_20121125.doc) --- Brilliant, civilization-changing ideas are a dime a dozen, Matt. Physically taking action to implement them, however, beginning with baby steps that seem to accomplish very little is what gets the crowds here screaming like raving lunatics (in a good way!). --- Blake Griffin Edwards shared a link. 34 mins "..Our capacity to choose changes with the activity of life. The more we fear oblivion, the more we chase ambition, and regardless of the prizes we gain, deep anxieties propel our actions and our actions, our anxieties. Our heart hardens. Conversely, the more we embody acts of courage and bear others’ burdens, the more our heart is enlivened. Each act which feeds integrity also increases my capacity for virtue. Eventually it becomes more difficult for me to choose the foul rather than the virtuous action. On the other hand, each act of cowardice weakens me. Between the extreme when I can no longer do a wrong act and the extreme when I have lost all strength for right action, there are innumerable degrees. Vice sows compulsion, and virtue sows freedom. If the degree of freedom to choose the good is great, it needs less effort to choose the good. If it is small, it takes a great effort, help from others, and favorable circumstances..." ---) FB-EIN, FB-EIA 1-year study on whether EQ can be taught, effectively... Conclusion: Results reveal that the level of emotional competencies increased significantly in the intervention group in contrast with the control group. This increase resulted in lower cortisol secretion, enhanced subjective and physical well-being, as well as improved quality of social and marital relationships in the intervention group. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21443316 ---) The research that Dr. Fredrickson and others have done demonstrates that the extent to which we can generate positive emotions from even everyday activities can determine who flourishes and who doesn’t. More than a sudden bonanza of good fortune, repeated brief moments of positive feelings can provide a buffer against stress and depression and foster both physical and mental health, their studies show. Continue reading the main story RELATED COVERAGE PERSONAL HEALTH A Positive Outlook May Be Good for Your Health MARCH 27, 2017 Stay Optimistic, Live Longer? DEC. 7, 2016 RECENT COMMENTS John Wheeler 12 hours ago The glass is full - half with water and half with air. Jo Jof 15 hours ago Another thing that might be brought into the discussion is the role the digestive track has on our moods. Now when my gut is operating more... p. kay 15 hours ago Whatever you're recommending here are all positive and might be helpful. But What about the people who are old (me) who at 85 just lost her... SEE ALL COMMENTS WRITE A COMMENT ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story This is not to say that one must always be positive to be healthy and happy. Clearly, there are times and situations that naturally result in negative feelings in the most upbeat of individuals. Worry, sadness, anger and other such “downers” have their place in any normal life. But chronically viewing the glass as half-empty is detrimental both mentally and physically and inhibits one’s ability to bounce back from life’s inevitable stresses. Negative feelings activate a region of the brain called the amygdala, which is involved in processing fear and anxiety and other emotions. Dr. Richard J. Davidson, a neuroscientist and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin — Madison, has shown that people in whom the amygdala recovers slowly from a threat are at greater risk for a variety of health problems than those in whom it recovers quickly. Both he and Dr. Fredrickson and their colleagues have demonstrated that the brain is “plastic,” or capable of generating new cells and pathways, and it is possible to train the circuitry in the brain to promote more positive responses. That is, a person can learn to be more positive by practicing certain skills that foster positivity. For example, Dr. Fredrickson’s team found that six weeks of training in a form of meditation focused on compassion and kindness resulted in an increase in positive emotions and social connectedness and improved function of one of the main nerves that helps to control heart rate. The result is a more variable heart rate that, she said in an interview, is associated with objective health benefits like better control of blood glucose, less inflammation and faster recovery from a heart attack. Dr. Davidson’s team showed that as little as two weeks’ training in compassion and kindness meditation generated changes in brain circuitry linked to an increase in positive social behaviors like generosity. “The results suggest that taking time to learn the skills to self-generate positive emotions can help us become healthier, more social, more resilient versions of ourselves,” Dr. Fredrickson reported in the National Institutes of Health monthly newsletter in 2015. In other words, Dr. Davidson said, “well-being can be considered a life skill. If you practice, you can actually get better at it.” By learning and regularly practicing skills that promote positive emotions, you can become a happier and healthier person. Thus, there is hope for people like my friend’s parents should they choose to take steps to develop and reinforce positivity. Well Get the best of Well, with the latest on health, fitness and nutrition, plus exclusive commentary by Tara Parker-Pope, delivered to your inbox every week. Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. In her newest book, “Love 2.0,” Dr. Fredrickson reports that “shared positivity — having two people caught up in the same emotion — may have even a greater impact on health than something positive experienced by oneself.” Consider watching a funny play or movie or TV show with a friend of similar tastes, or sharing good news, a joke or amusing incidents with others. Dr. Fredrickson also teaches “loving-kindness meditation” focused on directing good-hearted wishes to others. This can result in people “feeling more in tune with other people at the end of the day,” she said. Activities Dr. Fredrickson and others endorse to foster positive emotions include: Do good things for other people. In addition to making others happier, this enhances your own positive feelings. It can be something as simple as helping someone carry heavy packages or providing directions for a stranger. Appreciate the world around you. It could be a bird, a tree, a beautiful sunrise or sunset or even an article of clothing someone is wearing. I met a man recently who was reveling in the architectural details of the 19th-century houses in my neighborhood. Develop and bolster relationships. Building strong social connections with friends or family members enhances feelings of self-worth and, long-term studies have shown, is associated with better health and a longer life. Establish goals that can be accomplished. Perhaps you want to improve your tennis or read more books. But be realistic; a goal that is impractical or too challenging can create unnecessary stress. Learn something new. It can be a sport, a language, an instrument or a game that instills a sense of achievement, self-confidence and resilience. But here, too, be realistic about how long this may take and be sure you have the time needed. Choose to accept yourself, flaws and all. Rather than imperfections and failures, focus on your positive attributes and achievements. The loveliest people I know have none of the external features of loveliness but shine with the internal beauty of caring, compassion and consideration of others. 337 COMMENTS Practice resilience. Rather than let loss, stress, failure or trauma overwhelm you, use them as learning experiences and steppingstones to a better future. Remember the expression: When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. Practice mindfulness. Ruminating on past problems or future difficulties drains mental resources and steals attention from current pleasures. Let go of things you can’t control and focus on the here-and-now. Consider taking a course in insight meditation. This is the second of two columns on positive emotions. A version of this article appears in print on April 4, 2017, on Page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: Turning Negative Thinkers Into Positive Ones. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe ---elated brain circuits after people had 2 weeks of training in a simple form of meditation that focuses on compassion and kindness. These changes, in turn, were linked to an increase in positive social behaviors, such as increased generosity. Fredrickson and her colleagues are also studying meditation. They found that after 6 weeks of training in compassion and kindness meditation, people reported increased positive emotions and social connectedness compared to an untrained group. The meditation group also had improved functioning in a nerve that helps to control heart rate. “The results suggest that taking time to learn the skills to self-generate positive emotions can help us become healthier, more social, more resilient versions of ourselves,” Fredrickson says. Dr. Emily Falk, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, is taking a different approach. Falk is exploring how self-affirmation—that is, thinking about what’s most important to you—can affect your brain and lead to positive, healthful behaviors. Her team found that when people are asked to think about things that they find meaningful, a brain region that recognizes personally relevant information becomes activated. This brain activity can change how people respond to health advice. “In general, if you tell people that they sit too much and they need to change their behavior, they can become defensive. They’ll come up with reasons why the message doesn’t apply to them,” Falk says. But if people reflect on the things they value before the health message, the brain’s reward pathways are activated. This type of self-affirmation, Falk’s research shows, can help physically inactive “couch potatoes” get more active. In a recent study, inactive adults received typical health advice about the importance of moving more and sitting less. But before the advice, about half of the participants were asked to think about things that they value most. The “self-affirmation” group became more physically active during the month-long study period that followed compared to the group that hadn’t engaged in self-affirmation. “The study shows one way that we can open the brain to positive change and help people achieve their goals,” Falk says. Being open to positive change is a key to emotional wellness. “Sometimes people think that emotions just happen, kind of like the weather,” Fredrickson says. “But research suggests that we can have some control over which emotions we experience.” As mounting research suggests, having a positive mindset might help to improve your physical health as well. References: Compassion training alters altruism and neural responses to suffering. Weng HY, Fox AS, Shackman AJ, Stodola DE, et al. Psychol Sci. 2013 Jul 1; 24(7):1171-80. doi: 10.1177/0956797612469537. Epub 2013 May 21. PMID: 23696200. Mind of the meditator. Ricard M, Lutz A, Davidson RJ. Sci Am. 2014 Nov;311(5):38-45. PMID: 25508292. How positive emotions build physical health: perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone. Kok BE, Coffey KA, Cohn MA, Catalino LI, et al. Psychol Sci. 2013 Jul 1;24(7):1123-32. doi: 10.1177/0956797612470827. Epub 2013 May 6. PMID: 23649562. Happiness unpacked: positive emotions increase life satisfaction by building resilience. Cohn MA, Fredrickson BL, Brown SL, Mikels JA, Conway AM. Emotion. 2009 Jun;9(3):361-8. doi: 10.1037/a0015952. PMID: 19485613. Self-affirmation alters the brain's response to health messages and subsequent behavior change. Falk EB, O'Donnell MB, Cascio CN, Tinney F, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Feb 17;112(7):1977-82. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1500247112. Epub 2015 Feb 2. PMID: 25646442. Beyond Brain Mapping: Using Neural Measures to Predict Real-World Outcomes. Berkman ET, Falk EB. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2013 Feb;22(1):45-50. PMID: 24478540. NIH News in Health, August 2015 search search button FEATURES Positive Emotions and Your Health All About ALS Wise Choices Links Enhance Your Emotional Wellness To develop a more positive mindset: Remember your good deeds. Give yourself credit for the good things you do for others each day. Forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from what went wrong, but don’t dwell on it. Spend more time with your friends. Surround yourself with positive, healthy people. Explore your beliefs about the meaning and purpose of life. Think about how to guide your life by the principles that are important to you. Develop healthy physical habits. Healthy eating, physical activity, and regular sleep can improve your physical and mental health. Adapted from U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. CONTACT US NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison Building 31, Room 5B52 Bethesda, MD 20892-2094 nihnewsinhealth@od.nih.gov Tel: 301-451-8224 Editor: Harrison Wein, Ph.D. Managing Editor: Vicki Contie Contributors: Vicki Contie, Alan Defibaugh (illustrations), Christen Sandoval, Carol Torgan, Samantha Watters, and Harrison Wein Attention Editors: Reprint our articles and illustrations in your own publication. Our material is not copyrighted. Please acknowledge NIH News in Health as the source and send us a copy. ---) http://www.casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Final-CDI-Report-3-17-17.pdf A multiyear effort to help school districts integrate social and emotional learning across all aspects of their work What have we learned? What impact have we seen? What’s next? MARCH 2017 2 The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) was formed in 1994 with the goal of helping to make high-quality, evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of preschool through high school education. Over the years and through deep collaborations with multiple organizations and individuals, we have steadily advanced this goal. Our work has focused on three areas: research to build the evidence base; practice to implement, refine, and demonstrate high-quality SEL in school districts, and create scalable tools and resources; and state and federal policy to help create the conditions for success. Today we are at a tipping point. The evidence is clear that SEL works. Models for implementation exist. Supportive policies are spreading. Most important, students are benefitting. Students with strong social and emotional competence not only do better academically in school, they lead healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives. They better understand themselves, build constructive relationships, are more kind and caring, and make more responsible decisions. In order to help practitioners bring more of these benefits to more students, in 2010 CASEL, in partnership with NoVo Foundation, launched a largescale action research project that sought to address the next-generation questions. Can large urban school districts put into place the policies and practices that would promote the social and emotional competencies of all students throughout the district? If so, how? And what outcomes would we see for kids? The Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI) became the learning lab for addressing those questions. We have worked closely with school districts on strategies for embedding SEL into all aspects of their work. We spent our first two decades collaborating to establish the evidence base documenting that SEL works for students. Now, through the CDI, we know a lot more about the specifics of how to do it. This report describes what districts did, shares what we have learned, and previews how we intend to scale these insights to many more districts. We are committed to an ongoing process for continuing to increase the knowledge and expertise about how to implement systemic SEL. Through our deep collaboration with the CDI districts, partnerships with researchers, educators, and organizations serving the field, and broader efforts to commission, curate, and distribute resources, CASEL is poised to serve as the know-how lab for the SEL field. Our work combines the Know of research with the How of practical application, along with advancing policies that create the conditions for SEL to flourish. We will continue collaborating with educators, scholars, and others to share this know-how with those who can put it to immediate use. The CDI has been a pivotal step in the evolution and maturation in the field of SEL. We are profoundly thankful for the generosity of NoVo Foundation and several other funders and for the vision and commitment of our district partners. They are helping to transform how student success is defined in American education. Through our work and the work of many people in the field, we are making a difference. Our goal: by 2025, 50% of districts are systemically integrating high-quality SEL across their schools and classrooms. It’s time. 1 Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1 CHAPTER 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 2 Collaborating Districts Initiative: A LEARNING LAB CHAPTER 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 6 Key Insights CHAPTER 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 20 Impact on Students and Schools CHAPTER 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 24 Scaling SEL Know-How Preface Karen Niemi President and CEO Roger P. Weissberg, PhD Chief Knowledge Officer Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2017) Key Insights from the Collaborating Districts Initiative. Chicago: Author. 2 3 Collaborating Districts Initiative: A Learning Lab 6 YEARS… 10 DISTRICTS… 900,000 STUDENTS Six years ago CASEL took the unprecedented step of launching an effort to study and scale high-quality, evidence-based academic, social, and emotional learning in eight of the largest and most complex school systems in the country: Anchorage, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville, Oakland, Sacramento, and Washoe County, Nev. With the recent addition of Atlanta and El Paso, the Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI) now includes 10 districts, enrolling 900,000 students a year. It is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious school district improvement initiatives ever. Educators around the world rely on CASEL resources to support their knowledge and understanding of SEL, which in turn affects millions of additional students. And with the spring 2017 launch of the online District Resource Center, the knowledge gleaned from the CDI will benefit millions more. The goal of the CDI was to create a comprehensive shift in how superintendents and entire school districts approach education. We knew we had to help redefine quality education (beyond test scores alone), and to prioritize the practices in classrooms, schools, and communities for promoting the social and emotional development of children. As a result, the CDI is focused on systemic SEL implementation— SEL across all district, school, and classroom activities, increasingly in partnership with parents and communities. SEL as a once-a-week program is not enough to establish sustainable teaching and learning environments where students truly thrive. SEL is sustained and students thrive when it is promoted and reinforced throughout the school day, modeled and taught by teachers, families, and community members – and supported by district policies, practices, and investments. CHAPTER 1 Study Anchorage AUSTIN CLEVELAND 3 DISTRICTS 171K STUDENTS 2011 Study Anchorage ATLANTA AUSTIN CHICAGO CLEVELAND EL PASO NASHVILLE OAKLAND SACRAMENTO WASHOE COUNTY 10 DISTRICTS 900K STUDENTS TODAY SEL helps all students reach their full potential as caring, contributing, responsible, and knowledgeable friends, family members, coworkers, and citizens. It helps them build positive skills, such as greater self-awareness and self-management, improved relationship skills, and responsible decision-making in safe and supportive learning environments. These skills and behaviors are important in their own right, but they also benefit students in other ways. For example, a major review of research studies on SEL school programs revealed 11 percentile-point gains in academic performance. 1 Benefits extend beyond students to the broader society as well. Another study demonstrated statistically significant associations between social-emotional skills in kindergarten and key young adult outcomes in education, employment, criminal activity, substance use, and mental health. 2 Overall, quality SEL yields an 11:1 return on investment, according to a 2015 Columbia University study. 3 Scholars from the fields of neuroscience, health, employment, psychology, classroom management, learning theory, economics, and youth development also have identified benefits. SEL also helps avoid or reduce negative outcomes for kids. For example, more than 40% of teens are “chronically disengaged.” 4 In the past year, one in 13 students has been in at least one fight, one in six has carried a weapon, and one in 10 has had sex with more than four people. 5 Teen depression has increased five-fold since the 1950s. 6 Half of college students report feeling “overwhelmed.” 7 SEL helps students overcome challenges such as these and gives students the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. 4 5 1 Child Development, January/February 2011 2 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/American Journal of Public Health 3 Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University 4 University of Michigan, Personality and Social Psychology Review 5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 6 Birth Cohort Differences in Self-Esteem, 1988–2008: A cross-temporal 7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Child Development, January/February 2011 Why SEL is NeededRaises Stu dent Performance •Higher academic achievement •Better socialemotional skills •Improved attitudes about self, others, and school •Positive classroom behavior R e duces Ri s k for F a ilure •Fewer conduct problems •Less emotional distress SEL’s Benef its A 2011 meta-analys is foun d t hat SEL … 7 To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org 6 Key Insights Insight 1 Systemic SEL is possible. Implementation WORKS even with leadership changes and relatively small budgets. The CDI began with strong leadership from the top. Superintendents and their districts committed to an ambitious agenda of change: systemic implementation of SEL across all district, school, and classroom activities and in partnership with parents and communities. This was not SEL as a once-a-week program but instead a paradigm shift where district leaders committed to: • Cultivate commitment and organizational support for SEL. • Assess SEL resources and needs. • Support classroom, school, and community SEL programming. • Establish systems for continuous improvement. Significantly, unlike many major district efforts, districts received minimal financial incentives to undertake these sweeping reforms. Each of the first eight districts received annual grants of $250,000 for up to six years. That represents less than 0.04% of the average CDI district’s annual budget for all expenses (excluding Chicago’s budget, which is larger than the other seven CDI district budgets combined). The districts supplemented NoVo Foundation grants with their own investments. None of the districts has the same superintendent as when the CDI began. Indeed, Chicago Public Schools has had four superintendents since 2010, yet SEL is still growing throughout the district, supported by 25 dedicated staff in the Office of Social and Emotional Learning. Despite this turnover, after five years of independently evaluating the CDI, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) concluded: “Our findings suggest that districts participating in the CDI have sustained, deepened, and broadened their commitment to SEL and developed capacities to support its implementation. Participation in the CDI and in district-initiated activities has enhanced the readiness of the districts and their schools to implement and sustain SEL. More staff and stakeholders know about it and want it, and SEL has been embedded as a pillar in strategic plans. Furthermore, districts are increasingly aligning SEL with other districtwide activities.” Districts were able to withstand leadership turnover and budget cuts, especially when they had broad stakeholder commitment to SEL, when they focused on deepening the SEL expertise of central office staff, effectively integrated SEL across district departments and initiatives, and began to see evidence of improvements in climate and attendance, and reductions in suspensions. Since 2011 we have been working with our partner districts in an intensive ongoing cycle of implementation, refinement, evaluation, and documentation to deepen our understanding of how to embed SEL into their work. We are working closely with superintendents, district SEL leaders, research and evaluation teams, principals, teachers, parents, and community members to support and promote systemic SEL. We are providing hands-on, practical consulting and support. And we are connecting districts virtually and in-person with each other, in small peer-to-peer learning groups, and in large cross-district meetings, so that they can learn and benefit from each other’s experiences. We promised no quick fixes, but rather sustained commitment, access to the smartest leaders, high-quality research, and a passion for evidence and results. Our initial research questions asked what does systemic SEL mean? What does it look like in practice, and how is it achieved? This chapter highlights seven key insights drawn from our experience. 1. Systemic SEL is possible even with leadership changes and relatively small budgets. 2. SEL ideally is integrated into every aspect of the district’s work, from the strategic plan and budgets to human resources and operations. 3. SEL ideally is integrated into every aspect of the school, from classroom instruction to school climate and culture to communityfamily partnerships. 4. Successful implementation can follow multiple pathways, based on each district’s unique needs and strengths. Regardless of the approach, the engagement and commitment of both school and district leadership is essential. 5. Adult SEL matters, too. 6. Data for continuous improvement are essential. 7. Districts benefit from collaborating with each other. “The CDI demonstrates that it is possible for large urban school districts to adopt and maintain SEL as an essential element of education, even amid budgetary stress and leadership turnover.” American Institutes for Research CHAPTER 2 SEL Grants REPRESENTED ONLY ABOUT 0.04% OF EACH DISTRICT’S BUDGET VISION Develop a district wide vision and long term plan 9 To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org INTEGRATION Integrate SEL with district initiatives For example, Oakland Unified School District’s commitment to social and emotional learning is evident across the system—including the district’s vision and strategic plan, SEL board policy, SEL standards, classroom curricula, restorative justice practices, and professional learning. The district’s new performance frameworks for teachers, principals, schools, and the superintendent are all based on the district’s SEL standards, as is professional learning for all principals and assistant principals. Oakland is also beginning to use SEL school-quality indicators to help schools align and prioritize resources and goals for student success. In Chicago SEL is integrated into the district’s overall strategic plan. The district also has established a districtwide code of conduct and climate standards. A progressive discipline policy limits the use of exclusionary discipline practices and encourages all schools to respond to misbehavior using supportive, restorative discipline practices to promote social and emotional development. SEL is part of professional development for core academic content in areas such as math and literacy. SEL is integrated into the district’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which provides differentiated support for students. Anchorage School District has embedded SEL instructional strategies into leadership meetings, professional development sessions, and curriculum. It is creating a MTSS approach that integrates SEL curriculum and strategies with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). A district SEL leadership team of 30 leaders from the classroom to the superintendent guides this work. In Sacramento City Unified School District, over 50 schools have adopted evidence-based curriculum and are explicitly teaching SEL lessons across all grade levels. Leadership teams from all K-12 schools were trained on SEL core competencies, restorative practices, and equity. Equity coaches regularly work with schools to support their SEL/Equity leadership teams, facilitate professional growth opportunities for staff, model lessons, and support individual teachers. In year five an interdepartmental professional learning community was created to develop expertise and deepen collaboration among central office staff. To complement the in-district work, CASEL is partnering with The Wallace Foundation to help districts align their SEL work with out-of-schooltime efforts. 