Kristen: Coming up on Inside California Education... We'’ll explore how social emotional learning gives students the skills they need to manage their emotions, develop healthy relationships and make responsible choices.

Ashly: Those of you who are feeling a little shy I hope as the day goes on you feel a little more happy and energetic.

"” Kristen: See how educators in the Sunnyvale School District weave social emotional learning into academic subjects throughout the day.

Dorian: I wanted to start us off with some mindfulness just some body scanning, make sure everybody is OK Kristen: Visit a high school in Sacramento, where student "“EQ Ambassadors"” support their fellow teens.

Jennifer: Social emotional learning is critical for our children's happiness.

For their resilience and for their academic and life success.

Kristen: Meet First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who is using her platform to draw attention to social emotional learning in schools.

Niessia: Good Morning Kindergartners.

Thank you so much for, thank you for the waves.

Kristen: And joins us as we visit a virtual kindergarten class in Santa Rosa, where all students are taught 12 "“tools"” to help navigate their emotions.

It'’s all next, on Inside California Education!

Annc: Funding for inside California Education is made possible by: At the California lottery.

We're focused on our mission to provide supplemental essential funds to public schools, kinder through college, helping to keep teachers on staff or pay for new, school computers, band equipment, and other instructional materials and services.

Since 1985, we have raised more than $37 billion and more than 95% of our sales go back to the community.

Music, to all of our ears, California lottery, helping schools and communities across California.

The Stuart foundation, improving life outcomes for young people through education ScholarShare 529, California state sponsored tax advantage 529 college savings plan designed to help pay for the cost of higher education.

Additional funding for Inside California Education is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Ashley: Okay.

Boys and girls.

Good morning.

We've already been through our agenda for the day and we're going to have an awesome day.

I can't wait to work with all of you.

Ashley: I begin most days with an emotional check-in.

And I begin with an emotional check-in because even more so than the typical classroom, we don't know what our students are going through.

We don't know what their home life has been like, what the morning has been like, if there's been yelling in the background, if they've had a rough night sleep, there are a lot of different variables.

Kristen: Ashley Bondi is a second grade teacher leading her online learning Zoom class at Vargas Elementary in the Sunnyvale Elementary School District.

Her morning'’s "“emotional check in"” is just one aspect of "“Social Emotional Learning"”.

It'’s a process helping students learn... and apply skills... to manage emotions, set goals, foster relationships and practice making good decisions in school and out.

Ashley: We did an activity where we connected our feelings to different colors.

We associated, we connected different colors with different emotions.

I'm going to give you about 30 seconds to find an object in your house that matches the color of how you're feeling today.

Give me a thumb up if you're ready with your object.

Okay, everybody show me your object.

Oh, wonderful.

I see.

Some of us are feeling really excited, like being excited to work with you today.

I see some of you are feeling happy today.

I see some of you were maybe a little shy today.

I see.

Wonderful boys and girls.

Thank you so much.

Rachel: Social emotional learning provides students, teachers, staff, and families, with what I like to call everyday life skills.

Kristen: Rachel Bacosa is the Social Emotional Learning coach for the district.

S-E-L...as it'’s often called... has been part of the district'’s ongoing teaching approach for several years - both with in-class instruction and with remote learning during the pandemic.

Rachel: Right now more than ever.

It is so important that we build moments of optimism, moments of gratitude, moments of, let's, let's talk this out.

Ashley: So boys and girls today, I'm going to read a book to you.

And this book is about a little boy named Jabari.

And Jabari is going to do something for the first time.

Kristen: In the Sunnyvale District, Social Emotional Learning is woven into the way teachers approach academic subjects throughout the day.

It encourages students to participate by sharing their experiences and emotions.

Ashley: What's something that you were a little excited to do for the first time and then maybe you got a little nervous about it?

Student: Jumping a jump rope, maybe jumping a jump rope.

That's a good idea.

Any other ideas, Max?

Max: Jumping on a trampoline.

Ashley: Maybe jumping on a trampoline.

Good idea, Michael: The social, emotional and cultural dimensions of teaching and learning are integral to achieving academic outcomes.

