Integrating your curriculum with social-emotional learning

As teachers, sometimes it can be hard to fit everything into one school day. You have curriculum expectations you need to meet, but your students also need social-emotional learning opportunities. These restorative justice circle outlines will show some examples of how you can integrate them both.

Elementary

Book: "What Do You Do With An Idea?" by Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom

Circle Agreements: Here, you can remind everyone of the circle agreements you came up with as a class. Some examples are: speak from your heart, listen from your heart, respect the talking piece, you always have the right to pass, and what happens here, stays here.

Opening Quote: “Out of nowhere, an idea appeared. It was glorious and bright and egg-shaped and adorned with a golden crown. It looked delightful, yet curious.” - "What Do You Do With An Idea?"

Mindfulness Exercise: English Meditation / Spanish Meditation

Check-in Round: If your mood were the weather, what would it be? (sunny, cloudy, rainy, etc.) or these ideas

Question 1: Describe a time when you had a new idea. Maybe this was an invention or a new game you wanted to create. How did your idea make you feel?

Question 2: Why is it sometimes scary to share your ideas?

Question 3: What would you tell someone who wants to give up on their idea?

Question 4: How can an idea change the world?

Closing Quote: “Follow your dreams. They know the way.” - Kobi Yamada

Secondary

Book: "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Circle Agreements: Here, you can remind everyone of the circle agreements you came up with as a class. Some examples are: speak from your heart, listen from your heart, respect the talking piece, you always have the right to pass, and what happens here, stays here.

Opening Quote: “There are two kinds of people in the world. Male and Female. Gay and Straight. Black and White. Normal and Weird. Cis and Trans. There are two kinds of people in the world. Saints and Sinners.Victims and Villains. Cruel and Kind. Guilty and Innocent. There are two kinds of people in the world. Just two. Just two. Only two.” - Dashka Slater, "The 57 Bus"

Mindfulness Exercise: English Meditation / Spanish Meditation

Check-in Round: Which of these animals do you feel like today? Or these ideas

Question 1: Do you agree with the opening quote that there are “two kinds of people in the world?” Why or why not?

Question 2: Who do you identify with or understand most in the book? Who was more difficult for you to relate to?

Question 3: Which is harder: admitting you’ve done something wrong, or forgiving someone who has wronged you?

Closing Quote: “Never let your obstacles become more important than your goal.” - Dashka Slater, "The 57 Bus"

Take a Mental Health Test

If you or a friend are struggling with your mental health, take an anonymous, free, and private mental health test. It only takes a few minutes, and after you are finished you will be given information about the next steps you can take based on the results.