Exploring social-emotional wellness

At Coopertown Elementary our school counselor and a team of teachers collaborated to develop a daily focus for the school community throughout the week. The kickoff activity was a video of the Coopertown staff reading portions of the book Master of Mindfulness, How to be your own superhero in times of stress, by Laurie Grossman.

On consecutive days, each of these four pillars was explored:
Empathy – To put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and connect with a time when we felt the same way as they are feeling
Resilience – To discuss the ability to keep going and persevere even when things are challenging
Social – To build relationships and make connections with others
Emotional – To understand feelings, emotional regulation and self-awareness
Everyone learned “shark fin breathing,” a technique to help calm ourselves. A relevant collection of read alouds and whole-group activities were prepared and shared for both primary and intermediate levels. Optional daily affirmations and brain breaks including mindfulness and yoga video clips were also among the resources shared.