Truths
Michael Bronder, the VP of U.S. Education at Edsby, asked us how we are going to talk to our students about the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident at the Oscars.  

Many educators want to run from controversial topics in the classroom. However, avoiding the topic that’s gone viral, that’s being discussed on every channel, and has lit up the internet puts up a barrier in the classroom. Nothing disconnects us more from students than avoiding reality. How can we convince students that our course is relevant if the real world is off-limits in our classroom?

We need a starting point, and education is in a good position with the rise of social and emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. Which of these five SEL competencies were absent the night of the Oscars?
Five out of the five? It paints a clear picture of failure, doesn’t it?

SEL is at the center of our difficult conversations. 

In 7 Steps for Crucial Conversations, we detailed how to have those conversations with our colleagues, but how do we have the same conversation with our students, with the young minds that are seeking growth and developing worldviews?

Education Week lays out how to overcome three barriers teachers face in the classroom while discussing sensitive issues. Indiana University’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning details how to manage difficult classroom discussions. At Berkeley’s Center for Teaching and Learning, their team lays out six ground rules for having those difficult conversations in the classroom.

Ultimately, it comes down to creating a safe space in our classroom and in our places of work. Don’t mistake a well-refereed cage fight for a safe space. The voices of racism and bigotry, those ugly voices that raged on social media after the Oscars on Sunday night, have no place in a safe space. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the foundation of SEL and safe spaces. 

We need safe spaces at school and work because our students and colleagues have beliefs, fears, and emotions that influence their decisions every day. Unlike the primetime slap on that one night, we are seldom aware of the trauma, oppression, abuse, or microaggressions that people face the other 364 days of the year.

Go ahead and lay the SEL foundation. Don’t wait for a controversial topic to pop up. Will Smith and Chris Rock are imperfect people in a complicated and imperfect world making complicated and imperfect choices. A new example will emerge tomorrow. But this latest one struck us all.
Tools
Good news. Living in the Age of Technology, it’s not often that education leads the way with “the best thing.” But we’ve done that with SEL. Our movement that started back in the 60s now has regularly featured spaces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal. Check out all four sections for news, research, and tips for better living with healthy minds and healthy bodies.
Resilient is a podcast series from Deloitte Advisory on how to lead during a crisis, navigate disruption, and manage large-scale disruption.
Bridges is a unique platform that connects people by their differences (in politics, religion, race, and more) to foster understanding through safe, civil, one-on-one dialogues. Of course, there’s an app for that!
Triumphs
Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) is reimagining and reinventing the work necessary to make true educational equity possible. Student-centered learning advances equity when it values social and emotional growth alongside academic achievement. In Designing for Equity, NGLC puts a cultural lens on strengths and competencies and equips students with the power and skills to address injustice in their schools and communities. In Designing for Social-Emotional Learning, NGLC looks at how Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. promotes social-emotional learning by helping students develop self-awareness and self-regulation skills.
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Were you prepared to discuss the events at the Oscars in your classroom? Learn how to have those conversations at https://www.setsergroup.com/connect.
 
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