And they're also important in their own right.

Nancy: Creating classroom community is essential for kids to feel comfortable, to feel safe, to make mistakes in the classroom, which is the way that they learn.

Kristen: Dr. Nancy Markowitz directs the Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child.

The Center partners with the Sunnyvale District in teaching S-E-L skills.

The skills foster classroom relationships that benefit behavior and academic accomplishment.

Lindsay: Ok now I'’m feeling a little nervous because now it'’s time for me to do my picture.

And I really want a great picture of a bat.

Prior to the pandemic, this teacher is modeling social emotional learning to her class by talking through her own emotions.

Lindsay: Phew.

I'’m still feeling a little upset but I'’m still going to try to make it work.

Nancy: The children develop a growth mindset, which is that they believe they can do something if they give it time.

So it's like, not that I can't do it it's I can't do it yet.

"“Run, Jump"” Kristen: During remote learning, teachers might introduce a physical activity to give students a break.

And self-management skills are reinforced through guest lessons.

Rachel: I want to introduce myself again.

My name is Mrs. Bacosa I'm the social emotional learning coach which means that I support students, families and teachers.

Today's topic is finding strength within yourself.

Isn't that what we just read?

Jabari found the strength within himself, but we're going to go a little deeper today and I want to encourage us on how to be emotion detectives and actually be friends with our emotions.

Kristen: Students are encouraged to use their Social Emotional Learning skills....not only in the classroom...but in activities at home- sharing them with parents and siblings.

Rachel: And if we can build a common language from school to home and home to school, then we can really set everybody up for success because we're really in this together.

Michael: What the teachers have accomplished in our district is so far gone beyond what I could have ever hoped or imagined.

So by planting the seeds together with our community, I think we've created just a wonderful culture of innovation and focus on social, emotional and cultural dimensions of teaching and learning ♪♪ Kristen: IN A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER ... WHERE CAMPUSES SIT EMPTY, CALLS FOR HELP SOAR, AND EVERYONE - STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE - STRUGGLE TO CONNECT ONLINE ...

ADMINISTRATORS ARE FINDING A GREATER NEED THAN EVER FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING.

David: The number of suicide assessments that we have done has you know increased probably fivefold so we know that there are needs out there that are not being met.

Kristen: SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING -THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS, SELF-CONTROL AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS - HAS BEEN A PART OF EVERYDAY LEARNING AT SACRAMENTO'’S JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL FOR YEARS, BUT HAS PROVEN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN SO MANY STUDENTS FEEL DISCONNECTED.

Julie: We needed to learn about ways where students can not only manage themselves, manage their surroundings, collaborate with their classmates, but also have a way to, to speak about their experiences in a healthy way, with their, with the adults in their life, whether it's on campus or at home.

Kristen: TEACHERS WHO FOCUS ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ... AND ALL OF THEM DO AT KENNEDY HIGH ... SAY IT'’S A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO CLASSROOM LEARNING ... ONE THAT INCLUDES LEARNING HOW TO HANDLE LIFE.

David: We are very much trained to focus on content and instruction.

Um, and there's sort of this sometimes assumption I think that the social emotional part happens when kids are in elementary school and middle, and that just isn't the case.

Kristen: AT KENNEDY ... A CAMPUS THAT RECEIVES STUDENTS FROM SEVEN DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS, IN VERY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS ARE INTRODUCED TO STUDENTS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

SOME TEACHERS PREFER TO TOUCH ON IT THROUGHOUT THE CURRICULUM ... FOR OTHERS, IT MAY BE PART OF THEIR DAILY ROUTINE.

Cary: Let'’s go ahead and we'’ll start with just our check in ... Kristen: BUT THROUGHOUT THE CAMPUS, THERE'’S AN EFFORT BY TEACHERS TO REALLY CONNECT WITH STUDENTS, ADDRESSING THEIR UNCERTAINTY AND MAKING SURE THEY KNOW THAT MUCH OF WHAT THEY'’RE FEELING ... IS COMPLETELY NORMAL.

Julie: I don't know what tomorrow looks like right now.

I'm scared.

I'm nervous.

