Social Emotional Learning
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
District 29 uses a structured approach to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) that helps students understand and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, and make positive decisions. SEL teaches students to recognize and name their feelings, understand what may be causing them, and use strategies to cope with difficult emotions. Through tools such as check-ins, self-reflection, calming techniques, goal-setting, and teacher feedback, students learn how to communicate their feelings and needs, solve problems, build resilience, and develop strong interpersonal skills.
What is Ruler?
RULER is an evidence-based approach to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) developed by researchers at Yale University that teaches emotional intelligence to students, educators, and families. RULER stands for Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions, providing practical tools to help people identify and understand their feelings, communicate them effectively, and develop strategies for managing emotions. By building these skills, RULER supports stronger relationships, greater emotional well-being, and improved social and academic outcomes. Click through the tabs below to learn more about each letter in the RULER acronym.
-
Recognizing: The ability to notice and identify emotions in yourself and others by paying attention to facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and other emotional cues. Recognizing emotions is the first step toward understanding and managing them.
-
Understanding: Exploring why emotions happen and recognizing how thoughts, experiences, and situations can influence how we feel.
-
Labeling: Putting accurate words to emotions so we can better describe and communicate how we are feeling.
-
Expressing: Communicating emotions in ways that are appropriate for the situation, while considering yourself and others.
-
Regulating: Using strategies and tools to manage emotions in healthy ways and respond thoughtfully to different situations.
Ruler Tools
RULER skill development relies on four core tools, which are introduced to all stakeholders in the school community—school leaders, teachers, staff, students, and families.
-
Charter: Builds and sustains positive emotional climates by creating agreed-upon norms for how people want to feel and how they can help each other to experience those feelings. -
Mood Meter: Enhances self- and social awareness and supports the development of a nuanced emotion vocabulary and a range of strategies for regulating emotion. -
Meta-Moment: Provides a process for responding to emotional situations with strategies that align with one’s best self and that support healthy relationships and personal well-being. -
Blueprint: Supports the development of empathy and conflict resolution skills by serving as a guide for reflecting on conflict and restoring affected communities.
SEL at District 29
The importance of modeling respectful, virtuous behavior is emphasized in positive relationships between/among adults and students
Special projects expand student involvement/initiative to raise awareness of those in need and promote importance of service to others.
Lessons in content area instruction provide opportuntiies to discuss virtues.
K-8 character education meetings address monthly virtue themes. Lessons in the areas of friendship skills, social problem-solving, dealing with bullying/harassment, and respecting and admiring diveristy are emphasized.
Parents are their children’s primary character education teachers. Via the Parent Character Education Committee, and grade level parent meetings, home and school work closely to promote undertanding, collaboration and a nurturing environment.
District 29 is committed to providing a nurtruring environment where students are not subjected to incidents of bullying and/or harassment. In this effort, the district employs both proactive and reactive strategies to address these undesired behaviors.
-
The importance of modeling respectful, virtuous behavior is emphasized in positive relationships between/among adults and students
-
Special projects expand student involvement/initiative to raise awareness of those in need and promote importance of service to others.
-
Lessons in content area instruction provide opportuntiies to discuss virtues.
-
K-8 character education meetings address monthly virtue themes. Lessons in the areas of friendship skills, social problem-solving, dealing with bullying/harassment, and respecting and admiring diveristy are emphasized.
-
Parents are their children’s primary character education teachers. Via the Parent Character Education Committee, and grade level parent meetings, home and school work closely to promote undertanding, collaboration and a nurturing environment.
-
District 29 is committed to providing a nurtruring environment where students are not subjected to incidents of bullying and/or harassment. In this effort, the district employs both proactive and reactive strategies to address these undesired behaviors.
Family Engagement
Families who are interested in learning more can watch the following videos to gain a deeper understanding of emotional intelligence and RULER.
- RULER Overview video
- How RULER Works video
When it comes to recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions in families, there are actions we can take to feel better and build strong relationships.
Learn some tips we can all practice to help families feel better and build stronger relationships. Read through the tipsheet below for practical things we can practice.
Family Tips
Loading document viewer...
Keyword Definitions
-
Bullying is a behavior when one or more students employ physical, emotional or verbal abuse to make life miserable for another student. The abuse can take many forms from simple name calling to physical abuse to sexual harassment. Bullying behavior is defined by its intensity and duration and is distingued by a pattern of repeated physical or psychological intimidation.
-
The victim is characterized as the object of bullying behavior. Usually the victim has done nothing deliberate to invite such negative attention. In extreme instances, a victim can exhibit bullying behaviors.
-
A clique is a small close-knit group of people who share things in common. A clique may travel in a group, have rules, have leaders, have a dress code, etc. The main difference between a clique and a group of friends is that cliques use their power to exclude others who do not fit their standards or criteria.
-
A bystander is someone who “stands by” while bullying is taking place. Bystanders do not actively participate, but they are rarely neutral. Passive observing reaffirms the bully/clique’s power. On the other hand, bystanders have the greatest potential to turn the situation around.
-
Social excusion is the denial of a person into a clique or social situation based on real or perceived differences
-
Tolerance is the process of learning to accept and embrace the differences of others.
-
Empathy is the awareness and understanding of another person’s feelings, experiences, and perspective.