In this ongoing discussion group, we will visit a variety of social and emotional learning topics that children in this age group encounter. The topics that are covered are based on the principles that I teach in my introductory class "My Social Emotional Me" (both the class and camp format). Because I am now teaching in-person, on a year-round basis, I am not able to offer the introductory classes as often as I would like. Therefore, I will ensure that all learners are provided with the foundational information they need in this discussion class.

Learners will have an opportunity to develop their social and emotional skills through: 
     1) Discussion among other learners
     2) Practicing the tools they are given
     3) Repetition of phrases and techniques

Each week we will do activities that will reinforce the following social and emotional skills:
     1) Being attentive when engaging in conversations
     2) Being sensitive to and patient with others
     3) Managing emotions
     4) Maintaining positive relationships with others and supporting feelings in others
     5) Resolving conflict
     6) Including Others, Asking to be Included, and managing distant relationships 
     7) Responding to bullying. 

Each session will consist of:
     1) Greeting.  Learners will be encouraged to share their names and something about themselves with other learners. A specific topic will be designated each week for the greeting. Learners will welcome each other by name, after each learner has shared.
     2) Crew. Crew is an activity in which classmates collaborate to problem solve and build community. Crew might be a group game or it might be a communication tool where learners find out something unique about each other. Crew also helps build social-emotional skills. 
     3) Group discussion and sharing, centered around the topic for the week. During the discussion and sharing time, learners will be presented with the topic, often through a growth mindset activity or thought-provoking questions. I don't do a lot of teaching because I feel the learners will learn more if they are led to come to conclusions about these topics on their own. I will guide the discussions to keep them on track and to ensure the accuracy of information.
     4) Personal reflection.  Learners will be asked to personally reflect on our topic for the week, answering questions through journaling. Learners will be allowed to keep answers private or share them with the class.

Week of November 18th - Growth Mindset; Being Attentive and Engaged 
Greeting 
Crew 
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion 
We will discuss how learners can be better Attentive and Engaged with what surrounds them

Week of November 25th - Being Patient and Respecting Others (NOTE: Even though Thursday is a US holiday, we WILL have class on Monday, Tuesday and Friday since I teach learners from other countries.)
Greeting 
Crew 
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can be better at Having Patience and Respecting Others

Week of December 2nd - Managing Emotions  
Greeting 
Crew 
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can manage their Strong Emotions

Week of September 9th - Values 
Greeting
Crew
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can develop strong values.

Week of December 16th - Relationships with Others; Empathy
Greeting 
Crew 
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can support other people's feelings

We will NOT have any classes from December 21st-January 5th!!

Week of  January 6th- Relationships with Others; Handling Conflict 
Greeting 
Crew 
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can work on their Relationships with Others when it comes to handling conflicts.

Week of January 13th - Relationships with Others; Including Others/What to Do When I'm Not Included
Greeting 
Crew 
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can include others, even when they don't know them and ask to be included when they are feeling left out

Week of January 20th-  Bullying Others (NOTE: Even though Monday is a US holiday, we WILL have class on Monday since I teach learners from other countries.)
Greeting
Crew
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion 
We will discuss how learners can stay safe from Bullying

Week of January 27th - Setting Goals and Believing in Yourself
Greeting
Crew
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can set goals and believe in themselves to achieve those goals.

Week of February 1st - Learning from Mistakes
Greeting
Crew
Growth Mindset Activity and Discussion
We will discuss how learners can see that mistakes are a part of life; that they can learn from their mistakes; and that mistakes can help their brains grow.

Week of February 8th - Learners' Choice
Greeting 
Crew 
We will cover a variety of social-emotional topics that we have discussed in previous weeks. We will focus on whichever area the learners have questions or concerns about. Oftentimes, this is done simply by playing the games that the learners like the most. Even through these games, learners are working on their social and emotional skills. Learners' Choice week is an opportunity where I really get to see the learners put the skills that we have discussed into practice.

Week of February 15th - We will repeat the topics from the top.

The purpose of this class is to continue reinforcing basic social and emotional topics Therefore, we repeat these basic concepts, looking at them from a different perspective each time. Discussions will always take on a unique tone, depending on what has happened in learners' lives, as well as who is in the group. I also change up the Greeting, Crew, and Growth mindset activities, as appropriate. My goal is to always challenge learners' thinking and discussion each and every time we meet, as well as provide an opportunity for them to learn from and encourage each other in their social and emotional growth.

I prefer learners keep their cameras on, due to the nature of this class. However, I also understand that there are many reasons why your child may not feel comfortable being on camera. 

#superstar