Wouldn’t it be great if there was a universal translator device that could analyze a conversation between people with opposing points of view and find common ground or suggest wording that would help both sides come to a level of understanding? There are a number of challenging topics in the education dialogue right now. Parents, community members, board members, teachers, administrators, and students are all tangled in crossed lines of communication and finding the right words to cut across those lines is increasingly difficult. Social Emotional Learning is one of those tangled lines. On one side are educators who recognize the need to be intentional in teaching and applying communication, collaboration, organization, self-awareness and empathy skills. On the other side of that tangled line, parents, community members, board members and politicians who see SEL as something new, something different, something that they aren't sure is good for kids or should be in school.
Without a universal translator device, educators can still diffuse the conversation when it becomes emotionally charged or find common ground when opposing perspectives are shared. I call this a connect the dots conversation. I have found that asking the person who is questioning SEL, or any other curriculum, is to first listen to their perspective. What is it that they have heard or read that sparked their interest in reaching out to me? Are they willing to do a think aloud for me, helping me to see how they connected the dots to arrive at their conclusion or concern. Often, this results in a walkthrough of how they heard/read and interpreted communication from the district, articles they have seen online, and conversations with other parents or community members that lead them to their concern. This is really insightful, and is a chance to see the blind spots that may have existed in what I thought was a clearly written communication or assumptions I may have made about how much parents or the community knew or understood about the work of the schools. Sometimes the starting point of common ground is the fact that we both care about kids. It may take multiple conversations to get to the point where someone is open to having this conversation with you. It is worth the time investment, especially if the individual is a leading voice raising concerns. I then ask them if they are open to hearing how I (or the team) connected the dots. This is a chance to walk through the decision making process, or to emphasize the positive student outcomes the actions/plan will lead to. I avoid jargon. I use examples or definitions vs acronyms when doing this. For the SEL conversation, talking about why communication skills, self-regulation skills, and empathy are skills we all need is a way to find common ground. Making connections to their own childhood or school experience is effective. The “Golden Rule”, counting to 10 before you speak when you are angry, think before you act, the early bird catches the worm… ask them how many of these phrases have they used? All of these phrases are related to social emotional skills, in fact, schools have been integrating these skills for a long time. Citizenship, attendance, and learning skills have been report card categories in the past. These are SEL too. Having this conversation, or including this information in school communication helps to reconnect tangled and broken lines.
I don’t have a universal translator device, but I do have ChatGPT, so I asked it to help me find common ground around SEL. First, I asked it to identify SEL language from the 1950s, 1970s and today and find common threads. This is one way to engage in conversation with individuals who feel that SEL is something new.
Then, I worked with ChatGPT to identify words and explanations with neutral connotations that could be used to provide multiple entry points into conversations about SEL with individuals who are coming with their own perspectives. After some refinement and feedback from me, the list ChatGPT and I created is below.
Communication: This skill is important for building positive relationships, resolving conflicts, and expressing thoughts and feelings in a clear and respectful way.
Self-awareness: This skill involves understanding one's own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and how they affect others. It can help individuals to manage their emotions and make better decisions.
Responsible decision-making: This skill involves evaluating different options and making choices that are respectful, safe, and aligned with personal values and goals.
Empathy: This skill involves understanding and sharing the feelings and perspectives of others. It can help individuals to build positive relationships, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts.
I can see using each of these at the center of a graphic that shows all of the different opportunities students have throughout their day to learn/practice/ get feedback on these skills. Or, as small group discussion topics - maybe a jigsaw activity. These skills are inner-related and also tie into PBIS initiatives. The more we can demonstrate these connections and emphasize that this isn’t new, and that it actually enhances the academic time students are spending in school, the more likely we are to de-escalate conversations.
Resources to Spark Your Thinking
NEA’s recent article - The Truth About Social Emotional Learning, It Works
Edutopia Article - How to Embed Social Emotional Learning Skills Into Your Instruction
Center For Creative Leadership - How To Tackle Difficult Conversations
Upcoming Opportunities
Explore the new Learning Community available as part of the Future Forward Ohio. It is aligned to OTES 2.0 https://www.
ohiolearningcommunity.org/ Missy McClain’s (Akron Children’s Hospital) Modules hosted on the Mercer County ESC website - Understanding Trauma’s Impact On Children
- Do you have a passion for math? Have you thought about sharing an effective instructional practice with your peers? Now is your chance. Join OCTM, the Ohio Council of Teachers of Math…and submit a proposal for the state math conference - Oct 12-13 at Kalahari Resorts. Proposals are open now - https://forms.gle/
ftaaiRU2HDmuqPiJ7