SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) helps students learn the competencies and skills they need to build resilience and effectively manage their emotions, behaviour and relationships with others. Social and Emotional Learning forms part of the Personal and Social Capability within the Victorian Curriculum.
Social and emotional learning involves students having opportunities to learn and practice social skills such as:
recognising and managing their own feelings
SEL supports students in becoming creative and confident individuals with a sense of self-worth, self-awareness and personal identity that enables them to manage their emotional, mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing, with a sense of hope and optimism about their lives and the future. On a social level, it helps students to form and maintain healthy relationships and prepares them for their potential life roles as family, community and workforce members.
At Reservoir Views Primary School positive and resilient behaviour is fostered by implementing strategies from the Berry Street Education Model.
The Berry Street Education Model is a trauma-informed positive education initiative. It comprises five domains or pedagogical lenses: Body, Stamina, Engagement, and Character, all anchored by Relationships. Classroom practice and planning are framed by these five domains. Teachers use a range of strategies from these domains to teach resilience and self-regulation so that children are ready for learning. Regular activities include brain breaks, tracking the teacher, mindfulness and SEL Kid of the Week.
Students learn to recognise their signs of stress (escalation) and practice self-calming such as deep breathing, rhythmic moving and chilling out.