time. It’s fine to say, “I don’t know,” if you don’t. And it’s always a good idea to apologize when you make a mistake or inadvertently hurt someone.
Overall, home should:
- Be a caring, supportive environment
- Have positive relationships between children and adults and siblings
Under each skill below, find ways that you can model it for your children at home. Your example matters! Start with one skill area from the list below and try out a strategy or two at a time. The five skills are inter-related and will connect to one another. See if you notice growth in your child’s use of a concept. If he needs more support, talk with his teacher for more ideas. Learn more about what to expect at specific ages and how to support social and emotional development in general.
Literature is a very powerful and safe lens through which SEL can be discussed because it allows children to talk about someone else’s feelings and problems. A series of 2 ½- 5 min. videos provides children’s book titles and discussion points to address self-awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making, and bullying.
SELF-AWARENESS (IL SEL Goal 1):
Recognizing one’s emotions and values as well as one’s strengths and challenges
Name that feeling: Help your child learn to articulate his feelings by naming yours. Get beyond the common words for feelings (happy, glad, sad, mad, scared) and let your child know when you are frustrated or annoyed, content or satisfied, or worried and stressed. Talk about how the feeling affects your body. You can even relate these words to what you might do to change your feelings, such as calm yourself or clear your head. Speak in first person (use I-messages).
Show how hard work and practice help us overcome challenges: Be aware of the power of a growth mindset to help us all develop the learning muscle we need to be engaged and achieve. Read more about growth mindsets and learn ways you can try it at home.
SELF-MANAGEMENT (IL SEL Goal 1):
Managing emotions and behaviors to achieve one’s goals
Model self-control. This can be done by pausing before you act; taking that deep breath; acknowledging that you are upset and need to calm down.
Make your child wait, a little, with the knowledge that you will tend to his needs as soon as you can. In today’s world, many things are instantaneous due to technology, but in fact everyone needs to know how to wait. Let your child wait a few minutes if you are occupied with something else, but show him that he can be confident that you will help him when you can. Young children in school need to wait frequently to get help from the teacher, have their snacks, etc. It is possible for your child to do this at home as well.
Let your child live with the consequences of his mistakes. It’s fine to help your child out several times when he forgets something (like lunch), but don’t become his default problem-solver! Suggest strategies to remember lunch so he learns ways to be responsible for this daily task. When lunch is forgotten, let him articulate solutions on his own. (See problem-solving process below). Do not do for your child what he can do for himself.
Show your children how you make plans for things and persist to get them done. Think out load so they can see how you break down a project into smaller parts. Talk about the different steps in reaching a goal, for example, learning a new sport or an art: determine your goal, find a teacher, guide, or resource, attend classes consistently to build strength, practice, note progress, and keep getting better! Show your child how you manage feeling discouraged sometimes and keep your eye on your goal.
SOCIAL AWARENESS (IL SEL Goal 2):
Showing understanding and empathy of others
Affirm your child’s feelings with empathy and acceptance. How you relate to your child will show him how to relate to others.
Listen. This takes patience, but it is very important to let children talk and take the time to listen to them, even if the message is difficult. Your active listening validates their feelings, ability to communicate, and your relationship.
Consider the feelings of others in real life situations and in books, movies, TV shows, and talk about them. Discussing fiction and news are ideal ways to talk about how people relate to one another.
Talk about what it might be like to be in “someone else's shoes.” This is especially useful when there is an argument underway and compromise is needed.
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS (IL SEL Goal 2):
Forming positive relationships, working in teams, and dealing effectively with conflict
Recognize that nothing matters as much as maintaining a positive relationship with your child. This means finding your balance between connection and discipline, providing warmth as well as limits. Many excellent parenting books are available about building healthy parent-child relationships.
Make time daily to talk one-on-one with your child about his day, feelings, interests, or issues. Consciously avoid using this time to talk about tasks and to-dos (unless these are an issue for your child); stay focused on your child and his experience that day.
Model healthy relationships with your spouse, friends and family. Communicate thoughtfully, listen to others, and cooperate and compromise when it’s needed.
Teach your child skills for face-to-face, phone, and online communications. Be attentive to eye contact and manners, and mindful of misunderstandings that can arise in the use of technology.
Show your child how to apologize by doing it yourself when appropriate. We all make mistakes.
When you or your child has a problem, guide him to solve it with the following prompts:
- What’s the problem?
- How do you feel about it?
- What are some solutions?
- What might be the consequences of using each of these solutions?
- Which solutions might be the best to try?
- Try one and see how it works!
- If it doesn’t solve the problem, try another solution.
RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING (IL SEL Goal 3):
Making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior
Practice making decisions based on respect, positive social norms, and consequences. The metaphor of ripples on a pond can be a useful reference in talking with your child about how their choices affect others. Our actions usually affect many others, directly or indirectly, and have the potential to change the culture of a family, neighborhood, school, or community. Empower children to effect positive change by finding ways to contribute to your family, neighborhood, school, and/or religious organization.
Show your child that you uphold the law (even if you don’t entirely agree with it). Adolescents by nature push the limits, so be prepared for many conversations about the reasons for laws. How you live within the law will be very instructive, so consider your own examples re: seatbelt laws, texting while driving, and alcohol use, for example.
Give children a few choices and as they show that they make good decisions, expand the choices. Vice versa, remove options when poor choices are made. Nothing teaches decision-making like consistent consequences.
Be aware of brain development and the limitations of the immature brain when compromised by social pressure. Monitor your adolescent’s activities and be aware of his circle of friends. Know their parents. Read more about the evolving adolescent brain.
When Problems Come Up/Where to Get Help
When Problems Come Up/Where to Get Help
Rare is the child who does not struggle at some time with problems making or keeping friends, knowing how to manage peer or academic pressures, or how to use media or technology appropriately. Developing social and emotional skills helps children become resilient as they face the challenges of living in an increasingly complex world. The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programming in District 181 is designed to help children as they encounter problems such as bullying, risk-taking behaviors, stress and anxiety. If you have concerns about your child, please contact your child’s classroom teacher and/or the school’s social worker. The following links can provide families with further resources.
Anxiety and Stress: Resources from the American Psychological Association
Bullying:
- Report of Student Bullying
- Helping Children Respond to Conflicts and Bullying
- Stop Bullying
- Stop Bullying Now
Drug, Alcohol, and Substance Abuse
- Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids, Electronic Cigarettes and Youth Fact Sheet
- Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research
- Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention
- Drug Enforcement Administration for Parents
- Drug Enforcement Administration for Teachers
- Drug Enforcement Administration for Teens
- DuPage Coalition Against Heroin
- National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens
- Partnership for a Drug-Free America
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- A College Student’s Comprehensive Guide to Drug Abuse
Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Resources:
- Cyberbullying
- Cyberbullying Research Center
- Developing Students’ Digital Citizenship, Article and Resources
- Illinois Attorney General’s Internet Safety website for parents
- Parents' Guide for Safe YouTube and Internet Streaming for Kids
- Media Smarts, Canada’s Center for Digital Media and Literacy
- Raising Digital Natives blog by Deborah Heitner, PhD
- OnGuardOnline
- Screenagers Blog by Delaney Ruston, MD
- Stay Safe Online, Raising Digital Citizens
Loss of a Loved One
Suicide Prevention
Where to Get Help
- Community Memorial Foundation, Mental Health Resource Guide for western Cook County and DuPage County
- Hinsdale Community House, Counseling Service
- Metropolitan Family Services, DuPage County
- NAMI DuPage, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is a resource for free counseling via text for any crisis-related issue and is a nationally recognized resource. To learn more, visit https://www.crisistextline.