8 Insight 2 SEL is ideally integrated throughout the district. When implemented well, SEL is embedded into every aspect of the district’s work, from the strategic plan and budgets to human resources and operations. Systemic SEL is not a siloed approach or standalone program, but a new way of doing business. At the district level, we have worked closely with superintendents, district SEL leaders, school boards, curriculum and instruction departments, research and evaluation teams, and others in multiple ways to help districts adopt systemic strategies that embed SEL into every aspect of school life. Districts are building SEL into their strategic plans and budgets. They are reorganizing leadership structures so that SEL is not a separate priority but is integrated into core functions such as academics, professional development, and equity. They are integrating SEL into the development and implementation of districtwide policies on hiring and discipline. They are systematically collecting and analyzing data for continuous improvement (more in Insight 6). And they are regularly communicating with and engaging multiple stakeholders. “For us, it’s not about one more thing we have to budget for. SEL is in the blood of what we do in the district. It’s not just an off-the-shelf program. It’s really about what we do every day for kids.” Traci Davis, Superintendent of Schools, Washoe County School District Theory of Action for Districtwide SEL • Vision & Long-Term Plan • Stakeholder Communications • Aligned Resources • Central Office Expertise • Professional Learning • SEL Integration • SEL Standards & Assessments • Evidence-Based Programs CULTIVATE COMMITMENT & ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR SEL ESTABLISH SYSTEMS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ASSESS SEL RESOURCES & NEEDS SUPPORT CLASSROOM, SCHOOLWIDE, & COMMUNITY SEL PROGRAMMING 10 11 Systemic SEL is a new way of doing business at the school level as well. District leaders have worked closely with principals, teachers, parent leaders, community partners, and others in multiple ways to help schools adopt systemic strategies that embed SEL into every aspect of school life. In classrooms implementing well, SEL is promoted through explicit instruction, often using an evidence-based program identified in CASEL’s program reviews. It is integrated across classroom instruction and academic curriculum, from the math class organized around cooperative learning to the social studies class that routinely helps students learn empathy by trying out different perspectives to understand their world. In schools implementing well, there is a culture and climate that supports learning, respect, and caring relationships throughout the school day. Adults are regularly modeling SEL behavior in classrooms and hallways, and on playgrounds. SEL shapes how principals run their staff meetings, how teachers handle their classrooms, how custodians and cafeteria workers know and are known by students, how safety officers interact with students, and how receptionists welcome visitors. In Washoe County School District, staff members at each school attend a three-day training focused on culture and climate, evidence-based programs, student voice, and the integration of SEL into math, English, history, and other classes. Teachers use SEL strategies to engage students in learning core academic content. Students demonstrate listening skills, empathy, and other SEL competencies as they work in pairs, in small groups, and as a whole class. Sacramento has developed Common Core State Standards curriculum maps for English Language Arts and math, explicitly identifying related SEL skills such as being able to collaborate, persevere in solving difficult problems, develop viable arguments, and critique the reasoning of others. SEL skills also are embedded in the district’s college and career readiness graduate profile, which will serve as a guide for students’ successful matriculation. Family and community partnerships extend and deepen the work occurring in schools. Austin Independent School District’s citywide Ready by 21 Youth Services Mapping program helps students and families locate services and supports that address academic enrichment and support, as well as social, emotional, and behavioral health. The district has also provided training in SEL to multiple out-ofschool providers. And a local philanthropic matching program has raised $2.4 million in three years. Sacramento has integrated SEL into its nationally recognized Parent Teacher Home Visit Project, the districtwide Parent Information Exchange, parent training modules, and its Family Night Toolkit on Math, which now includes information on growth mindset. Washoe County has offered more than 80 Parent University SEL courses, including College and Career Success and Building Resiliency in Children. “We changed from everything being punitive to making everything a teaching moment: What did you do? Why did you do it? Do you know it was wrong? What could you do differently? The staff was on board. There was a lot of buy-in.” Janet McDowell, Principal, Wade Park Elementary School, Cleveland Metropolitan School District Student and Teacher Voice A supportive climate and culture results when there are opportunities for multiple voices to be heard. In Cleveland Metropolitan School District, for example, about 450 high school students meet quarterly to review their individual school’s Conditions for Learning data, participate in activities with their peers, and provide feedback directly to the CEO about proposed district improvements. In Chicago students sat on the committee that rewrote the district’s discipline policy and created supports for school staff members. They helped create a video to teach all stakeholders about the important shift to a restorative practices approach. “In order to help our students learn, we have to build relationships with our students. That’s what they say to us.” Antwan Wilson, former superintendent of Oakland Unified School District, currently chancellor of Washington, DC Public Schools Insight 3 SEL ideally is integrated throughout the school. When implemented well, SEL is embedded into every aspect of the school, from classroom instruction to school climate and culture to partnerships with the community and families. “I don’t know that there are any kids out there, in any school district, that don’t have some needs for SEL support.” José Banda, Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org INTEGRATION Integrate SEL with district initiatives 12 13 Insight 4 Successful implementation can follow multiple pathways. Each district has unique needs and strengths, but regardless of the approach, DISTRICT AND school leadership is key. Districts have chosen a variety of approaches for rolling out their SEL implementation to schools. There is no single path to successful implementation. Some built from the classroom up, using SEL programming as an anchor. Others built from the central office down, focused on strategy and organization. Some start with clusters of K-12 schools (high school and “feeder” middle and elementary schools).Others roll out districtwide at specific grade levels. For example, Austin started with two feeder patterns of elementary, middle, and high schools, then added three more the following year, then two more each year until all schools in the district were implementing SEL. On the other hand, Cleveland implemented the PATHS program districtwide, starting with all K-2 grades one year and grades 3-5 during the following year. Second Step was introduced in grade 6 in 2015. It was enhanced with the inclusion of grades 7-8 in 2016. Regardless of the pathway, implementation needs to get down to the school level where the students are — and where relationships are formed, curriculum is taught, and partnerships with families and community happen. And the principal’s understanding of and commitment to SEL are critical to leading these efforts. To ensure effective implementation at the school level, Washoe County uses school-based SEL teams comprising at least one administrator and four to six site-based staff including teachers, counselors, and speech pathologists. In addition, 21 teacher leaders receive additional professional development and then train their school colleagues and parents. Austin uses a coaching and strategic planning model, with each SEL specialist responsible for up to 12 schools. Building on Strengths Needs assessments help districts identify and build on strengths. Surveys and focus groups, for example, helped Washoe County discover the central role of counselors. The district then developed more inclusive training for teachers, principals, and others. In Austin a survey of SEL liaisons, principals, and coaches helped identify the quality of school implementation. The district used that information to help scale up best practices. To focus on school leadership, the district’s new planning team now includes three principals and the chief of schools, who supervises principals. “The way we’ve implemented SEL, instruction happens every single day in the classroom, not something we do separate and apart.” Paul Cruz, Superintendent, Austin Independent School District “SEL is the way we go about our business. Relationships matter most. I see the whole world through the lens of SEL.” Brian Singleton, Principal, Begich Middle School, Anchorage School District To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org ALIGN RESOURCES Align financial and human resources 14 15 Social and emotional competence among staff improves teaching and leadership by strengthening relationships, creating safer learning environments, reducing staff burnout, and building trust among colleagues. It also helps those working directly with children to teach, model, and reinforce SEL competencies in their academic and interpersonal interactions with students. Educators who model SEL have clear expectations and guidelines, including setting appropriate consequences, according to Nick Yoder of the American Institutes for Research. They find ways to stay calm when angry. They avoid mocking or embarrassing their students. They give students choices and respect their wishes. They ask questions that help students solve problems on their own. They are culturally aware and competent. Yet too few teachers have been formally trained in their teacher preparation programs on SEL. A recent University of British Columbia/CASEL report found the overwhelming majority of teacher preparation programs do not have courses that help educators teach core SEL skills to students.8 Penn State University’s Mark Greenberg observed in a recent report: “If a teacher is unable to manage their stress adequately, their instruction will suffer, which then impacts student well-being and achievement. In contrast, teachers with better emotion regulation are likely to reinforce positive student behavior and support students in managing their own negative emotions.”9 Anchorage discovered after two years of implementing student-centered reforms it needed to pause to focus more on staff training. “We can’t expect teachers to model what we don’t give them a chance to practice themselves,” says Jan Davis, SEL Professional Learning Specialist. Moreover, the Anchorage team is exploring how developing adults’ social and emotional competencies may bolster their capacity to appropriately use culturally responsive teaching practices, which ultimately will ensure that all students are supported in reaching their full potential. Adult awareness, modeling, and integration of social-emotional competencies in their teaching practices has long been a priority for Chicago Public Schools. All introductory SEL workshops ask leaders to identify and reflect on their own SEL competencies, prioritize areas where they would like to grow, and plan how to engage colleagues in an ongoing process of building these skills throughout their departments, regions, or schools. Efforts such as these helped the district to identify a link between adult decision-making and a historical overuse of suspensions. To reinforce the importance of adult SEL, some districts are explicitly embedding SEL into their staff performance frameworks. Oakland, for example, created performance frameworks for adults and elementary students based on its SEL standards. SEL factors into the evaluation process for all classroom teachers, PreK-12. The OUSD Leadership Growth and Development System guides the professional development and evaluation of all principals throughout the district. The superintendent holds herself accountable to the school board for specific SEL goals and objectives included in her work plan. “We ask educators what’s that one skill you want students to have to be successful? It’s the social-emotional skills they want students to have.” Kyla Krengel, Director, SEL, Metro Nashville Public Schools Insight 5 Adult SEL matters, too. Relationships are central, and adults need the expertise to teach and model appropriate lessons and behaviors in every interaction. 8 The University of British Columbia Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education 9 Penn State University/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “You walk around the school now and you can tell there are relationships that exist between teachers and teachers, between teachers and students, and students with one another. What that allows for is a culture of calm.” Jessica, Chicago Public Schools, ninth-grade student To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org BUILD EXPERTISE Develop central office SEL expertise and competence 16 17 Having research and evaluation teams involved in SEL work from the start yields several benefits. They help clarify goals and desired outcomes. They ensure that progress toward these outcomes is regularly measured, analyzed, and shared through data dashboards, reports, and similar management tools for continuous improvement. In addition, clear metrics help keep everyone on on the same page. Regular visibility helps ensure that everyone knows the work is important. Most important, armed with data, districts can make more informed decisions about necessary changes in strategies and programming. For example, Austin raised local funds to help create a two-person S EL research team, which produced regular leadership reports on implementation and progress. One report measured the impact of a specific curriculum on absentee rates, disciplinary incidents, grades, and standardized test scores. Another compared the impact of program longevity to the effectiveness of implementation, with mixed results. These reports have helped the district create buy-in, communicate about the importance of S EL, and raise additional funds to support the work. Cleveland’s long-term research project with AIR produces invaluable insights into S EL attitudes and school climate and culture through its Conditions for Learning surveys of students, staff, and parents, given two times a year. District administrators and school staff regularly analyze the information and use it to provide practical advice on topics such as encouraging civility and enhancing the school culture. Acting on the data is key. After finding staff survey participation had dropped sharply, Anchorage worked with CAS EL to use the data to inform priorities for programming and training. Once they saw how the survey research helped principals guide their work, teacher participation on the surveys soared — from a low of 30% to 79%. In Washoe County S EL staff works closely with the accountability department to help ensure a steady stream of insightful analyses. Using the results of a sophisticated 17-question survey, for example, they made the case that students with higher S EL skills did better on virtually every other outcome measure (test scores, GPAs, attendance, etc.). And they targeted staff development to address issues where students reported feeling the weakest, such as the ability to express feelings. In Metro Nashville Public Schools the resesarch and development department has contributed significantly to the school and classroom observational tools now being used in 28 schools to establish a baseline for an annual mid-year assessment of school climate and practice. The district also has used the tool to assess strengths and needs in roughly 50 other schools and to customize professional development accordingly. Ins i g ht 6 Data for continuous improvement are essential. Research and evaluation that are focused on improvement accelerate an d ra ise t he qual ity of t he rollout. To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org CONTI N U OUS IMPR O V E MEN T Establish systems for continuous improvement 18 19 The CDI offers an opportunity for many of the country’s leading educators to intensively create and explore which approaches work best, then share that know-how with each other and the world. To accelerate learning among CDI districts, we created multiple peer learning communities, which foster long-term commitment and sustainability through regular opportunities to learn from each other. For example, the annual Cross-Districts Learning Event convenes educators and others from CDI districts to explore implementation topics such as mindsets, academic integration, adult SEL, financial sustainability, and assessment. More topic-specific work groups have emerged from these large sessions, such as our Equity Work Group, Research and Evaluation Professional Learning Community, and Professional Learning Series. Through a series of in-person meetings, webinars, and one-on-one phone calls, these groups are learning from their peers about successes, challenges, and innovations. A few districts have adapted the proactive social media communications and engagement strategies used by Austin and Atlanta, for example. Washoe County has benefitted from Chicago’s approach to adult SEL. Other districts have learned from Washoe’s innovative use of data and student voice to support climate and culture, using their student data summits. The CDI superintendents connect regularly through in-person opportunities, webinars, and one-on-one conversations, exploring a wide range of issues including stakeholder communication, budgeting, data use, and strategies for crisis intervention. Cross-district site visits occur regularly. For example, Anchorage visited Chicago to learn more about its MTSS implementation model and see SEL leadership teams and integrated instruction at schools. The Cleveland team members learned different strategies for implementing the Closing the Achievement Gap initiative from their visit to Oakland. Washoe and Oakland learned about Anchorage’s multiyear strategic plan for SEL implementation and saw SEL-academic integration in practice. Atlanta and El Paso Benefit Two of the newest members of the CDI are benefitting from the work of the first eight districts. Both Atlanta Public Schools and El Paso Independent School District heeded the recommendation to focus on adult SEL early. Atlanta is also focusing on parent engagement and will adapt resources from the CDI in its efforts. El Paso has made use of Sacramento’s approach to teaching a growth mindset. And other CDI districts have used El Paso’s “hidden backpack” activity, a facilitation approach designed to build empathy for the unseen daily burdens that affect students’ and adults’ ability to focus on their work. CROSS-DISTRICTS LEARNING EVENTs PARTICIPANTS SAY... Anchorage, Alaska 2011 Austin, TexAS 2012 Nashville, TennESSEE 2013 Cleveland, Ohio 2015 Reno, NevADA 2016 “I have a deeper appreciation for why we need to include adults in the SEL learning process and why districts elect to work with adult SEL first, as a foundation for districtwide implementation. GREAT!!” “I can’t wait to bring this back to our new teacher program as well.” OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 2017 Insight 7 Districts benefit from collaborating with each other. From the start and in keeping with CASEL’S research roots, the CDI was — and is — a COLLABORATIVE learning lab. To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Design and implement effective professional development programs Academic achievement improved The three districts that use the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (Austin, Chicago, and Cleveland) all improved their reading and math scores during the CDI implementation years. In Anchorage, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Oakland, and Nashville, GPAs were higher at the end of the 2015 school year than before the CDI started. The improvements were particularly noticeable in Chicago, going from an average of 2.19 in the three years before the CDI to 2.65 in 2015, an increase of nearly 21%. Nashville, the only district that used the same standardized tests across CDI years, showed improvements in both ELA and math achievement. All districts with relevant data showed gains in ELA and math in at least one grade band (elementary, middle, high). Chicago’s graduation rate increased 15% during the CDI years. Student engagement and behavior improved Attendance improved in four of six districts that collected this data. Chicago improved overall attendance by eight percentage points from before the CDI started through 2015. Anchorage (elementary, middle) and Nashville (middle, high) showed gains at two of three levels. Suspensions declined in all five of the districts that collected this data. For example, suspensions in Chicago declined 65 percent in two years. This translates to 44,000 fewer students being suspended from school in one recent year alone. In Sacramento suspension rates declined in the five years of systemic SEL implementation: 24% districtwide and 43% in high schools. 20 21 Impact on students and schools To assess the impact of the CDI’s efforts, CASEL entered into an ongoing data collection and evaluation partnership with the districts and American Institutes for Research (AIR). Data were collected to measure the implementation and resulting outcomes. While the availability of data varied by district, qualitative and quantitative outcomes are promising. The bottom line: Even very modest investments in SEL can pay off for individuals, schools, and society. CHAPTER 3 GPAs MATH & ELA SCORES GRADUATION RATES NAEP SCORES “I have seen high schools and middle schools really change the narrative on suspensions and expulsions. If we’re keeping students in schools and teaching them how to deal with things instead of just getting them out the door, we are making huge gains.” Alan Mather, Chief Officer, Office of College and Career Success, Chicago Public Schools 22 23 Student Social and emotional competence improved Districts also reported that students’ social and emotional competence improved, based on student and teacher surveys. In both Chicago and Nashville, elementary school students improved in all five social and emotional competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. In Austin, where only middle and high school data was collected, students at both levels also significantly improved in all five competencies. Middle and high school students in Cleveland also experienced growth, particularly in the areas of self-awareness and self-management. Sacramento (elementary only) and Anchorage (elementary, middle, and high school) collected an average measure of students’ overall social and emotional competence. For Sacramento, elementary students experienced significant gains in overall competence since the start of the CDI. Anchorage students experienced significant growth in overall competence even before the start of the CDI and maintained the same positive trajectory during the CDI years. School climate improved Climate, as measured by district surveys in Chicago and Cleveland, improved during the CDI years. In Anchorage climate began an upward trajectory before the CDI and sustained that same significant and positive growth during the CDI years. In the only district in which elementary school climate data was available for analysis (Chicago), students reported significant improvements on the “supportive environment” scale compared to the start of the CDI in 2010-2011. Districts use a variety of surveys to measure student and staff attitudes. This is an excerpt from Washoe County. THE POSITIVE IMPACTS OF Social and emotional COMPETENCE In collaboration with CASEL, Washoe County documented that students with higher SEL competencies perform better on multiple measures: higher academic achievement, attendance, GPAs, and graduation rates, and fewer suspensions. For example, students with high social and emotional competence had a math proficiency rate that was 21 percentage points higher than their counterparts with low social and emotional competence. Also, students with higher competence were 20 percentage points higher for English/Language Arts (ELA). Findings from the Washoe/CASEL partnership research team also showed that having high social and emotional competence might have buffered students from the negative impact of factors (e.g., suspensions, transiency, weak attendance) that often place them in a “high-risk” academic status. 