Emotional GPS: Charting SEL Script

I. Welcome and Introduction (5 minutes)

(Slide 1: Emotional GPS: Charting SEL)

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Welcome to 'Emotional GPS: Charting SEL - Navigating Feelings & Building Skills.' I'm Lenny, your expert teaching assistant, and I'm thrilled to spend the next 30 minutes with you, exploring a topic that is incredibly impactful for our students and children: Social Emotional Learning."

(Slide 2: Where's Your Emotional GPS Pointing?)

"To start, I want us to think about a question: How do emotions guide our students every day? Take a moment to consider that. Perhaps you've seen a student struggle with frustration on a math problem, or maybe your child has beamed with pride after achieving a goal. Emotions are constantly at play, shaping how they learn, interact, and grow.

Today, we're going to dive into how we can help them navigate this emotional landscape. Our objectives for this session are to:

• Understand what Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is.
• Discover why SEL is crucial for student success.
• Learn practical ways to support SEL skills.
• And, we'll create a valuable, hands-on tool: A Feelings Chart!"

II. Understanding Social Emotional Learning (SEL) (10 minutes)

(Slide 3: What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?)

"So, what exactly is SEL? It's more than just 'feel-good' lessons; it's about equipping our students and children with essential life skills. SEL is the process through which individuals acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

Many of you might be familiar with the CASEL 5 Core Competencies, which provide a great framework: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. These aren't just academic concepts; they are the very fabric of how we function as human beings."

(Slide 4: Why Does SEL Matter So Much?)

"Why does this matter so much? Because SEL is the foundation for flourishing! When students develop strong social emotional skills, we see incredible benefits:

• Better Academic Performance: They improve their focus, problem-solving abilities, and motivation in the classroom.
• Stronger Relationships: They develop enhanced empathy, better communication skills, and effective ways to resolve conflicts.
• Increased Well-being: They gain greater self-confidence, learn effective stress management, and develop strong emotional regulation.
• Positive Behavior: We often see reduced behavioral issues and a more positive classroom and home climate.
• Future Readiness: These are the essential skills for navigating college, thriving in careers, and leading a successful life."

(Slide 5: Putting SEL into Practice: Quick Wins)

"Now, how can we put this into practice, both in the classroom and at home? Here are some quick wins, simple, everyday strategies:

• Model SEL skills: We need to show, not just tell! Our reactions to stress, our empathy for others, our ways of resolving conflict – these are powerful lessons.
• Explicitly teach vocabulary: Help children name emotions. Discuss social cues. When you see a character in a book or on TV, ask, 'How do you think they're feeling? What makes you say that?'
• Create safe spaces: Foster trust and open communication. Let students and children know it's okay to feel different emotions.
• Provide opportunities for practice: This could be through role-playing, group projects, or discussing real-life problem-solving scenarios.
• Encourage reflection: Simple questions like, 'How did that make you feel?' or 'What could you do differently next time?' are incredibly powerful.

And speaking of practical tools, let's try one right now!"

III. Activity: Creating a Feelings Chart (10 minutes)

(Slide 6: Activity: Your Personal Feelings Chart)

"Today, our hands-on activity is to create a 'Feelings Chart.' The purpose of this tool is simple yet profound: it helps children identify and communicate their emotions. It builds their emotional vocabulary and provides a tangible starting point for discussions about how they're feeling.

Imagine a child who is upset but doesn't have the words to say it. A feelings chart can allow them to simply point to an emotion, giving you an opening to connect and understand."

(Slide 7: Let's Get Creative!)

"Alright, let's get creative! I've distributed a Feelings Chart Activity Guide and some art supplies. Follow these steps:

1. Take out your guide and materials.
2. Think about a range of emotions. Don't just stick to happy and sad. Consider angry, surprised, calm, worried, frustrated, excited, confused, proud, shy – the more variety, the better!
3. Draw or write emotions on your chart. You can use simple faces, colors, or even little scenarios. There's no right or wrong way.
4. Consider what a child might say or do when feeling that way. How would you recognize that emotion in their behavior?
5. Most importantly, make it personal and practical for your students or children. What emotions do they experience most often? What kind of visuals would resonate with them?

You have about 6 minutes for this. I'll be walking around if you have any questions or want to bounce ideas off me."

(Allow 6 minutes for the activity, circulate, offer support)

(Slide 8: Share & Discuss)

"Wonderful work, everyone! Now that you've had a chance to create your charts, let's take a couple of minutes to share. Would anyone like to briefly show what they've created and perhaps share how they envision using this 'Emotional GPS' with their students or children?"

(Facilitate sharing for 2 minutes, encouraging participants to highlight their ideas for use.)

IV. Q&A and Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

(Slide 9: Questions & Key Takeaways)

"We're nearing the end of our session. I want to open the floor for any questions you might have about SEL, its implementation, or the feelings chart activity. Please feel free to ask anything that's on your mind."

(Allow 3 minutes for Q&A.)

"Before we conclude, let's quickly recap our key takeaways from today:

• SEL is absolutely vital for whole-child development, impacting academics, relationships, and overall well-being.
• Small, consistent efforts in modeling, teaching, and discussing emotions make a huge difference.
• And practical tools like a Feelings Chart empower emotional expression and understanding.

Thank you all so much for your active participation and for your dedication to helping students and children navigate their emotional world with greater skill and confidence. Your commitment makes a real difference! Have a wonderful rest of your day!"

Feelings Chart Activity Guide

Purpose: To create a visual tool that helps children identify and communicate their emotions, building their emotional vocabulary.

Materials Needed:

• Paper or blank index cards
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
• Optional: Stickers, glitter, other decorative items

Instructions:

1. Brainstorm Emotions: Think of as many different emotions as you can. Don't just stick to happy and sad! Consider a wide range, such as:

   • Happy, Joyful, Excited
   • Sad, Upset, Disappointed
   • Angry, Frustrated, Annoyed
   • Scared, Worried, Anxious
   • Surprised, Confused
   • Calm, Peaceful
   • Proud, Confident
   • Shy, Embarrassed
   • Grumpy, Tired

2. Choose Your Format:

   • Single Chart: Use one piece of paper and divide it into sections for different emotions.
   • Emotion Cards: Use individual index cards for each emotion, which can be shuffled or arranged as needed.

3. Design Each Emotion: For each emotion you choose to include:

   • Draw or Doodle: Create a simple facial expression or a small drawing that represents that emotion. (e.g., a smiling face for happy, a furrowed brow for angry).
   • Write the Emotion Word: Clearly write the name of the emotion below or next to your drawing.
   • Consider a Color: Assign a color to each emotion if it helps (e.g., yellow for happy, blue for sad, red for angry).

4. Think About Usage: As you create, consider:

   • How will a child use this? Will they point to it? Will you ask them to describe it?
   • Where will it be placed? In the classroom? At home? Easily accessible?
   • What else might you add to help? (e.g., a simple coping strategy next to each emotion, like "take a deep breath" for angry).

Example Ideas for Your Chart:

• The "Emotion Thermometer": A vertical chart with emotions ranging from "very calm" at the bottom to "exploding with anger" at the top. Children can identify where they are on the scale.
• The "Feelings Faces Wheel": A circular chart with different emotion faces around the perimeter. Children can spin a dial or point to the face that matches their feeling.
• The "Emotion Zones": Divide your paper into colored zones (e.g., Green Zone = calm/happy, Yellow Zone = worried/frustrated, Red Zone = angry/out of control). List emotions that fit into each zone.