5 Tips to Teach Your Child to Share

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I was standing at the door one morning as a child entered eating a breakfast roll. I jokingly asked if I could have a bite, to which the response was a resounding ”NO!” The mom told her child that it is nice to share, but the child insisted that “Mommy we are not supposed to share food!”.
In fact, young children do not yet grasp the concept of sharing. It is a complex developmental task. Here are a few tips on modeling teaching your child to share.

Too Young to Share?

If you’ve ever taken your young child to a public playspace you’ve undoubtedly heard parents or nannies barking at their little companion to share.

“Share, Frances!” “Arthur, you need to share!”

But there’s a difference between telling your child to share at playtime and teaching and modeling sharing behaviors to your child.

Sharing is so difficult for little ones because it involves so many of the big hard skills that they just haven’t mastered yet: self-regulation, communication, patience and empathy. They’re difficult concepts, and for that reason, sharing truly is a developmental milestone.

Before the age of 3.5, in fact, children really aren’t even able to wrap their minds around the concept of sharing, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

“Sharing is complex and something children aren’t ready for developmentally and cognitively until about the age of four – and for some children older,” says Rachel Duda, VP of Learning at Vivvi. “If your child isn’t doing this yet at the age of 2 or 3 it is not something to be concerned about, because they’re not developmentally ready.” 

Before they get to this milestone though, she says, “It is important that grownups model sharing in everyday life and narrate and name what’s happening.”

Here are five steps to help you model and teach sharing to your child during playtime:

 

No Grabbing Please

Imagine being lost in a world of play with a toy and then another kid (or grown up!) grabs it and takes it away. Ouch! That can be so upsetting and disruptive. Sharing and taking turns is so much easier when there’s a firm No Snatching rule in place.

For a child that can understand fairness, this concept can be discussed: snatching never feels fair and little children really desire a sense of fairness. For a child not yet able to comprehend that, a little parenting redirection can help. When a snatch happens, help the child responsible give the toy back to the child who had it first and then help them negotiate sharing using the steps that follow this one.

Admittedly as parents, sometimes we need to pick up our child’s toys and get them out the door or in the bed—even when they don’t want us to do it. But here, we suggest giving your child warnings. “Two more minutes with the blocks before bedtime,” etc.

 

Complete their Play

When your young child is playing with blocks or dolls or pots and pans, they have a game at play. Although everyone else may be completely oblivious to what they’re doing, your young child has developed rules and missions and feelings for this game in their mind. And they’d really, really like to finish it before they have to give it to the next child in line. You can understand that, right?

Help them come to a natural completion of their play before they pass the toy off by allowing them the time and space they need to finish their game.

 

Put a time frame On It

You can help your child find a natural completion to their play by asking them how much longer they need. Would your child like one, two or three more minutes with their toy before they share it?

For example, you’d say, “Mila, it really seems like Libby would like a turn with that doll. How much longer would you like with a doll to finish up your game?”

If Mila says “I don’t want to share” you can remind her that she gets to choose how much longer she gets with the doll. Would she like one, two or three minutes?

 

Taking Turns

Once you’ve navigated your way through the initial share, you may see this is a toy many children are interested in having a turn with.

Help them figure out an order for their share rotation – who goes first, second, third. You may find the children organically play and pass off to the next child without any interference necessary. Yippee! If that isn’t the case, you have a few options. You can remind each child, “one more minute then pass to Elsie,” or you can bring out a timer.

Tip: Make sure to narrate and thank children for showing kindness. “Gigi, you passed the toy to Leon so gently! Great job!”

 

Give your child freedom to create the play on their own terms – but also are available to help with conflict resolution when needed.

 

Kathleen Visconti

Head of School

Learning Spanish at Tessa International School

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Each child has their own way to learn. Some prefer to learn by seeing or hearing, others by doing, some by reading, and others by asking questions. One thing all students have in common however, is that they learn best when incorporating topics that interest them into their studies. Here at Tessa, we know and understand this. We strive to help our students develop the skills needed to face challenges at home, on the streets or in the classroom, through an additional  language.

Learning Spanish at Tessa International School

At Tessa, students learn in the language – rather than being taught the language as an independent subject. 