2014-2015 Math and English Language Arts (ELA) Proficiency Rates among Students with Low vs. High Social and Emotional Competencies LOW SEC HIGH SEC MATH 23% MATH 44% ELA 40% ELA 60% VERY EASY EASY HARD VERY HARD RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING: Thinking about what might happen before making a decision RELATIONSHIP SKILLS RELATIONSHIP SKILLS: Getting along with my classmates SOCIAL AWARENESS SOCIAL AWARENESS: Learning from people with different opinions than me SELF-AWARENESS EMOTIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Knowing when my feelings are making it hard for me to focus SELF-CONCEPT: Knowing what my strengths are SELF-MANAGEMENT SCHOOLWORK: Doing my school work even when i don’t feel like it EMOTIONAL REGULATION: Getting through something even when I feel frustrated GOAL MANAGEMENT: Finishing tasks even if they are hard for me 24 25 OUR GOALS: BY THE END OF 2017 ALL EDUCATORS IN THE COUNTRY WILL HAVE EASY ACCESS TO HUNDREDS OF PRACTICAL TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN FIELD TESTED BY SOME OF THE LEADING DISTRICTS IN THE U.S. By 2025 50% of U.S. school districts will be systemically integrating high-quality SEL across their schools and classrooms. Demand for SEL is at an all-time high. Teachers recognize the importance of it. Employers are requiring it. Parents value it. Communities are being transformed by it. And, most important, millions of students already are benefitting from it. Based on the practical knowledge gleaned through the CDI and from the field at large, we have extensive knowledge about how to implement high-quality, evidence-based SEL. With our district and philanthropic partners, we at CASEL are uniquely poised to scale this know-how to many more districts nationally. Deepening SEL Know-HOW With an ongoing commitment to deepening the field’s expertise in the practical application of SEL, we plan to expand and formalize how we collect, document, analyze, and translate practices and strategies. We will continue to partner intensively with CDI districts, and deepen and extend partnerships in the broad field to improve implementation and student outcomes while increasing understanding of systemic SEL, piloting new innovations, and refining best practices. We will answer questions such as: • What instructional practices maximize learning, engagement, and achievement? • How can SEL help promote equity in the school and classroom? • How can after-school programs reinforce what’s happening in school? • How can schools engage families and community partners in promoting SEL? • How can schools best use data to improve SEL competencies and school climate? • How can districts allocate resources most effectively? We will amplify the case for systemic SEL with even more meaningful, compelling data, and cases – drawn from the CDI districts and from other districts and schools across the country. Sharing What We Know Our goal is to make knowledge usable. We will translate the knowledge and experiences from the CDI districts and others into actionable and innovative tools. We will offer support in using those tools to reach the maximum number of educators, scholars, policymakers, families, and community partners, all while maintaining a commitment to learning and continuously improving our tools, approaches, and models for implementation. For example: • The District Resource Center, which launched with nearly 500 practical, evidence-based, annotated tools from the CDI districts. • New online resources for schools and states addressing key implementation issues. • Virtual and online training and support for using the guides, coupled with data collection to track usage and impact. We will execute new, creative strategies for gathering input and insights from the field, building communities of learners, and packaging and disseminating knowledge. For example: • An interactive, online platform for districts to access tools and resources and track district needs, requests, and knowledge gaps. • Virtual communities connecting district personnel serving in similar roles. • In-person working groups to answer questions on specific topics such as SEL and equity, assessments, teacher practices, climate, and culture. Together, these strategies mark a significant and necessary evolution in our work—one that is focused on deepening and advancing SEL implementation knowledge and making that knowledge usable by any district nationwide. The beneficiaries: America’s schoolchildren. Scaling SEL know-how CHAPTER 4 COLLABORATIVE FOR ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING 815 W VAN BUREN STREET, SUITE 210, CHICAGO IL 60607 | 312.226.3770 | CASEL.ORG The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is the world’s leading organization advancing one of the most important fields in education in decades: the practice of promoting integrated academic, social, and emotional learning for all children. The nonprofit, founded in 1994, provides a combination of research, practice, and policy to support high-quality social and emotional learning in districts and schools nationwide. Thank you to CASEL’s many critical collaborators — our partner educators, researchers, policymakers, civic leaders, program providers, funders, and others — for contributing to and supporting efforts to help make evidence-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education, preschool through high school. - 07:40 FB-EQE The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) just released a report sharing insights from 6 years supporting SEL implementation in 10 of the largest urban districts in the United States. I am so happy to see that many of these lessons are at the core of what Six Seconds does: importance of EQ for adults, SEL integration across school structures, use of assessments, and more. Read this post if you want to know more and get tips on what you can do to keep pushing SEL and EQ forward! - Wow, I just read this study, Lorea! "Today we are at a tipping point. The evidence is clear that SEL works. Models for implementation exist. Supportive policies are spreading. Most important, students are benefitting. Students with strong social and emotional competence not only do better academically in school, they lead healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives. They better understand themselves, build constructive relationships, are more kind and caring, and make more responsible decisions." Raises Student Performance (pro-social behaviours) • Higher academic achievement (EQ even helps IQ!!!) • Better social emotional skills • Improved attitudes about self, others, and school • Positive classroom behavior Reduces Risk for Failure (anti-social behaviours) • Fewer conduct problems • Less emotional distress Our goal: by 2025, 50% of districts are systemically integrating high-quality SEL across their schools and classrooms. “The CDI demonstrates that it is possible for large urban school districts to adopt and maintain SEL as an essential element of education, even amid budgetary stress and leadership turnover.” - American Institutes for Research (I repeat, wow!) :) - Highest rate of teen alcoholism, DV and child abuse in the country. The high schools had metal detectors… ---) http://www.asdk12.org/depts/SEL/ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) PARENTS: Review the Project Connect Survey (PDF) The survey will collect information about how our military-connected students are doing in the ditrict What is Social and Emotional Learning? Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which we learn to recognize and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviors . It is the process through which students enhance their ability to integrate thinking, feeling, and behaving in order to achieve important life tasks. Within the school setting, SEL can best be accomplished through a layered approach of skills lessons, infusion into the curricula and classroom practices, and an environment of safety, respect, and caring which models SEL values Students in effective school-based programs improved social-emotional skills by 23 percentile points, positive social behavior by 9 percentile points and perhaps most significantly, their academic performance increased 11 percentile points. (Durlak, 2009) http://www.asdk12.org/depts/SEL/media/Stategy_for_Student_Success.pdf, page 2 SEL becomes a habit of practice when students, adults, and the entire school community remember that we use our SEL skills all day long, not just for a 30-minute block once a week. Research and literature on effective social and emotional learning identifies three critical ways in which SEL skills are learned (CASEL, ASD). http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/ SEl Standards http://www.asdk12.org/depts/SEL/media/SEL_Standards.pdf http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/aboutsocialemotionallearning/socialemotionallearningstandards/ Overview on CASEL http://casel.org/collaborating-districts-initiative/anchorage-alaska/ About SEL http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/aboutsocialemotionallearning/ Parents http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/parents/ Students http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/students/ Educators http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/educators/ Educating Hearts: A Districtwide Initiative to Teach How to Care In Alaska, the Anchorage School District's investment in social and emotional learning is paying off both socially and academically. https://www.edutopia.org/anchorage-social-emotional-learning-video https://youtu.be/mGvFnuUTukQ --- Duke of Cambridge: Let's lose 'stiff upper lip' and talk about feelings http://www.itv.com/news/2017-04-18/duke-of-cambridge-lets-lose-stiffer-upper-lip-and-talk-about-our-feelings/ William hopes his children will grow up willing to talk about their emotions The famously British "stiff upper lip" should not be allowed to threaten people's mental health, the Duke of Cambridge has said. Prince William's comments follow his brother Harry's well-received revelation that he sought counselling to come to terms with the death of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. ---) Why is EQ more important than IQ? http://thegalvanicink.com/blog/2017/05/02/meg-eq-important-iq/ BOHEMIANIAC MAY 2, 2017 Conventional wisdom has it that there’s a direct connection between our IQ and our ability to succeed in life. But there have been many studies that show IQ only accounts for about 20% of success. The major determinants of success are social and emotional intelligence. Yet there’s very little emphasis put on developing emotional intelligence. People with well-developed emotional skills are … more likely to be content and effective in their lives, mastering the habits of the mind that foster their own productivity; people who cannot marshal some control over their emotional life fight battles that sabotage their ability for focused work and clear thought. — Daniel Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence” Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to sense, understand, value and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, trust, creativity and influence. We have an emotional mind and a rational mind. In large part, our emotional mind developed to help us survive. When man first wandered the earth, any time he encountered some new experience he needed to make instant decisions about whether the encounter involved something he could eat or something that might try to eat him. Relying on the rational mind, which works much slower than the emotional mind, might have meant the end of mankind. The emotional mind springs into action more quickly than the rational mind. But unless we learn to control the emotional mind, we will make lots of bad decisions and poor choices. Reasons why we need a developed EQ in life: EQ has a greater impact on success than other factors. The ability to delay gratification is a primary indicator of future success. High EQ leads to healthy relationships with others. Emotional health impacts physical health. Poor EQ is linked to crime and other unethical behaviors. A few statistics: IQ by itself is not a very good predictor of job performance. Hunter and Hunter (1984) estimated that at best IQ accounts for about 25 percent of the variance. Sternberg (1996) has pointed out that studies vary and that 10 percent may be a more realistic estimate. In some studies, IQ accounts for as little as 4 percent of the variance. Sommerville study, a 40 year longitudinal investigation of 450 boys who grew up in Sommerville, Massachusetts. Two-thirds of the boys were from welfare families, and one-third had IQ below 90. However, IQ had little relation to how well they did at work or in the rest of their lives. What made the biggest difference was childhood abilities such as being able to handle frustration, control emotions, and get along with other people. a study of 80 Ph.D in science who underwent a battery of personality tests, IQ tests, and interviews in the 1950s when they were graduate students at Berkeley. Forty years later, when they were in their early seventies, they were tracked down and estimates were made of their success based on resumes, evaluations by experts in their own fields, and sources like American Men and Women of Science. It turned out that social and emotional abilities were four times more important than IQ in determining professional success and prestige. It would be absurd to suggest that cognitive ability is irrelevant for success in science. One needs a relatively high level of such ability to get into colleges, programs and institutes. Once you are admitted, however, what matters in terms of how you do compared to your peers has less to do with IQ differences and more to do with social and emotional factors. For example, if you are a scientist, you probably needed an IQ of 120 or so simply to get a doctorate and a job. But then it is more important to be able to persist in the face of difficulty and to get along well with colleagues and subordinates than it is to have an extra 10 or 15 points of IQ. The same is true in many other occupations. ---enowned expert in the prevention and treatment of youth mental illness). What struck me about this dialogue was the instantaneous connection between these 4 people and then their intense curiosity to share with and to learn from each other about emotions such as anger, compassion and empathy. My 3 key takeaways from the dialogue were: Most of the emotion that disturbs our mind has incorrect perception as its basis – there is a gap between appearance and reality The antidote to wrong perception is compassion – to have genuine care and concern for the other person because it is from this place that we close the gap between what we think we see and what is really happening We are wired for empathy and His Holiness now knows what mirror neurons are!! The remainder of the conference was spent interacting with the conference delegates (over 2000 attending the conference) at the Six Seconds stall. We discussed the power of the Six Seconds’ Model, the rules of emotions (there was a lot of interest in the Plutchik model) and heard some wonderfully inspiring stories about the generosity of the people of Queensland and Brisbane during the January floods. I continue to replay the many inspirational conversations and stories I heard. To those of you who came to visit us, thank you for your questions, stories and interest in Emotional Intelligence. I’d be keen to hear other ways you’ve used the Plutchik model or how you could use it with your clients. About Latest Posts Melissa Donaldson For the past 15 years, I've partnered with senior executives and leaders in public and private sector organisations to execute significant change, design and implement leadership capability programs, renegotiate complex industrial agreements and build leader and team performance. ---) Research by OfficeTeam, a staffing agency, and division of Robert Half, shows almost (95%) of HR managers and (99%) of workers agree that strong emotional intelligence is important. OfficeTeam shared with TechRepublic some additional stats that support the significance of emotional intelligence in the workplace. 21% of employees believe EQ is more valuable in the workplace than IQ; almost 65% said the two are equally important; 92% of employees think they have strong EQ; slightly fewer (74%) believe their bosses do; 30% feel most employers put too little emphasis on EQ during the hiring process; 43% of Human Resource (HR) managers identified increased motivation and morale as the greatest benefit of having emotionally intelligent staff; and, 40% of HR managers said soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving and adaptability, are more difficult to teach workers than technical abilities. While these stats highlight EQ in the overall workplace setting, TechRepublic got direct feedback from business owners and industry experts on the role EQ plays in their projects Hernan Santiesteban, founder of Great Lakes Development Group, a software development company, has managed many IT projects throughout his career. In his role as a an IT project manager, he said, "emotional intelligence has allowed me to bridge the gap between customer communication and the delivery of that information to development teams. The ability to tailor your message to your audience at the smallest levels can have a huge impact on the understanding of requirements." More for CXOs "Unlike IQ, EQ can evolve and can scale depending on stressors, or even positive emotional states. So it's important someone understands their emotional intelligence so they can counteract whatever might sabotage not only their progress but their teams", said Caroline Stokes, founder of Forward, a team of senior search headhunters and certified executive coaches for global innovation leaders. At Forward, emotional intelligence quotient assessments, like EQ-i 2.0, are used with talent placements and leadership and career development coaches. "We get to work on their EQ within a few weeks of starting their new role to provide awareness and strategies to drive their goals forward," said Stokes. inRead invented by Teads When it comes to the process of merging two companies during an acquisition, EQ can play a vital role. Jose Costa, group president at automotive franchisor Driven Brands said, "When we identify a target, we begin assessing the organization financially, operationally, technologically and from a leadership standpoint. We then move on to evaluate the quality of the team and determine if they can help us achieve our 'Dream Big. Work Hard' strategy." Costa credits this strategy in developing stronger analytics around business ideas. "For us, at Driven Brands, the convergence of strategic thinking, flawless execution, and emotional intelligence create sustainable growth quarter after quarter," said Costa. Specific project challenges that make emotional intelligence necessary Costa said "I am a strong believer that what we do as leaders sets the tone for the team. Morale emanates from leadership; it begins, and ends with the CEO/president of the company." He added, "This is why it is so important for leaders to be aware of how their verbal communication and actions affect others," and that a leader simply cannot build a strong, cohesive team, and in turn lower employee engagement and commitment if they lack emotional intelligence. Gain exclusive insights into our application solutions. Take the next big step toward your next big idea. Watch the Microsoft Business Forward keynote on-demand. Sponsored by Microsoft Stokes said, "If people aren't willing to learn, adapt and evolve their current styles, there will be trouble...in short, imagine you have a conflict seeker or avoider in your team. If left alone or not made aware of their automatic communication styles, the same political or challenging routine will play out every time resulting in winners and losers." She believes when it comes to projects, companies pay the ultimate price when teams become frustrated after spinning their wheels and that awareness, true communication, and openness are the keys to success. "From understanding comes growth," she said. Santiesteban thinks emotional intelligence plays a key role in navigating conflicts with minimal disruption. "Understanding the frustrations and pain points of stakeholders and how to prioritize them is also a problem in which a high level of emotional intelligence can be of benefit" he said. At Voices.com, a company that connects businesses with professional voice talent, HR director Kaitlyn Apfelbeck said that high EQ isn't necessarily required for employees who work independently, but that "EQ is necessary for success when others depend on you or are required to work closely with you." She added, "When someone has low EQ, they may not be aware of how their actions are perceived, or how they are affecting others and will often make decisions that negatively impact those around them." What are key characteristics these leaders seek in project team members and leaders? At Forward, individuals with quite high self-regard, strong interpersonal relationships, and empathy, high-stress tolerance and flexibility are in demand. Why? "So they're motivated to do what they need to do, whatever the circumstances. There are more aspects to the composite and subscales, but really, you're looking for balance in an individual, across all areas," said Stokes. Apfelbeck said, "We seek action-oriented individuals who will take the reins and lead a project, but also have the intelligence to utilize the individual strengths of those team members." She said the company also wants leaders who can "read people well, so they know how best to motivate and encourage their team, which is likely made up of very unique personalities." When Costa seeks leaders/managers, he looks for characteristics like perseverance. "Things don't always go the way you envision or plan," he said. "(That's) just a fact of business and having the strength to keep going even when you're down will often lead you to success." He looks for individuals who have an optimistic philosophy, as it instills determination. "Optimists have the ability of keep going despite the uncertainties and obstacles that life might bring. They embrace change and are not afraid to make mistakes. They always push forward. Additionally, negativity is infectious and brings down the whole team," he said. He also looks for employees who recognize the strengths of others and act in the best interest of the organization as a whole. The final thing Costa said he is key in a leader is the ability to motivate others. "Someone who understands the power of recognition and knows how to make team members and employees feel valued. Managers who are sincere and appreciative can help employees thrive at work by acknowledging their contributions," he added. Santiesteban looks for employees with a mix of technical skills and EQ. "A team member's ability to participate in meetings and extract what's really important is a skill reliant on emotional intelligence," he said. "Self-starters who are always sought after in job descriptions are usually individuals who fit this profile." Based on the statistics, and the feedback shared by these IT and business project leaders, it seems clear that emotional intelligence is a high-value, high-level need, regarding project leadership skills. Further, team cohesion and successful project outcomes are likely to become more reliant on its existence going forward. Subscribe to TechRepublic's Executive Briefing newsletter and get tips on project management, budgets, and dealing with day-to-day challenges. SUBSCRIBE Also see: 4 ways sponsors can improve project success rates 8 steps to breaking bad news to difficult project stakeholders How to resolve project sponsors' conflicting goals 8 assumptions that can derail projects and leaders About Moira Alexander Moira Alexander is the author of "LEAD or LAG: Linking Strategic Project Management & Thought Leadership" and Founder & President of Lead-Her-Ship Group. She's also a project management and IT freelance columnist for various publications and a former... Full BioContactSee all of Moira's contentGoogle+Lead_Her_Ship --- - there's a Snapshot option in MM use it! - Record Movie from Webcam! - Speaker Nomination Form http://www.tedxmarin.org/submit-speaker/form/ THANK YOU. Because we get many nominations we can not answer each one. If we have more questions we will contact you. If you have questions call 415-785-8873 Submitter Information Submitter's Name (It's ok to SELF nominate)* First Last Submitter's Email* Submitter's Phone* Submitter's Business Affiliation* What is your business or organizational affiliation? Speaker Relationship* What is your relationship to the proposed speaker? 0 of 300 max characters From where did you hear of this TEDxMarin speaking opportunity?* Speaker Information Speaker NAME* 0 of 100 max characters Speaker info* Tell us briefly about the speaker. What’s their occupation? Any honors or distinctions? Their recent work? 0 of 1250 max characters Speaker's Company Affiliation* Speaker's Email* Speaker's Phone (Work)* Speaker's Phone (Cell)* Speaker's Website* Speaking Video 1 (Talks not interviews)* Please include three video links you feel best represent the speaker's style and content. (new intro video) Speaking Video 2 (not interviews)* 3 goals of EQ, 3 takeaways from all this https://youtu.be/4p-Ft49jGA4 https://www.facebook.com/emotionalintelligencerocks/videos/1718404708398470/ Speaking Video 3 Can be an interview EQ-101 on MCTV? Speaker Bio/CV* Tell us briefly about the speaker: Credentials and a link to CV, if applicable. 0 of 1250 max characters Your Recommendation* Why are you recommending this speaker? Have you heard this person speak publicly? If so,where? and what were their topic(s) Speaker Coordination* Does speaker know you are submitting their name for consideration? Yes No Availability* Are you sure they are interested if we are?. Yes No Your TALK's CONTENT Include how the content tie's into our 2017 THEME? Speaking Title/Topic* What is the proposed TedTalk Title and Topic? What is the BIG idea being presented?* Please be specific and succinct. Speech Outline (MOST IMPORTANT)* Please outline very clearly the arc of the talk.Incude what the takeaway message will be (the Idea Worth Sharing) and how you will get there and what peer reviewed science (if applicable) underpins the conclusions. 0 of 1200 max characters Theme of Talk* Tell us why you believe this talk presents unique and new ideas. And how it fits with our 2017 theme. What do you want people to feel?* Who is this Talk FOR?* Tell us whom you feel this talk is for. Previous Speaking on this Topic* Has the speaker ever presented this talk before? If yes, explain when and where. Attach Files* Please upload a recent headshot and any supporting document you may wish to include. Max file size is 8mb. Drop files here or Select files Choose Files Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc. Submit (doc or pdf with video in it) - I am self-nominating, because I believe I have EXACTLY what you're looking for! Bending the Box Conclusion: TEACH EQ, to self and others change the world, from the inside out! (EOF: ~mcp_TEDxMarin_instead.txt ---ight brain, thoughts and feelings Why Me? 30 years, face-to-face experience, just now coming together! pissed off more people than most anyone on the planet! uniquely qualified certs eternal optimist and hopeful romantic My point(s) L/R Brain 3 goals(?) ND/CABT - Emotional healing PTSD, Depression, Anxiety which lead to heart disease, some estimated that 60% of all ailments are stress-related (and therefore avoidable... thru changes in behaviour!) - PPT and VO: Teachings Quotes / hashtags (optional) CABT a slide of Doc's Emotional pain is not terminal a slide of mine a slide of faves 4 steps to learning iceberg think of something stupid to say... don't say it. - Live Call-to-action! Bend the Box Learn EQ, learn about You E1T1EQ ask re: EQ - ND - Emotional Healing stills of hugs, board, doc, logo veteran testimonial other testimonials - Conclusion: TEACH EQ, to self and others change the world, from the inside out! EOF ~mcp_TEDxMarin_instead1.txt - BOF ~mcp_TEDxMarin.txt 5.14.2017 ~mcp_TEDxMarin_instead.txt MITM: Bending the Box (BTB) (brainstorming subjects, separated with ,'s) E:\~stuff\EQRocks\UVa\ UVaClassSlides_20170514.pptx Our custom Quotes (.JPGs) https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_8MWGohTkr-R2ZwSE5aU0VyajA - How? tomorrow afternoon put it all together with phone camera talk TO the selection committee once I get it organized, I can probably do it in 1 take. - The 'box' is non-feeling. The 'box' is about continuing to teach kids STRICTLY to pass the standardized exams. the limits of the box are the result of not educating our youth. the 'box' is rigid because parents don't know their feelings, and therefore cannot teach, or help, their kids with theirs. the 'box' is actually there because we fear our feelings, and thus limit them. let's bend the box. let's teach kids/teens/adults EQ! let's show people positive roll-models on how to deal with our feelings, not how NOT to deal with them. positive examples of how to deal with negative emotions - it's not our parents' fault... they didn't know, either... it's not apathy, it's ignorance. I mean, we've heard such unbelievable stories of parents who were awful, or mean, or drunk... some people do some horrific things to, and around, their kids. However, I believe that MOST parents are caring and loving, and want the very best for their kids, so they taught us the very best they knew how. Don't cry. Don't be angry. Shut up. Sit down. Be good. Don't feel. Stuff it. Talk about something else. (no bueno) If we teach our kids differently... that feelings are Ok, when used properly (which I will model for you), that feelings are awesome, and necessary, and powerful, and interesting, and to be honored, and respected (and NOT always obeyed!) - this is going to be culmination of 30 years of studying EQ it'll be miraculous! (filmed in front of the mirror in the bathroom, with my regular android 6 phone) (show, and briefly explain each one) - ND ok, here's where I learned most of this stuff. face-to-face, in front of people for 30 years. doing emotions, bigger and deeper, than most anyone. "I've pissed off more people than most anyone on the planet" "but the difference is that they come back and HUG me, afterwards!" Emotional Healing Doc CABT I'm not a therapist. Like I said, I was disappointed with my schooling. I was even accepted to 2 law schools, but didn't go, because I wanted (needed!) to learn life, first. when I first found out that my problems were mostly Emotional in nature, and so-so simple to resolve, I was / am so encouraged! since taking the class, 30 years ago, I have immersed myself in EQ I manage or own social media groups on Facebook and LinkedIn with over 150,000 members - it might be kinda long. tuff say it - read it? yes, some over bullets / PPT slides - I'm not that smart, so I need things simplified, dumbed down, a lot! so, for 30 years, I've been trying to "sum up" EQ. to just a few words so people 'get it', quickly and profoundly and simply. Bumper sticker stuff that's memorable but even kids can read it, understand it, and (maybe) take it with them, as they go. (cool thing about education... no one can take it away from you... it's yours, forever.) - more art than science here's my art the art of connecting the art of feeling the art of EQ - Doc has over 100 EQ quotes which I made into graphics so we can Share them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pintrest and Twitter (we're mostly Facebookers, tho) So much of Facebook is a quote on a graphic that now we can make them on-the-fly, but applying a color background to your profound words. :) (show some examples) "Feel guilty - setup to be punished" "negative feelings expresses as intensely..." "Feelings aren't good or bad, they just are" "EMFB" I have another 100. (show some more examples) ... and I have a collection of thousands. (show some of my faves!) https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_8MWGohTkr-R2ZwSE5aU0VyajA "Every Dollar ever made, based on a relationship" - Certified State of CA Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Crisis Counselor NLP Practioner Nurturing Parenting Instructor Microsoft Certified Professional 6 Seconds (in Menlo Park) EQ for Educators (EQEC - 2013) EQ Assessment Test and Debrief: Social-Emotional Inventory (SEI) Ex-Board Member for 2 non-profits - here's one of my faves (and very popular with folks when they learn it) The 4 Steps to Learning 1. Unconsciously Incompetent - We don't know that we don't know 2. Consciously Incompetent - We find out that we don't know 3. Consciously Competent - We figure out how to know, but we gotta think about it 4. Unconsciously Competent - We know, and act like we know, without having to think much about it. - Teach EQ: hashtags #FeelIt2HealIt #NameIt2TameIt #NameIt2FrameIt #SpinIt2WinIt #ClaimIt2FrameIt (ER!) #FakeIt2MakeIt #AcceptIt2ProjectIt or #AcceptIt2DigestIt #LetItFlow2LetItGo --- - there's a Snapshot option in MM use it! - Record Movie from Webcam! - Speaker Nomination Form http://www.tedxmarin.org/submit-speaker/form/ THANK YOU. Because we get many nominations we can not answer each one. If we have more questions we will contact you. If you have questions call 415-785-8873 Submitter Information Submitter's Name (It's ok to SELF nominate)* First Last Submitter's Email* Submitter's Phone* Submitter's Business Affiliation* What is your business or organizational affiliation? Speaker Relationship* What is your relationship to the proposed speaker? 