Nurturing Social-Emotional Well-being in Teachers

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Nurturing Social-Emotional Well-being in Teachers

Kristin Troop, director of Wee Care Day School, knows the importance of nurturing and sustaining the social-emotional well-being of her team and staff. That's why she invited Tony Hernandez, founder of Reflective Wisdom, in introducing her staff to Points of You®. Like many school directors, Kristin knows the importance of creating a learning environment that supports social-emotional development for students. There are lot of training programs out their for educators around improving student's social-emotional competencies and yet she really struggled with offering that type of opportunity for her teachers to gain a method to increase their own social-emotional capacities.

When Kristin experienced the Points of You method herself, she know instantly that her staff would benefit from it too. And so she invited Points of You® Certified Trainer Tony Hernandez to create a workshop that would provide a brave space for her staff to connect authentically. 

Keep reading to get a sample of how the Points of You® approach and its tools opened the opportunity for these educators to exercise their own social-emotional muscles.

Here's what happened for the staff at Wee Care Day School ...

Pause

Every Points of You experience begins with Pause. Pause allowed the Wee Care staff to slow down and look at their professional practice from a distance. This vital first step let them take a break from the machinery of automatic thought patterns.  According to Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), Pause created the ability for them to successfully regulate their emotions, thoughts, and lower stress.

 Expand

After the Wee Care staff had an opportunity to ground, they were invited into the next phase of the experience, Expand. Using the photo cards from the Coaching Game deck, the staff could begin searching for new perspectives around what they believe they contribute so Wee Care Day School functions at its optimal best and what are the conditions they need in to thrive. During this time, the staff are engaging in the practice of social awareness. They had a chance to practice perspective taking and empathy between each other.

 Focus

After examining all the relevant points of view around the contributions and conditions for optimal relationships among the staff, they now focus on determining the most significant insight. This is accomplished through guiding questions, that clarify which of the options appears correct and most suited to the person's internal rhythm. This sense of self-awareness  create the ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior. Each staff member was able to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset.”

Doing

This is the stage where the staff shifted from potential to the concrete. Once the staff met up in their teams, they began sharing with each other ways they can contribute to each other in working together better.  This type of responsible decision-making creates the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. The realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.

So there you have it. Just a brief recount of how nurturing the staff at Wee Care Day School will deepen their relationships so they can continue providing a nurturing environment for the children and families they serve.