Holistic SEL and Growth Plan for Students
Empower Students with SEL Skills and More to Thrive Academically, Socially, and Emotionally.
CASEL Plus Plan
Skills Covered
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management - Emotion Regulation
- Responsible Decision-Making
- Relationship Management
- Social Awareness
- Critical Thinking
- Problem-Solving
Module Overview
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Challenges Addressed
- Struggling with Self-Awareness Middle school students often lack the ability to identify their emotions, strengths, and challenges, thereby inhibiting decision-making and personal growth.
- Difficulty Managing Emotions Students struggle to regulate emotions, leading to stress, impulsive behavior, and strained relationships.
- Making Irresponsible Choices Poor decision-making skills prevent students from understanding the consequences of their actions and considering the well-being of others.
- Navigating Complex Relationships Adolescents often find it challenging to build trust, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts in relationships.
- Limited Social Awareness A lack of understanding others’ perspectives and cultural differences often leads to misunderstandings and missed opportunities for connection.
- Weak Critical Thinking Skills Students struggle to analyze complex situations and make informed decisions, which hinders academic and real-world problem-solving.
- Inadequate Problem-Solving Abilities Difficulty breaking down challenges into manageable steps prevents students from finding effective solutions and building resilience.
Plan Objectives
- Creating Self-Aware Students Your students will develop a deeper understanding of their emotions, strengths, and values, thereby enabling them to navigate life with confidence and clarity.
- Mastering Emotion Regulation Students will learn practical tools like mindfulness and stress management techniques to regulate emotions and respond thoughtfully in challenging situations.
- Making Responsible Decisions Students will gain the skills to evaluate choices, resist peer pressure, and consider the long-term consequences of their actions.
- Building Strong Relationships Your students will master effective communication, empathy, and conflict resolution, thereby creating trust and fostering meaningful connections.
- Enhancing Social Awareness Students will cultivate an appreciation for diverse perspectives, thereby improving teamwork and promoting welcoming environments within their school community.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking Students will learn to evaluate information, challenge assumptions, and make well-reasoned decisions in both academic and personal contexts.
- Solving Problems Creatively and Effectively Your students will approach challenges with confidence, using innovative strategies like design thinking and root-cause analysis to find solutions and grow through adversity.
Courses Included
Exploring You: A Journey to Self-Awareness
Course Objectives: Emotional Self-Awareness
- Recognize and manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to foster emotional intelligence and mental well-being.
- Develop self-awareness by understanding personal values, beliefs, and how they influence decision-making.
- Learn to set healthy boundaries and practice assertive communication to maintain emotional and social well-being.
- Build resilience by developing coping strategies and self-acceptance, embracing imperfections as part of personal growth.
- Enhance self-reflection skills to cultivate positive self-talk, goal setting, and long-term personal development.
Emotional You: Managing Your Emotions
Course Objectives: Emotional Self-Management
- Understand and manage emotions by recognizing both positive and negative emotions and how they impact thoughts, behaviors, and relationships.
- Develop coping strategies for managing stress and negative emotions, including deep breathing, distraction tools and expressive techniques.
- Build an emotional management toolbox that includes skills like emotional regulation, stress reduction, and problem-solving to handle everyday emotional challenges.
- Learn the importance of social support in emotional well-being and practice effective communication of emotions with trusted individuals.
- Cultivate positive emotions by identifying triggers, enhancing enjoyable activities, and setting personal emotional goals for long-term emotional health.
Making Responsible Choices
Course Objectives: Social Responsible Decision-Making
- Understand the significance of making responsible decisions by considering both short-term and long-term consequences and how those decisions impact your life and others.
- Learn to resist peer pressure and societal expectations, developing personal strategies to handle conflicting pressures and make independent, value-based decisions.
- Develop a growth mindset by viewing mistakes as learning opportunities, reflecting on past decisions, and improving future decision-making.