Our Spanish Teachers use the language in the most organic way possible to communicate with their students, using not only their voices, but also their body language, signs or objects. Research indicates that the brain circuits associated with language learning are more flexible at a young age. This flexibility allows students to grasp the language rapidly.  

Preschool: A Full Immersion Approach

Tessa’s unique language program begins in Preschool with an 80% immersion in the target language (here Spanish), ensuring students develop second language proficiency by the end of Kindergarten.

In PK2, students start expressing their basic needs using words like “agua”(water), “baño” (bathroom), “hambre” (hungry), and more. The learning journey starts with the most basic concepts of the language: listening and repeating. 

In PK3, they will be introduced to the Spanish Alphabet in uppercase and will practice to write. At the end of PK3 they will be able to express their thoughts into 4 word-sentences like “El carro es amarillo” or “Puedo ir al baño” (The car is yellow or Can I go to the bathroom?).  

In PK4 they will keep practicing the alphabet and are going to focus on the lowercase Spanish alphabet. They will also be introduced to the first phonics, guessing the beginning or ending sounds of the words. From listening to the language, they will be encouraged to use it more frequently in the classroom and in their daily activities. 

Our kindergarteners are ready to reinforce all the knowledge acquired through the years and put it into practice by expressing themselves. They will increase their vocabulary and be able to tell short stories of 3, 4 and 5 events using sequence words like “primero” (First), “luego” (then) and “finalmente” (finally). They will begin to read and write.

Primary: A dual language program

In primary school, the week is equally divided between English and Spanish. During this time, students will continue to develop their Spanish reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

They will be able to use the target language fluently, thanks to the skills gained throughout the years at Tessa. Students will learn how to identify sounds within words, and combine the sounds into complex words to read a variety of texts. They will start to explore the language, its spelling, rules, grammar and conjugation.

At Tessa, we teach language through content, and we teach content through language. Every situation, in and out of the classroom, is an opportunity to reinforce the learning of the target language. 

 

If you would like to learn more about our Spanish program, we invite you to schedule a private tour and meet our team. 

A Very Tessa January

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2023 started off beautifully with many celebrations and learning opportunities. Here is what we have been up to at Tessa in January.

Lunar New Year

Celebrations are a big part of Tessa’s culture. And January has been very colorful thanks to the different activities and decors honoring the Lunar New Year. Some parents came to school to decorate, read stories or organize crafts for students. We also invited a special guest, who specializes in sugar painting, a form of traditional Chinese folk art. She demonstrated her art and created sugar animals for each student.

We also wanted to celebrate with our community at large. We organized a themed Open House, where Lina Liu Artists performed traditional acrobats. It really was a great morning!

Did you know? Lunar New Year VS Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is only one festival under the umbrella term of Lunar New Year and refers to the celebration specific to Chinese culture. While Lunar New Year is widely celebrated by countries in Asia, Chinese New Year is only observed in China and celebrated by Chinese people. Read more here.

End of Unit Celebrations

Our PK4 parents were invited to Tessa to celebrate the End of Unit: How We Express Ourselves. These past few weeks, children studied how wonder within us can make us communicate in different ways. Where does wonder come from ? What are the different ways to communicate? What is the connection between wonder and feelings? Through these different ideas and questions, this unit facilitated a strong focus on Visual Arts, Performing Arts and Language.

A Unit of Inquiry in the IB provides schools with a curriculum framework of essential elements — the knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and action that young students need to equip them for successful lives, both now and in the future. Learn more about End of Unit projects at Tessa on our blog.

Field Trips

January has been an eventful month, full of learning experiences. For their IB unit of inquiry study called “How We Express Ourselves”, our PreK3s worked on learning how colors and emotions can be expressed through art. They went on a field trip to Urban Arts in the Monroe Center and explored the color yellow. Our Primary students visited the Hoboken Public Library, and for their unit on “How We Express Ourselves Through Stories”, they also went to the New Jersey State Theatre. They enjoyed the play “The Ugly Duckling” by the UK based Tutti Frutti Prod.

