Edited by Nick Yoder, PhD

Introduction 

One of the pictorial metaphors I have appreciated the most in 2020 is the vision of multiple boats who are all in the same storm—with high waves and lightning—each attempting to reach the shore. However, the boats are different sizes, have different numbers of people and resources on board, and are made of different materials. So, although each is endeavoring to reach the shore, their ability to make it will require different levels of effort and resources.

The “unprecedented” 2020 is finally over—what many of us saw as the shoreline. Although we have been striving to get to January 1, 2021, in hopes of a new horizon, we still have quite a few rogue waves to navigate before we finally make it to shore. And even then, a huge amount of work exists to tackle the disparate opportunities that became so clear in 2020. And while we do not know exactly what the future holds, it is critical to take a deep breath, celebrate making it to 2021, mourn those who did not, and acknowledge the differential experiences we each had over the past 10 months. To move forward, we must first reflect on what we have learned, what has worked, and what has not as we continue our journey to the shore. As the great Rafiki from Lion King stated, “Yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it—you can either run from it or learn from it.”

One thing we definitely learned was the critical importance of healthy learning. Whether being on Zoom all day, caring for family members, worrying about friends, being concerned about having enough food on our table, or mourning loved ones, we all felt an additional strain on our well-being, using skills and knowledge we never knew that we had. But what does that mean for the future? If we were going to look into the 2021 Healthy Learning telescope, what skills, knowledge, and attitudes will we leave behind and which ones will we carry forward? Which Healthy Learning practices and skills helped us conquer the storm and reach the shore? How can we leverage that learning to create more equitable systems and practices?

In this article, we asked five of our Harmony colleagues and national experts to weigh in on what they saw as five key areas that will be important for 2021: distance learning, culturally responsive practices, adult well-being, academic integration, and skills assessment. We also asked our district partners to elevate their stories about what they have done and how they will continue to connect healthy learning with these key areas of effective implementation.

 

Distance Learning 

By Doug Fisher, PhD

Schooling comes in many forms, especially this year. Children and youth are Zooming, Teaming, and hanging out virtually with their peers and teachers. Many of the students enrolled in school today are engaged in meaningful tasks and developing a wide range of competencies. Who would have thought that second graders would be developing presentations, sharing their screens, and problem-solving technology?  And yet there are some students who have not been able to connect in these ways and need additional support to be successful.

Distance learning has provided educators with an opportunity to rethink what is important and to design new teaching, learning, and assessing opportunities. There are students all over the world who are now using asynchronous learning time to preview vocabulary and develop background knowledge before a synchronous lesson. And there are students who are engaged in meaningful review, practice, and application tasks that solidify their learning. That’s not to say they all are engaged in these types of learning, but that it’s possible. Teachers are doing amazing things, ensuring that students are learning, and they, themselves, are learning a set of skills that will serve us well, long after the pandemic.

As we begin to turn the corner, school is likely to change again. Now is the time to reflect on the lessons learned during the pandemic to make permanent changes. We learned that we can use technology in new ways to learn, but also that relationships—with students, with families, with colleagues—are central to the learning experience. As we move forward, we need to ask ourselves, what will be the role of families in the future? What role will technology play? And how can we create learning environments that ensure our students are future-prepared? We must take the time to learn from our experience and begin to test and research these new learning opportunities to create more equitable learning experiences for all students.

 

Culturally Responsive Practices 

By Tyrone Howard, PhD

The concept of culturally responsive teaching was introduced by Education Scholars Gloria Ladson Billings and Geneva Gay. They both state that culturally responsive teaching is an approach to teaching that incorporates attributes, characteristics, or knowledge from a student’s cultural background into the instructional strategies and course content in an effort to improve educational outcomes.  One of the primary ideas behind culturally responsive pedagogy is to create learning environments that allow students to utilize cultural elements, cultural capital, and other recognizable knowledge that they are familiar with to learn new content and information in order to enhance their schooling experience and academic success.

When thinking about cultural responsiveness there are three key ideas that educators must keep in mind: 

• Academic success should not have to come at the expense of cultural integrity. In other words, students’ cultural ways of knowing, being, thinking, and communicating should not have to be compromised as they learn new information.  
• Teachers must have a sociopolitical consciousness. Being aware of contemporary and historical factors that influence minoritized populations are critical in curriculum. Embracing discussions around issues pertinent to a given community are salient.
• Educators must have a dynamic repertoire of instructional practices. Recognizing that students learn, think, and process in a myriad of ways requires that teachers structure instruction using whole-group, small pods, visual- and performing-arts-based approaches, individual tasks, skits, technology enhanced teaching—all of these methods help include diverse learners.

