For this episode I interviewed Dr. Giordana Cote. Dr. Cote currently works for Tools of the Mind as the Director of Partnership Development. She has a long career in teaching early childhood and coaching teachers. She completed her dissertation in Social Emotional Learning and uses her expertise in the area to consult for local and regional school districts in Massachusetts. Social Emotional Learning or SEL has become an important part of our professional development and regular discourse around the current climate of education. How we connect with students and develop their SEL skills are an important part of the daily classroom experience and Dr. Cote provides us with some practical tools and reflections for meeting students’ and teachers’ needs.

Reflection Questions:

• What are the SEL skills that you want to develop in your students? Make a list.
• How can you purposefully embed those skills throughout the school day?
• Which of your own experiences can you share with students to develop SEL conversations?
• What are some practical ways that you can involve families and the larger community to develop SEL skills in your classroom
• What supports do you need from administration at your site? Make a list.