Dental Hygiene at Tessa

The Bear Brook Pediatric Dentistry team came to Tessa to introduce students to dental hygiene and oral health. They reviewed healthy brushing routines and learned why they are important.

Dental hygiene is an essential lesson for preschool-aged children to learn in order to start good habits early. Through demonstration and a hands-on approach, we want to familiarize our students with appropriate ways to keep their teeth clean and healthy!

Registration is Open for Summer Camp and Afterschool Winter Semester!

We opened registration for our Summer Camp programs. Our Summer Camps are thoroughly enjoyable language immersion programs in the language of your choice – Spanish, French or Mandarin. With a new theme and adventure each week, take advantage of this perfect mix of fun academics and outdoor activities.

Who? Children ages 2 to 9

Where? Hoboken – Tessa International School

When? June 26th to August 25th 2023

Register by March 1st, 2023 and benefit from our Early Bird rates. Jumpstart your child’s future, engage them now! Learn more here.

A new semester also means new afterschool activities! At Tessa, we offer a wide range of afterschool activities, from soccer, to chess, to dance, to coding and more. Did you know? Our language activities are open to non-Tessa students. As part of our afterschool program, we propose French, Mandarin and Spanish classes. We also offer additional languages such as Russian and Hindi! Learn more here.

We hope you liked this glimpse of the life at Tessa. And there is so much more happening! If you would like to know our school better, we invite you to come visit us!

Learning French at Tessa International School

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Preschool through the end of Primary School is a fundamental period of time in children’s schooling and development. They will learn how to socialize with other children, how to behave in society, how to understand their emotions, respect rules, understand them and even create them as soon as they are able to. They “learn how to learn” so that they become efficient when asked to work by themselves. On the academic level, they will develop a variety of skills on different subjects like fine motor skills, math, oral and written language, arts, sciences and physical education. They are building strong foundations for their whole school life and later, their adult life. 

 

Learning French at Tessa International School

 

The French program at Tessa covers all grades from PK2 to the end of Primary. Students learn in the language – rather than being taught the language as an independent subject. To lead them on their learning journey, we are using different methods : pretend play, free play, board games, construction games, logic games, hands-on activities, workshops, centers, problem solving activities… We try as much as possible to adapt to their needs. Our mission is to make sure they are happy to come to school, that they are curious and eager to learn, and that they can develop their own personality. 

 

Preschool: A Full Immersion Approach

 

Tessa’s unique language program begins in preschool with an 80% immersion in the target language (here French), ensuring students develop second language proficiency by the end of Kindergarten.

 

In PK2, the focus is on language immersion, developing oral skills, and learning basic vocabulary for the students to start being able to express their basic needs in the target language and make them explore and adapt to their environment. 

 

In PK3, emphasis is placed on building simple sentences, improving their pronunciation, learning age-appropriate thematic vocabulary, developing their understanding, entering the written language, discovering capital letters and vowel sounds. 

 

In PK4, they start building longer and more complex sentences, they refine their understanding in different contexts, they keep learning the alphabet through writing,  start working on syllables and use letters to write easy words. 

 

In KG, students will get ready for first grade by doing preparatory work in reading by studying the phonics and associating them to letters, playing with syllables, reading and writing easy words, copying sentences from a model. 

 

Primary: A dual language program

 

In primary school, the week is equally divided between English and French. During this time, students will continue to develop their French reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

 

They will learn how to read phonics, syllables, words, sentences, so that by the end of 5th grade, they are able to read books and write in both French and English. The focus is put on comprehension of written texts, as well as grammar and conjugation. 

 

Learn more about Tessa International School’s French program and discuss with our team by scheduling a tour: https://tessais.org/visit-tessa/

Learning Mandarin at Tessa International School

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Tessa provides an immersive language environment, which is the best way to learn an additional language. There are numerous studies that show that students who are exposed to the language they’re learning in an immersive way exhibit higher levels of fluency, particularly when motivation to learn and absorb the language is high. The high motivation, in turn, is fostered by the desire to belong to or approximate the culture of the target language.

 

At Tessa, students are immersed not only in the language, but also in the many cultures represented at school, and linked to their target language. 

 

Learning a language is an invisible cognitive process. Our teachers at Tessa will provide as much input as they can to the child’s brain and the students will unconsciously filter it, and process the information. 

