SEL
Six critical pathways
won’t want to get into any fi ghts with them
The broader
or anything. But the ethical pathway is my
favorite because I don’t like when some people
are rude or mean to others and disrespect
them. You wouldn’t like if someone does that
to you, because I wouldn’t.”
picture
Mediating development through
morning meetings
Teachers use several approaches to help
their students improve along the pathways.
In some of the elementary and middle
schools in our network, several teachers
SEL and the Comer Process – Fay Brown, Christine Emmons, report fi nding morning meetings to be a
and James Comer explain how six key areas, including social
most useful strategy for building community,
resolving confl icts, establishing class norms
and emotional development, are vital to academic success
and procedures, and teaching citizenship.
and healthy development
The origin of the concept of class meeting
is credited to John Wesley (1703–91), the
founder of Methodism, and the goals remain
A CENTRAL THESIS of the School
●
In addressing the ethical pathway, the similar. Through class meetings, teachers
Development Program (SDP), or Comer goal is to help children and adolescents encourage students to share their problems,
Process, is that children and adolescents to increase their capacity for behaving challenges and successes, seek help with
grow and develop along six critical with justice and fairness, and to make fi nding solutions, and celebrate successes.
pathways: physical, cognitive, social, decisions that promote their well-being Regarding her use of morning meetings,
language, ethical, and psychological; and and the collective good. Mrs. Gail DeBlasio, Nijae’s teacher, comments:
that because development and academic
●
In addressing the psychological pathway, “The opportunity to share frees the
learning are inextricably linked, improved the goals are to help children and students up to be able to learn. I think
learning follows improved development. adolescents develop a strong, positive there are fewer students out there who
The SDP’s structures and processes, sense of self and to increase their capacity are upset, who are angry, and who are
particularly a School Planning and to manage their emotions well. otherwise occupied because they can get
Management Team (SPMT), enable schools
to cultivate conditions that promote the
The opportunity to share frees the students up to be able to
development of students along these
pathways. The Student and Staff Support
learn. I think there are fewer students out there who are upset,
Team (SSST) has particular responsibility
who are angry, and who are otherwise occupied because they
for helping the school address students’
needs along these pathways; but it is the
can get things off their minds in morning meetings
responsibility of all the adults, including
parents, to provide the support to mediate The psycho-emotional and social pathways things off their minds in morning meetings.
students’ growth and development along all are closely interconnected in that an And that is not to say that we can solve all
the pathways. individual’s feelings of worth and competence, the problems in morning meetings; but,
as well as the ability to manage emotions, are it is to say that someone is listening. And
Pathway goals developed in large part through interactions just knowing that someone is listening is
●
In addressing the physical pathway, the with others. Conversely, self-confi dence and somewhat cathartic and they are able to
goal is to help children and adolescents self-control make for more rewarding social concentrate better. So really for me, the
acquire and use knowledge that will encounters. Every encounter is a potential benefi t [of morning meetings] is that I have
promote their physical health. growth experience. The social pathway fewer behavioral issues because kids aren’t
●
In addressing the cognitive pathway, makes engagement possible, and the acting out because they are upset; and I
the goal is for children and adolescents psychological makes connections meaningful. have more kids on task and paying attention
to increase their capacity to analyze, But engagement and meaning would not because they are not otherwise occupied
synthesize, and evaluate information; truly be achieved without the language and with problems and concerns that nobody is
and to use information to effectively solve the cognitive. Nijae, a 10-year-old from one of listening to.”
problems. our network of schools in the U.S., perhaps These comments are supported
●
In addressing the social pathway, the expressed this point best: “Social is a lot of by responses of students from her
goal is to help children and adolescents things: it is some of the ethical, some of the class regarding the impact of the
to increase their capacity to build and psychological, and some of the language. morning meetings and the focus on the
maintain healthy relationships. Social is like all the pathways.” In other words, developmental pathways. Several of the
●
In addressing the language pathway, the to be socially competent, one needs a healthy students reported their improved ability
goal is to help children and adolescents dose of each of the other pathways. Nijae to solve problems effectively. Micha notes,
to increase their capacity to understand went on to say: “I like the language because if “Morning meeting helps me to face up
and effectively communicate in a variety you don’t watch how you talk to people, then to bullies and to speak to them, because
of contexts. they are going to react in a bad way; and you when we talk about our problems instead
18 Better: Evidence-based Education winter 2010
Better(US)Win10 pp18-19 Pathways.indd 18 23/2/10 17:06:17
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