The first Standard of Effective Practice relies on fourteen components to unpack student learning through an asset-based mindset that honors the whole student. As educators develop this mindset, they will flexibly engage with all five SEL competencies. In particular, educators must rely on social awareness centered in belonging and responsible decision-making centered in curiosity.
Ideally, educators cultivate social awareness and responsible decision-making skills during their pre-service licensure programs and in-service practices, model and rely on those skills with colleagues, students, families, and community members in school and community settings, and utilize parallel grade-banded, benchmarked SEL competencies for students (SEL Framework: Five Competencies) in order to integrate evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practices across all subject areas and in all settings. For Standard One: Student Learning, we developed two learning goals for both social awareness and responsible decision-making, set measurable benchmarks, provided a learning target for each benchmark with space for noting evidence of the benchmark and to action plan, and identified resources from local and national partners.
The uniform reflection template for learning targets is located to the right on the main menu. This template along with aligned learning targets can be used for syllabi creation, tier 3 licensure via portfolio, and district professional learning about adult transformative SEL.
Social Awareness Centered in Belonging
Belonging is focal among social awareness competencies and connotes experiences of acceptance, respect, and inclusion within a group or community. It implies not only feeling recognized but also being fully involved in relationship-building and co-creating learning spaces.
Learning Goal
Demonstrates awareness and respect of groups and their cultures, languages, identities, traditions, values and histories.
Standards Components
1AAsset-Based Mindset
The teacher understands that students bring assets for learning based on their individual experiences, abilities, talents, prior learning, and peer and social group interactions, as well as language, culture, family, and community values, and approaches their work and students with this asset-based mindset, affirming the validity of students’ backgrounds and identities.
1DAlignment with Cultural Background
The teacher understands how alignment with a student’s cultural background is necessary to make meaningful connections that enable the construction of knowledge and acquisition of skills.
Benchmark
Demonstrate respect for individuals from different social and cultural groups.
Learning Target
I can recognize the genius of all students, peers, and families; elevate commonalities and connections; and celebrate differences among diverse groups.
Learning Goal
Demonstrates awareness and respect of groups and their cultures, languages, identities, traditions, values and histories.
Standards Components
1BIdentity Formation
The teacher understands multiple theories of identity formation and knows how to help students develop positive social identities based on their membership in multiple groups in society.
1FCulture and Cognitive Processes
The teacher understands how culture influences cognitive processes and how these processes can be stimulated in a cultural frame.
Benchmark
Demonstrate understanding of apparent and not apparent community/cultural practices, customs and ways of making meaning that impact communities differently.
Learning Target
I can show empathy, stay curious, and strive to understand the actions and perspectives of students.
Learning Goal
Demonstrates awareness of external supports and when supports are needed.
Standards Components
1LSystemic Trauma
The teacher understands the diverse impacts of individual and systemic trauma (such as experiencing homelessness, foster care, incarceration, migration, medical fragility, racism, and micro and macro aggressions) on learning and development and knows how to support students using culturally responsive strategies and resources to address these impacts.
Benchmark
Access family, peer, school, and community resources when support is needed.
Learning Target
I can model and normalize accessing resources and assistance to cultivate knowledge, strategies, and resources about systemic trauma.
Responsible Decision-Making Centered in Curiosity
Curiosity is focal among responsible decision-making competencies and can animate critical self- and social analysis and action. Curiosity has both cognitive and affective elements that contribute to an enduring tendency to pursue knowledge and new experiences. As such, it appears to be essential to attention, engagement, and learning.
Learning Goal
Applies and evaluates decision-making skills to engage in a variety of situations.
Standards Components
1CKnowledge Construction
The teacher understands how students construct knowledge and acquire skills.
1ECognitive Processes and Learning
The teacher understands the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning, including critical and creative thinking, problem framing and problem solving, invention, memorization and recall.
Benchmark
Regularly demonstrate use of systematic decision-making, by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions.
Learning Target
I can model the process of using data and facts to make decisions about supporting students’ cognitive processes.
Learning Goal
Considers ethical standards, social and community norms and safety concerns in making decisions.
Standards Components
1GStrengths, Needs, and Culture
The teacher understands that each student’s cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development influences learning and makes instructional decisions that build on learners’ strengths, needs, and cultural ways of knowing.
1HLanguage and Culture
The teacher understands the role of language and culture in learning and knows how to modify instruction to make language comprehensible and instruction relevant, accessible, and challenging.
Benchmark
Assess lessons learned from past experiences and mistakes when making decisions.
Learning Target
I can share ways in which I have grown and am currently growing in my instructional decisions.
Learning Goal
Considers ethical standards, social and community norms and safety concerns in making decisions.
Standards Components
1ILanguage Development
The teacher understands language development and the benefits of multilingualism and multiliteracy and knows how to incorporate instructional strategies and resources to support language development.
1JExceptionalities
The teacher understands the exceptional needs of students, including those with disabilities and giftedness, and knows how to use strategies and resources to address these needs.
1KReading Disabilities
The teacher is able to recognize the distinguishing characteristics of reading disabilities, including dyslexia, and knows how to implement appropriate accommodations.
1MMental Health
The teacher is able to recognize symptoms of mental health illnesses and their impact on learning and knows how to use strategies and resources to address these impacts.
1NTobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
The teacher understands the influence of use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs on student life and learning.
Benchmark
Demonstrate ability to consider personal responsibility, social norms, safety concerns and ethical standards in making decisions.
Learning Target
I can model fairness, honesty, and integrity in my instructional decisions.