There is a cause and effect with each reaction that we discuss. “I tell you that chemistry, the study of matter, directly relates to our brains and the synapses therein. On his last trimester exam, he added a question pertaining to Social and Emotional learning in the classroom. Test SEL skills? On a written test? Who does that? My teacher friend did just that. In academics it is believed that students must be tested in material after they have had time to practice it. Again, it’s the combination of these tools that mirror the Periodic Table. You are giving your students the blueprint to solve problems and navigate life’s most difficult questions. Your classroom becomes a lab where they can practice their tools and receive feedback from their teachers and mentors…YOU. By adding Community Core’s tools/lesson plans to your classroom you enable students to build their understanding of SEL. Community Core is different from any other SEL program. How they are used in concert is where the magic is. There is a direct correlation between elements on the Periodic Table and the outcomes when they interact with one another. I would emphasize that it’s the combination of these “tools” and the practice of these “tools” that helps turn Concept into Instinct. If this is a common thread throughout a classroom you now have a great SEL Lab. We don’t have to rely on looking for our tools or our Periodic Table for guidance. The more this confident feeling is internalized it becomes instinctual. Makes someone say to themselves, “I did it, this feels great!”. You have to practice and use the different elements, maybe try a variety of different tools to get the reaction you desire. Once you understand the concept of your SEL Periodic Table you can start to Internalize what is means to create an emotionally safe environment. We call this the Concept of Social and Emotional Learning. This is in turn helps instill community-building concepts into your classroom. Our numerous tools and supporting materials help students and teachers build a solid SEL vocabulary. Think of Community Core as your SEL periodic table, or toolbox. There is a direct correlation between the elements on the Periodic Table and the outcomes when they interact with each other. Creating a Social and Emotionally safe environment allows educators - who have their finger on the pulse of their class – to select “tools” to help facilitate conversations that help navigate difficult moments or current events. How do you determine the needs of your students? By allowing space for conversations. By having the correct tools, it allows you as a teacher to be autonomous when determining the needs of your students. It is so important to make sure your toolbox has what you need.
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But what happens when you need a wrench or a drill? You fall short, you have to improvise until you get the correct tools or in some cases you just drop the project you were working on or skip over that particular issue so you can move on. Everyone has the basic tools, hammer, nails, screwdriver maybe a set of pliers. When a teacher walks into a classroom, they have their toolbox.
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I prefer thinking of our program as a toolbox and the lesson plan as tools.
![lesson plan periodic table chemistry lesson plan periodic table chemistry](https://www.theowletscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/The-periodic-tableO-scaled.jpg)
He is currently using our Community Core Social and Emotional tools, lesson plans, in his classroom. I was talking with a dear friend of mine who is a high school Chemistry teacher.