The SEL Five

Questions for the classroom:

What is character?

How do you build character?

Do you know anyone that has good character? What kinds of things do they do?

Great Classroom Read-Alouds:

“Train Your Angry Dragon,” by Steve Herman

“Interrupting Chicken,” by David Ezra

“Do Unto Otters,” by Laurie Keller

“My Mouth is a Volcano,” by Julia Cook

“Ish,” by Peter H. Reynolds

“Sky Color,” by Peter H. Reynolds

“The Dot,” by Peter H. Reynolds

“A Wolf’s Tale,” by Eva Montanari

“Library Lion,” by Michelle Knudsen

“Ricky the rock that couldn’t Roll,” by Jay Miletsky

“The Bad Seed,” by Jory John

Activities for the classroom:

Bucket-filler Friday - Take time once a week to have students encourage each other. This could be via written notes or circle time to give each other compliments.

Don't Be Salty - Give students a salt packet and have them dump it on a napkin. Tell them to put the crystals back into the pack. This is the same as our words — they are difficult to take back.

Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it. ~ Salvadore Dali

Questions for Classroom Discission:

What does it mean to be creative?

Why is creativity important?

Share a time that you have been creative!

What kinds of growth have you seen by being creative?

Great Classroom Read-alouds:

“The Dot” by Peter Reynolds

“Ish” by Peter Reynolds

“Iggy Peck, Architect” by Andrea Beaty

“What Do You Do With an Idea?” by Kobe Yamada

Activities for the Classroom:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-in-classroom-trisha-riche(elementary)

https://artsintegration.com/creative-thinking-activities/

https://www.weareteachers.com/classroom-creativity/

With courage, there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it. -Amanda Gorman

Questions for Classroom Discussion:

What is courage?

What is a time you’ve displayed courage?

How did the people we discussed show courage?

Great Classroom Read-Aloud Books:

“28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World” by Charles R. Smith, Jr. and Shane W. Evans

“Lillian’s Right To Vote” by Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans

“The Quickest Kid in Clarksville” by Pat Zietlow Miller and Frank Morrison

“My Name is Truth: The Extraordinary Life of Sojourner Truth” by Ann Turner and James Ransome

“We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song” by Debbie Levy and Vanessa Brantley-Newton

“Let the Children March” by Monica Clark-Robinson

“Nina: Jazz Legend and Civil-Rights Activist Nina Simone” by Alice Brière-Haquet

Activities for the Classroom:

- Teach a lesson on social justice movements through Minecraft’s Good Trouble: Lessons in Social Justice module

- https://centerracialjustice.org/resources/black-history-month-resource-guide-for-educators-and-families/

Just Keep Swimming! 

Questions for Classroom Discussion:

What is a mindset?

What does it mean to have a fixed mindset?

What does it mean to have a growth mindset?

Why is it important to celebrate failures?

What is a mantra you can repeat to yourself when you struggle or fail? (Example: Keep Moving Forward)

Great Classroom Read-Aloud Books:

“What Do You Do With a Chance?” by Kobi Yamada

“Jabari Jumps” by Gaia Cornwall

“The Book of Mistakes” by Corinna Luyken

“My Strong Mind: A Story About Developing Mental Strength” by Niels Van Hove

“When Sophie Thinks She Can’t…” by Molly Bang

“I Can’t Do That, YET” by Esther Cordova

“How to Catch a Star” by Oliver Jeffers

“Whistle for Willie” by Ezra Jack Keats

“Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle” by Chris Raschka

“Flight School” by Lita Judge

“A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin” by Jen Bryant

“Rosie Revere Engineer” by Andrea Beaty

“Emmanuel’s Dream” by Laurie Ann Thompson

“Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Change Music” by Margarita Engle and Rafael Lopez

“Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin” by Chiere Uegaki

“Ruby’s Wish” by Shirin Yim Bridges

Activities for the Classroom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUJkbWNnNy4

Have students brainstorm a list of growth mindset statements. Choose one of the statements to adopt as your class motto. Have students design posters to display. Create a cheer or chant to say the mantra when a task is difficult!

Free Growth Mindset Printable Coloring Sheet! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Growth-Mindset-Coloring-Sheets-3329026?st=8ac71a43770e39ae81c9fa3393ac7638

Free Growth Mindset Motivational Posters: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Motivational-Posters-3339728?st=8ac71a43770e39ae81c9fa3393ac7638

"But as their parents knew, these sisters had magic in them, and the true magic of Venus and Serena Williams is that they never quit. They never stopped working." - "Sisters and Champions" by Howard Bryant

Questions for Classroom Discussion:

What is GRIT?