0 of 300 max characters From where did you hear of this TEDxMarin speaking opportunity?* Speaker Information Speaker NAME* 0 of 100 max characters Speaker info* Tell us briefly about the speaker. What’s their occupation? Any honors or distinctions? Their recent work? 0 of 1250 max characters Speaker's Company Affiliation* Speaker's Email* Speaker's Phone (Work)* Speaker's Phone (Cell)* Speaker's Website* Speaking Video 1 (Talks not interviews)* Please include three video links you feel best represent the speaker's style and content. (new intro video) Speaking Video 2 (not interviews)* 3 goals of EQ, 3 takeaways from all this https://youtu.be/4p-Ft49jGA4 https://www.facebook.com/emotionalintelligencerocks/videos/1718404708398470/ Speaking Video 3 Can be an interview EQ-101 on MCTV? Speaker Bio/CV* Tell us briefly about the speaker: Credentials and a link to CV, if applicable. 0 of 1250 max characters Your Recommendation* Why are you recommending this speaker? Have you heard this person speak publicly? If so,where? and what were their topic(s) Speaker Coordination* Does speaker know you are submitting their name for consideration? Yes No Availability* Are you sure they are interested if we are?. Yes No Your TALK's CONTENT Include how the content tie's into our 2017 THEME? Speaking Title/Topic* What is the proposed TedTalk Title and Topic? What is the BIG idea being presented?* Please be specific and succinct. Speech Outline (MOST IMPORTANT)* Please outline very clearly the arc of the talk.Incude what the takeaway message will be (the Idea Worth Sharing) and how you will get there and what peer reviewed science (if applicable) underpins the conclusions. 0 of 1200 max characters Theme of Talk* Tell us why you believe this talk presents unique and new ideas. And how it fits with our 2017 theme. What do you want people to feel?* Who is this Talk FOR?* Tell us whom you feel this talk is for. Previous Speaking on this Topic* Has the speaker ever presented this talk before? If yes, explain when and where. Attach Files* Please upload a recent headshot and any supporting document you may wish to include. Max file size is 8mb. Drop files here or Select files Choose Files Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc. Submit (doc or pdf with video in it) --- “Emotional intelligence isn’t a luxury you can dispense with in tough times. It’s a basic tool that, deployed with finesse, is key to professional success.” – Harvard Business Review, April 2003 ---) Emotional Intelligence Is No Soft Skill https://www.extension.harvard.edu/professional-development/blog/emotional-intelligence-no-soft-skill by LAURA WILCOX Wilcox is the director of management programs at Harvard Extension School, as well as a committee member and planner for key industry-wide conferences in higher education. Despite a bevy of research and best-selling books on the topic, many managers still downplay emotional intelligence as a “touchy-feely” soft skill. The importance of characteristics like empathy and self-awareness is understood, sure. But intelligence and technical capability are seen as the real drivers of professional success. After all, a bit of coaching can help you navigate difficult conversations. And isn’t interpersonal friction simply part of organizational life? But evidence suggests quite the opposite: that high emotional intelligence (EI) is a stronger predictor of success. In fact, high EI bolsters the hard skills, helping us think more creatively about how best to leverage our technical chops. A KEY DIFFERENTIATOR FOR YOUR PERSONAL BRAND When I co-teach the program Strategic Leadership, I ask participants to list the characteristics of a great mentor or role model and to classify each characteristic into one of three groups: IQ/smarts, technical skills, or emotional intelligence. Almost invariably, the majority of characteristics fall into the EI bucket. In fact, emotional intelligence—the ability to, say, understand your effect on others and manage yourself accordingly—accounts for nearly 90 percent of what moves people up the ladder when IQ and technical skills are roughly similar. Although many participants are surprised by the results, scientific research has proved the point. Daniel Goleman is the author and psychologist who put emotional intelligence on the business map. He found that, beyond a certain point, there is little or no correlation between IQ and high levels of professional success. One needs above-average intelligence—which Goleman defines as one standard deviation from the norm or an IQ of about 115—to master the technical knowledge needed to be a doctor, lawyer, or business executive. But once people enter the workforce, IQ and technical skills are often equal among those on the rise. Emotional intelligence becomes an important differentiator (hear Goleman discuss his findings in this video on YouTube). In fact, emotional intelligence—the ability to, for instance, understand your effect on others and manage yourself accordingly—accounts for nearly 90 percent of what moves people up the ladder when IQ and technical skills are roughly similar (see "What Makes a Leader" in the Harvard Business Review, January 2004). Research has also demonstrated that emotional intelligence has a strong impact on organizational performance. Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical company, focused on the emotional intelligence skills of its sales force, which boosted annual performance by 12 percent (see the research by S. Jennings and B.R. Palmer in “Sales Performance Through Emotional Intelligence Development,” Organizations and People, 2007). After Motorola provided EI training for staff in a manufacturing plant, the productivity of more than 90 percent of those trained went up (Bruce Cryer, Rollin McCraty, and Doc Childre: “Pull the Plug on Stress,” Harvard Business Review, July 2003). Emotional intelligence increases corporate performance for a number of reasons. But perhaps the most important is the ability of managers and leaders to inspire discretionary effort—the extent to which employees and team members go above and beyond the call of duty. The core of high EI is self-awareness: if you don't understand your own motivations and behaviors, it's nearly impossible to develop an understanding of others. A lack of self-awareness can also thwart your ability to think rationally and apply technical capabilities. Individuals are much more inclined to go the extra mile when asked by an empathetic person they respect and admire. Although discretionary effort isn’t endless, managers with low emotional intelligence will have much less to draw on. If an organization has a cadre of emotionally intelligent leaders, such discretionary efforts multiply. THE BEDROCK OF EI: SELF-AWARENESS The ability to be an emotionally intelligent leader is based on 19 competencies in four areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. The core of high EI is self-awareness: if you don't understand your own motivations and behaviors, it's nearly impossible to develop an understanding of others. A lack of self-awareness can also thwart your ability to think rationally and apply technical capabilities. Two parts of the brain are constantly fighting for control. The neocortex is the cognitive center, where our IQ and working memory reside. On average, in a normal emotional state, the neocortex can process a factorial of four variables, which is 24 possible interrelationships. RELATED ARTICLES 3 Effective Strategies to Manage Workplace Conflict Learn to improve dynamics for yourself and your team—and together you can deliver the results you strive for. Want to Be a Stronger Leader? Challenge Your Assumptions The key to becoming a successful leader lies in asking a lot of questions. Adeptly handling multiple variables is central to performing important tasks such as developing a strategy, improving a complicated process, setting priorities, understanding consequences, and gleaning keen insights from data and information. The amygdala is the feeling side of the brain, our emotional center. As the part of our brain concerned with our survival, it responds 100 times faster than the neocortex. Such responsiveness is particularly useful when confronted with a potentially threatening situation. But because it can be triggered by both real and perceived threats, we can fall into the trap of imagining the worst before we have all the facts. How many of us, when faced with a rumor of layoffs, are quick to envision the worst-case scenario before we learn the truth? WHEN EMOTIONS HIJACK OUR ABILITY TO REASON When the feeling side or our brain is triggered, it hijacks our cognitive system. With the slightest provocation, our ability to apply reason and logic can drop by 75 percent. Thus, instead of handling 24 interrelationships, we may suddenly be able to cope with only two. We may start to see only in black and white, in binary frameworks like yes or no, right or wrong, and win or lose. Using questions instead of statements can also help managers and leaders avoid triggering emotional hijacks in others. Our feeling mind wants to sense that we are included, autonomous, competent, valued, respected, and safe. Throughout a work day, there are numerous emotional triggers: an e-mail from a superior saying “We need to talk,” a comment made by a colleague with a hidden agenda, even a funny look from someone important in the office. It can take us nearly 20 minutes to recover from an emotional encounter. If the feelings are frequently retriggered, we can end up spending significant amounts of time with little ability to leverage our technical capability and inherent intelligence. FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING RATHER THAN JUDGMENT So how can we speed up our recovery? It’s important to stop and turn our attention from the emotional to the physical. Physical activity such as taking a walk or going for a drink of water reduces the amount of adrenaline and cortisol flowing through the body. Once the body is calmed physically, we need to seek information and determine if the threat is real and, if so, what we can do to address it. Ask yourself whether an issue will matter in six minutes, six days, six weeks, six months, or six years. Questions engage your curiosity—your neocortex. Statements, however, imply judgment, triggering the feeling side of the brain. If someone is habitually late to meetings, for example, asking yourself why that is the case will lead to a more productive conversation about the issue than stewing on the statement: “I can’t stand the fact that he is always late.” It is easy to consign emotional intelligence to the periphery of work life and concentrate on smarts and know-how. However, such a focus will likely hamper success. Using questions instead of statements can also help managers avoid triggering emotional hijacks in others. Our feeling mind wants to sense that we are included, autonomous, competent, valued, respected, and safe. Something as simple as asking, “Can you tell me more about how you came to that conclusion?” or “What information would be helpful for you?” is far less likely to trigger an emotional hijack than statements such as, “I don’t completely agree” or “I’m worried about what is happening.” It is easy to consign emotional intelligence to the periphery of work life and concentrate on smarts and know-how. But such a focus will likely hamper success. It can leave us without the most important differentiator for our personal brands. And an inability to manage ourselves severely constrains our capacity to use hard skills such as the technical competence that we have worked so hard to master. By the same token, a command of emotional intelligence is a proven differentiator in the competitive climb up the corporate ladder. By inspiring others, emotionally intelligent leaders can ignite discretionary effort on the part of their teams to boost productivity and spur higher levels of employee engagement that comes from a strong company morale. RELATED PROGRAMS Strategic Leadership Managing Yourself and Leading Others Essential Management Skills for Emerging Leaders --- What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny MATTers, compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson (pic WhatLiesWithinUs) ---aise with. I repeat, if we can get good at fund-raising, we can do ANYTHING! - 4:24am FB-Karen Schaal Yo K... what's up with GG? No posts in 6 weeks. Do you have an 'issue' with that page? I don't mean to be a pain, but that page has too cool of a start to let it go... I added some more of my folks this morning. Please process the pending posts and member requests. Thx! - Matt ---aising!!!!! >> ND! ask good people, and organizations, to help the less fortunate. ---awpixel.jpg 9. Ask genuine questions. “How are you?” won’t get an honest answer from most Americans. Ask directly if they have concerns, for example, and ask it sincerely. 10. Get to the why. Discuss in a group how people feel differently and explore why. This practice will help your team work better with each other, customers, and other stakeholders. 11. Try job shadowing. If someone is having a particularly hard time empathizing, you may organize job shadowing to help see a different perspective firsthand. 12. Demonstrate compassion. Show your team how to value people and make the best decisions for the most good. Guide them away from identifying too much with the people who are most similar to them because that leads to bias and suffering alongside them instead of helping them. 13. Use the pre-mortem technique. Before a project begins, get team members write down all the reasons why it might fail. This helps people think critically and consider alternatives with less emotional resistance. 14. Normalize cool downs. For any emotional situation, insist each time your team takes at least 20 minutes before they react. That’s how long it takes before people can think clearly following a fight or flight response. Giving them a few days for bigger decisions allows them to contemplate it from different emotional states. 15. Institute slow downs. Where appropriate, establish structured processes to help your team cool down and think through decisions. Try a weighted matrix. 16. Cultivate desire to change. Emotional intelligence is too complex to motivate with external incentives or punishments. Richard Boyatzis’ Intentional Change theory outlines a more effective coaching approach: Help discover personal values and compelling vision: What is important in their life? What is important to them at work? What is their dream for the future? Help connect current behavior with the future: How do others experience their interactions? How do you observe their emotional intelligence? How can they develop skills to realize their vision? How can people support them in this process? 17. Establish baselines. As with any change, you want to know where you're starting and where you're going to determine how to get there. EI assessments include the ESCI, MSCEIT, or the Emotional Intelligence 2.0 appraisal. 18. Target key competencies. Invest in developing competencies where the person is weakest and where strength would best benefit them and the organization. More Than Sound’s model has 12 competencies, including adaptability, achievement orientation, positive outlook, organizational awareness, influence, conflict management, and inspirational leadership. 19. Offer growth opportunities. Many employees benefit from special projects, committees, or other stretch opportunities. They not only practice their skills with different people in different ways, but they learn from people they wouldn't normally be exposed to in their regular roles. 20. Adapt to each individual. Some people and some positions don't require as much emotional intelligence. Employees with autism can be extremely skilled at spotting patterns, but not social cues. They can be partnered with people who have exceptional emotional intelligence to help accommodate them and help their ideas and their work be understood and supported. 21. Give good feedback. Help employees understand emotional intelligence, its importance, and their levels of competencies. As with all feedback, focus on objective data and clear expectations. Give positive recognition weekly so they are confident and comfortable to receive more critical feedback in a constructive way. 22. Mentor, coach, buddy. Set up a network of specific people who can provide guidance, support, and advocacy within or beyond the organization. Coaches provide powerful support through the inevitable struggles of change and self-improvement. Leading the organization senior-leadership-benjamin-child.jpg 23. Meet basic needs first. People need to know they have adequate resources and stability before they devote energy to social belonging and self-fulfillment. Employees want autonomy and meaning, but not at the expense of their minimum standard for compensation and benefits. 24. Master vision and values. Leaders should embody the organization’s core values. If employees see misalignment, it feels like a broken promise. Use stories in combination with numbers to bring vision to life and inspire its achievement. 25. Get vulnerable. Levels of professional intimacy and emotional display rules vary by culture, but people are generally more likely to acknowledge and address their vulnerabilities when they see leaders role model and value the practice. 26. Show some emotion. The message should not be to avoid emotion or maintain constant happiness. A moderate level of emotion helps people make better social and financial decisions when combined with data and logic. 27. Plant prompts. When employees are engrossed in their work, it’s harder to remember what they learned in training or what their CEO said at the last townhall. Posters, desktop objects, or computer wallpaper/notifications are ways to trigger new habits like deep breathing and body scans when they matter most. 28. Embed recognition. When employee recognition is a part of your culture, people become more aware of how they affect others and how to express their appreciation to one another. Simply stopping to think regularly about what you'd like to recognize people for can help think before acting. 29. Incentivize with feeling. Recognizing teams and offering group incentives help people feel valued and connected to the company in a way that improves well-being, productivity, and loyalty. 30. Invest in wellness. Physical and mental health programs and policies complement emotional awareness and regulation. Fitness subsidies, free confidential counseling, and social events can help manage emotional distress at work and at home. In summary Everyone can and should play a role in building emotional intelligence in themselves and others. The process starts with self-awareness, but the symbiotic relationships never end. Anyone can immediately apply one of these thirty strategies to improve at the personal, professional, and organizational levels. If you're ready to take the next step toward building an extraordinary organizational culture, check out our latest guide: Get 10 Dead Simple Ways to Improve Your Company Culture Related Reading How to Sell Employee Recognition to a Skeptical Executive How to Make Business Travel Better for Employees 3 Practical Ways to Help Employees Benefit from Emotions inShare 101 Written by Jessica Collins Jessica Collins LinkedIn Jessica is an HR analyst and writer. She has a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto. Previously, she worked in total rewards at the world’s largest mining company and in organizational development at Canada’s largest home, auto, and business insurance company. - 05:20 FB-EIA EXCELLENT Article -- super-practical -- Skim it (at least). http://blog.bonus.ly/30-emotional-intelligence-training-opportunities-hidden-in-your-workday ---" (Draper-Richards, a grant to change/save the world that I've been saving info for), and other keywords. for example: here's what would be copied from the third instance of "ND brochure"... This is not the place they get to come each week to whine about how they feel - this is where they come to examine what is working in the present, what is not, and to go through the process of changing the "is not" part of that by taking action. - Penny R. Tupy, Life Coach Feelings expressed for the following reasons are fine: Clarity Release Acceptance Remove Judgments Go for deeper feelings (ex: express anger to get to the hurt underneath) not Ok: whining blaming (short-term is fine, in an effort to find your part in it all) one-up-manship / competition poor me (if you want people to feel sorry for you, you're not looking for results) victim (to explain how there really is NOthing you can do about it... and it's all their fault, anyhow) --- ---------------------- _20121125.doc) 1'05 Month and Year only (M'YY) rare BACKUP Every day, using right-click, Send to Zip, and call it ~mcp_Ts_20121125.zip, and move to a \zArchive folder... or save it to a thumb drive. use a zero in front of the time, if it's am so 05:11 time, am, until 10:00, then 10am or 10:23am 3:33pm the colon has been a problem, but now that I've been doing it so long, I continue. (search and replace them all?) Use of Quotes: (9.3.2016) single quotes (') are for 'bringing out' a word or phrase double quotes (") are for quoting what someone thinks, or says, or writes Use space-equals-space ( = ) to identify a definition ex: EQ = Emotional Intelligence Use double-dashes (--) to separate a definition from it's description ex: 3 big negatives -- fear, anger and sadness Abbreviations and Naming Conventions: (!) = wow! something cool / interesting / really bad, etc. (?) or ?? = big, unanswered questions when (!) or (?) are at the end of a parenthetical, close properly with 2 )) ex: (this is a parenthetical remark, with a smiley at the end :)) (sp?) spelling is probably wrong, if it matters, like someone's name ?!? = ? maybe, huh, maybe ? (lol.) !?! = definitely, don't you think... some ? hmmm... (?) = "I think...", not sure (ex: IMS J294(?)), 8.25.2016 ', " except for book titles and actual speech ("), use single quotes within sentences (ex: your 'disorder') ^ increase (ex: ^ Feelings = Feelings go up) \/ decrease (ex: \/ Logic = Logic goes down) (wish I had a better symbol for down/decrease/less) A name, esp. a long, foreign one, which I don't know, exactly if initial is known, use double-underscores. Datta__ M__ standard arrows: space-dash-dash-greaterthan-space ex: Event --> Meaning --> Feeling --> Behaviour HNG = Huge Negative Generalization Euc Order abbreviations: 1/2_ = 1/2 lb (of whatever), 1_, 2_, 5_ L = Leaves B = Branches CS = Chew Sticks S = Starter pack (1/2 with L, CS, and a 4-6" B) C = Combo (leaves and branches, no CS) thins = thin, flexible branches vase = pretties, for display, 2-3', prob. both ()) = banana leaves only (R) or (r) = oval leaves only (b) = both oval and banana leaves (!) = replacement order, whoops, make it nice, give extra :) = freebie (:) = (R) shower order, long strands of oval leaves (e) or (eco) = eco dying, colorful, in-tact leaves, smaller is better different, spots are fine/preferred! 10.21.2015 lol = lots of leaves(!) 