I don't know what, you know, are we coming back to school or are we not?

And it's really nice to be authentic and be like, I don't know either.

I don't know either and it's going to be okay.

Cary: They understand the relevance of social, emotional learning.

They get, Oh, relationship skills.

Yeah.

Friendship.

Oh, how I interact with my family.

Right.

Um, and they can see that transfer Kristen: FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN TEACHERS RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM, BUT JUST CAN'’T REACH THE HEART OF IT, OTHER STUDENTS OFTEN CAN, THROUGH A PROGRAM THAT HAS BECOME ONE OF THIS SCHOOLS'’ MOST POWERFUL TOOLS FOR SUPPORTING STUDENT NEEDS.

Dorian: EQ is emotional quotient ambassadors.

Uh you could basically think of us as counselors except we'’re not old so you know we kind of get what kind of situations you have.

We get your point of view.

Kristen: DORIAN IS AN E-Q AMBASSADOR AT KENNEDY.

IN PAST YEARS, AMBASSADORS MAY HAVE MET STUDENTS ON CAMPUS, WALKED AND TALKED THROUGH THEIR PROBLEMS, AND PROVIDED TOOLS AND SUPPORT.

THIS YEAR, DORIAN DOES IT THROUGH ZOOM BREAK OUT SESSIONS, AND MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES.

Dorian: So I understood that it'’s 6th period, end of the day, it could be stressful so I wanted to start us off with some mindfulness just some body scanning.

Make sure everybody'’s okay Kristen: EQ AMBASSADORS ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR RALLYING STUDENT SPIRIT, AND REACHING OUT IN FUN WAYS.

A CHALLENGE DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT THEY SAY IT'’S AN IMPORTANT WAY OF CONNECTING, , PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY CAN'’T MEET IN PERSON.

Ariana: It'’s also just to bring everyone together, just to make sure everyone'’s, everyone can see school as a '‘safe place'’ Jacki: When we build relationships and we have that sense of safety and community, then our brains are able to learn more easily.

Emily: It will definitely make us more empathetic to understanding others... Kristen: FRESHMAN EMILY MAE SAYS THE DISCUSSIONS IN HER ETHNIC STUDIES CLASS ADDRESS THINGS LIKE IMPLICIT BIAS, HOW NOT TO MAKE SNAP JUDGEMENTS, AND IN HER WORDS ... HOW TO BE A BETTER PERSON.

Emily: I think my listening skills have improved a little bit.

Just being more comfortable around others and learning that everyone goes through life differently.

No one'’s gonna be the same.

Kristen: ... AND IN CARY ZIERENBERG'’S ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT CLASSES - WHERE STUDENTS ARE FACED WITH A NEW LANGUAGE, NEW TECHNOLOGY AND FOR MANY, A NEW SCHOOL - BILINGUAL AMBASSADORS OFFER SUPPORT ...

IN THEIR LANGUAGE.

Cary: (in Spanish) The future rewards those who press on.

I don'’t have time to feel sorry for myself.

I don'’t have time to complain.

I'’m going to press on.

Barack Obama David: Well, our goal is to educate students and give them the tools and the strategies to engage constructively, um, in our society, in our democracy.

Emily: I think it'’s cool.

It'’ll definitely make for a better school environment not just in the classroom and it will hopefully spread out into our everyday lives not just at school but at home, when we got to future jobs, just growing up and becoming better people.

David: In the short term, I hope that it eases that transition.

I hope that it allows them to return to in-person instruction, enter back into the classrooms, ready to learn... Kristen: AND IN THE LONG TERM, THE HOPE IS THAT THESE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL TOOLS ... WILL HELP TTHESE STUDENTS BUILD CONFIDENCE, FIND EMPATHY, STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS, AND SUCCEED ... LONG AFTER THEY LEAVE THIS CAMPUS.

♪♪ Christina: Still ahead on Inside California Education...see how these 12 tools are helping students in Santa Rosa hone their social and emotional skills.

But first, meet California'’s First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

The mother of four talks about her experience with distance learning, and why she is an advocate for social emotional learning in schools.