Why is it important to have Grit?

Share an example when you’ve shown GRIT or seen GRIT displayed in someone else.

How could showing GRIT change the world?

Great Classroom Read-Aloud Books:

- "When Sophie Thinks She Can't," by Molly Bang

- "Golden Threads," by Suzanne Del Rizzo

- "The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read," by Rita Lorraine Hubbard

- "More-Igamic," by Dori Kleber

- "Truman," by Jean Reidy

- "After the Fall," by Dan Santat

- "The Most Magnificent Thing," by Ashley Spires

- "The Hugging Tree: A Story About Resilience," by Jill Neimark

- "A Chair for My Mother," by Vera B. Williams

- "The Name Jar," by Yangsook Choi

- "Princesses are Not Perfect," by Kate Lum

Activities for the Classroom:

https://youtu.be/H14bBuluwB8

SMART Goal Setting: https://www.edutopia.org/video/grit-curriculum-lesson-setting-smart-goals

https://characterlab.org/playbooks/

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard

https://youtu.be/K4FbgX2-Uck

Do you have grit? Take the grit test!

https://sasupenn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_06f6QSOS2pZW9qR?Q_JFE=qdg

Take initiative, if you don't, who will? 

Questions for Classroom Discussion:

What is initiative?

What are some specific ways you can show initiative in our classroom? In your home? In your schoolwork? In your sport or hobby?

How could showing initiative change the world?

Great Classroom Read-Aloud Books:

"Miss Rumphius," by Barbara Cooney

"The Gardener," by Sarah Stewart

"The Paper Bag," Princess by Robert Munsch

"Rosie Revere, Engineer," by Andrea Beaty

"Above the Rim," by Jen Bryant 

"Playing to Win: How Althea Gibson Broke Barriers and Changed Tennis Forever," by Karen Deans

Activities for the Classroom:

https://www.skillsusa-register.org/crc/content/PS_SelfMotivated_ShowingInitiative.pdf

Give your brain a break! Be present in this unique moment.

Questions for Classroom Discussion: 

1. How can you be more mindful in your every day life?

2. Why is mindfulness a helpful tool?

Great Classroom Read-Aloud Books:

“Crying is Like the Rain: A Story of Mindfulness and Feelings” by Heather Hawk Feinberg

“I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness” by Susan Verde

“What Does it Mean to be Present?” by Rana DiOrio

Activities for the Classroom:

The Mindful Night (Minecraft Activity) https://education.minecraft.net/en-us/lessons/the-mindful-knight

Little Renegades has free mindfulness cards you can download if you are a teacher! They make GREAT classroom resources.

https://www.littlerenegades.com/collections/free-classroom-materials-resources

A little extra teacher talk:

Why Mindfulness?

“Mindfulness is a powerful tool that supports children in calming themselves, focusing their attention, and interacting effectively with others, all critical skills for functioning well in school and in life,” said Amy Saltzman, M.D., director of the Association for Mindfulness in Education, and director of Still Quiet Place. “Incorporating mindfulness into education has been linked to improving academic and social and emotional learning. Also, mindfulness strengthens some underlying development processes—such as focus, resilience, and self-soothing—that will help kids in the long run.”

It's cool to be kind!

Questions for Classroom Discussion:

Have you ever had an act of kindness impact you?

How can kindness change the world?

Great Classroom Read-Aloud Books

"Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes

"Those Shoes" by Maribeth Boelts

"Enemy Pie" by Derek Munson

"Cool Bean" by Jory John

Activities for the Classroom: 

Medium prep: 

A great activity for the classroom is to make a bulletin board with each student's picture. Under each picture, students can place a helpful hand with a kind act they did for someone else. Prep on this is medium. You will need each student's picture, a basket of cutout hands that students can write on, and tape for them to put their act of kindness up. 

Low prep: 

Have students take out a piece of paper and write down 3 times when kindness has affected them, and 3 times they gave out kindness. This is a great activity to get students thinking about how to be kind. 

No prep: 

Ask students to share a time when they were kind, and how another person was kind to them. 

Resources for the Classroom:

https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/52-ways-you-can-be-kinder-to-yourself.html

https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

https://www.kiwico.com/diy/holiday-events/thanksgiving/kindness-wreath