Hope everyone had a wonderful wrap to their February month. Here at the SECD Lab, we celebrated Black History month, Presidents Day and more! February is a month dedicated to learning how to use social emotional learning in times of crisis and spreading resources that educators can use. We encourage viewers to preview some of the readings provided below!
Celebrating Black History Month
Retrieved from Black History Month Celebration. Welcome to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center! from https://dallasmlkcenter.com/black-history-month/
Black History Month is dedicated to celebrating the historical achievements of African Americans throughout the month of February! Before 1976, Black History Month was actually not a month, but a week. President Gerald extended the event and made it a month to commemorate the successes of black Americans throughout history and present times.
Celebrating Black history month inside and outside of the classroom helps students feel empowered and encourages learning about history, culture and traditions.
“Connecting Black History to Joy” is an Edutopia post written by Hereich Nichols that explains that Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the joyous events of that happen in history, alongside learning about historical figures such as, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and more.
Heriech Nichols mentions that all students and teachers should be able to identify and answer the following
Name five Black history figures unrelated to the Civil Rights Movement
Name least one Black community tradition
Name at least one Black historical music pioneer or genre
Name one pop culture trend from the Black community that has gone mainstream (e.g., high-fiving)
Name at least one Black millionaire
If you would like to read more, please click here!
Check out these Article for more:
Connecting Black History to Joy— Black History Month isn’t only about pain—it can be a full-fledged celebration of accomplishments that have shaped America.
Teaching Black History Thought, and Culture Through Art | From Alma Thomas to Jean-Michel Basquiat and Augusta Savage, here are eight remarkable artists to talk about in class—and art projects inspired by their work.
7 Books About Black History to Use as Mentor Texts — A curated list of texts to guide students to explore Black history and practice a variety of writing moves at the same time.
Teaching Black History Year-Round Requires Rigorous Sight — The vastness of the Black experience in America extends far beyond one month of the year.
Presidents Day
Presidents day is a federal holiday that is celebrated on the third Monday of February. Incorporating Presidents day in school lessons help prompt critical thinking skills and resonating skills.
How can we incoperate Presidents day in the classroom? Dr. Maurice Elias discusses how four simple questions can be asked about Presidents day that underlies social- emotional and life lessons.
Those questions are as presented:
What would you do if you were President of the United States of America?
Who would help you do this?
How long do you think it would take to do this?
What if you had a hard time, ran into some difficulties, some obstacles? What would you do then?
As the questions above are asked in a conversational matter, students will be able to think about aspiring future goals, who they trust to help with those goals, time line and the awareness of the struggles that can occur while trying to achieve those goals.
Resources:
Presidents' Day: A Life Lesson for Students | Edutopia
Letters to the President: Make It a Student Tradition | Edutopia
Teach Social-Emotional Learning for Better Schools, Safer Neighborhoods | Edutopia
SEL For Moments in Crisis
Everyone can experiences off day, but its how we react to tough times that shape who we are. There are many steps educators and parents can take to help during any healing process.
Communicating and incorporating mental health checkins that reflect on positive aspect of their day and how they are currently feeling.
Consistity and routine can help students during changing times!
Incorperating self-care plans that allow students to feel like they are in control!
Please checkout the article written by Cathleen Beachboard, that discusses more in detail about these interventions!
Focusing on Student Well-Being in Times of Crisis | Edutopia - One teacher recommends supporting student safety through three Cs: communication, consistency, and control.
Check out these Resources:
A Toolkit for Students in Crisis | Edutopia-- An elementary school assistant principal shares a few ideas for how to help students calm down and regain self-control.
What’s the Role of Teachers in Supporting Student Mental Health? | Edutopia -- As student mental health issues reach crisis proportions, schools and teachers are playing a larger role than ever providing support. Is it too big an ask?
How School Leaders Can Support Teachers During Times of Crisis | Edutopia-- After two difficult years, teachers need support from administrators more than ever, but providing the right support is key.
Students Taking Action Together, STAT book is out!
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