- Explore the importance of self-awareness and values in decision-making, recognizing how personal beliefs and blind spots influence choices.
- Understand the ripple effect of decisions, learning to assess both the immediate and long-term impacts of choices on yourself and others, while practicing safe and responsible decision-making.
Relationship Building Basics
Course Objectives: Social Relationship Management
- Develop the ability to build and maintain trust in relationships, recognizing its importance in fostering strong, supportive connections.
- Understand the emotional and psychological benefits of healthy relationships, including how they reduce stress, promote well-being, and contribute to personal growth.
- Learn and practice effective communication skills, including active listening, empathy, and using non-verbal cues, to strengthen interactions with peers and family.
- Identify and set healthy boundaries in relationships to protect emotional well-being and maintain respectful, balanced connections.
- Explore strategies to resolve conflicts and work through issues constructively, fostering resilience and ensuring long-lasting, meaningful relationships.
Human Dynamics
Course Objectives: Social Social Awareness
- Develop empathy by learning to understand and respect the perspectives of others, fostering inclusivity in social interactions.
- Recognize and challenge biases and stereotypes to promote fairness and equality in diverse communities.
- Learn effective communication and listening skills, including the power of words, to build respectful and meaningful relationships.
- Understand the importance of social and cultural awareness to prevent misunderstandings and encourage harmonious interactions across different backgrounds.
- Explore the significance of diversity, and how embracing differences can lead to personal growth, innovation, and stronger communities.
MindCraft: Developing Analytical Skills
Course Objectives: Intellectual Critical Thinking
- Develop critical thinking skills to analyze complex problems, evaluate information from multiple sources, and make well-reasoned decisions in academic and everyday situations.
- Learn to identify and mitigate personal biases and groupthink, fostering open-mindedness and the ability to consider diverse perspectives.
- Master effective communication techniques to clearly express ideas, actively listen to others, and provide constructive feedback in group settings.
- Apply an ethical decision-making framework to navigate real-world dilemmas and understand the impact of choices on oneself and others.
- Enhance emotional intelligence and problem-solving abilities to effectively manage personal challenges, resolve conflicts, and collaborate in team environments.
Developing SuperHuman Problem-Solving Skills
Course Objectives: Intellectual Problem-Solving
- Recognize essential problem-solving skills, breaking down complex issues into manageable steps.
- Foster critical thinking and decision-making abilities to analyze problems from multiple perspectives and find effective solutions.
- Develop teamwork and collaboration skills.
- Analyze innovative approaches like Root-Cause Analysis and Design Thinking to solve problems creatively and sustainably.
- Build resilience and adaptability by learning how to approach new challenges and learn from mistakes.
Emotional You: Managing Your Emotions
Modules: 4
|Lessons: 33
Course Objectives: Emotional Self-Management
- Understand and manage emotions by recognizing both positive and negative responses and how they impact thoughts, behaviors, and relationships.
- Develop coping strategies for managing stress and negative emotions, including deep breathing, distraction tools, and expressive techniques.
- Build an emotion management toolbox that includes skills like emotion regulation, stress reduction, and problem-solving to handle everyday challenges.
Meet the Course Creators
Dr. Kymberli Barker
Dr. Barker is the mother of two fantastic young men, and they are her priority in life. She holds degrees in biochemistry, math, forensics, and psychology. She is a consultant and a professor at multiple colleges, including the Citadel, and Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She spent fifteen years in public education, prior. Her personal focus is child advocacy and she developed the Guardian ad Litem/(GAL)/CASA program for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She is tribally and state sworn as a GAL. Her favorite thing is being a mom.
Dr. Barker created her own or was part of the team that created the course.
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Exploring You: A Journey to Self-Awareness
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Relationship Building Basics
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Developing SuperHuman Problem-Solving Skills
Dr. Corina Weir
Dr Corina Weir has over 8 years of specialized experience in behavior change and pediatric psychology. As a former University lecturer, she has a passion for educating the next generation. Her role as a working mother of two young children provides her with firsthand knowledge of the challenges and importance of fostering skills in emotion regulation.
