Calming Areas | Zonas Calmantes

Calming Areas Overview and Ideas | Download a brief document explaining the purpose and guidelines for classroom Calming Areas as well as example photos and suggested materials.

La Zona Calmante- Descripción e Ideas| Tenemos una descripción y lista de ideas (imágenes y ejemplos de materiales) para zonas calmantes en español 

Circle / Community Meeting Resources (Secondary grade levels)

Circle Planning Template (Word doc) | Download a blank template to facilitate circle planning.

Dallas ISD Weekly Community Meeting Questions | Our department has drafted a preliminary resource for community meeting topics and potential discussion questions for each week during the school year.  Note that community meeting content is contingent upon school / student needs and what will be most valuable for your classroom so this resource is only meant to serve as a starting point for crafting community meetings.

Preguntas de las reuniones semanales de la comunidad| Dallas ISD's Translation Services team has graciously translated our Weekly Community Meeting Questions document into Spanish for classroom use as well.

TEXRP Circle Guidelines | From the Texas Educators for Restorative Practices, review circle guidelines to effectively prepare for and facilitate circles.

TEXRP Circle Purpose and Context | From the Texas Educators for Restorative Practices, review the purpose of circles and what circles are not (for both teachers and students).

TEXRP Classroom Weekly Plan | From the Texas Educators for Restorative Practices, review planning considerations for building relationships and implementing relationship / classroom agreements with your students.

Mood Meters | Medidores Emocionales

Mood Meter | Download a printable mood meter for use in your classroom / on your campus. 

Spanish / English | Download a mood meter with Spanish and English languages.

PreK-2 Mood Meter | Download an age-appropriate PowerPoint version of a Mood Meter for little ones!

Video: The Grump Meter | See how Rose Park Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah uses a mood meter ("Grump Meter") to build students' emotional awareness in daily routines.

Morning Meeting Resources (Elementary grade levels) | Oraciones para Comenzar Conversaciones

Sentence Stems for Morning Meeting (English / Español) | Our department has drafted a list of potential sentence stems (in English and Spanish) for discussion and sharing during Morning Meeting.

What is Morning Meeting? | Responsive Classroom provides a quick overview of Morning Meeting, which is comprised of these elements: 1) greeting, 2) sharing, 3) a group activity, and 4) a morning message.

Treatment Agreements / Classroom Norms

Video: Fostering Belonging with Classroom Norms | Part of Edutopia's How Learning Happens Series, this video highlights the value of establishing collborative norms for a classroom to build a learning community

Treatment Agreement Templates and Guidance | Download blank templates and guidance for developing Treatment Agreements for your classrooms or staff members.  Guidance has been updated from resources created by National Educators for Restorative Practices (NEDRP).

Active Listening & Valuing the Perspective of Others

StoryCorps | StoryCorps is focused on preserving and sharing humanity's stories in order to build connections between people, and create a more just and compassionate world. 

StoryCorps collects a diverse range of stories based on interviews, and their website has a wide range of discussion topics and even animations for a select number of stories.

StoryCorps has developed educator resources to facilitate storytelling, improve our listening skills, and learn about the value of each person's individual story.  For example, linked here is a comprehensive active listening lesson, incorporating one StoryCorps interview into the learning.

There's even a StoryCorps app to for everyone to use and capture interviews via smart phones.

Advisory Planning and Support

Sample Advisory Period Schedules (2021-22) | The SEL Department has developed guidance for secondary campus leaders to consider when planning their advisory structure this year.  Note that this guidance is also included in the district's master schedule handbook.

Content Integration

Infographic: Integrating SEL throughout the School Day | A graphic from Learning Policy Institute for describing different opportunities to incorporate SEL skill development into daily classroom routines.

SEL Integration Approach for Classroom Educators | A brief handout from Transforming Education with guidance for intentional SEL integration with content areas including modeling, practice opportunities, and teachable moments

Question Formulation Technique

The Right Question Institute | RQI has developed The Question Formulation Technique (QFT), a structured process for all people to learn to ask better questions and participate more effectively in learning and key decisions.  The QFT is an easy to use strategy for classroom use that allows students to drive the learning, ensure equity of participation and voice, and generate high levels of engagement.

