![]() ![]() Those spaces included things such as therapeutic herbal diffusers, earphones to listen to calming sounds, books and journals to write their thoughts. Specifically, every classroom included spaces where students could decompress, take a break, or meditate to be productive in the classroom setting. Our educational spaces transformed into sessions and platforms where students and their leaders could authentically be themselves and thrive in safe and supportive spaces. Once our school identified the need for SEL, we were able to re-channel our energy and focus on the inputs that would get our students back on track. When individuals are equipped with these skills, they can better cope with everyday challenges and positively improve all aspects of their lives, and given the situation that we were in, there was no better time than the present. ![]() SEL is defined as the process of developing self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success. We decided that implementing a framework incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) would help our students and families cope and heal from the inside out. Developing a Framework for Student EngagementĪs the School and Community Engagement Manager and Parent Liaison, I worked with a team of LJPMS teachers and administrators to adopt a framework to re-engage students and families and restore a sense of love and belonging within the surrounding community. What started as a daunting task became a mission to reignite the passion and engagement of our students while strengthening our local community. Over the last two years, I worked with fellow educators and administrators at LPJMS to strategize ways to put social-emotional learning at the forefront of our curriculum and student and family engagement plan. If anything, the issue shed light on the lack of investment in the local communities where our students live and exposed the gap in mental health resources for students and their families.Īs a school, we knew that if our students and families didn’t have the support they needed, student learning and engagement would be severely impacted. The irony here was not poor property management that condemned the properties in this community – the homes had been unlivable for many years prior. Even worse, we were still in the midst of a pandemic not only did we have to create innovative ways to teach and reach our children virtually, but we also had to ensure that our children and families were physically safe, nourished and mentally and emotionally sound to cope with the trauma they just experienced. There were over 300 families that resided in Forest Cove, and many of the children from these households attended our school. Price Middle School (LJPMS) families after the city of Atlanta condemned property in the Forest Cove neighborhood in 2021. ![]() ![]() This was the reality for many of the students and their families at Luther J. Imagine not only waking up to a pandemic, forced into an isolated space without the physical and emotional support you need for learning, but also discovering that the place you call home has been deemed unlivable. ![]()
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