Belonging
What: Relationship is one of the strongest antidotes to the negative effects of trauma. It refers to the universal deep human need to feel connected to others—to belong—in relationships characterized by warmth, support, and trust. Positive attachment—a sense of belonging—suppresses stress responses and aids healing; attachment provides safety, which supports emotional and behavioral regulation.
Goal Examples:
• I will prioritize belonging, relationships and community building by holding regular classroom meetings.
- Professional Goal: I will do this by embedding CASEL’s 3 signature practices into classroom meetings.
- Student Goal: I will do this by engaging students through connections and highlighting student identities surveying participants regarding their experiences.
• I will strengthen my relationships with students to create a community of care where individual identities are valued.
- Professional Goal: I will do this by integrating into my instruction strategies to build relationships with all students: to understand their identities, their strengths and needs.
- Student Goal: I will do this by surveying students regarding their perception of our relationship and by revising strategies according to the results.
• Resources
Voice, Choice, and Empowerment
What: Voice, choice, and empowerment help children develop a sense of having some control over their environment: the sense that their actions can make things better both for themselves and for their communities. Children who can develop this sense are healthier, happier, more self-directed and more resilient.
Goal Examples:
• I will help students develop “voice” by soliciting, encouraging, and implementing their suggestions for how to make our class continually more helpful and more effective.
- Professional Goal: I will use class time and/or independent learning time for periods where students will reflect on class climate and culture and articulate or jot down their needs or wishes for improvement. I will warmly validate student contributions with special attention to those whose voices I feel most need developing.
- Student Goal: Students will answer periodic survey questions regarding their satisfaction with our process and with their feelings about classroom culture in general.
• I will enrich the social-emotional capacity of my students by frequently offering them choices in assignments and other class-related activities.
- Professional Goal: In cases where choice is not possible, I will help students understand the rationale (or rules) that dictate something must be done in a certain way. In other cases, I will offer students choices either in the assignment being worked on or in ways to approach the assignment.
- Student Goal: Students will be surveyed regarding satisfaction with the choices they are offered, and their voice/input will be sought regarding improving the system.
Resources:
Possible Assessments
- Student self-assessments
- Family self-assessments
- Student/teacher goal setting conferences and forms
- End of reporting period interviews
Foundational SEL Professional Learning Opportunity
What: SEL4OR’s micro lessons (linked here) provide opportunities for deeper learning and reflection to support the professional development and practice of school district staff. The lessons focus on 4 key pillars of trauma-informed care. Each pillar has 3-4 micro lessons specific to the topic, to further one’s understanding of why and how social-emotional learning helps us all prepare to move forward (academically, socially, and emotionally) as a resilient community.
Goal Example:
Professional Goal: I will increase my ability to support my students—academically, socially, and emotionally—by completing SEL4OR’s micro lessons that focus on the four pillars of trauma-informed care.
This document is a collaboration of districts and professionals from Oregon. Special thanks to Beaverton, Hillsboro, North Clackamas and Portland School Districts and colleagues from SEL4OR.