RQI has created an Educator Network with many free QFT resources- sign up for free today!

SEL Learning Standards

Dallas ISD SEL Learning Standards | Download a one-pager of SEL Learning Standards, which articulates specific learning objectives for what we want our students and adults to know and do within each SEL competency.  

Student Reading Suggestions

Publisher's Weekly Social and Emotional Learning Booklist | In August 2018, Publisher's Weekly compiled a list of recent book titles, focused on aspects of social and emotional learning.  The majority of books listed are geared towards elementary ages; however, there are a few titles that are appropriate for secondary students as well.

 

Circle / Community Meeting Resources

Circle Planning Template (Word doc) | Download a blank template to facilitate circle planning.

Dallas ISD Weekly Community Meeting Questions | Our department has drafted a preliminary resource for community meeting topics and potential discussion questions for each week during the 2019-20 school year.  Note that community meeting content is contingent upon school / student needs and what will be most valuable for your classroom so this resource is only meant to serve as a starting point for crafting community meetings.

Preguntas de las reuniones semanales de la comunidad| Dallas ISD's Translation Services team has graciously translated our Weekly Community Meeting Questions document into Spanish for classroom use as well.

TEXRP Circle Purpose and Context | From the Texas Educators for Restorative Practices, review the purpose of circles and what circles are not (for both teachers and students).

TEXRP Circle Guidelines | From the Texas Educators for Restorative Practices, review circle guidelines to effectively prepare for and facilitate circles.

TEXRP Classroom Weekly Plan | From the Texas Educators for Restorative Practices, review planning considerations for building relationships and implementing relationship / classroom agreements with your students.

Harmony SEL (K-6th)

Harmony SEL| Harmony is a social and emotional learning curriculum for K-6th students with weekly activities for building each SEL competency.

Positive Action (6th-8th)

Positive Action | Visit Positive Action's website for an overview of their units and Program Resources page for additional training and implementation tools!  Although Positive Action has developed curriculum across a wide range of grade levels, our SEL team recommends the curriculum for use in grades 6th-8th.  Note that campuses will need to purchase curriculum and related materials to implement Positive Action.

Random Acts of Kindness (6th-8th)

Random Acts of Kindness | Kindness in the Classroom® curriculum is a free, Tier 1 evidenced-based social emotional learning curriculum designed to help schools create a culture of kindness. Each unit teaches six core kindness concepts: Respect, Caring, Inclusiveness, Integrity, Responsibility, and Courage.

Community Matters: A Facing History and Ourselves Approach to Advisory (High School)

Community Matters Overview & Curriculum | Visit Facing History's website to access free Community Matters curriculum for secondary students (grades 8-10) and related resources. Note that you will need to create a log-in to access and download their lessons; however, all resources are free!

We define Signature Practices as Welcoming Activities, Engaging Practices, and Optimistic Closures.  These practices can look different each day based on the classroom, subject area, age group, etc.; however, these practices are meant to cultivate welcoming environments, facilitate positive relationship building, hold time to reset and refocus (as needed), and provide time for personal reflection.  The following resources below can be used as guiding suggestions when developing Welcoming Activities, Engaging Strategies, and Optimistic Closures.

Welcoming Activities

Welcoming Rituals Handout | From our partners at CASEL, this document provides examples of welcoming activities and classroom meetings to build relationships and create a welcoming environment in your classroom.

Example Welcoming Questions Handout | Download a quick one-pager with 10 example welcoming questions to add to your Signature Practices "toolkit". 

Sentence Stem Activity (English and Español)| A quick and easy community building activity that may be used as a welcoming exercise.  Una lista de oraciones para comenzar conversaciones está disponible en español también (la segunda página).

Brain Breaks, Engaging Strategies, and Mindfulness/ Stress Management

Energizing Brain Breaks | Dave Sladkey has developed a wonderful blog filled with different brain breaks for educators, including video examples.  Check out his book, Energizing Brain Breaks on Amazon.