Dr Corina created her own or was part of the team that created the course.
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Emotional You: Managing Your Emotions
Mandy Mahr
Mandy Mahr is a Masters Level educator who served in public schools in the United States for 15 years before becoming an online tutor to schools with at-risk students, providing social emotional support as well as skill recovery in reading and writing. She is also a consultant for content creation to provide guidance to organizations wanting to engage and employ GenZ. With the technological advances the world has seen in just the last twenty years, it is her goal to train learners to be ready for jobs that don't exist yet. She is passionate about helping learners develop social emotional skills before reaching the workforce.
Mandy created her own or was part of the team that created the course.
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Making Responsible Choices
Ali Dareneau
Ms. Dareneau is an English teacher with dual degrees in Psychology and English Education, she enjoys helping students reach their potential, especially when it comes to English Language Arts. With over 16 years of classroom experience and working with education-based companies, she brings creativity and enthusiasm to the classroom and beyond. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2007 and completed her Masters's degree in English Education in 2013 which have both shaped her into the passionate educator she is today. Her professional experience as an English teacher, curriculum designer, and writer demonstrates her passion for reading and writing and solidifies her belief all students can strengthen their reading and writing skills no matter what level they begin their journey.
Ms. Dareneau created her own or was part of the team that created the course.
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Relationship Building Basics
Melissa Miletic
Melissa Miletic is a dynamic educator with over ten years of experience in education, beginning her journey with a transformative volunteer stint abroad at 18. She has since navigated all facets of education, from policy-making to classroom teaching, driven by her multicultural upbringing and a deep belief in the value of diversity. Committed to providing holistic, inclusive, and high-quality education, Melissa strives to impact learners across all demographics and geographies. Her approach blends modern methodologies with a global perspective, aiming to make learning engaging, relevant, and accessible to everyone. Holding a double bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Communication from the University of South Florida and a master’s in International Education from New York University, Melissa’s expertise lies in crafting educational experiences that resonate universally. Her professional and personal mission is to champion education as a transformative force, bridging cultural divides and fostering understanding in a connected world.
Melissa created her own or was part of the team that created the course.
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Human Dynamics
Dr. Jim Dolson
Dr. Jim Dolson, EdD, is an accomplished business leader deeply devoted to education at all age levels. With extensive experience across diverse industries and unwavering dedication to teaching, he is the ideal person to develop an outstanding curriculum tailored to middle-school students. As a parent himself, Dr. Dolson understands at a personal level the significance of engaging and impactful learning experiences. His expertise as an instructor at multiple universities highlights his ability to inspire minds and bring out their full potential. Driven by a genuine passion for education, Dr. Dolson excels at creating a well-rounded curriculum that challenges and nurtures students' growth. His successful tenure as a K12 Superintendent reflects his commitment to fostering confident and academically empowered individuals. Families can trust Dr. Dolson’s expertise to provide an exceptional educational journey for students, ensuring they receive the best possible learning experience that prepares them for a successful future.
Dr. Dolson created his own or was part of the team that created the course.
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MindCraft: Developing Analytical Skills
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Developing SuperHuman Problem-Solving Skills
Lauren Hudak
Lauren Hudak is an educator with over eight years of experience. After graduating from the University of Virginia with degrees in English Literature and Media Studies, she went on to get her Masters in Teaching from New York University. Lauren has worked with all ages of students from Pre-K through college, but she thrives when working with middle schoolers. She believes this is the perfect age to integrate mindfulness, technology, and social emotional learning into student learning objectives. She wants to help students conquer their fears and build a better world. When she’s not teaching, Lauren loves being outdoors, traveling and spending time with her family.
Lauren created her own or was part of the team that created the course.
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Developing SuperHuman Problem-Solving Skills