Michael Pastor
Upper School Counselor
With contributions from Ashley Harsh and Loren Moyé
Progressive educators have always been committed to educating the whole child, however the movement to promote Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools is quite recent. In 1994 Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, founded the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) to promote SEL in schools. The work of CASEL and others has shown that SEL has a positive impact on students not only in the social emotional realm, but also in terms of academic success. SEL aims to recognize affective components of students’ education and strives to hone interpersonal skills, including effective communication, active listening, aspects as well as emotive and creative expression. SEL is a part of an integrated and structured holistic Affective Education program aiming to strengthen the skills and social and emotional competencies of a 21st century learner.
Prior to this year at SFDS, small steps were taken to incorporate affective education into the fabric of the upper school student’s education, mostly during health education and advisory periods. This year, with the revised upper school schedule and the Summer Learning Institute’s focus on advisory curriculum, we have been able to commit more deeply to this important part of the student’s overall learning. A group of teachers and counselors, including Anne Paine, Ashley Harsh, Leah Rosenkrantz, Tom Keller, and Michael Pastor, met over the summer to develop a seventh-grade curriculum for the activity and advisory periods. Eighth-grade advisors, Sarah Pizer-Bush and Loren Moyé, also met during the summer to create an eighth-grade curriculum. Also, plans are in the works for an expanded health-education curriculum this year for all upper-school students.
Following is a further explanation of how SEL is becoming more integrated in different grades:
7th Grade
Seventh grade teachers introduced components of an SEL curriculum into both the advisory and service learning programs. The most significant introduction to this curriculum is the student-led conversational forum known as the “Open Session.” Designed to give students the ability to share concerns or thoughts on topics ranging from the beginning of school to service learning in the Tenderloin, students can anonymously share their thoughts while also taking responsibility for sharing the opinions and encouragement of their classmates. The forum is also designed to require reflection before speaking, as students must play a “card” indicating whether they will be giving advice, asking a question of clarification, or providing support for the comment in question. The Open Session gives the students an opportunity to hear from each other in a non-threatening and supportive environment. So far, students in open sessions have discussed everything from anxieties surrounding tests and projects to anticipations for the upcoming year.
In addition to the Open Session, and in recognition of the heavy academic and extracurricular loads many students carry, seventh-grade advisories have implemented a programmed rest period occurring nearly once a week. This time is announced early in the week so that students can come prepared to read, draw, meditate, or complete another silent activity. This period not only provides time for students to decompress and reflect, but also gives those who process internally the opportunity to synthesize information acquired during the day. This period is often met with significant anticipation and appreciation from many students.
8th Grade
The eighth-grade advisory curriculum is designed around the theme of identity. Through various projects and discussions, the eighth graders will explore their identities as they transition to high school. The guiding questions: Who are you? How do you see yourself? How do you see others? How do others see you? Activities will touch on race and ethnicity, as well as social groupings and stereotypes in middle school. Additionally, the activities will allow students to reflect on their time at the Day School and express their expectations in high school.
Eighth-grade advisory also serves as a place to check in about class work and to unwind and have fun. After all, the eighth-grade year can be an anxious time for some students, and they need a safe place to blow off steam.
A common goal for both seventh and eighth grades is to foster students’ capacity for self-reflection. Student life at SFDS is often so busy that there isn’t enough time to slow down and think about self. We will continue to develop an SEL curriculum for upper-school activity periods and advisory. Many teachers are excited at the prospect of integrating SEL into the fabric of upper-school life. Parent feedback and input is always welcome.
