In advisory, students often partake in Social Emotional learning. Whether that be learning how to identify different emotions or how to develop self control, SEL Coordinator Ryan Mackenzie has a lot to say on the “Choose Love” program.
“About 4 years ago, we had a district wide committee,” Mackenzie said. “We came together and said that building capacity for understanding, ability to handle your emotions, and actually identifying those emotions were so important for region 16 students.”
Region 16 values mental health and Social Emotional learning, and to Mackenzie these skills are essential to use in the classroom. Students often face hardships that affect their everyday lives. The point of “Choose Love” is to help different people learn how to deal with emotions that might cross their mind.
“Every student will have a challenge at one time or another. With that in mind, we wanted to make sure that we are explicitly teaching this to our students,” said Mackenzie.
Anxiety can be another big part of a student’s life. Yet, it is a top priority to make sure that students know how to handle their troubles when they face them.
Different methods of breathing or meditation can be helpful in a time of stress. Mackenzie explains ways that have helped himself in the past when he gets overwhelmed.
“Something that really helps me is ‘One Minute Meditation’,” said Mackenzie. “Within that minute, I block everything else out. Sometimes I focus on something I’m grateful for, sometimes I focus on a color, sometimes I focus on nothing. It kind of helps me just take a break from everything.”
Choose Love and Social Emotional Learning were brought to Woodland with the intention to better students’ understanding of their emotions. So far, this program has been very successful in the district and the plan is to continue it.
“The importance of SEL (Social Emotional Learning) is individualized. I wanted people to have opportunities to learn about our emotions, learn about why they’re happening,” said Mackenzie. “Once we know why things happen, we feel more comfortable working with them.”