Engaging Pedagogy Handout | From our partners at CASEL, a brief overview of engaging pedagogy including creating shared classroom norms, brain break ideas, and focused-attention practices.

Engaging Strategies Handout | Shared in our summer 2018 training, this document lists a number of different activating strategies, both written and kinesthetic, for facilitating greater student engagement.

SEL Department: YouTube Channel | Check out our team's Youtube channel with lots of quick videos on brain breaks, mindfulness strategies, and other SEL practices

GoNoodle | GoNoodle makes mindfulness and movement an integral part of the day, at school and at home.  Sign up for a free account, using Dallas ISD / your campus name.

Headspace | Headspace is an app-based mindfulness program that provides brief, facilitated mindfulness sessions for both students and adults.  You can download the app and enjoy a select number of free Headspace sessions; however, it does require a subscription to access all content.  Headspace even has structured themes around stress management, balance, and appreciation (among others). 

Mindfulness / Meditation Apps | Being mindful and reserving time each day to pause and breathe requires time and guidance to make it a regular habit.  This handout, developed by Piedmont Healthcare, provides useful information about different apps, potential costs, and program details.

Mindfulness Journal Templates | Shannon Kline and Venesa Sokolovic have designed printable mindfulness journal templates for primary and elementary students. Click below for templates by grade level:

Primary Grades 

Primary Grades (Double-Sided)

Elementary Grades

Pure Edge | Pure Edge provides strategies for educators to develop social, emotional, and academic skills through mindful movement and rest.  Sign up for their free curriculum here.

Optimistic Closures

Optimistic Closures Handout | See CASEL's example reflection questions and closure activities.

Optimistic Closures- More Examples | See a list of example optimistic closures from our SEL team.

Optimistic Closures- Spring 2021 | Check out more examples of optimistic closures to wrap up the school year.

Articles

3 Tips to Incorporate Social Emotional Learning Into Everyday Literacy Instruction | From EdSurge in June 2018, a brief article providing tips on incorporating SEL into Literacy: emphasizing the journey, teaching the brain's biology, and helping students find their voice.

5 SEL Activities for Middle School | A brief article with suggestions for community building, communication, and emotional check-ins with middle school students

A Quiet Space for Rough Moments | Responsive Classrooms has outlined some guidance on implementing classroom calming areas, including how to create expectations for student use.

Do's and Don'ts of Classroom Decorations | A brief article outlining best practices for classroom organization and decorations, including having a balance of engaging content, student work, and blank wall space to create focused learning environments for students.

Energy and Calm: Brain Breaks and Focused-Attention Practices | On Edutopia, Lori Desautels outlines brain break examples as well strategies for refocusing and resetting when needed in classrooms to disrupt routines and provide novelty for our brains.

The Key To Raising Brillant Kids? Play a Game | NPR spotlights strategies for raising successful kids including building the "six C's"- collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence.

The Latest in Military Strategy: Mindfulness | The New York Times highlights how a handful of U.S. military units are incorporating mindfulness and breathing practices into their training for improved focus and decision-making (especially during high pressure moments).

Tear Down Your Behavior Chart! | ASCD's Educational Leadership section shares research that behavior charts do not actually teach students self-regulation skills but rather publicly shames them.  The article provides alternatives to public behavior tracking for positive relationship building and better classroom management.

The Brain, Neuroscience, and Emotions

Video: Emotions and The Brain | Created by Sentis, this video explains how our emotions can influence our thinking processes and provides strategies for thoughtfully managing emotions.

Video: The Science Behind Student Behavior | Presented by Michael Lamb with Turnaround for Children, we learn about the brain and how students (and adults) respond when under stress

Video: Why Do We Lose Control of Our Emotions? | Created by Kids Want to Know, this video highlights how our "downstairs brain" (focused on keeping us safe and identifying potential threats) connects with our "upstairs brain" (focused on reasoning and strategic thinking).  When our emotions run high, our brain "flips its lid" and requires time to reset and cool down.