 

Preschool: A Full Immersion Approach

 

Tessa’s unique language program begins in preschool with an 80% immersion in the target language (here Mandarin), ensuring students develop second language proficiency by the end of Kindergarten.

 

In preschool years, students will focus more on speaking and listening. They will learn Mandarin from daily routines, IB PYP units, and a lot of conversation with the teachers.

 

Mastering the art of conversation is a skill – particularly when that conversation is not in our native tongue. Conversation practice enables language learners to assimilate their acquired knowledge, integrating a variety of cognitive skills at once to produce oral communication. In effect, this is learning by doing.

 

Students will learn through sensory activities, practical fine motor skills, physical education and games.

 

We teach Chinese characters every year, but at a young age, learning Chinese characters is like pieces of a puzzle in their brains. Teachers will decorate the classroom with all the target language characters and that way, they can be exposed to a lot of visualization of the characters, what they look like, and have an understanding of what they’re going to learn later in years.

 

Starting from PK3 and PK4, they will start practicing their fine motor skills by tracing, holding pencils, and using scissors to get prepared for the language learning process.

 

In the kindergarten year, they will start writing Chinese strokes, radicals and simple characters.

 

Primary: A dual language program

 

In primary school, the week is equally divided between English and Mandarin.

 

By the time they go to first grade, they have to be able to write characters by stroke orders. They will keep improving their writing skills with the help of practice books.

 

New characters to write and learn are based on the IB units and on their purpose. Students voice which character they would like to learn, and the teacher will take it into consideration.

 

In order to better accompany the students, teachers will differentiate the learning by their language level, math level,and other skills and topics learned in the classroom. 

 

In preschool years, we will focus more on listening and speaking skills, but in primary, we will practice all four skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading.

 

In the program each year, we will have different goals and different learning skills for students to reach. Throughout the years, from nursery all the way to 5th Grade, your child will be a really successful language learner through our Mandarin program.

 

Learn more about Tessa International School’s Mandarin program and discuss with our team by scheduling a tour: https://tessais.org/visit-tessa/

Tessa Receives Two New Accreditations

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Tessa received two new internationally recognised accreditations. The school has been officially authorized as an IB World School for the Primary Years Programme, by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), and received the accreditation of the French Ministry of Education for our French pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten classes. 

Tessa International School became the first school in New Jersey to offer both the IB PYP and French National Program.  

These dynamic and goal-oriented programs provide our students with the skills to challenge themselves in an environment that holds them to the highest academic standards. This great honor acknowledges Tessa’s high standing as one of the best schools available, where your child can gain academic excellence and global understanding.

What does it mean to be an IB World School? 

Tessa International School is authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is a nonprofit educational organization founded in 1968. The four programs offered by the IBO, taught in more than 5,000 schools around the world, have gained a reputation for their high academic standards, for preparing students for life in a globalized 21st century, and for helping to develop the citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world. 

A student leaving Tessa International School is prepared to transition smoothly into any schools in the IB network worldwide, and has the skill base to enter any other private or public school.

The PYP offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that builds conceptual understanding. It is a student-centered approach to education for children aged 3-12. The PYP has evolved to become a world leader in future-focused education. The PYP is an example of best educational practice globally, responding to the challenges and opportunities facing young students in our rapidly changing world.

The four programs of the IB form a continuum all the way through highschool, and the curriculum of each extends beyond expert instruction in academic subjects, emphasizing intellectual, emotional and social development. 

Research shows that IB Students are likely to perform well academically – often better than students in other programs and often more likely to be recruited by top universities worldwide.

 

What are the benefits of the French Homologation? 

The French Ministry of Education has accredited Tessa International School for its preschool through kindergarten classes (Maternelle) as of September 2022. The French Accreditation leads in innovative teaching methods and has one of the world’s largest educational networks. There are over 535 schools in 139 countries (outside of France) with an AEFE (Agency of French Education Abroad) accreditation. 

A student leaving Tessa International School is prepared to transition smoothly into any schools in the AEFE network in the US, France, or any country in the world.