♪♪ Kristen: One of California'’s most high-profile champions of social emotional learning is First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

The wife of Governor Gavin Newsom is using her platform to draw attention to social emotional learning, or SEL, during the pandemic.

"“Hi everyone, welcome to day one of Advance SEL in California convening Kristen: She partnered with the California Department of Education on a project called Advance SEL.

Their final report offers recommendations on how schools can best protect the social and emotional well-being of students.

It'’s a topic she says is also personal....as the mom of four young children, who faced individual challenges during distance learning.

Jennifer: My 4-year-old at the time, really, really struggled.

He couldn't sit still in front of the device.

Um, our then six-year-old was really shy with Zoom and overwhelmed by all the faces staring back at her, in addition to being new to technology.

She eventually overcame that, but that was really trying.

Our 8-year-old, uh, really pined for his friends.

But I really saw how broken inside he was to not be with his friends.

And then our, then ten-year-old, who was mom's helper was amazing.

And it was an interestingly, um, beautiful time for the two of us because we really bonded and connected in a deep way, and she really was my partner in one sense.

But she, with her learning difference, like her brother, struggled to pay attention.

Kristen: While her children have since returned to in-person instruction, Jennifer Newsom remains concerned about the pandemic'’s long-term effects.

Jennifer: And it took the pandemic to kind of wake us all up to how disconnected and vulnerable and fragile we all are.

And therefore it requires all of us to recognize, um, if there's no life without our emotional life being in check and being in balance.

Kristen: To keep that balance.... Jennifer Newsom encourages parents to talk through their child'’s emotions every day.

Jennifer: I've come a long way as a parent because I wasn't socialized to, as a kid, to express my emotions or to be allowed to really be angry or be sad or be afraid for too long.

I was expected to be happy and joyful all the time.

So it's really about naming the emotions or naming what you're seeing, and then allowing the child to work through that and to be okay with that emotion that they're experiencing and feeling and find their way through that.

Blaze: Something that comes up a lot with our students is their lack of confidence in themselves, and their ability to succeed.

That'’s why we prioritize social emotional development, so our students feel like they are seen in the classroom.

Kristen: The First Partner moderated a virtual town hall event with City Year about social emotional learning with experts in the field.

One of the takeaways?

California has spent billions on social emotional learning, but there'’s still more money available.

Tony: We want you to get the word out to schools that these resources are available and use them.

Kristen: Making sure schools have the resources, money and information they need to bring social emotional learning into the classroom is one of Jennifer Newsom'’s goals.

Jennifer: I am committed to California kids getting the best start in life.

And I believe that you need healthy, social and emotional learning tools and resources to be happy, to be resilient and to have academic and life success.

And I want every school district and every administrator, every teacher at every grade level to either embed in their curricula or be more overt in social emotional learning, um, so that our children can be whole and thrive and fill their life's potential.

♪♪ Niessia: Good morning, thank you, good morning kindergartners, thank you so much.

Thank you for the waves.

Today is an important day because I am teaching you the very last tool.

The very last tool in the toolbox.

Kristen: These kindergarteners at Procter Terrace Elementary School in Santa Rosa are getting a special lesson today from Niessia Diehl.

She'’s a school counselor who drops by different Zoom classes every day to teach students a social emotional literacy program called The Tool Box Project.

The toolbox was created several years ago by a school counselor in nearby Sebastopol, and has since become a nationally recognized program.

Niessia: This tool is called a utility light.

And for us, for the toolbox, this is the courage tool.

The courage tool.

Raise your hand if you know what it means to have courage.

Student: It means to be brave!

Niessia: It does mean to be brave, that'’s right.

Courage means to be brave.

Kaesa: It'’s a practical metaphor, so you can imagine that we have 12 tools and they have, they're all tools that are woodworking tools.

So the things that people would find in real life, even tools that you could bring and show students the actual tools.

And what I love about the toolbox tools is they are easy to learn, and they're always with the students and the grownups, and it's actually fun Niessia: Can everybody make a fist?

And very gently you give two taps right above your heart.

Tap, Tap.

Let'’s do it again together.

Tap, Tap.

And the courage tool means to be brave and do the right thing.