11.27.2015 (thins) - what's most important to the customer (aroma) S(noB) = Starter with only Leaves and CS, no Branch --- (!) --- = Draper-Richards http://www.drkfoundation.org/ MT = Madisyn Taylor NDW = Neill Donald Walsch CK = Christine Kenton CT/PC = Christina Tate CH = Christine Helman SP = SharePoint HHH = Helen's Health Hints (Tips) LindaD = Linda Dessault File and folder names go from largest to smallest (ex: Facebook_MCP_20121125.txt) FB = Facebook (or Fort Bragg) LI-EIN = LinkedIn, The Emotional Intelligence Network a number on the next line, ex: 20/30 = 20 requests to join/30 in submission queue (RTJ = Request to Join) FB-EIN = The Emotional Intelligence Network FB-EQE = EQ Educators and Parents Network was EQ Educators Network, until 12.19.2016 FB-ND FB-NDG = NewDirections Closed Group FB-Mcp - Facebook.com/MattPerelstein FB-EQ or FB-EQR- emotionalintelligencerocks FB-EP = EucProducts FB-2GH FB-IM instant message FB-MCRB (racquetball) TW-MCP (nd) TW-2GH EP = EucProducts.com MP.com = MattPerelstein.com NDW = NewDirectionsWorkshop.com EQR = EQRocks.com 2GH = 2GetHelp.com 2VH = 2GiveHelp.com 2SH = 2SellHelp.com 2GHTC = 2GetHelp Therapy Center 2GH4Vets... guess. - 01:37 ^^:^^ Timestamps: new standard convention a few days ago... usually on a line by themselves, after a ---oadrunner@hotmail.com rob@2gethelp.com (Active) forwarded to: rob@dreamachievers.com shannon@2GETHELP.COM (Active) forwarded to: laclair@hotmail.com sharon@2GETHELP.COM (Active) forwarded to: scn1616@comcast.net steve@2GETHELP.COM (Active) forwarded to: snolan19@xtra.co.nz sydney@2GETHELP.COM (Active) forwarded to: woods48@juno.com DU (rename) Email Forwarding - 100 Pack - Exp: 04/03/2008 94 Available Add christine@directionsunlimited.com (Active) forwarded to: christinehelman@sbcglobal.net info@directionsunlimited.com (Active) forwards to: christinehelman@sbcglobal.net matt@2gethelp.com paula@2gethelp.com karen@directionsunlimited.com (Active) forwarded to: klmabry@sbcglobal.net matt@directionsunlimited.com (Active) forwarded to: matt@2gethelp.com paula@directionsunlimited.com (Active) forwarded to: paula@2gethelp.com rob@directionsunlimited.com (Active) forwarded to: rob@dreamachievers.com MEW Foundation (rename) Email Forwarding - 100 Pack - Exp: 04/03/2008 92 Available Add 2gethelp@mew-foundation.org (Pending Setup) forwards to: matt@2gethelp.com mew-foundation@att.net paula@2gethelp.com lj@2gethelp.com aj@mew-foundation.org (Active) forwarded to: aj93720@comcast.net dancingbear@touchforhealth.org (Active) forwarded to: dancingbear14@comcast.net info@mew-foundation.org (Active) forwards to: matt@2gethelp.com paula@2gethelp.com lj@mew-foundation.org (Active) forwarded to: ragamuffinnlove@aol.com matt@mew-foundation.org (Active) forwarded to: matt@2gethelp.com msd@mew-foundation.org (Active) forwards to: matt@2gethelp.com docdowning@att.net mew-foundation@att.net paula@2gethelp.com paula@mew-foundation.org (Active) forwarded to: paula@2gethelp.com NDW (rename) Email Forwarding - 100 Pack - Exp: 04/03/2008 96 Available Add christine@NEWDIRECTIONSWORKSHOP.COM (Active) forwarded to: christinehelman@sbcglobal.net info@NEWDIRECTIONSWORKSHOP.COM (Active) forwards to: christinehelman@sbcglobal.net matt@2gethelp.com paula@2gethelp.com matt@NEWDIRECTIONSWORKSHOP.COM (Active) forwarded to: matt@2gethelp.com rob@newdirectionsworkshop.com (Active) forwarded to: rob@dreamachievers.com --- Brilliant, civilization-changing ideas are a dime a dozen, Matt. Physically taking action to implement them, however, beginning with baby steps that seem to accomplish very little is what gets the crowds here screaming like raving lunatics (in a good way!). --- Blake Griffin Edwards shared a link. 34 mins "..Our capacity to choose changes with the activity of life. The more we fear oblivion, the more we chase ambition, and regardless of the prizes we gain, deep anxieties propel our actions and our actions, our anxieties. Our heart hardens. Conversely, the more we embody acts of courage and bear others’ burdens, the more our heart is enlivened. Each act which feeds integrity also increases my capacity for virtue. Eventually it becomes more difficult for me to choose the foul rather than the virtuous action. On the other hand, each act of cowardice weakens me. Between the extreme when I can no longer do a wrong act and the extreme when I have lost all strength for right action, there are innumerable degrees. Vice sows compulsion, and virtue sows freedom. If the degree of freedom to choose the good is great, it needs less effort to choose the good. If it is small, it takes a great effort, help from others, and favorable circumstances..." ---oadrunner@hotmail.com 559-994-9217 Sandy Watson ravenwitch_1@msn.com 559-859-4628 INSTRUCTORS & ADMINISTRATION Matt Perelstein matt@2gethelp.com 916-599-8597 Paula Perelstein paula@2gethelp.com 707-962-9006 AJ Seargeant mobileaj@outlook.com 714-770-9849 Sharon Norell scn1616@att.net 559-312-3882 - Nov. 14-16, 2014 -- Fresno NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS PHONE Cary Parkins caryparkins@gmail.com 916-769-5179 Keith Brucker keithbrucker@comcast.net 559-360-1605 Mark Monnin, DC markmonnindc@gmail.com 805-439-0234 Michele Soplata mesoplata@sbcglobal.net 559-321-4086 Michelle Eaves financialcoach23@hotmail.com 559-824-3187 Saundra Brucker saundrabrucker@comcast.net 559-321-4203 GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Bev Carr beverlycarr1@yahoo.com 559-906-1857 Christina Lynn lizardgirl727@yahoo.com 559-776-8934 Christina Tate svdbyhim@aol.com 559-304-5882 Cynthia Morris cynthiamorris78@gmail.com 559-801-1518 Glori Celis bcelis@sbcglobal.net 559-301-3609 Karen Flower 559-251-6877 Lynda Abraugh lyndaloua1@att.net 559-454-0630 Moe Speer rspeer5371@gmail.com 559-225-3390 Ricci Choate singer120@gmail.com 559-871-4902 Rollynne Speer rspeer5371@gmail.com 559-225-3390 Troy Celis INSTRUCTORS & ADMINISTRATION Matt Perelstein matt@2gethelp.com 916-599-8597 Paula Perelstein paula@2gethelp.com 707-962-9006 Karen Mabry Sharon Norell scn1616@att.net 559-312-3882 - ,on PC? March 13-15, 2015 -- Fresno NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS PHONE STUDENTS and REVIEWERS Anyettah c/o Paula@2GetHelp.com Chad Jackson Cynthia Morris cynthiamorris78@gmail.com 559-801-1518 Erika Friedman firedrake88@gmail.com (559) 346-8719 Kimra McCauley c/o Terri McCauley Michael Dean Michelle Pauls Sandra LaBelle Sandra Michel-Jimenez Sandra Ward GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Christina Tate svdbyhim@aol.com 559-304-5882 Karen Flower 559-251-6877 Katie Nowell Linda Lou Wall lady21878@att.net 559-860-8413 Lynda Abraugh lyndaloua1@att.net 559-454-0630 Michelle Donaldson Pat Jackson patjacks.lakeside@hotmail.com 559-269-2071 Patrick McCauley Ricci Choate singer120@gmail.com 559-871-4902 Rollynne Speer rspeer5371@gmail.com 559-225-3390 Terri McCauley Todd Chrisman INSTRUCTORS & ADMINISTRATION Matt Perelstein matt@2gethelp.com 916-599-8597 Paula Perelstein paula@2gethelp.com 707-962-9006 Sharon Norell scn1616@att.net 559-312-3882 - Nov. 4-6, 2016 -- Fresno NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS PHONE STUDENTS and REVIEWERS Aubree Medlock aubreemedlock@gmail.com 720-202-4256 Preston Davis prestondavis31@gmail.com 559-410-7718 Christina Coronado lizardgirl727@yahoo.com 559-776-8934 Sandra Brucker saundrabrucker@comcast.net 559-399-3364 Keith Brucker keithbrucker@comcast.net 559-360-1605 Peggy Mitchell peggym917@gmail.com 559-457-9629 GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Christina Tate PrplChristina@aol.com 559-304-5882 Glori Celis bcelis@sbcglobal.net 559-301-3609 Michelle Pauls michellesfaces@sbcglobal.net 559-545-5412 Linda Lou Wall lady21878@att.net 559-860-8413 Troy Celis troy.celis@gmail.com 559-760-8872 Gloria Watson gloria.watson@comcast.net 559-269-5419 INSTRUCTORS Matt Perelstein matt@2gethelp.com 916-599-8597 Sharon Norell scn1616@att.net 559-312-3880 - April 25-27, 2014 -- Fresno STUDENTS NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS PHONE Aaron Eaves 559-824-4600 John Osborne dr-john@dr-john.net 530-518-9097 LJ Medlock ellejaymedlock1978@gmail.com 303-886-0883 Lilla Hill onehill57@gmail.com 559-230-9930 Nicole McManus nicoleh716@gmail.com 559-917-3040 Peter McManus macpete0406@gmail.com 559-451-1245 Scott Farrell firemanscott6@sbcglobal.net 559-479-0392 GRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANTS Christina Tate svdbyhim@aol.com 559-304-5882 Cynthia Morris cynthiamorris78@gmail.com 559-312-6742 Erika Friedman firedrake88@gmail.com 559-346-8719 Karen Flower 559-251-6877 Linda Lou Wall lady21878@att.net 559-860-8413 Michele Soplata mesoplata@sbcglobal.net 559-321-4086 Miles Scrivner tracer0511@yahoo.com 559-240-3783 Gloria Watson gloria.watson@comcast.net 559-269-5419 Glori Celis bcelis@sbcglobal.net 559-301-3609 Melann Kenel bear.kenel@sbcglobal.net 559-674-2257 Bev Carr beverlycarrl@yahoo.com 559-906-1857 Troy Celis troy.celis@gmail.com 559-760-8872 INSTRUCTORS & ADMINISTRATION Matt Perelstein matt@2gethelp.com 916-599-8597 Michelle Pauls michellesfaces@sbcglobal.net 559-351-1597 Sharon Norell scn1616@att.net 559-312-3882 - March 4-6, 2016 -- Fresno NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS PHONE STUDENTS and REVIEWERS Chris McEwen chrisamcewen@hotmail.com 707-489-3087 Gay Storm stormyg45@yahoo.com 559-240-3438 Lilla Hill onehill57@gmail.com 559-240-9054 Michelle Pauls michellesfaces@sbcglobal.net 559-545-5412 Patty Wilcox-McEwen patriciamcewen@yahoo.com 801-870-4395 Peggy Mitchell peggymitchell810@yahoo.com 559-457-9629 Saundra Brucker saundrabrucker@comcast.net 559-321-4203 Shauna Wright ucmswright@aol.com 559-801-3800 GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Christina Lynn lizardgirl727@yahoo.com 559-776-8934 Christina Tate svdbyhim@aol.com 559-304-5882 Glori Celis bcelis@sbcglobal.net 559-301-3609 Karen Flower 559-251-6877 Katie Nowell reneekatelyn@yahoo.com 559-978-2363 Linda Lou Wall lady21878@att.net 559-860-8413 Lynda Abraugh lyndaloua1@att.net 559-454-0630 Michele Soplata mesoplata@sbcglobal.net 559-321-4086 Tony Ambra tonyambra@yahoo.com 559-5877-7706 INSTRUCTORS Matt Perelstein matt@2gethelp.com 916-599-8597 Paula Perelstein paula@2gethelp.com 707-962-9006 Sharon Norell scn1616@att.net 559-312-3880 - May 20-22, 2016 -- Fresno NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS PHONE STUDENTS and REVIEWERS Mr. John Cupido quickserve100@comcast.net 559 977-4244 Lourie Brown 559-860-8851 Ricci Choate singer120@gmail.com 559-871-4902 Mia Lambert mia.lambert@gmail.com 559-455-3128 Michele Soplata mesoplata@sbcglobal.net 559-321-4086 Keith Brucker keithbrucker@comcast.net 559-360-1605 GRADUATE ASSISTANTS Christina Tate svdbyhim@aol.com 559-304-5882 Glori Celis bcelis@sbcglobal.net 559-301-3609 Karen Flower 559-251-6877 Linda Lou Wall lady21878@att.net 559-860-8413 INSTRUCTORS Matt Perelstein matt@2gethelp.com 916-599-8597 Sharon Norell scn1616@att.net 559-312-3880 - NDs Date -- Location #Students #Assistants Instructors Nov. 4-6, 2016 -- Fresno 6 6 Mcp & Sharon May 20-22, 2016 -- Fresno 6 4 Mcp & Sharon March 4-6, 2016 -- Fresno 8 9 Mcp, Pkp, Sharon March 13-15, 2015 -- Fresno 10 12 Mcp, Pkp, Sharon Nov. 14-16, 2014 -- Fresno 6 11 Mcp, Pkp, Karen, Sharon April 25-27, 2014 -- Fresno 7 12 Mcp, Sharon, Michelle Pauls Feb 7-9, 2014 -- Fresno 9 7 Mcp, Pkp, Sharon, AJ Seargeant ---) FB-EIN, FB-EIA 1-year study on whether EQ can be taught, effectively... Conclusion: Results reveal that the level of emotional competencies increased significantly in the intervention group in contrast with the control group. This increase resulted in lower cortisol secretion, enhanced subjective and physical well-being, as well as improved quality of social and marital relationships in the intervention group. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21443316 ---) The research that Dr. Fredrickson and others have done demonstrates that the extent to which we can generate positive emotions from even everyday activities can determine who flourishes and who doesn’t. More than a sudden bonanza of good fortune, repeated brief moments of positive feelings can provide a buffer against stress and depression and foster both physical and mental health, their studies show. Continue reading the main story RELATED COVERAGE PERSONAL HEALTH A Positive Outlook May Be Good for Your Health MARCH 27, 2017 Stay Optimistic, Live Longer? DEC. 7, 2016 RECENT COMMENTS John Wheeler 12 hours ago The glass is full - half with water and half with air. Jo Jof 15 hours ago Another thing that might be brought into the discussion is the role the digestive track has on our moods. Now when my gut is operating more... p. kay 15 hours ago Whatever you're recommending here are all positive and might be helpful. But What about the people who are old (me) who at 85 just lost her... SEE ALL COMMENTS WRITE A COMMENT ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story This is not to say that one must always be positive to be healthy and happy. Clearly, there are times and situations that naturally result in negative feelings in the most upbeat of individuals. Worry, sadness, anger and other such “downers” have their place in any normal life. But chronically viewing the glass as half-empty is detrimental both mentally and physically and inhibits one’s ability to bounce back from life’s inevitable stresses. Negative feelings activate a region of the brain called the amygdala, which is involved in processing fear and anxiety and other emotions. Dr. Richard J. Davidson, a neuroscientist and founder of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin — Madison, has shown that people in whom the amygdala recovers slowly from a threat are at greater risk for a variety of health problems than those in whom it recovers quickly. Both he and Dr. Fredrickson and their colleagues have demonstrated that the brain is “plastic,” or capable of generating new cells and pathways, and it is possible to train the circuitry in the brain to promote more positive responses. That is, a person can learn to be more positive by practicing certain skills that foster positivity. For example, Dr. Fredrickson’s team found that six weeks of training in a form of meditation focused on compassion and kindness resulted in an increase in positive emotions and social connectedness and improved function of one of the main nerves that helps to control heart rate. The result is a more variable heart rate that, she said in an interview, is associated with objective health benefits like better control of blood glucose, less inflammation and faster recovery from a heart attack. Dr. Davidson’s team showed that as little as two weeks’ training in compassion and kindness meditation generated changes in brain circuitry linked to an increase in positive social behaviors like generosity. “The results suggest that taking time to learn the skills to self-generate positive emotions can help us become healthier, more social, more resilient versions of ourselves,” Dr. Fredrickson reported in the National Institutes of Health monthly newsletter in 2015. In other words, Dr. Davidson said, “well-being can be considered a life skill. If you practice, you can actually get better at it.” By learning and regularly practicing skills that promote positive emotions, you can become a happier and healthier person. Thus, there is hope for people like my friend’s parents should they choose to take steps to develop and reinforce positivity. Well Get the best of Well, with the latest on health, fitness and nutrition, plus exclusive commentary by Tara Parker-Pope, delivered to your inbox every week. Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. In her newest book, “Love 2.0,” Dr. Fredrickson reports that “shared positivity — having two people caught up in the same emotion — may have even a greater impact on health than something positive experienced by oneself.” Consider watching a funny play or movie or TV show with a friend of similar tastes, or sharing good news, a joke or amusing incidents with others. Dr. Fredrickson also teaches “loving-kindness meditation” focused on directing good-hearted wishes to others. This can result in people “feeling more in tune with other people at the end of the day,” she said. Activities Dr. Fredrickson and others endorse to foster positive emotions include: Do good things for other people. In addition to making others happier, this enhances your own positive feelings. It can be something as simple as helping someone carry heavy packages or providing directions for a stranger. Appreciate the world around you. It could be a bird, a tree, a beautiful sunrise or sunset or even an article of clothing someone is wearing. I met a man recently who was reveling in the architectural details of the 19th-century houses in my neighborhood. Develop and bolster relationships. Building strong social connections with friends or family members enhances feelings of self-worth and, long-term studies have shown, is associated with better health and a longer life. Establish goals that can be accomplished. Perhaps you want to improve your tennis or read more books. But be realistic; a goal that is impractical or too challenging can create unnecessary stress. Learn something new. It can be a sport, a language, an instrument or a game that instills a sense of achievement, self-confidence and resilience. But here, too, be realistic about how long this may take and be sure you have the time needed. Choose to accept yourself, flaws and all. Rather than imperfections and failures, focus on your positive attributes and achievements. The loveliest people I know have none of the external features of loveliness but shine with the internal beauty of caring, compassion and consideration of others. 337 COMMENTS Practice resilience. Rather than let loss, stress, failure or trauma overwhelm you, use them as learning experiences and steppingstones to a better future. Remember the expression: When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. Practice mindfulness. Ruminating on past problems or future difficulties drains mental resources and steals attention from current pleasures. Let go of things you can’t control and focus on the here-and-now. Consider taking a course in insight meditation. This is the second of two columns on positive emotions. A version of this article appears in print on April 4, 2017, on Page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: Turning Negative Thinkers Into Positive Ones. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe ---elated brain circuits after people had 2 weeks of training in a simple form of meditation that focuses on compassion and kindness. These changes, in turn, were linked to an increase in positive social behaviors, such as increased generosity. Fredrickson and her colleagues are also studying meditation. They found that after 6 weeks of training in compassion and kindness meditation, people reported increased positive emotions and social connectedness compared to an untrained group. The meditation group also had improved functioning in a nerve that helps to control heart rate. “The results suggest that taking time to learn the skills to self-generate positive emotions can help us become healthier, more social, more resilient versions of ourselves,” Fredrickson says. Dr. Emily Falk, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, is taking a different approach. Falk is exploring how self-affirmation—that is, thinking about what’s most important to you—can affect your brain and lead to positive, healthful behaviors. Her team found that when people are asked to think about things that they find meaningful, a brain region that recognizes personally relevant information becomes activated. This brain activity can change how people respond to health advice. “In general, if you tell people that they sit too much and they need to change their behavior, they can become defensive. They’ll come up with reasons why the message doesn’t apply to them,” Falk says. But if people reflect on the things they value before the health message, the brain’s reward pathways are activated. This type of self-affirmation, Falk’s research shows, can help physically inactive “couch potatoes” get more active. In a recent study, inactive adults received typical health advice about the importance of moving more and sitting less. But before the advice, about half of the participants were asked to think about things that they value most. The “self-affirmation” group became more physically active during the month-long study period that followed compared to the group that hadn’t engaged in self-affirmation. “The study shows one way that we can open the brain to positive change and help people achieve their goals,” Falk says. Being open to positive change is a key to emotional wellness. “Sometimes people think that emotions just happen, kind of like the weather,” Fredrickson says. “But research suggests that we can have some control over which emotions we experience.” As mounting research suggests, having a positive mindset might help to improve your physical health as well. References: Compassion training alters altruism and neural responses to suffering. Weng HY, Fox AS, Shackman AJ, Stodola DE, et al. Psychol Sci. 2013 Jul 1; 24(7):1171-80. doi: 10.1177/0956797612469537. Epub 2013 May 21. PMID: 23696200. Mind of the meditator. Ricard M, Lutz A, Davidson RJ. Sci Am. 2014 Nov;311(5):38-45. PMID: 25508292. How positive emotions build physical health: perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone. Kok BE, Coffey KA, Cohn MA, Catalino LI, et al. Psychol Sci. 2013 Jul 1;24(7):1123-32. doi: 10.1177/0956797612470827. Epub 2013 May 6. PMID: 23649562. Happiness unpacked: positive emotions increase life satisfaction by building resilience. Cohn MA, Fredrickson BL, Brown SL, Mikels JA, Conway AM. Emotion. 2009 Jun;9(3):361-8. doi: 10.1037/a0015952. PMID: 19485613. Self-affirmation alters the brain's response to health messages and subsequent behavior change. Falk EB, O'Donnell MB, Cascio CN, Tinney F, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Feb 17;112(7):1977-82. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1500247112. Epub 2015 Feb 2. PMID: 25646442. Beyond Brain Mapping: Using Neural Measures to Predict Real-World Outcomes. Berkman ET, Falk EB. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2013 Feb;22(1):45-50. PMID: 24478540. NIH News in Health, August 2015 search search button FEATURES Positive Emotions and Your Health All About ALS Wise Choices Links Enhance Your Emotional Wellness To develop a more positive mindset: Remember your good deeds. Give yourself credit for the good things you do for others each day. Forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from what went wrong, but don’t dwell on it. Spend more time with your friends. Surround yourself with positive, healthy people. Explore your beliefs about the meaning and purpose of life. Think about how to guide your life by the principles that are important to you. Develop healthy physical habits. Healthy eating, physical activity, and regular sleep can improve your physical and mental health. Adapted from U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. CONTACT US NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison Building 31, Room 5B52 Bethesda, MD 20892-2094 nihnewsinhealth@od.nih.gov Tel: 301-451-8224 Editor: Harrison Wein, Ph.D. Managing Editor: Vicki Contie Contributors: Vicki Contie, Alan Defibaugh (illustrations), Christen Sandoval, Carol Torgan, Samantha Watters, and Harrison Wein Attention Editors: Reprint our articles and illustrations in your own publication. Our material is not copyrighted. Please acknowledge NIH News in Health as the source and send us a copy. ---) http://www.casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Final-CDI-Report-3-17-17.pdf A multiyear effort to help school districts integrate social and emotional learning across all aspects of their work What have we learned? What impact have we seen? What’s next? MARCH 2017 2 The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) was formed in 1994 with the goal of helping to make high-quality, evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of preschool through high school education. Over the years and through deep collaborations with multiple organizations and individuals, we have steadily advanced this goal. Our work has focused on three areas: research to build the evidence base; practice to implement, refine, and demonstrate high-quality SEL in school districts, and create scalable tools and resources; and state and federal policy to help create the conditions for success. Today we are at a tipping point. The evidence is clear that SEL works. Models for implementation exist. Supportive policies are spreading. Most important, students are benefitting. Students with strong social and emotional competence not only do better academically in school, they lead healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives. They better understand themselves, build constructive relationships, are more kind and caring, and make more responsible decisions. In order to help practitioners bring more of these benefits to more students, in 2010 CASEL, in partnership with NoVo Foundation, launched a largescale action research project that sought to address the next-generation questions. Can large urban school districts put into place the policies and practices that would promote the social and emotional competencies of all students throughout the district? If so, how? And what outcomes would we see for kids? The Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI) became the learning lab for addressing those questions. We have worked closely with school districts on strategies for embedding SEL into all aspects of their work. We spent our first two decades collaborating to establish the evidence base documenting that SEL works for students. Now, through the CDI, we know a lot more about the specifics of how to do it. This report describes what districts did, shares what we have learned, and previews how we intend to scale these insights to many more districts. We are committed to an ongoing process for continuing to increase the knowledge and expertise about how to implement systemic SEL. Through our deep collaboration with the CDI districts, partnerships with researchers, educators, and organizations serving the field, and broader efforts to commission, curate, and distribute resources, CASEL is poised to serve as the know-how lab for the SEL field. Our work combines the Know of research with the How of practical application, along with advancing policies that create the conditions for SEL to flourish. We will continue collaborating with educators, scholars, and others to share this know-how with those who can put it to immediate use. The CDI has been a pivotal step in the evolution and maturation in the field of SEL. We are profoundly thankful for the generosity of NoVo Foundation and several other funders and for the vision and commitment of our district partners. They are helping to transform how student success is defined in American education. Through our work and the work of many people in the field, we are making a difference. Our goal: by 2025, 50% of districts are systemically integrating high-quality SEL across their schools and classrooms. It’s time. 1 Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1 CHAPTER 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 2 Collaborating Districts Initiative: A LEARNING LAB CHAPTER 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 6 Key Insights CHAPTER 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 20 Impact on Students and Schools CHAPTER 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 24 Scaling SEL Know-How Preface Karen Niemi President and CEO Roger P. Weissberg, PhD Chief Knowledge Officer Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2017) Key Insights from the Collaborating Districts Initiative. Chicago: Author. 2 3 Collaborating Districts Initiative: A Learning Lab 6 YEARS… 10 DISTRICTS… 900,000 STUDENTS Six years ago CASEL took the unprecedented step of launching an effort to study and scale high-quality, evidence-based academic, social, and emotional learning in eight of the largest and most complex school systems in the country: Anchorage, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Nashville, Oakland, Sacramento, and Washoe County, Nev. With the recent addition of Atlanta and El Paso, the Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI) now includes 10 districts, enrolling 900,000 students a year. It is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious school district improvement initiatives ever. Educators around the world rely on CASEL resources to support their knowledge and understanding of SEL, which in turn affects millions of additional students. And with the spring 2017 launch of the online District Resource Center, the knowledge gleaned from the CDI will benefit millions more. The goal of the CDI was to create a comprehensive shift in how superintendents and entire school districts approach education. We knew we had to help redefine quality education (beyond test scores alone), and to prioritize the practices in classrooms, schools, and communities for promoting the social and emotional development of children. As a result, the CDI is focused on systemic SEL implementation— SEL across all district, school, and classroom activities, increasingly in partnership with parents and communities. SEL as a once-a-week program is not enough to establish sustainable teaching and learning environments where students truly thrive. SEL is sustained and students thrive when it is promoted and reinforced throughout the school day, modeled and taught by teachers, families, and community members – and supported by district policies, practices, and investments. CHAPTER 1 Study Anchorage AUSTIN CLEVELAND 3 DISTRICTS 171K STUDENTS 2011 Study Anchorage ATLANTA AUSTIN CHICAGO CLEVELAND EL PASO NASHVILLE OAKLAND SACRAMENTO WASHOE COUNTY 10 DISTRICTS 900K STUDENTS TODAY SEL helps all students reach their full potential as caring, contributing, responsible, and knowledgeable friends, family members, coworkers, and citizens. It helps them build positive skills, such as greater self-awareness and self-management, improved relationship skills, and responsible decision-making in safe and supportive learning environments. These skills and behaviors are important in their own right, but they also benefit students in other ways. For example, a major review of research studies on SEL school programs revealed 11 percentile-point gains in academic performance. 1 Benefits extend beyond students to the broader society as well. Another study demonstrated statistically significant associations between social-emotional skills in kindergarten and key young adult outcomes in education, employment, criminal activity, substance use, and mental health. 2 Overall, quality SEL yields an 11:1 return on investment, according to a 2015 Columbia University study. 3 Scholars from the fields of neuroscience, health, employment, psychology, classroom management, learning theory, economics, and youth development also have identified benefits. SEL also helps avoid or reduce negative outcomes for kids. For example, more than 40% of teens are “chronically disengaged.” 4 In the past year, one in 13 students has been in at least one fight, one in six has carried a weapon, and one in 10 has had sex with more than four people. 5 Teen depression has increased five-fold since the 1950s. 6 Half of college students report feeling “overwhelmed.” 7 SEL helps students overcome challenges such as these and gives students the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. 