Social - Emotional Curriculum

"What you are speaks so loudly that I can't hear what you say you are." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Explorer's Social-Emotional Curriculum is central to Explorer's goal of developing a community of confident, inspired learners. Research indicates that social and emotional skills create higher achievement, increase "on task" behavior, and increase focus, learning and collaboration in the classroom. Explorer's Social-Emotional curriculum uses both a cognitive curriculum called Second Step, and specific support structures for all members of the community to enhance social and emotional intelligence.

• Social-Emotional Curriculum Coordinators
• Second Step Curriculum
• The Teacher's Role
• Support for Adults
• Faculty Support and Continuing Education
• Parent Education Program
• An Emotionally Intelligent Community
• Parent Education Sessions 2007-2008 Schedule

Social-Emotional Curriculum Coordinators
Zoltan Sarda, oversees Explorer’s Social-Emotional Curriculum. He has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specific focus on Social Curriculum. His master’s thesis focused on the connection between social intelligence and academic development. In addition, he is one of Explorer's first grade teachers. Zoltan oversees social curriculum for the students, teachers and parents at Explorer.  

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Second Step Curriculum
Second Step, developed by the Committee for Children (www.cfchildren.org), in Seattle, Washington, helps integrate social and emotional concerns into a weekly academic format taught in the classroom by the Second Step curriculum coordinator, Amy Araiza. Second Step helps children develop skills in recognizing emotions in themselves and others, empathy, impulse control, problem solving and anger management. Through a combination of affective and cognitive inquiry, the program builds both skills and understandings in a cumulative, multi-year process.

The Teacher's Role
Much social and emotional learning happens informally in the classroom as teachers model appropriate behaviors and guide students' communication.

• Communication Skills and Conflict Resolution: Teachers model appropriate conflict resolution skills with children, and lead children through the steps of resolving conflicts between themselves.

• Community Building: class meetings every morning and afternoon help each class develop as a supportive learning community. Ideals, communication skills, and ethical behavior are all modeled and discussed during class meetings. Students have opportunities to share appreciations, feelings and ideas with fellow students in a supportive atmosphere and to reflect on their experiences.

Support for Adults
The adults in the Explorer learning community are aware that they teach who they are. The informal learning that happens day in and day out through the modeling of emotionally healthy behavior and good communication skills is most powerful for children. Children benefit when adults model a willingness to know themselves, to give themselves in community service, and to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts in a compassionate way. The adults in the Explorer learning community have opportunities to develop social and emotional intelligence along with their children.

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Faculty Support and Continuing Education
The teachers at Explorer are provided with the support they need and deserve. Ongoing conversations, support from the director, and opportunities for professional development are augmented by structured meetings for the faculty. Once a month (or more frequently if requested) teachers and administrators meet as a group with the social curriculum coordinator to discuss social and emotional concerns. Teachers also read and discuss many books by such authors as Robert Coles, Haim Ginott, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, Ruth Charney, Daniel Goleman, and the Northeast Foundation for Children, among others. These are times when teachers can reflect, tell their stories and collaborate with each other to find ways to positively respond to any difficulties they may be experiencing. Children need adult role models who can care for their own needs without imposing them on children.

Parent Education Program
Parents are invited to attend weekly parent support meetings offered by Explorer's Social-Emotional Curriculum Coordinator. Underlying the relationship with parents is the understanding that parents have much to teach about their children. Parent meetings offer parents a scheduled time and place to reflect, express concerns and discuss topics of their choice with regard to their children, parenting, and communication skills.

An Emotionally Intelligent Community
Explorer Elementary Charter School is committed to embodying the qualities of an ethical, kind and supportive community. We are aware that if we want our children to be caring human beings, we need to respond to them and to each other in caring ways. As Dalton Watson writes in Among Friends, "When everyone counts, everyone can contribute; when everyone can contribute, everyone can learn."

 

2007-2008 Parent Education Sessions

 

Morning Meetings 8:30-9:15

Evening Meetings 6:30 – 8 p.m.

 

Teresa Zucchet

Sept. 24^th, Oct. 1^st, 8^th (morning and evening mtg. scheduled), 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th

TOPIC:  Six week book talk about How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk

 

Zoltan Sarda

Dad’s Night #1 – Thursday, November 15^th , 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Mom’s Night #1 – Thursday, November 29^th, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

TOPIC: Parenting the Explorer Way

 

Sue Anne Edwards

December 3^rd, 10^th, and 17^th

TOPIC:  Sibling Rivalry

 

Nonie Levy

January 14^th, 28^th, February 4^th, 11th, 25^th, March 3^th

TOPIC: Redirecting Children’s Behavior

 

Zoltan Sarda

Dad’s Night #2 – Thursday, March 6^th, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Mom’s Night #2 – Thursday, March 13^th, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

TOPIC: Parenting the Explorer Way

 

 

Teresa Zucchet began her career in education as an elementary school teacher in the San Diego Unified and the Del Mar Union School Districts.  After obtaining a Master of Arts degree in counseling from the University of San Diego, Teresa became a middle school counselor in the Poway Unified School District.  Her love of working with elementary children remained and she eventually helped launch Poway’s first elementary school counseling program.  An advocate of parent education, Teresa facilitated classes for families and trained staff to lead parenting courses as coordinator of a $5 million Safe Schools/Healthy Students federal grant for the Poway District.  Since 2003, Teresa’s primary role has been as a parent to her two children, Molly and Carter.  She currently works part-time as an adjunct instructor at USD, teaching graduate counseling courses and supervising counseling interns throughout San Diego County.

Zoltan Sarda is Social-Emotional Curriculum Coordinator for Students and Faculty, as well as one of Explorer's kindergarten teachers. He has been teaching for more than 16 years in public and private schools. As a public elementary school teacher in Oceanside and as an M.A. student at UCSD, Mr. Sarda studied and developed curriculum to expand the connection between social-emotional learning and academics.

 

Sue Ann Edwards, MFT, RPTS is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Del Mar who specializes in treating children and families. She is a recognized expert in play therapy, child development, child therapy, trauma recovery, expressive arts, family counseling, and parent education. She has authored and presented several parent education, family communication, and child therapy programs. Ms. Edwards is a Registered Play Therapist - Supervisor and past President of the California Association for Play Therapy. She teaches university classes and conducts workshops for therapists learning to work with children and families.

 

Nonie Levi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has 17 years experience in the field of psychotherapy with a special emphasis in parent/child relationships, parenting issues and couples therapy. Nonie has been a certified instructor for Redirecting Children's Behavior through the International Network for Children and Families since 1993. Nonie was one of the original parent educators to teach Redirecting Children’s Behavior for the Parent Connection. She also created and facilitated a support group for parents of "spirited children" based on children's individual temperament styles. Nonie has currently started facilitating a couple’s communication course that can help strengthen the family's foundation. Her commitment as a therapist is to help people create a healthy connection within themselves, in their partnerships and with their children.

 

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