Each tool is linked to a social emotional um guide.

And we have hand signs that go with each tool.

So an example would be, um, the measuring tape tool.

We pull our tape out and we put our tape back in and as you're doing it you're taking really deep breaths and it helps us to calm down.

Tiffany: Happy birthday to Jimena 'cause she has a birthday on Wednesday.

Kristen: Kindergarten teacher Tiffany Millea says the tools give the kids the power and confidence to solve a lot of the smaller problems that crop up in school.

Tiffany: When a kid comes up to us and says, Molly called me a name, we can say, Oh, what tool could you use with Molly?

And, um, then one of the most popular ones is the garbage can tool where we throw it away and walk away, you know?

And it's not a big deal.

Kristen: Every incoming pre-k and kindergarten student is taught the tools, which are then reinforced as they get older.

Niessia: And it's just laminated copies of all 12 tools with a photo.

Kristen: Prior to the pandemic, teachers and staff would wear these lanyards around their necks for easy reference to the 12 tools.

Niessia: I will often hear the kindergarten teachers saying, thank you for telling me.

What tool do you think you could use?

And it's just that simple.

And then the student goes back and thinks like, Oh, I'm having big feelings.

I can use the breathing tool!

We really see a difference, um, in tangible places like lower grade classrooms and playgrounds.

Huge difference in students being able to check themselves, um, manage themselves and check each other.

Like, Hey, you look really upset.

You should try the breathing tool or, Oh, we don't cut in line.

Courage tool.

And they may not even use the words, but they'll do the hand sign.

And I think that's really prevalent with the younger kids.

Tiffany: I like that it's school-wide cause then everybody's on the same page everybody's understanding and that means.

Siblings that go to school too, should know all these tools as well.

And so if they're giving their brother or sister the garbage cans, they're brother and sister know what that tool is.

Kaesa: Santa Rosa City Schools, and we've had some layers of trauma, we've had the fires that impacted us.

And it just so happened that the toolbox tools had, you know, we'd been learning those before the fires hit.

And so when some tricky times happened for our students, They can use those tools at home.

They can use them at schools.

Niessia: How do you show respect to others?

MJ?

How do you show respect to others?

MJ: To be kind to them, and to be nice to them so they know that you respect them and you're kind and nice to people.

And they're kind to them and that's respect I think.

Penny: It also means to not keep a lie and tell others.

Niessia: Ooh, thank you Penny.

Penny is reminding us that when you use the courage tool, you don'’t lie.

Kaesa: I think social emotional learning is your key to being successful in other areas of your life.

You know, it's where we're all going to have in-laws and bosses and neighbors and landlords that we need to be able to get along with those people.

We also need to get along with our peers at work and school, and if we are feeling good about ourselves and safe enough to take a risk, to learn and safe enough and regulated enough to be able to turn on the Zoom and feel good enough to, I can do this and have that self-talk I think that's really important, especially in these tricky times.

Niessia: Two taps above your heart.

Tap, Tap To be brave and do the right thing.

You guys did a great job today, thank you for all your good examples and I had so much fun teaching all the tools in the toolbox.

All the tools to help us in our lives.

I'’ll see you next week!

Tiffany: Thanks for coming Mrs. Diehl.

Bye!

Kristen: That'’s it for this edition of Inside California Education.

If you'’d like more information about the program, log on to our website insidecaled.org.

You can watch stories from previous seasons and connect with us on social media.

Thanks for joining us.

We'’ll see you next time on Inside California Education.

♪♪ ♪♪ Annc: Funding for inside California Education is made possible by: At the California lottery.

We're focused on our mission to provide supplemental essential funds to public schools, kinder through college, helping to keep teachers on staff or pay for new, school computers, band equipment, and other instructional materials and services.

Since 1985, we have raised more than $37 billion and more than 95% of our sales go back to the community.

Music, to all of our ears, California lottery, helping schools and communities across California.

The Stuart foundation, improving life outcomes for young people through education ScholarShare 529, California state sponsored tax advantage 529 college savings plan designed to help pay for the cost of higher education.

Additional funding for Inside California Education is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.

♪♪