4 5 1 Child Development, January/February 2011 2 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/American Journal of Public Health 3 Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University 4 University of Michigan, Personality and Social Psychology Review 5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 6 Birth Cohort Differences in Self-Esteem, 1988–2008: A cross-temporal 7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Child Development, January/February 2011 Why SEL is NeededRaises Stu dent Performance •Higher academic achievement •Better socialemotional skills •Improved attitudes about self, others, and school •Positive classroom behavior R e duces Ri s k for F a ilure •Fewer conduct problems •Less emotional distress SEL’s Benef its A 2011 meta-analys is foun d t hat SEL … 7 To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org 6 Key Insights Insight 1 Systemic SEL is possible. Implementation WORKS even with leadership changes and relatively small budgets. The CDI began with strong leadership from the top. Superintendents and their districts committed to an ambitious agenda of change: systemic implementation of SEL across all district, school, and classroom activities and in partnership with parents and communities. This was not SEL as a once-a-week program but instead a paradigm shift where district leaders committed to: • Cultivate commitment and organizational support for SEL. • Assess SEL resources and needs. • Support classroom, school, and community SEL programming. • Establish systems for continuous improvement. Significantly, unlike many major district efforts, districts received minimal financial incentives to undertake these sweeping reforms. Each of the first eight districts received annual grants of $250,000 for up to six years. That represents less than 0.04% of the average CDI district’s annual budget for all expenses (excluding Chicago’s budget, which is larger than the other seven CDI district budgets combined). The districts supplemented NoVo Foundation grants with their own investments. None of the districts has the same superintendent as when the CDI began. Indeed, Chicago Public Schools has had four superintendents since 2010, yet SEL is still growing throughout the district, supported by 25 dedicated staff in the Office of Social and Emotional Learning. Despite this turnover, after five years of independently evaluating the CDI, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) concluded: “Our findings suggest that districts participating in the CDI have sustained, deepened, and broadened their commitment to SEL and developed capacities to support its implementation. Participation in the CDI and in district-initiated activities has enhanced the readiness of the districts and their schools to implement and sustain SEL. More staff and stakeholders know about it and want it, and SEL has been embedded as a pillar in strategic plans. Furthermore, districts are increasingly aligning SEL with other districtwide activities.” Districts were able to withstand leadership turnover and budget cuts, especially when they had broad stakeholder commitment to SEL, when they focused on deepening the SEL expertise of central office staff, effectively integrated SEL across district departments and initiatives, and began to see evidence of improvements in climate and attendance, and reductions in suspensions. Since 2011 we have been working with our partner districts in an intensive ongoing cycle of implementation, refinement, evaluation, and documentation to deepen our understanding of how to embed SEL into their work. We are working closely with superintendents, district SEL leaders, research and evaluation teams, principals, teachers, parents, and community members to support and promote systemic SEL. We are providing hands-on, practical consulting and support. And we are connecting districts virtually and in-person with each other, in small peer-to-peer learning groups, and in large cross-district meetings, so that they can learn and benefit from each other’s experiences. We promised no quick fixes, but rather sustained commitment, access to the smartest leaders, high-quality research, and a passion for evidence and results. Our initial research questions asked what does systemic SEL mean? What does it look like in practice, and how is it achieved? This chapter highlights seven key insights drawn from our experience. 1. Systemic SEL is possible even with leadership changes and relatively small budgets. 2. SEL ideally is integrated into every aspect of the district’s work, from the strategic plan and budgets to human resources and operations. 3. SEL ideally is integrated into every aspect of the school, from classroom instruction to school climate and culture to communityfamily partnerships. 4. Successful implementation can follow multiple pathways, based on each district’s unique needs and strengths. Regardless of the approach, the engagement and commitment of both school and district leadership is essential. 5. Adult SEL matters, too. 6. Data for continuous improvement are essential. 7. Districts benefit from collaborating with each other. “The CDI demonstrates that it is possible for large urban school districts to adopt and maintain SEL as an essential element of education, even amid budgetary stress and leadership turnover.” American Institutes for Research CHAPTER 2 SEL Grants REPRESENTED ONLY ABOUT 0.04% OF EACH DISTRICT’S BUDGET VISION Develop a district wide vision and long term plan 9 To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org INTEGRATION Integrate SEL with district initiatives For example, Oakland Unified School District’s commitment to social and emotional learning is evident across the system—including the district’s vision and strategic plan, SEL board policy, SEL standards, classroom curricula, restorative justice practices, and professional learning. The district’s new performance frameworks for teachers, principals, schools, and the superintendent are all based on the district’s SEL standards, as is professional learning for all principals and assistant principals. Oakland is also beginning to use SEL school-quality indicators to help schools align and prioritize resources and goals for student success. In Chicago SEL is integrated into the district’s overall strategic plan. The district also has established a districtwide code of conduct and climate standards. A progressive discipline policy limits the use of exclusionary discipline practices and encourages all schools to respond to misbehavior using supportive, restorative discipline practices to promote social and emotional development. SEL is part of professional development for core academic content in areas such as math and literacy. SEL is integrated into the district’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which provides differentiated support for students. Anchorage School District has embedded SEL instructional strategies into leadership meetings, professional development sessions, and curriculum. It is creating a MTSS approach that integrates SEL curriculum and strategies with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). A district SEL leadership team of 30 leaders from the classroom to the superintendent guides this work. In Sacramento City Unified School District, over 50 schools have adopted evidence-based curriculum and are explicitly teaching SEL lessons across all grade levels. Leadership teams from all K-12 schools were trained on SEL core competencies, restorative practices, and equity. Equity coaches regularly work with schools to support their SEL/Equity leadership teams, facilitate professional growth opportunities for staff, model lessons, and support individual teachers. In year five an interdepartmental professional learning community was created to develop expertise and deepen collaboration among central office staff. To complement the in-district work, CASEL is partnering with The Wallace Foundation to help districts align their SEL work with out-of-schooltime efforts. 8 Insight 2 SEL is ideally integrated throughout the district. When implemented well, SEL is embedded into every aspect of the district’s work, from the strategic plan and budgets to human resources and operations. Systemic SEL is not a siloed approach or standalone program, but a new way of doing business. At the district level, we have worked closely with superintendents, district SEL leaders, school boards, curriculum and instruction departments, research and evaluation teams, and others in multiple ways to help districts adopt systemic strategies that embed SEL into every aspect of school life. Districts are building SEL into their strategic plans and budgets. They are reorganizing leadership structures so that SEL is not a separate priority but is integrated into core functions such as academics, professional development, and equity. They are integrating SEL into the development and implementation of districtwide policies on hiring and discipline. They are systematically collecting and analyzing data for continuous improvement (more in Insight 6). And they are regularly communicating with and engaging multiple stakeholders. “For us, it’s not about one more thing we have to budget for. SEL is in the blood of what we do in the district. It’s not just an off-the-shelf program. It’s really about what we do every day for kids.” Traci Davis, Superintendent of Schools, Washoe County School District Theory of Action for Districtwide SEL • Vision & Long-Term Plan • Stakeholder Communications • Aligned Resources • Central Office Expertise • Professional Learning • SEL Integration • SEL Standards & Assessments • Evidence-Based Programs CULTIVATE COMMITMENT & ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR SEL ESTABLISH SYSTEMS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ASSESS SEL RESOURCES & NEEDS SUPPORT CLASSROOM, SCHOOLWIDE, & COMMUNITY SEL PROGRAMMING 10 11 Systemic SEL is a new way of doing business at the school level as well. District leaders have worked closely with principals, teachers, parent leaders, community partners, and others in multiple ways to help schools adopt systemic strategies that embed SEL into every aspect of school life. In classrooms implementing well, SEL is promoted through explicit instruction, often using an evidence-based program identified in CASEL’s program reviews. It is integrated across classroom instruction and academic curriculum, from the math class organized around cooperative learning to the social studies class that routinely helps students learn empathy by trying out different perspectives to understand their world. In schools implementing well, there is a culture and climate that supports learning, respect, and caring relationships throughout the school day. Adults are regularly modeling SEL behavior in classrooms and hallways, and on playgrounds. SEL shapes how principals run their staff meetings, how teachers handle their classrooms, how custodians and cafeteria workers know and are known by students, how safety officers interact with students, and how receptionists welcome visitors. In Washoe County School District, staff members at each school attend a three-day training focused on culture and climate, evidence-based programs, student voice, and the integration of SEL into math, English, history, and other classes. Teachers use SEL strategies to engage students in learning core academic content. Students demonstrate listening skills, empathy, and other SEL competencies as they work in pairs, in small groups, and as a whole class. Sacramento has developed Common Core State Standards curriculum maps for English Language Arts and math, explicitly identifying related SEL skills such as being able to collaborate, persevere in solving difficult problems, develop viable arguments, and critique the reasoning of others. SEL skills also are embedded in the district’s college and career readiness graduate profile, which will serve as a guide for students’ successful matriculation. Family and community partnerships extend and deepen the work occurring in schools. Austin Independent School District’s citywide Ready by 21 Youth Services Mapping program helps students and families locate services and supports that address academic enrichment and support, as well as social, emotional, and behavioral health. The district has also provided training in SEL to multiple out-ofschool providers. And a local philanthropic matching program has raised $2.4 million in three years. Sacramento has integrated SEL into its nationally recognized Parent Teacher Home Visit Project, the districtwide Parent Information Exchange, parent training modules, and its Family Night Toolkit on Math, which now includes information on growth mindset. Washoe County has offered more than 80 Parent University SEL courses, including College and Career Success and Building Resiliency in Children. “We changed from everything being punitive to making everything a teaching moment: What did you do? Why did you do it? Do you know it was wrong? What could you do differently? The staff was on board. There was a lot of buy-in.” Janet McDowell, Principal, Wade Park Elementary School, Cleveland Metropolitan School District Student and Teacher Voice A supportive climate and culture results when there are opportunities for multiple voices to be heard. In Cleveland Metropolitan School District, for example, about 450 high school students meet quarterly to review their individual school’s Conditions for Learning data, participate in activities with their peers, and provide feedback directly to the CEO about proposed district improvements. In Chicago students sat on the committee that rewrote the district’s discipline policy and created supports for school staff members. They helped create a video to teach all stakeholders about the important shift to a restorative practices approach. “In order to help our students learn, we have to build relationships with our students. That’s what they say to us.” Antwan Wilson, former superintendent of Oakland Unified School District, currently chancellor of Washington, DC Public Schools Insight 3 SEL ideally is integrated throughout the school. When implemented well, SEL is embedded into every aspect of the school, from classroom instruction to school climate and culture to partnerships with the community and families. “I don’t know that there are any kids out there, in any school district, that don’t have some needs for SEL support.” José Banda, Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org INTEGRATION Integrate SEL with district initiatives 12 13 Insight 4 Successful implementation can follow multiple pathways. Each district has unique needs and strengths, but regardless of the approach, DISTRICT AND school leadership is key. Districts have chosen a variety of approaches for rolling out their SEL implementation to schools. There is no single path to successful implementation. Some built from the classroom up, using SEL programming as an anchor. Others built from the central office down, focused on strategy and organization. Some start with clusters of K-12 schools (high school and “feeder” middle and elementary schools).Others roll out districtwide at specific grade levels. For example, Austin started with two feeder patterns of elementary, middle, and high schools, then added three more the following year, then two more each year until all schools in the district were implementing SEL. On the other hand, Cleveland implemented the PATHS program districtwide, starting with all K-2 grades one year and grades 3-5 during the following year. Second Step was introduced in grade 6 in 2015. It was enhanced with the inclusion of grades 7-8 in 2016. Regardless of the pathway, implementation needs to get down to the school level where the students are — and where relationships are formed, curriculum is taught, and partnerships with families and community happen. And the principal’s understanding of and commitment to SEL are critical to leading these efforts. To ensure effective implementation at the school level, Washoe County uses school-based SEL teams comprising at least one administrator and four to six site-based staff including teachers, counselors, and speech pathologists. In addition, 21 teacher leaders receive additional professional development and then train their school colleagues and parents. Austin uses a coaching and strategic planning model, with each SEL specialist responsible for up to 12 schools. Building on Strengths Needs assessments help districts identify and build on strengths. Surveys and focus groups, for example, helped Washoe County discover the central role of counselors. The district then developed more inclusive training for teachers, principals, and others. In Austin a survey of SEL liaisons, principals, and coaches helped identify the quality of school implementation. The district used that information to help scale up best practices. To focus on school leadership, the district’s new planning team now includes three principals and the chief of schools, who supervises principals. “The way we’ve implemented SEL, instruction happens every single day in the classroom, not something we do separate and apart.” Paul Cruz, Superintendent, Austin Independent School District “SEL is the way we go about our business. Relationships matter most. I see the whole world through the lens of SEL.” Brian Singleton, Principal, Begich Middle School, Anchorage School District To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org ALIGN RESOURCES Align financial and human resources 14 15 Social and emotional competence among staff improves teaching and leadership by strengthening relationships, creating safer learning environments, reducing staff burnout, and building trust among colleagues. It also helps those working directly with children to teach, model, and reinforce SEL competencies in their academic and interpersonal interactions with students. Educators who model SEL have clear expectations and guidelines, including setting appropriate consequences, according to Nick Yoder of the American Institutes for Research. They find ways to stay calm when angry. They avoid mocking or embarrassing their students. They give students choices and respect their wishes. They ask questions that help students solve problems on their own. They are culturally aware and competent. Yet too few teachers have been formally trained in their teacher preparation programs on SEL. A recent University of British Columbia/CASEL report found the overwhelming majority of teacher preparation programs do not have courses that help educators teach core SEL skills to students.8 Penn State University’s Mark Greenberg observed in a recent report: “If a teacher is unable to manage their stress adequately, their instruction will suffer, which then impacts student well-being and achievement. In contrast, teachers with better emotion regulation are likely to reinforce positive student behavior and support students in managing their own negative emotions.”9 Anchorage discovered after two years of implementing student-centered reforms it needed to pause to focus more on staff training. “We can’t expect teachers to model what we don’t give them a chance to practice themselves,” says Jan Davis, SEL Professional Learning Specialist. Moreover, the Anchorage team is exploring how developing adults’ social and emotional competencies may bolster their capacity to appropriately use culturally responsive teaching practices, which ultimately will ensure that all students are supported in reaching their full potential. Adult awareness, modeling, and integration of social-emotional competencies in their teaching practices has long been a priority for Chicago Public Schools. All introductory SEL workshops ask leaders to identify and reflect on their own SEL competencies, prioritize areas where they would like to grow, and plan how to engage colleagues in an ongoing process of building these skills throughout their departments, regions, or schools. Efforts such as these helped the district to identify a link between adult decision-making and a historical overuse of suspensions. To reinforce the importance of adult SEL, some districts are explicitly embedding SEL into their staff performance frameworks. Oakland, for example, created performance frameworks for adults and elementary students based on its SEL standards. SEL factors into the evaluation process for all classroom teachers, PreK-12. The OUSD Leadership Growth and Development System guides the professional development and evaluation of all principals throughout the district. The superintendent holds herself accountable to the school board for specific SEL goals and objectives included in her work plan. “We ask educators what’s that one skill you want students to have to be successful? It’s the social-emotional skills they want students to have.” Kyla Krengel, Director, SEL, Metro Nashville Public Schools Insight 5 Adult SEL matters, too. Relationships are central, and adults need the expertise to teach and model appropriate lessons and behaviors in every interaction. 8 The University of British Columbia Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education 9 Penn State University/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “You walk around the school now and you can tell there are relationships that exist between teachers and teachers, between teachers and students, and students with one another. What that allows for is a culture of calm.” Jessica, Chicago Public Schools, ninth-grade student To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org BUILD EXPERTISE Develop central office SEL expertise and competence 16 17 Having research and evaluation teams involved in SEL work from the start yields several benefits. They help clarify goals and desired outcomes. They ensure that progress toward these outcomes is regularly measured, analyzed, and shared through data dashboards, reports, and similar management tools for continuous improvement. In addition, clear metrics help keep everyone on on the same page. Regular visibility helps ensure that everyone knows the work is important. Most important, armed with data, districts can make more informed decisions about necessary changes in strategies and programming. For example, Austin raised local funds to help create a two-person S EL research team, which produced regular leadership reports on implementation and progress. One report measured the impact of a specific curriculum on absentee rates, disciplinary incidents, grades, and standardized test scores. Another compared the impact of program longevity to the effectiveness of implementation, with mixed results. These reports have helped the district create buy-in, communicate about the importance of S EL, and raise additional funds to support the work. Cleveland’s long-term research project with AIR produces invaluable insights into S EL attitudes and school climate and culture through its Conditions for Learning surveys of students, staff, and parents, given two times a year. District administrators and school staff regularly analyze the information and use it to provide practical advice on topics such as encouraging civility and enhancing the school culture. Acting on the data is key. After finding staff survey participation had dropped sharply, Anchorage worked with CAS EL to use the data to inform priorities for programming and training. Once they saw how the survey research helped principals guide their work, teacher participation on the surveys soared — from a low of 30% to 79%. In Washoe County S EL staff works closely with the accountability department to help ensure a steady stream of insightful analyses. Using the results of a sophisticated 17-question survey, for example, they made the case that students with higher S EL skills did better on virtually every other outcome measure (test scores, GPAs, attendance, etc.). And they targeted staff development to address issues where students reported feeling the weakest, such as the ability to express feelings. In Metro Nashville Public Schools the resesarch and development department has contributed significantly to the school and classroom observational tools now being used in 28 schools to establish a baseline for an annual mid-year assessment of school climate and practice. The district also has used the tool to assess strengths and needs in roughly 50 other schools and to customize professional development accordingly. Ins i g ht 6 Data for continuous improvement are essential. Research and evaluation that are focused on improvement accelerate an d ra ise t he qual ity of t he rollout. To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org CONTI N U OUS IMPR O V E MEN T Establish systems for continuous improvement 18 19 The CDI offers an opportunity for many of the country’s leading educators to intensively create and explore which approaches work best, then share that know-how with each other and the world. To accelerate learning among CDI districts, we created multiple peer learning communities, which foster long-term commitment and sustainability through regular opportunities to learn from each other. For example, the annual Cross-Districts Learning Event convenes educators and others from CDI districts to explore implementation topics such as mindsets, academic integration, adult SEL, financial sustainability, and assessment. More topic-specific work groups have emerged from these large sessions, such as our Equity Work Group, Research and Evaluation Professional Learning Community, and Professional Learning Series. Through a series of in-person meetings, webinars, and one-on-one phone calls, these groups are learning from their peers about successes, challenges, and innovations. A few districts have adapted the proactive social media communications and engagement strategies used by Austin and Atlanta, for example. Washoe County has benefitted from Chicago’s approach to adult SEL. Other districts have learned from Washoe’s innovative use of data and student voice to support climate and culture, using their student data summits. The CDI superintendents connect regularly through in-person opportunities, webinars, and one-on-one conversations, exploring a wide range of issues including stakeholder communication, budgeting, data use, and strategies for crisis intervention. Cross-district site visits occur regularly. For example, Anchorage visited Chicago to learn more about its MTSS implementation model and see SEL leadership teams and integrated instruction at schools. The Cleveland team members learned different strategies for implementing the Closing the Achievement Gap initiative from their visit to Oakland. Washoe and Oakland learned about Anchorage’s multiyear strategic plan for SEL implementation and saw SEL-academic integration in practice. Atlanta and El Paso Benefit Two of the newest members of the CDI are benefitting from the work of the first eight districts. Both Atlanta Public Schools and El Paso Independent School District heeded the recommendation to focus on adult SEL early. Atlanta is also focusing on parent engagement and will adapt resources from the CDI in its efforts. El Paso has made use of Sacramento’s approach to teaching a growth mindset. And other CDI districts have used El Paso’s “hidden backpack” activity, a facilitation approach designed to build empathy for the unseen daily burdens that affect students’ and adults’ ability to focus on their work. CROSS-DISTRICTS LEARNING EVENTs PARTICIPANTS SAY... Anchorage, Alaska 2011 Austin, TexAS 2012 Nashville, TennESSEE 2013 Cleveland, Ohio 2015 Reno, NevADA 2016 “I have a deeper appreciation for why we need to include adults in the SEL learning process and why districts elect to work with adult SEL first, as a foundation for districtwide implementation. GREAT!!” “I can’t wait to bring this back to our new teacher program as well.” OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 2017 Insight 7 Districts benefit from collaborating with each other. From the start and in keeping with CASEL’S research roots, the CDI was — and is — a COLLABORATIVE learning lab. To learn more, visit CASEL’s District Resource Center drc.casel.org PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Design and implement effective professional development programs Academic achievement improved The three districts that use the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (Austin, Chicago, and Cleveland) all improved their reading and math scores during the CDI implementation years. In Anchorage, Austin, Chicago, Cleveland, Oakland, and Nashville, GPAs were higher at the end of the 2015 school year than before the CDI started. The improvements were particularly noticeable in Chicago, going from an average of 2.19 in the three years before the CDI to 2.65 in 2015, an increase of nearly 21%. Nashville, the only district that used the same standardized tests across CDI years, showed improvements in both ELA and math achievement. All districts with relevant data showed gains in ELA and math in at least one grade band (elementary, middle, high). Chicago’s graduation rate increased 15% during the CDI years. Student engagement and behavior improved Attendance improved in four of six districts that collected this data. Chicago improved overall attendance by eight percentage points from before the CDI started through 2015. Anchorage (elementary, middle) and Nashville (middle, high) showed gains at two of three levels. Suspensions declined in all five of the districts that collected this data. For example, suspensions in Chicago declined 65 percent in two years. This translates to 44,000 fewer students being suspended from school in one recent year alone. In Sacramento suspension rates declined in the five years of systemic SEL implementation: 24% districtwide and 43% in high schools. 