I teach in a Kindergarten behavior classroom. Students are placed from all over the district to work in our 8-12 week program to teach and strengthen SEL skills. As the classroom teacher, it is my job to fuse Social-Emotional learning lessons and strategies with our daily academic lessons while our classroom counselor teaches a daily block of SEL lessons. Student learn a series of ways to identify and manager their emotions, how to get along with others, resolve conflicts using Kelso Choices along with many other skills. Once they complete the program, they return to their home schools to ‘put into play’ their new skills in their classroom.
This program is structured in a way that we alternate between non-preferred and preferred activities, the first being academic and the second, choice time.
Every part of the students’ day is tracked via a point sheet in which they are working to earn their personal power time at the end of the day, which is by earning 85% of their points. During the last 'choice time', if they have earned their day, they get to play with premium toys during what we refer to as ‘personal power’.
My Project
In this behavior supported classroom, students learn a wide range of skills to help them understand and deal with their emotions. They learn to listen to each other, to share and take turns, to take responsibility for their actions and to solve small problems.
By donating to my project, these STEM toys will further help my students to practice sharing and taking turns, talking it out, and working together with friends to build structures and relationships.
These STEM toys will be an incentive for students who receive this extra behavioral support to continue practicing their new SEL skills and continuing to make good choice. Each day that students earn 85% of their day by making great choices they will earn their 'personal power' and get to choose to explore with these premium toys at the end of their school day.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Straley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.