In a school like Tessa, where three languages are offered, such an accreditation does not only benefit the French language track but the Spanish and Mandarin ones too. The skills included in the French curriculum are sequential, progressive and developmentally relevant. We incorporate them in all 3 language track’s curriculum. 

The French curriculum is renowned worldwide for its high quality and opens the way, after highschool, to the world’s best universities, including English-speaking institutions.

Its approach focuses on research, problem solving, analysis and synthesis and alternance of group work, pair work and individual work. Students learning through the French curriculum are taught to truly respect academic prowess and independent, analytical thinking, emphasis on cultural knowledge.

The benefits of having this accreditation provides a level of uncompromised excellence for setting students up for success. 

End of Unit Projects in the IB PYP

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The Primary Years Programme (PYP) promotes the holistic development of children. In addition to academic skills, the focus is on character building and social, physical and emotional development. Many lessons include problem-solving tasks and projects that encourage students’ creativity. Our students are regularly encouraged to choose creative ways of solving problems, also when presenting what they have learned at the end of a teaching unit. Each End of Unit is concluded by a celebration and/or a project. 

 

End of Unit Project

 

Last week, all of our primary students met to work on a project together, to conclude their unit of inquiry. At Tessa International School, we have three dual-language tracks: French, Mandarin and Spanish. Students from the different tracks love to interact with each other, sharing the language but also different concepts they studied independently in their classrooms. 

Their Unit of Inquiry, Who we Are, focused on the central idea that as responsible citizens, we contribute to our community.

They learned about: 

  • What a citizen is.
  • Rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  • Community helpers and their role in the wellbeing of our community.

 

For this project, they explored the use of community buildings, and the duties of community helpers.

Divided into small groups, they were given a problem: how could they reuse a big pile of cardboard (that they collected in a previous project) and make it into something useful to the community? They came up with the idea to build a city: they needed a hospital, a school, housing, a fire station… 

This project allowed them to put into practice various skills such as problem solving, team collaboration, geometry, civic education, literacy and arts- a true transdisciplinary activity!

 

The Leadership Idea in PYP

The PYP Unit of Inquiry strongly promotes ownership by empowering students to take action at the end of a teaching unit based on what they have learned. During their projects, PYP students are inspired to think about themselves and their world and to solve problems. 

Learning centers meet students’ individual learning needs

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When you step into one of our PK or kindergarten classrooms, you’ll likely see small groups of students working intensely at different tables. Whether they’re arranging letters or pattern with blocks, students are clearly focused on their learning.

 

They are working at “learning centers”; and due to their wide variety of benefits, it’s one of the most popular learning strategies in preschool and kindergarten.

 

What are Learning Centers?

 

Learning Centers are several workshops in which students can focus on a specific activity (literacy-based, math-based, science-based etc.), and rotate. Learning centers are an integral part of the learning process.  They give the students an opportunity to put into practice what they have been learning.  They are an opportunity for students to practice skills both with others and independently. Centers also give teachers a chance to assist students on a more in-depth level using small group lessons.

Why are Learning Centers Important? 

 

  • Learning centers give students a sense of completion. They are presented with a task, they follow the steps to complete the task. They are able to take the activity from start to finish and complete it.  
  • Learning centers help develop confidence. The activities explored in the learning centers include a transdisciplinary approach.Students are able to complete the centers independently and you can watch their confidence soar!
  • Learning centers teach children to be independent. Centers allow students an appropriate level of challenge so they can work independently to reach a solution.
  • Children learn through play. The more an activity feels playful, make believe or game-like the more students will learn. When children feel like they are playing they’ll be more excited to do the activity and it will solidify  the skills. They are more likely to remember skills when they are playing with and manipulating materials, than simply doing a paper/pencil task.
  • In addition to promoting independence, learning centers give the teacher time to work with small groups and give extra attention to students in a smaller capacity. Learning centers offer so many ways to differentiate the instruction.

Centers at Tessa International School

 

There are two types of centers: Rotating Workshops and Center Time.

 

For rotating workshops, the teacher will generally create 3 to 4 groups (depending on the size of the class and the needs of the course) of 4-5 students.  