20 21 Impact on students and schools To assess the impact of the CDI’s efforts, CASEL entered into an ongoing data collection and evaluation partnership with the districts and American Institutes for Research (AIR). Data were collected to measure the implementation and resulting outcomes. While the availability of data varied by district, qualitative and quantitative outcomes are promising. The bottom line: Even very modest investments in SEL can pay off for individuals, schools, and society. CHAPTER 3 GPAs MATH & ELA SCORES GRADUATION RATES NAEP SCORES “I have seen high schools and middle schools really change the narrative on suspensions and expulsions. If we’re keeping students in schools and teaching them how to deal with things instead of just getting them out the door, we are making huge gains.” Alan Mather, Chief Officer, Office of College and Career Success, Chicago Public Schools 22 23 Student Social and emotional competence improved Districts also reported that students’ social and emotional competence improved, based on student and teacher surveys. In both Chicago and Nashville, elementary school students improved in all five social and emotional competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. In Austin, where only middle and high school data was collected, students at both levels also significantly improved in all five competencies. Middle and high school students in Cleveland also experienced growth, particularly in the areas of self-awareness and self-management. Sacramento (elementary only) and Anchorage (elementary, middle, and high school) collected an average measure of students’ overall social and emotional competence. For Sacramento, elementary students experienced significant gains in overall competence since the start of the CDI. Anchorage students experienced significant growth in overall competence even before the start of the CDI and maintained the same positive trajectory during the CDI years. School climate improved Climate, as measured by district surveys in Chicago and Cleveland, improved during the CDI years. In Anchorage climate began an upward trajectory before the CDI and sustained that same significant and positive growth during the CDI years. In the only district in which elementary school climate data was available for analysis (Chicago), students reported significant improvements on the “supportive environment” scale compared to the start of the CDI in 2010-2011. Districts use a variety of surveys to measure student and staff attitudes. This is an excerpt from Washoe County. THE POSITIVE IMPACTS OF Social and emotional COMPETENCE In collaboration with CASEL, Washoe County documented that students with higher SEL competencies perform better on multiple measures: higher academic achievement, attendance, GPAs, and graduation rates, and fewer suspensions. For example, students with high social and emotional competence had a math proficiency rate that was 21 percentage points higher than their counterparts with low social and emotional competence. Also, students with higher competence were 20 percentage points higher for English/Language Arts (ELA). Findings from the Washoe/CASEL partnership research team also showed that having high social and emotional competence might have buffered students from the negative impact of factors (e.g., suspensions, transiency, weak attendance) that often place them in a “high-risk” academic status. 2014-2015 Math and English Language Arts (ELA) Proficiency Rates among Students with Low vs. High Social and Emotional Competencies LOW SEC HIGH SEC MATH 23% MATH 44% ELA 40% ELA 60% VERY EASY EASY HARD VERY HARD RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING: Thinking about what might happen before making a decision RELATIONSHIP SKILLS RELATIONSHIP SKILLS: Getting along with my classmates SOCIAL AWARENESS SOCIAL AWARENESS: Learning from people with different opinions than me SELF-AWARENESS EMOTIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Knowing when my feelings are making it hard for me to focus SELF-CONCEPT: Knowing what my strengths are SELF-MANAGEMENT SCHOOLWORK: Doing my school work even when i don’t feel like it EMOTIONAL REGULATION: Getting through something even when I feel frustrated GOAL MANAGEMENT: Finishing tasks even if they are hard for me 24 25 OUR GOALS: BY THE END OF 2017 ALL EDUCATORS IN THE COUNTRY WILL HAVE EASY ACCESS TO HUNDREDS OF PRACTICAL TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN FIELD TESTED BY SOME OF THE LEADING DISTRICTS IN THE U.S. By 2025 50% of U.S. school districts will be systemically integrating high-quality SEL across their schools and classrooms. Demand for SEL is at an all-time high. Teachers recognize the importance of it. Employers are requiring it. Parents value it. Communities are being transformed by it. And, most important, millions of students already are benefitting from it. Based on the practical knowledge gleaned through the CDI and from the field at large, we have extensive knowledge about how to implement high-quality, evidence-based SEL. With our district and philanthropic partners, we at CASEL are uniquely poised to scale this know-how to many more districts nationally. Deepening SEL Know-HOW With an ongoing commitment to deepening the field’s expertise in the practical application of SEL, we plan to expand and formalize how we collect, document, analyze, and translate practices and strategies. We will continue to partner intensively with CDI districts, and deepen and extend partnerships in the broad field to improve implementation and student outcomes while increasing understanding of systemic SEL, piloting new innovations, and refining best practices. We will answer questions such as: • What instructional practices maximize learning, engagement, and achievement? • How can SEL help promote equity in the school and classroom? • How can after-school programs reinforce what’s happening in school? • How can schools engage families and community partners in promoting SEL? • How can schools best use data to improve SEL competencies and school climate? • How can districts allocate resources most effectively? We will amplify the case for systemic SEL with even more meaningful, compelling data, and cases – drawn from the CDI districts and from other districts and schools across the country. Sharing What We Know Our goal is to make knowledge usable. We will translate the knowledge and experiences from the CDI districts and others into actionable and innovative tools. We will offer support in using those tools to reach the maximum number of educators, scholars, policymakers, families, and community partners, all while maintaining a commitment to learning and continuously improving our tools, approaches, and models for implementation. For example: • The District Resource Center, which launched with nearly 500 practical, evidence-based, annotated tools from the CDI districts. • New online resources for schools and states addressing key implementation issues. • Virtual and online training and support for using the guides, coupled with data collection to track usage and impact. We will execute new, creative strategies for gathering input and insights from the field, building communities of learners, and packaging and disseminating knowledge. For example: • An interactive, online platform for districts to access tools and resources and track district needs, requests, and knowledge gaps. • Virtual communities connecting district personnel serving in similar roles. • In-person working groups to answer questions on specific topics such as SEL and equity, assessments, teacher practices, climate, and culture. Together, these strategies mark a significant and necessary evolution in our work—one that is focused on deepening and advancing SEL implementation knowledge and making that knowledge usable by any district nationwide. The beneficiaries: America’s schoolchildren. Scaling SEL know-how CHAPTER 4 COLLABORATIVE FOR ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING 815 W VAN BUREN STREET, SUITE 210, CHICAGO IL 60607 | 312.226.3770 | CASEL.ORG The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is the world’s leading organization advancing one of the most important fields in education in decades: the practice of promoting integrated academic, social, and emotional learning for all children. The nonprofit, founded in 1994, provides a combination of research, practice, and policy to support high-quality social and emotional learning in districts and schools nationwide. Thank you to CASEL’s many critical collaborators — our partner educators, researchers, policymakers, civic leaders, program providers, funders, and others — for contributing to and supporting efforts to help make evidence-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education, preschool through high school. - 07:40 FB-EQE The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) just released a report sharing insights from 6 years supporting SEL implementation in 10 of the largest urban districts in the United States. I am so happy to see that many of these lessons are at the core of what Six Seconds does: importance of EQ for adults, SEL integration across school structures, use of assessments, and more. Read this post if you want to know more and get tips on what you can do to keep pushing SEL and EQ forward! - Wow, I just read this study, Lorea! "Today we are at a tipping point. The evidence is clear that SEL works. Models for implementation exist. Supportive policies are spreading. Most important, students are benefitting. Students with strong social and emotional competence not only do better academically in school, they lead healthier, happier, more fulfilling lives. They better understand themselves, build constructive relationships, are more kind and caring, and make more responsible decisions." Raises Student Performance (pro-social behaviours) • Higher academic achievement (EQ even helps IQ!!!) • Better social emotional skills • Improved attitudes about self, others, and school • Positive classroom behavior Reduces Risk for Failure (anti-social behaviours) • Fewer conduct problems • Less emotional distress Our goal: by 2025, 50% of districts are systemically integrating high-quality SEL across their schools and classrooms. “The CDI demonstrates that it is possible for large urban school districts to adopt and maintain SEL as an essential element of education, even amid budgetary stress and leadership turnover.” - American Institutes for Research (I repeat, wow!) :) - Highest rate of teen alcoholism, DV and child abuse in the country. The high schools had metal detectors… ---) http://www.asdk12.org/depts/SEL/ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) PARENTS: Review the Project Connect Survey (PDF) The survey will collect information about how our military-connected students are doing in the ditrict What is Social and Emotional Learning? Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which we learn to recognize and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviors . It is the process through which students enhance their ability to integrate thinking, feeling, and behaving in order to achieve important life tasks. Within the school setting, SEL can best be accomplished through a layered approach of skills lessons, infusion into the curricula and classroom practices, and an environment of safety, respect, and caring which models SEL values Students in effective school-based programs improved social-emotional skills by 23 percentile points, positive social behavior by 9 percentile points and perhaps most significantly, their academic performance increased 11 percentile points. (Durlak, 2009) http://www.asdk12.org/depts/SEL/media/Stategy_for_Student_Success.pdf, page 2 SEL becomes a habit of practice when students, adults, and the entire school community remember that we use our SEL skills all day long, not just for a 30-minute block once a week. Research and literature on effective social and emotional learning identifies three critical ways in which SEL skills are learned (CASEL, ASD). http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/ SEl Standards http://www.asdk12.org/depts/SEL/media/SEL_Standards.pdf http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/aboutsocialemotionallearning/socialemotionallearningstandards/ Overview on CASEL http://casel.org/collaborating-districts-initiative/anchorage-alaska/ About SEL http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/aboutsocialemotionallearning/ Parents http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/parents/ Students http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/students/ Educators http://www.asdk12.org/pld/sel/educators/ Educating Hearts: A Districtwide Initiative to Teach How to Care In Alaska, the Anchorage School District's investment in social and emotional learning is paying off both socially and academically. https://www.edutopia.org/anchorage-social-emotional-learning-video https://youtu.be/mGvFnuUTukQ --- Duke of Cambridge: Let's lose 'stiff upper lip' and talk about feelings http://www.itv.com/news/2017-04-18/duke-of-cambridge-lets-lose-stiffer-upper-lip-and-talk-about-our-feelings/ William hopes his children will grow up willing to talk about their emotions The famously British "stiff upper lip" should not be allowed to threaten people's mental health, the Duke of Cambridge has said. Prince William's comments follow his brother Harry's well-received revelation that he sought counselling to come to terms with the death of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales. ---) Why is EQ more important than IQ? http://thegalvanicink.com/blog/2017/05/02/meg-eq-important-iq/ BOHEMIANIAC MAY 2, 2017 Conventional wisdom has it that there’s a direct connection between our IQ and our ability to succeed in life. But there have been many studies that show IQ only accounts for about 20% of success. The major determinants of success are social and emotional intelligence. Yet there’s very little emphasis put on developing emotional intelligence. People with well-developed emotional skills are … more likely to be content and effective in their lives, mastering the habits of the mind that foster their own productivity; people who cannot marshal some control over their emotional life fight battles that sabotage their ability for focused work and clear thought. — Daniel Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence” Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to sense, understand, value and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, trust, creativity and influence. We have an emotional mind and a rational mind. In large part, our emotional mind developed to help us survive. When man first wandered the earth, any time he encountered some new experience he needed to make instant decisions about whether the encounter involved something he could eat or something that might try to eat him. Relying on the rational mind, which works much slower than the emotional mind, might have meant the end of mankind. The emotional mind springs into action more quickly than the rational mind. But unless we learn to control the emotional mind, we will make lots of bad decisions and poor choices. Reasons why we need a developed EQ in life: EQ has a greater impact on success than other factors. The ability to delay gratification is a primary indicator of future success. High EQ leads to healthy relationships with others. Emotional health impacts physical health. Poor EQ is linked to crime and other unethical behaviors. A few statistics: IQ by itself is not a very good predictor of job performance. Hunter and Hunter (1984) estimated that at best IQ accounts for about 25 percent of the variance. Sternberg (1996) has pointed out that studies vary and that 10 percent may be a more realistic estimate. In some studies, IQ accounts for as little as 4 percent of the variance. Sommerville study, a 40 year longitudinal investigation of 450 boys who grew up in Sommerville, Massachusetts. Two-thirds of the boys were from welfare families, and one-third had IQ below 90. However, IQ had little relation to how well they did at work or in the rest of their lives. What made the biggest difference was childhood abilities such as being able to handle frustration, control emotions, and get along with other people. a study of 80 Ph.D in science who underwent a battery of personality tests, IQ tests, and interviews in the 1950s when they were graduate students at Berkeley. Forty years later, when they were in their early seventies, they were tracked down and estimates were made of their success based on resumes, evaluations by experts in their own fields, and sources like American Men and Women of Science. It turned out that social and emotional abilities were four times more important than IQ in determining professional success and prestige. It would be absurd to suggest that cognitive ability is irrelevant for success in science. One needs a relatively high level of such ability to get into colleges, programs and institutes. Once you are admitted, however, what matters in terms of how you do compared to your peers has less to do with IQ differences and more to do with social and emotional factors. For example, if you are a scientist, you probably needed an IQ of 120 or so simply to get a doctorate and a job. But then it is more important to be able to persist in the face of difficulty and to get along well with colleagues and subordinates than it is to have an extra 10 or 15 points of IQ. The same is true in many other occupations. ---enowned expert in the prevention and treatment of youth mental illness). What struck me about this dialogue was the instantaneous connection between these 4 people and then their intense curiosity to share with and to learn from each other about emotions such as anger, compassion and empathy. My 3 key takeaways from the dialogue were: Most of the emotion that disturbs our mind has incorrect perception as its basis – there is a gap between appearance and reality The antidote to wrong perception is compassion – to have genuine care and concern for the other person because it is from this place that we close the gap between what we think we see and what is really happening We are wired for empathy and His Holiness now knows what mirror neurons are!! The remainder of the conference was spent interacting with the conference delegates (over 2000 attending the conference) at the Six Seconds stall. We discussed the power of the Six Seconds’ Model, the rules of emotions (there was a lot of interest in the Plutchik model) and heard some wonderfully inspiring stories about the generosity of the people of Queensland and Brisbane during the January floods. I continue to replay the many inspirational conversations and stories I heard. To those of you who came to visit us, thank you for your questions, stories and interest in Emotional Intelligence. I’d be keen to hear other ways you’ve used the Plutchik model or how you could use it with your clients. About Latest Posts Melissa Donaldson For the past 15 years, I've partnered with senior executives and leaders in public and private sector organisations to execute significant change, design and implement leadership capability programs, renegotiate complex industrial agreements and build leader and team performance. ---) Research by OfficeTeam, a staffing agency, and division of Robert Half, shows almost (95%) of HR managers and (99%) of workers agree that strong emotional intelligence is important. OfficeTeam shared with TechRepublic some additional stats that support the significance of emotional intelligence in the workplace. 21% of employees believe EQ is more valuable in the workplace than IQ; almost 65% said the two are equally important; 92% of employees think they have strong EQ; slightly fewer (74%) believe their bosses do; 30% feel most employers put too little emphasis on EQ during the hiring process; 43% of Human Resource (HR) managers identified increased motivation and morale as the greatest benefit of having emotionally intelligent staff; and, 40% of HR managers said soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving and adaptability, are more difficult to teach workers than technical abilities. While these stats highlight EQ in the overall workplace setting, TechRepublic got direct feedback from business owners and industry experts on the role EQ plays in their projects Hernan Santiesteban, founder of Great Lakes Development Group, a software development company, has managed many IT projects throughout his career. In his role as a an IT project manager, he said, "emotional intelligence has allowed me to bridge the gap between customer communication and the delivery of that information to development teams. The ability to tailor your message to your audience at the smallest levels can have a huge impact on the understanding of requirements." More for CXOs "Unlike IQ, EQ can evolve and can scale depending on stressors, or even positive emotional states. So it's important someone understands their emotional intelligence so they can counteract whatever might sabotage not only their progress but their teams", said Caroline Stokes, founder of Forward, a team of senior search headhunters and certified executive coaches for global innovation leaders. At Forward, emotional intelligence quotient assessments, like EQ-i 2.0, are used with talent placements and leadership and career development coaches. "We get to work on their EQ within a few weeks of starting their new role to provide awareness and strategies to drive their goals forward," said Stokes. inRead invented by Teads When it comes to the process of merging two companies during an acquisition, EQ can play a vital role. Jose Costa, group president at automotive franchisor Driven Brands said, "When we identify a target, we begin assessing the organization financially, operationally, technologically and from a leadership standpoint. We then move on to evaluate the quality of the team and determine if they can help us achieve our 'Dream Big. Work Hard' strategy." Costa credits this strategy in developing stronger analytics around business ideas. "For us, at Driven Brands, the convergence of strategic thinking, flawless execution, and emotional intelligence create sustainable growth quarter after quarter," said Costa. Specific project challenges that make emotional intelligence necessary Costa said "I am a strong believer that what we do as leaders sets the tone for the team. Morale emanates from leadership; it begins, and ends with the CEO/president of the company." He added, "This is why it is so important for leaders to be aware of how their verbal communication and actions affect others," and that a leader simply cannot build a strong, cohesive team, and in turn lower employee engagement and commitment if they lack emotional intelligence. Gain exclusive insights into our application solutions. Take the next big step toward your next big idea. Watch the Microsoft Business Forward keynote on-demand. Sponsored by Microsoft Stokes said, "If people aren't willing to learn, adapt and evolve their current styles, there will be trouble...in short, imagine you have a conflict seeker or avoider in your team. If left alone or not made aware of their automatic communication styles, the same political or challenging routine will play out every time resulting in winners and losers." She believes when it comes to projects, companies pay the ultimate price when teams become frustrated after spinning their wheels and that awareness, true communication, and openness are the keys to success. "From understanding comes growth," she said. Santiesteban thinks emotional intelligence plays a key role in navigating conflicts with minimal disruption. "Understanding the frustrations and pain points of stakeholders and how to prioritize them is also a problem in which a high level of emotional intelligence can be of benefit" he said. At Voices.com, a company that connects businesses with professional voice talent, HR director Kaitlyn Apfelbeck said that high EQ isn't necessarily required for employees who work independently, but that "EQ is necessary for success when others depend on you or are required to work closely with you." She added, "When someone has low EQ, they may not be aware of how their actions are perceived, or how they are affecting others and will often make decisions that negatively impact those around them." What are key characteristics these leaders seek in project team members and leaders? At Forward, individuals with quite high self-regard, strong interpersonal relationships, and empathy, high-stress tolerance and flexibility are in demand. Why? "So they're motivated to do what they need to do, whatever the circumstances. There are more aspects to the composite and subscales, but really, you're looking for balance in an individual, across all areas," said Stokes. Apfelbeck said, "We seek action-oriented individuals who will take the reins and lead a project, but also have the intelligence to utilize the individual strengths of those team members." She said the company also wants leaders who can "read people well, so they know how best to motivate and encourage their team, which is likely made up of very unique personalities." When Costa seeks leaders/managers, he looks for characteristics like perseverance. "Things don't always go the way you envision or plan," he said. "(That's) just a fact of business and having the strength to keep going even when you're down will often lead you to success." He looks for individuals who have an optimistic philosophy, as it instills determination. "Optimists have the ability of keep going despite the uncertainties and obstacles that life might bring. They embrace change and are not afraid to make mistakes. They always push forward. Additionally, negativity is infectious and brings down the whole team," he said. He also looks for employees who recognize the strengths of others and act in the best interest of the organization as a whole. The final thing Costa said he is key in a leader is the ability to motivate others. "Someone who understands the power of recognition and knows how to make team members and employees feel valued. Managers who are sincere and appreciative can help employees thrive at work by acknowledging their contributions," he added. Santiesteban looks for employees with a mix of technical skills and EQ. "A team member's ability to participate in meetings and extract what's really important is a skill reliant on emotional intelligence," he said. "Self-starters who are always sought after in job descriptions are usually individuals who fit this profile." Based on the statistics, and the feedback shared by these IT and business project leaders, it seems clear that emotional intelligence is a high-value, high-level need, regarding project leadership skills. Further, team cohesion and successful project outcomes are likely to become more reliant on its existence going forward. Subscribe to TechRepublic's Executive Briefing newsletter and get tips on project management, budgets, and dealing with day-to-day challenges. SUBSCRIBE Also see: 4 ways sponsors can improve project success rates 8 steps to breaking bad news to difficult project stakeholders How to resolve project sponsors' conflicting goals 8 assumptions that can derail projects and leaders About Moira Alexander Moira Alexander is the author of "LEAD or LAG: Linking Strategic Project Management & Thought Leadership" and Founder & President of Lead-Her-Ship Group. She's also a project management and IT freelance columnist for various publications and a former... Full BioContactSee all of Moira's contentGoogle+Lead_Her_Ship --- - there's a Snapshot option in MM use it! - Record Movie from Webcam! - Speaker Nomination Form http://www.tedxmarin.org/submit-speaker/form/ THANK YOU. Because we get many nominations we can not answer each one. If we have more questions we will contact you. If you have questions call 415-785-8873 Submitter Information Submitter's Name (It's ok to SELF nominate)* First Last Submitter's Email* Submitter's Phone* Submitter's Business Affiliation* What is your business or organizational affiliation? Speaker Relationship* What is your relationship to the proposed speaker? 0 of 300 max characters From where did you hear of this TEDxMarin speaking opportunity?* Speaker Information Speaker NAME* 0 of 100 max characters Speaker info* Tell us briefly about the speaker. What’s their occupation? Any honors or distinctions? Their recent work? 0 of 1250 max characters Speaker's Company Affiliation* Speaker's Email* Speaker's Phone (Work)* Speaker's Phone (Cell)* Speaker's Website* Speaking Video 1 (Talks not interviews)* Please include three video links you feel best represent the speaker's style and content. (new intro video) Speaking Video 2 (not interviews)* 3 goals of EQ, 3 takeaways from all this https://youtu.be/4p-Ft49jGA4 https://www.facebook.com/emotionalintelligencerocks/videos/1718404708398470/ Speaking Video 3 Can be an interview EQ-101 on MCTV? Speaker Bio/CV* Tell us briefly about the speaker: Credentials and a link to CV, if applicable. 