Kindergarten // Social Emotional Learning
Social emotional learning is described as “the process for developing the self awareness, self control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school work, and life success”. Social emotional learning is a crucial skill that all people must learn. However, it is critical to learn this early and through explicit instruction. Young students who enter into the classroom come from all different backgrounds and have different levels of emotional understanding. At Detroit Prep we have a system, used from kindergarten all the way up to 7th grade, in order to explicitly teach and help students understand emotional regulation. This must come before all other learning.
Zones of Regulation
Students are explicitly taught each emotion and categorize it using a color system called the zones of regulation. Green zone is calm, focused, happy, ready to learn. Yellow zone may be excited or nervous. Blue zone is described as tired, sick or sad. Red zone means that you have lost control of your body and feelings, you may be extremely sad or extremely mad. These zones are introduced through books, videos,and targeted lessons. They are then practiced through games, conversations, and in different play scenarios.
Reset desk
Once the zones of regulation are taught and understood by students they are introduced to the reset desk. This is a space in each classroom where students set a 2 minute timer. They identify how they are feeling and look at different options of ways to get back into the “ green zone”. This could look like breathing exercises, reading a book, getting a drink of water. In upper grades it could look like a written reflection of what happened, how they are feeling, and next steps.
Buddy Room
Sometimes students need an additional break or a break from the classroom altogether. In this instance Buddy rooms are utilized. A buddy room is a classroom nearby, preferably the same grade level, where students go reset at that classroom's reset desk. This desk is also filled with tools to aid in emotional regulation and a 2 minute timer. This break of surroundings truly helps students regulate their emotional system to the point that they are able to return to their class and continue in their learning.
Peace Path
Another critical aspect of social emotional learning is relationship skills and decision-making. This can come to a head in schools, while children are learning how to relate with their peers, and start solving problems independently. This is where the peace path comes in. The peace path is explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced starting in Kindergarten. This is a multistep process starting with identifying their feelings and someone else's. They both identify the conflict and what they both need to resolve the conflict. Finally they explain what they will do from now on to avoid the conflict in the future. The peace path allows students to problem solve together and gives them a facet to be able to do so routinely and independently.
Putting it All Together
Through social emotional learning students gain independence. They are able to regulate their emotions while also problem solving as issues arise. With a clear curriculum set in place from kindergarten to 7th grade, this system is vertically aligned, allowing students to continue to practice social emotional regulation and learning each year they attend the school. Through this process, by the time students reach 8th grade, they have a clear understanding of social emotional skills that will follow them and set them up for future success.