 

At least one group will work with the lead teacher, one with the assistant teacher, and one in autonomy. Students will work for 15 / 20 minutes on an activity and then rotate. 

Center times are activities located in specific areas around the classroom. Each specific area is also referred to as a center. Children work in small groups during center time, and they can also work independently.

At Tessa, each class has 5 centers: library, blocks, pretend, art, and discovery (math and science together). 

Children choose which center they want to go to, with a limitation of 3 children per center. 

These hands-on activities are a lot of fun, and a great tool to ensure students get to practice what they have been learning. 

To learn more on our program and pedagogy, contact us, schedule a private tour or join one of our upcoming events!

Cross-Cultural Celebrations at Tessa

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UN Day, Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, Diwali… Finding simple ways to celebrate different holidays in the classroom creates a culture of inclusion and deepens understanding. It is something that we really value here at Tessa International School. Our students and teachers come from over 60 different cultures and carry with them even more international backgrounds. Students come to class with their own unique cultures, traditions and languages. We, as educators, work to develop curriculum and practices that meet the needs of our diverse student populations. As our students learn more about themselves and the world around them, they come to understand what makes people the same—we are all human beings with the same basic needs and feelings—as well as what makes us different and contributes to diversity—such as traditions, skin color, foods and special practices.

 

We encourage our students to accept and celebrate differences all year long by celebrating their classmates’ traditions and creating an inclusive classroom. For Diwali 2021, our  parents came to school to celebrate and introduce the festival to the students. They created a beautiful display in the hallway, read stories, brought food, and organized crafts in the classrooms. Our teachers also studied the festival with the children: Diwali is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. 

Self-awareness in children begins to develop when they first start to distinguish between what is “me” and what is “not me.” Around the age of two, children begin to recognize physical differences and colors, applying what they’re learning to themselves and others. Over time, they become more aware of physical differences and go from questioning how people get different features—and wondering if they’ll change—to understanding that racial and cultural identity doesn’t change; it makes them a part of a larger group with similar characteristics.

 

As racial and cultural awareness develops in students, they gain a better understanding of how all of us can be (and indeed are) part of many groups, including various races, families, communities, cultures, regions and religions. 

 

At Tessa we encourage our students to celebrate the different cultures represented in the classroom and get them excited to explore these differences. Students seeing their own culture or the cultures of their peers represented in the classroom helps promote a deeper understanding of diversity through a collection of multicultural resources (books, toys, crafts etc.). 

Holiday celebrations are wonderful opportunities for students to learn about the beliefs, traditions and values that are important around the world. At Tessa we celebrate Chinese New Year; Diwal,Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Day of the Dead and more.

 

There are so many ways to celebrate diversity in the classroom! For United Nations Day, students dressed in clothing representing cultures they relate to or like. We organize show and tell, where students bring and present artifacts from their culture to the classroom. We celebrate U.S. cultures too! We help children to realize that people from countries outside the United States have cultural celebrations. UN Day, Halloween, and  Thanksgiving are important opportunities to underscore that we all have cultures.

 

Our parents sometimes join a classroom to present a tradition to the students, and organize a themed activity. Music, crafts and storytelling are all great ways to study cultures. 

One of the greatest reasons for us to observe all these traditions at Tessa is the opportunity it offers students, teachers, and families to encounter one another in celebration of what we all bring to the table. It’s an occasion to have fun while strengthening the academic connections to students’ knowledge, background experiences, and ways of viewing the world. 

The Remarkable Advantages of Social Emotional Learning: A Case Study

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Educational paradigms are currently undergoing a profound and fundamental change. As we learn more about how children’s brains develop, educators are increasingly shifting away from a narrow focus on content, punctuated by occasional standalone lessons on social and emotional development, and into a new mode of instruction in which these formerly separate realms are integrated into one holistic curriculum. A recent case study demonstrates the success of these principles put into action.

CASEL, SEAD, and SEL

In order to understand the significance of the case study, we must first understand the principles of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has developed a coordinating framework to be utilized by educators, families, and communities to promote intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive competencies in students. To that end, CASEL has developed a framework of 5 Core Competencies.