0 of 1250 max characters Your Recommendation* Why are you recommending this speaker? Have you heard this person speak publicly? If so,where? and what were their topic(s) Speaker Coordination* Does speaker know you are submitting their name for consideration? Yes No Availability* Are you sure they are interested if we are?. Yes No Your TALK's CONTENT Include how the content tie's into our 2017 THEME? Speaking Title/Topic* What is the proposed TedTalk Title and Topic? What is the BIG idea being presented?* Please be specific and succinct. Speech Outline (MOST IMPORTANT)* Please outline very clearly the arc of the talk.Incude what the takeaway message will be (the Idea Worth Sharing) and how you will get there and what peer reviewed science (if applicable) underpins the conclusions. 0 of 1200 max characters Theme of Talk* Tell us why you believe this talk presents unique and new ideas. And how it fits with our 2017 theme. What do you want people to feel?* Who is this Talk FOR?* Tell us whom you feel this talk is for. Previous Speaking on this Topic* Has the speaker ever presented this talk before? If yes, explain when and where. Attach Files* Please upload a recent headshot and any supporting document you may wish to include. Max file size is 8mb. Drop files here or Select files Choose Files Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc. Submit (doc or pdf with video in it) - I am self-nominating, because I believe I have EXACTLY what you're looking for! Bending the Box Conclusion: TEACH EQ, to self and others change the world, from the inside out! (EOF: ~mcp_TEDxMarin_instead.txt ---ight brain, thoughts and feelings Why Me? 30 years, face-to-face experience, just now coming together! pissed off more people than most anyone on the planet! uniquely qualified certs eternal optimist and hopeful romantic My point(s) L/R Brain 3 goals(?) ND/CABT - Emotional healing PTSD, Depression, Anxiety which lead to heart disease, some estimated that 60% of all ailments are stress-related (and therefore avoidable... thru changes in behaviour!) - PPT and VO: Teachings Quotes / hashtags (optional) CABT a slide of Doc's Emotional pain is not terminal a slide of mine a slide of faves 4 steps to learning iceberg think of something stupid to say... don't say it. - Live Call-to-action! Bend the Box Learn EQ, learn about You E1T1EQ ask re: EQ - ND - Emotional Healing stills of hugs, board, doc, logo veteran testimonial other testimonials - Conclusion: TEACH EQ, to self and others change the world, from the inside out! EOF ~mcp_TEDxMarin_instead1.txt - BOF ~mcp_TEDxMarin.txt 5.14.2017 ~mcp_TEDxMarin_instead.txt MITM: Bending the Box (BTB) (brainstorming subjects, separated with ,'s) E:\~stuff\EQRocks\UVa\ UVaClassSlides_20170514.pptx Our custom Quotes (.JPGs) https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_8MWGohTkr-R2ZwSE5aU0VyajA - How? tomorrow afternoon put it all together with phone camera talk TO the selection committee once I get it organized, I can probably do it in 1 take. - The 'box' is non-feeling. The 'box' is about continuing to teach kids STRICTLY to pass the standardized exams. the limits of the box are the result of not educating our youth. the 'box' is rigid because parents don't know their feelings, and therefore cannot teach, or help, their kids with theirs. the 'box' is actually there because we fear our feelings, and thus limit them. let's bend the box. let's teach kids/teens/adults EQ! let's show people positive roll-models on how to deal with our feelings, not how NOT to deal with them. positive examples of how to deal with negative emotions - it's not our parents' fault... they didn't know, either... it's not apathy, it's ignorance. I mean, we've heard such unbelievable stories of parents who were awful, or mean, or drunk... some people do some horrific things to, and around, their kids. However, I believe that MOST parents are caring and loving, and want the very best for their kids, so they taught us the very best they knew how. Don't cry. Don't be angry. Shut up. Sit down. Be good. Don't feel. Stuff it. Talk about something else. (no bueno) If we teach our kids differently... that feelings are Ok, when used properly (which I will model for you), that feelings are awesome, and necessary, and powerful, and interesting, and to be honored, and respected (and NOT always obeyed!) - this is going to be culmination of 30 years of studying EQ it'll be miraculous! (filmed in front of the mirror in the bathroom, with my regular android 6 phone) (show, and briefly explain each one) - ND ok, here's where I learned most of this stuff. face-to-face, in front of people for 30 years. doing emotions, bigger and deeper, than most anyone. "I've pissed off more people than most anyone on the planet" "but the difference is that they come back and HUG me, afterwards!" Emotional Healing Doc CABT I'm not a therapist. Like I said, I was disappointed with my schooling. I was even accepted to 2 law schools, but didn't go, because I wanted (needed!) to learn life, first. when I first found out that my problems were mostly Emotional in nature, and so-so simple to resolve, I was / am so encouraged! since taking the class, 30 years ago, I have immersed myself in EQ I manage or own social media groups on Facebook and LinkedIn with over 150,000 members - it might be kinda long. tuff say it - read it? yes, some over bullets / PPT slides - I'm not that smart, so I need things simplified, dumbed down, a lot! so, for 30 years, I've been trying to "sum up" EQ. to just a few words so people 'get it', quickly and profoundly and simply. Bumper sticker stuff that's memorable but even kids can read it, understand it, and (maybe) take it with them, as they go. (cool thing about education... no one can take it away from you... it's yours, forever.) - more art than science here's my art the art of connecting the art of feeling the art of EQ - Doc has over 100 EQ quotes which I made into graphics so we can Share them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pintrest and Twitter (we're mostly Facebookers, tho) So much of Facebook is a quote on a graphic that now we can make them on-the-fly, but applying a color background to your profound words. :) (show some examples) "Feel guilty - setup to be punished" "negative feelings expresses as intensely..." "Feelings aren't good or bad, they just are" "EMFB" I have another 100. (show some more examples) ... and I have a collection of thousands. (show some of my faves!) https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_8MWGohTkr-R2ZwSE5aU0VyajA "Every Dollar ever made, based on a relationship" - Certified State of CA Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Crisis Counselor NLP Practioner Nurturing Parenting Instructor Microsoft Certified Professional 6 Seconds (in Menlo Park) EQ for Educators (EQEC - 2013) EQ Assessment Test and Debrief: Social-Emotional Inventory (SEI) Ex-Board Member for 2 non-profits - here's one of my faves (and very popular with folks when they learn it) The 4 Steps to Learning 1. Unconsciously Incompetent - We don't know that we don't know 2. Consciously Incompetent - We find out that we don't know 3. Consciously Competent - We figure out how to know, but we gotta think about it 4. Unconsciously Competent - We know, and act like we know, without having to think much about it. - Teach EQ: hashtags #FeelIt2HealIt #NameIt2TameIt #NameIt2FrameIt #SpinIt2WinIt #ClaimIt2FrameIt (ER!) #FakeIt2MakeIt #AcceptIt2ProjectIt or #AcceptIt2DigestIt #LetItFlow2LetItGo --- - there's a Snapshot option in MM use it! - Record Movie from Webcam! - Speaker Nomination Form http://www.tedxmarin.org/submit-speaker/form/ THANK YOU. Because we get many nominations we can not answer each one. If we have more questions we will contact you. If you have questions call 415-785-8873 Submitter Information Submitter's Name (It's ok to SELF nominate)* First Last Submitter's Email* Submitter's Phone* Submitter's Business Affiliation* What is your business or organizational affiliation? Speaker Relationship* What is your relationship to the proposed speaker? 0 of 300 max characters From where did you hear of this TEDxMarin speaking opportunity?* Speaker Information Speaker NAME* 0 of 100 max characters Speaker info* Tell us briefly about the speaker. What’s their occupation? Any honors or distinctions? Their recent work? 0 of 1250 max characters Speaker's Company Affiliation* Speaker's Email* Speaker's Phone (Work)* Speaker's Phone (Cell)* Speaker's Website* Speaking Video 1 (Talks not interviews)* Please include three video links you feel best represent the speaker's style and content. (new intro video) Speaking Video 2 (not interviews)* 3 goals of EQ, 3 takeaways from all this https://youtu.be/4p-Ft49jGA4 https://www.facebook.com/emotionalintelligencerocks/videos/1718404708398470/ Speaking Video 3 Can be an interview EQ-101 on MCTV? Speaker Bio/CV* Tell us briefly about the speaker: Credentials and a link to CV, if applicable. 0 of 1250 max characters Your Recommendation* Why are you recommending this speaker? Have you heard this person speak publicly? If so,where? and what were their topic(s) Speaker Coordination* Does speaker know you are submitting their name for consideration? Yes No Availability* Are you sure they are interested if we are?. Yes No Your TALK's CONTENT Include how the content tie's into our 2017 THEME? Speaking Title/Topic* What is the proposed TedTalk Title and Topic? What is the BIG idea being presented?* Please be specific and succinct. Speech Outline (MOST IMPORTANT)* Please outline very clearly the arc of the talk.Incude what the takeaway message will be (the Idea Worth Sharing) and how you will get there and what peer reviewed science (if applicable) underpins the conclusions. 0 of 1200 max characters Theme of Talk* Tell us why you believe this talk presents unique and new ideas. And how it fits with our 2017 theme. What do you want people to feel?* Who is this Talk FOR?* Tell us whom you feel this talk is for. Previous Speaking on this Topic* Has the speaker ever presented this talk before? If yes, explain when and where. Attach Files* Please upload a recent headshot and any supporting document you may wish to include. Max file size is 8mb. Drop files here or Select files Choose Files Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc. Submit (doc or pdf with video in it) --- “Emotional intelligence isn’t a luxury you can dispense with in tough times. It’s a basic tool that, deployed with finesse, is key to professional success.” – Harvard Business Review, April 2003 ---) Emotional Intelligence Is No Soft Skill https://www.extension.harvard.edu/professional-development/blog/emotional-intelligence-no-soft-skill by LAURA WILCOX Wilcox is the director of management programs at Harvard Extension School, as well as a committee member and planner for key industry-wide conferences in higher education. Despite a bevy of research and best-selling books on the topic, many managers still downplay emotional intelligence as a “touchy-feely” soft skill. The importance of characteristics like empathy and self-awareness is understood, sure. But intelligence and technical capability are seen as the real drivers of professional success. After all, a bit of coaching can help you navigate difficult conversations. And isn’t interpersonal friction simply part of organizational life? But evidence suggests quite the opposite: that high emotional intelligence (EI) is a stronger predictor of success. In fact, high EI bolsters the hard skills, helping us think more creatively about how best to leverage our technical chops. A KEY DIFFERENTIATOR FOR YOUR PERSONAL BRAND When I co-teach the program Strategic Leadership, I ask participants to list the characteristics of a great mentor or role model and to classify each characteristic into one of three groups: IQ/smarts, technical skills, or emotional intelligence. Almost invariably, the majority of characteristics fall into the EI bucket. In fact, emotional intelligence—the ability to, say, understand your effect on others and manage yourself accordingly—accounts for nearly 90 percent of what moves people up the ladder when IQ and technical skills are roughly similar. Although many participants are surprised by the results, scientific research has proved the point. Daniel Goleman is the author and psychologist who put emotional intelligence on the business map. He found that, beyond a certain point, there is little or no correlation between IQ and high levels of professional success. One needs above-average intelligence—which Goleman defines as one standard deviation from the norm or an IQ of about 115—to master the technical knowledge needed to be a doctor, lawyer, or business executive. But once people enter the workforce, IQ and technical skills are often equal among those on the rise. Emotional intelligence becomes an important differentiator (hear Goleman discuss his findings in this video on YouTube). In fact, emotional intelligence—the ability to, for instance, understand your effect on others and manage yourself accordingly—accounts for nearly 90 percent of what moves people up the ladder when IQ and technical skills are roughly similar (see "What Makes a Leader" in the Harvard Business Review, January 2004). Research has also demonstrated that emotional intelligence has a strong impact on organizational performance. Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical company, focused on the emotional intelligence skills of its sales force, which boosted annual performance by 12 percent (see the research by S. Jennings and B.R. Palmer in “Sales Performance Through Emotional Intelligence Development,” Organizations and People, 2007). After Motorola provided EI training for staff in a manufacturing plant, the productivity of more than 90 percent of those trained went up (Bruce Cryer, Rollin McCraty, and Doc Childre: “Pull the Plug on Stress,” Harvard Business Review, July 2003). Emotional intelligence increases corporate performance for a number of reasons. But perhaps the most important is the ability of managers and leaders to inspire discretionary effort—the extent to which employees and team members go above and beyond the call of duty. The core of high EI is self-awareness: if you don't understand your own motivations and behaviors, it's nearly impossible to develop an understanding of others. A lack of self-awareness can also thwart your ability to think rationally and apply technical capabilities. Individuals are much more inclined to go the extra mile when asked by an empathetic person they respect and admire. Although discretionary effort isn’t endless, managers with low emotional intelligence will have much less to draw on. If an organization has a cadre of emotionally intelligent leaders, such discretionary efforts multiply. THE BEDROCK OF EI: SELF-AWARENESS The ability to be an emotionally intelligent leader is based on 19 competencies in four areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. The core of high EI is self-awareness: if you don't understand your own motivations and behaviors, it's nearly impossible to develop an understanding of others. A lack of self-awareness can also thwart your ability to think rationally and apply technical capabilities. Two parts of the brain are constantly fighting for control. The neocortex is the cognitive center, where our IQ and working memory reside. On average, in a normal emotional state, the neocortex can process a factorial of four variables, which is 24 possible interrelationships. RELATED ARTICLES 3 Effective Strategies to Manage Workplace Conflict Learn to improve dynamics for yourself and your team—and together you can deliver the results you strive for. Want to Be a Stronger Leader? Challenge Your Assumptions The key to becoming a successful leader lies in asking a lot of questions. Adeptly handling multiple variables is central to performing important tasks such as developing a strategy, improving a complicated process, setting priorities, understanding consequences, and gleaning keen insights from data and information. The amygdala is the feeling side of the brain, our emotional center. As the part of our brain concerned with our survival, it responds 100 times faster than the neocortex. Such responsiveness is particularly useful when confronted with a potentially threatening situation. But because it can be triggered by both real and perceived threats, we can fall into the trap of imagining the worst before we have all the facts. How many of us, when faced with a rumor of layoffs, are quick to envision the worst-case scenario before we learn the truth? WHEN EMOTIONS HIJACK OUR ABILITY TO REASON When the feeling side or our brain is triggered, it hijacks our cognitive system. With the slightest provocation, our ability to apply reason and logic can drop by 75 percent. Thus, instead of handling 24 interrelationships, we may suddenly be able to cope with only two. We may start to see only in black and white, in binary frameworks like yes or no, right or wrong, and win or lose. Using questions instead of statements can also help managers and leaders avoid triggering emotional hijacks in others. Our feeling mind wants to sense that we are included, autonomous, competent, valued, respected, and safe. Throughout a work day, there are numerous emotional triggers: an e-mail from a superior saying “We need to talk,” a comment made by a colleague with a hidden agenda, even a funny look from someone important in the office. It can take us nearly 20 minutes to recover from an emotional encounter. If the feelings are frequently retriggered, we can end up spending significant amounts of time with little ability to leverage our technical capability and inherent intelligence. FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING RATHER THAN JUDGMENT So how can we speed up our recovery? It’s important to stop and turn our attention from the emotional to the physical. Physical activity such as taking a walk or going for a drink of water reduces the amount of adrenaline and cortisol flowing through the body. Once the body is calmed physically, we need to seek information and determine if the threat is real and, if so, what we can do to address it. Ask yourself whether an issue will matter in six minutes, six days, six weeks, six months, or six years. Questions engage your curiosity—your neocortex. Statements, however, imply judgment, triggering the feeling side of the brain. If someone is habitually late to meetings, for example, asking yourself why that is the case will lead to a more productive conversation about the issue than stewing on the statement: “I can’t stand the fact that he is always late.” It is easy to consign emotional intelligence to the periphery of work life and concentrate on smarts and know-how. However, such a focus will likely hamper success. Using questions instead of statements can also help managers avoid triggering emotional hijacks in others. Our feeling mind wants to sense that we are included, autonomous, competent, valued, respected, and safe. Something as simple as asking, “Can you tell me more about how you came to that conclusion?” or “What information would be helpful for you?” is far less likely to trigger an emotional hijack than statements such as, “I don’t completely agree” or “I’m worried about what is happening.” It is easy to consign emotional intelligence to the periphery of work life and concentrate on smarts and know-how. But such a focus will likely hamper success. It can leave us without the most important differentiator for our personal brands. And an inability to manage ourselves severely constrains our capacity to use hard skills such as the technical competence that we have worked so hard to master. By the same token, a command of emotional intelligence is a proven differentiator in the competitive climb up the corporate ladder. By inspiring others, emotionally intelligent leaders can ignite discretionary effort on the part of their teams to boost productivity and spur higher levels of employee engagement that comes from a strong company morale. RELATED PROGRAMS Strategic Leadership Managing Yourself and Leading Others Essential Management Skills for Emerging Leaders --- What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny MATTers, compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson (pic WhatLiesWithinUs) ---aise with. I repeat, if we can get good at fund-raising, we can do ANYTHING! - 4:24am FB-Karen Schaal Yo K... what's up with GG? No posts in 6 weeks. Do you have an 'issue' with that page? I don't mean to be a pain, but that page has too cool of a start to let it go... I added some more of my folks this morning. Please process the pending posts and member requests. Thx! - Matt ---aising!!!!! >> ND! ask good people, and organizations, to help the less fortunate. ---awpixel.jpg 9. Ask genuine questions. “How are you?” won’t get an honest answer from most Americans. Ask directly if they have concerns, for example, and ask it sincerely. 10. Get to the why. Discuss in a group how people feel differently and explore why. This practice will help your team work better with each other, customers, and other stakeholders. 11. Try job shadowing. If someone is having a particularly hard time empathizing, you may organize job shadowing to help see a different perspective firsthand. 12. Demonstrate compassion. Show your team how to value people and make the best decisions for the most good. Guide them away from identifying too much with the people who are most similar to them because that leads to bias and suffering alongside them instead of helping them. 13. Use the pre-mortem technique. Before a project begins, get team members write down all the reasons why it might fail. This helps people think critically and consider alternatives with less emotional resistance. 14. Normalize cool downs. For any emotional situation, insist each time your team takes at least 20 minutes before they react. That’s how long it takes before people can think clearly following a fight or flight response. Giving them a few days for bigger decisions allows them to contemplate it from different emotional states. 15. Institute slow downs. Where appropriate, establish structured processes to help your team cool down and think through decisions. Try a weighted matrix. 16. Cultivate desire to change. Emotional intelligence is too complex to motivate with external incentives or punishments. Richard Boyatzis’ Intentional Change theory outlines a more effective coaching approach: Help discover personal values and compelling vision: What is important in their life? What is important to them at work? What is their dream for the future? Help connect current behavior with the future: How do others experience their interactions? How do you observe their emotional intelligence? How can they develop skills to realize their vision? How can people support them in this process? 17. Establish baselines. As with any change, you want to know where you're starting and where you're going to determine how to get there. EI assessments include the ESCI, MSCEIT, or the Emotional Intelligence 2.0 appraisal. 18. Target key competencies. Invest in developing competencies where the person is weakest and where strength would best benefit them and the organization. More Than Sound’s model has 12 competencies, including adaptability, achievement orientation, positive outlook, organizational awareness, influence, conflict management, and inspirational leadership. 19. Offer growth opportunities. Many employees benefit from special projects, committees, or other stretch opportunities. They not only practice their skills with different people in different ways, but they learn from people they wouldn't normally be exposed to in their regular roles. 20. Adapt to each individual. Some people and some positions don't require as much emotional intelligence. Employees with autism can be extremely skilled at spotting patterns, but not social cues. They can be partnered with people who have exceptional emotional intelligence to help accommodate them and help their ideas and their work be understood and supported. 21. Give good feedback. Help employees understand emotional intelligence, its importance, and their levels of competencies. As with all feedback, focus on objective data and clear expectations. Give positive recognition weekly so they are confident and comfortable to receive more critical feedback in a constructive way. 22. Mentor, coach, buddy. Set up a network of specific people who can provide guidance, support, and advocacy within or beyond the organization. Coaches provide powerful support through the inevitable struggles of change and self-improvement. Leading the organization senior-leadership-benjamin-child.jpg 23. Meet basic needs first. People need to know they have adequate resources and stability before they devote energy to social belonging and self-fulfillment. Employees want autonomy and meaning, but not at the expense of their minimum standard for compensation and benefits. 24. Master vision and values. Leaders should embody the organization’s core values. If employees see misalignment, it feels like a broken promise. Use stories in combination with numbers to bring vision to life and inspire its achievement. 25. Get vulnerable. Levels of professional intimacy and emotional display rules vary by culture, but people are generally more likely to acknowledge and address their vulnerabilities when they see leaders role model and value the practice. 26. Show some emotion. The message should not be to avoid emotion or maintain constant happiness. A moderate level of emotion helps people make better social and financial decisions when combined with data and logic. 27. Plant prompts. When employees are engrossed in their work, it’s harder to remember what they learned in training or what their CEO said at the last townhall. Posters, desktop objects, or computer wallpaper/notifications are ways to trigger new habits like deep breathing and body scans when they matter most. 28. Embed recognition. When employee recognition is a part of your culture, people become more aware of how they affect others and how to express their appreciation to one another. Simply stopping to think regularly about what you'd like to recognize people for can help think before acting. 29. Incentivize with feeling. Recognizing teams and offering group incentives help people feel valued and connected to the company in a way that improves well-being, productivity, and loyalty. 30. Invest in wellness. Physical and mental health programs and policies complement emotional awareness and regulation. Fitness subsidies, free confidential counseling, and social events can help manage emotional distress at work and at home. In summary Everyone can and should play a role in building emotional intelligence in themselves and others. The process starts with self-awareness, but the symbiotic relationships never end. Anyone can immediately apply one of these thirty strategies to improve at the personal, professional, and organizational levels. If you're ready to take the next step toward building an extraordinary organizational culture, check out our latest guide: Get 10 Dead Simple Ways to Improve Your Company Culture Related Reading How to Sell Employee Recognition to a Skeptical Executive How to Make Business Travel Better for Employees 3 Practical Ways to Help Employees Benefit from Emotions inShare 101 Written by Jessica Collins Jessica Collins LinkedIn Jessica is an HR analyst and writer. She has a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto. Previously, she worked in total rewards at the world’s largest mining company and in organizational development at Canada’s largest home, auto, and business insurance company. - 05:20 FB-EIA EXCELLENT Article -- super-practical -- Skim it (at least). http://blog.bonus.ly/30-emotional-intelligence-training-opportunities-hidden-in-your-workday ---" (Draper-Richards, a grant to change/save the world that I've been saving info for), and other keywords. for example: here's what would be copied from the third instance of "ND brochure"... This is not the place they get to come each week to whine about how they feel - this is where they come to examine what is working in the present, what is not, and to go through the process of changing the "is not" part of that by taking action. - Penny R. Tupy, Life Coach Feelings expressed for the following reasons are fine: Clarity Release Acceptance Remove Judgments Go for deeper feelings (ex: express anger to get to the hurt underneath) not Ok: whining blaming (short-term is fine, in an effort to find your part in it all) one-up-manship / competition poor me (if you want people to feel sorry for you, you're not looking for results) victim (to explain how there really is NOthing you can do about it... and it's all their fault, anyhow) --- ----------------------