Department Newsletters (2020-21)

June 2021 | Summer Learning

May 2021 | Celebration

April 2021 | Mindfulness

March 2021 | Calming Strategies

February 2021 | Love and Care

January 2021 | Reflection

December 2020 | Gratitude and Optimistic Closings

November 2020 | Healthy Relationships and SEL Signature Practices

October 2020 | Building Welcoming Environments

September 2020 | Self-Care

Podcasts

Hidden Brain (NPR) | From NPR, Hidden Brain helps curious people understand the world – and themselves.Using science and storytelling, Hidden Brain reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, and the biases that shape our choices.

Creative Differences: The Benefits of Reaching Out to People Unlike Ourselves (50 min)

Students & Teachers: In the Classroom, Common Ground Can Transform GPAs (20 min)

A Social Prescription: Why Human Connection is Crucial to Our Health (49 min)

Life Kit (NPR) | Everyone needs a little help being a human. From sleep to saving money to parenting and more, we talk to the experts to get the best advice out there. Life Kit is here to help you get it together.

Advice for Dealing with Uncertainty, From People Who've Been There (19 min)

Mindshift (KQED) | It's easy to see a child's education as a path determined by grades, test scores and extracurricular activities. But genuine learning is about so much more than the points schools tally. MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators are helping all children succeed.

How Culturally Relevant Teaching Can Build Relationships While Students Are Home (20 min)

How Learning Emotional Skills Can Help Boys Become Men (25 min)

Self-Care

Energy Check-In | Download a great resource from Onward the Book, the Energy Check-In, to reflect on different facets of your well-being and consider ways to continue finding balance.  Bright Morning has additional coaching tools and resources for educator resilience, too!

Give 1 / Get 8 Self-Care Activity (CASEL School Guide) | Courtesy of Chicago Public Schools, adults can use this tool to write down some of their own self-care strategies and then collect other ideas from their peers!

How to Help Your Team With Burnout When You're Burned Out Yourself (Article) | Harvard Business Review's article provides strategies to help your team avoid burnout and priotize self-care, which is especially powerful when a group leader models these strategies for his or her team.

Self-Care Assessment | Download a Word doc version of our self-care assessment, updated in April 2020, to understand what you already do well in terms of your self-care and consider additional options for supporting your ongoing well-being.

Self-Care Plan | Download a Word doc version of our self-care plan to reflect on what you can do to take care of yourself, people who can support you, and even things to avoid when you're feeling stressed.

Self-Care Tips | Check out a list of self-care tips (based on the time that you have available- 1 minute, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.).

Social and Emotional Learning 

SEL Competencies | Download a printable handout of the SEL wheel and brief descriptions of each of the five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationships skills, and social awareness (available in English and Spanish).

Modeling SEL as a Leader | This tool provides examples of how adults can model SEL competencies while simultaneously influencing the learning climate.  Fill out the handout to reflect on your strengths and how you're building the strengths of your staff team.

Narwhals and Waterfalls | N&W is a Dallas-based duo that writes and performs original music, focused on social and emotional learning. 

The Breathing Song (Lyric Video)

The Mood Song (Lyric Video)

Trauma-Informed Care

Video: Getting Started with Trauma-Informed Practices | Part of Edutopia's How Learning Happens Series, this video emphasizes that relationships and trust are the antidotes to trauma and toxic stress.

Video: Supporting Students Who Have Experienced Trauma | Created by Digital Promise and Turnaround for Children, this video briefly highlights how trauma impacts brain development and how schools should provide calm, safe learning environments to support student growth and development.

Documentary: Paper Tigers | Paper Tigers follows a year in the life of an alternative high school that has radically changed its approach to disciplining its students, becoming a promising model for how to break the cycles of poverty, violence and disease that affect families. 

Websites & Other Resources

KERA Learn! | KERA has developed teaching and learning resources for students, teachers, and parents.  Click here to sign up for KERA's Education newsletters!