  • self-awareness
  • self-management
  • social awareness
  • relationship skills
  • responsible decision-making

The Aspen Institute’s National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD) works closely with educators, community leaders, families, employers, and partners like CASEL to fully integrate this approach into K-12 academic curriculum. The goal of SEAD is to compile and release a Report From the Nation, which will outline specific actions intended to usher in a new era of education. This model will support the full development of students, providing them with the skills and emotional maturity to excel not only in academics, but into adulthood.

Case Study: Capital City Public Charter School

SEAD’s first report in the series is a case study of a Washington, D.C. charter school. Capital City provides an innovative learning environment for its 1,000 K-12 students by being part of the Expeditionary Learning network, which emphasizes mastery of academics, production of high-quality work, and development of character.

In practice, this results in “learning expeditions”, such as when 3rd and 4th grade classes compared Washington’s temperate forests with tropical rainforests, incorporating trips to a local park and the National Zoo into the lesson plan. Another example is when 9th graders studied the ecology of local fish, with an emphasis on habitat preservation/restoration and the impact of human activity on fish populations.

This holistic and engaging approach to education makes Capital City fertile ground for the integration of Social Emotional Learning. SEAD’s case study demonstrates this by zeroing in on teacher Samantha Clark’s 6th grade math class. In this lesson, students have been learning geometric concepts by working, alone and in groups, on blueprints depicting their city. Clark calls a volunteer (Brandon) to the overhead projector to display a tightly scripted “peer critique” protocol for the feedback process.

  • First, Brandon describes exactly what he is working on and mentions problems he is having completing his portion of the project.
  • Next, Clark asks “clarifying questions” to fully understand Brandon’s concerns.
  • Then she provides specific feedback, leading with positive comments and following up with helpful guidance.
  • Brandon is then given a chance to respond before returning to his group to put into practice what they have just learned.

This process keeps students engaged, on task, and working together harmoniously. “I don’t see social and academic skills separately at all,” Clark says. “I don’t think first about designing a lesson and then think next about how to develop students’ social-emotional skills. It’s all one.”

To ensure high-quality instruction such as that provided by Clark, Capital City teachers are supported by instructional coaches, given dedicated time to create lesson plans, and frequently meet with other teachers across all grade levels to discuss overarching concerns and goals.

As a result, this charter school outpaces its overall district in growth of student proficiency (as measured by PARCC), and 100% of Capital City’s graduates go on to enroll in college. Despite these impressive achievements, head of school Karen Dresden is always striving to improve. “Our job is much broader than preparing kids for a test;” she says, “we’re preparing kids to do well in college, in careers, and in life. We want to make sure that they have all those skills.”

Other Examples

Also included in the case study are four other examples of successfully implemented SEL approaches.

  • San Francisco Unified School District – The pre-K – 12 math curriculum is taught using principles of “growth mindset,” in which students are taught to expect and embrace mistakes as learning opportunities. This approach focuses on enhancing conceptual thinking, problem-solving skills, and procedural fluency, avoiding the strict right/wrong binary that has led so many students to believe they are “bad” at math.
  • Facing History and Ourselves – This non-profit organization engages students in an examination of social justice issues throughout history with the goal of encouraging students to engage in and understand their role in an active democracy.
  • New Tech Network (NTN) – The NTN focuses on project-based learning, integrating content knowledge with critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and student responsibility.
  • Center for the Collaborative Classroom – This non-profit provides continuous learning for teachers to support the academic, ethical, and social development of children.

Integrating SEL into academic curriculum is clearly beneficial for not only students, but for teachers, parents, and communities as well. By utilizing these principles we can raise the next generation to be socially conscious problem solvers, effective communicators, and well-rounded humans, leading to a better future for all of us.

For more information on innovative approaches to learning, contact us!

Join us at Tessa International School

Discover why our bilingual curriculum is recognized as one of the best. Learn how we combine academic excellence with engaging, interactive experiences that foster global awareness.

Inquire Tour

Join us at Tessa International School

Discover why our bilingual curriculum is recognized as one of the best. Learn how we combine academic excellence with engaging, interactive experiences that foster global awareness.

Inquire Schedule a Tour

Office: (201) 755-5585

Location: 720 Monroe St. Hoboken, NJ 07030

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