In the past 10 months, we have not found a model of teaching and learning that works for everyone. Although many students and adults are succeeding, many students have been struggling with remote learning. Thus, in the virtual format teachers must continue to find dynamic ways to engage students that can extend into the future. Developing new insights, and learning new information can be exciting when done properly. Especially if the content or information that we are learning about sparks our curiosity, excites our imagination, and piques our creativity. There is nothing more enticing than when new information has a connection to our own world, our own interests, and our own lived experiences.

Let’s be clear, relevance matters. Relevance matters because it allows us to feel as if what we know, see, feel and hear is important, and can help us learn more information. Arguably, there is no more important concept than when learning is connected to our worlds. When information is not reflective or connected to who we are, there is a tendency to disengage, disconnect, become frustrated, and turn off possibilities for learning. Our students are no different from us as adults. When they can engage in relevant and stimulating content the possibilities for their learning can be endless. Effort can improve, participation may increase, and most importantly learning can grow. Let’s continue to identify strategies that afford students opportunities to engage in tasks that are relevant to them.  

 

Adult Well-being 

By Richie Ressel

The pandemic has created one of the biggest disruptions to education in history, and this has impacted educators’ well-being and the degree to which they feel valued by others.  Teachers have been presented with the options of potentially putting their health at risk by teaching in person, developing skill sets in a whole new approach to teaching through remote learning, or doing the impossible: teaching virtually and in-person simultaneously. A recent survey shows that 27% of teachers are considering quitting due to COVID-19 and 77% of teachers state they are working more now than a year ago. So as we look to 2021, supporting adult well-being has to be on the forefront of our minds.

Adult well-being includes developing educators’ own competencies, effectively utilizing self-care strategies, collaborating and building relationships with colleagues, and modeling healthy learning practices for students. As we look at the educator experience in 2020, effectively utilizing self-care strategies rises to the surface as being critical. This could look like establishing structures to reflect on what is causing educator stress and how it is impacting them, and then taking a moment to reflect on the strategies that may support educator well-being. Would practicing nutrition and exercise help you the most? What about relaxation techniques or positive self-talk? Spending the time to reflect and identify what educators need for self-care will be a critical part of the educator profession in 2021.

By creating a work environment that focuses on adult well-being, educators will learn how to identify stress symptoms they are experiencing and possible causes of that stress. It will also cause leaders to pay attention to the emotional environment in the school for adults and for students. As we continue to a new vision of education, we cannot forget the great work that leaders did to focus on adult well-being, while also recognizing we can always do more to create the environments where all adults and students feel successful and able to cope with stress.

 

Academic Integration 

By Frances Gipson, PhD 

Educators across the country are engaged in a collective and urgent call to action for healthy learning environments.  While many school systems were accelerating the importance of healthy learning, 2020 underscored and boldly marked this as an imperative for all.  The needs and evidence are not understated—from the fast-food parking lot to the few brick and mortar schools still open—it is in the multiplicity of these varied learning settings that the need is evident, not only for students, but for the adult community too.

In addressing the priority, academic integration is the ideal space for supporting healthy learning practice. Studies show that the integration of relationship skills development and academics involves three interdependent components: (a) fostering academic mindsets, (b) aligning well-being and academic objectives, and (c) using interactive instructional practices and structures to promote healthy learning.

Integration has expanded even more in our thinking during this year with new ways of leading, learning, and liberating.  Many years ago, a great mentor shared that we need a braid of content, reflection, and quality group development to strengthen high-quality instruction and development.  Now we know that we must ensure the emotional competencies are explicit in this braid, and perhaps it is the core of what should be even more common for all of us in our academics.

Looking through the telescope, districts are engaged in the important and meaningful struggle to determine what counts for academic priorities. In this environment, hope is on the horizon, as dispositions towards mastery and deeper learning are expanding in our contemporary mindsets.  Healthy learning is no longer a nice-to-have; it is a must-have. Now academically integrated, with an even stronger understanding of a growth mindset, we are seeing the healthy learning practices that are needed to match who we need to be for our learners.  Perhaps, this evolved version is the truer definition of our goals and outcomes for academic integration. What do you think? 

 

Data for Continuous Improvement 

By Clark McKown, PhD

“Prediction is difficult—particularly when it involves the future.”

–Mark Twain

I agree with Mark Twain that predicting the future is difficult. Still, as someone who has spent many years focused intensively on healthy learning assessment, I do have some ideas—a mix of prediction and aspiration, really—about what healthy learning assessment will look like in 2021.

This first idea is more prediction than aspiration. There is growing recognition that high-quality healthy learning assessment can and should guide instruction and measure learning in response to instruction. To that end, I predict that we will see more school districts adopting methods of assessing personal, social, and academic learning, and more states encouraging school districts to do so. In particular, I predict that performance-based competence assessments, particularly for the elementary grades, will be increasingly adopted to support instruction and measure progress.

My second idea is more aspiration than prediction. Educators differ in what they think should be assessed. Should we measure student competencies? If so, which ones? Should we measure climate? Should we measure adult practices? In my view, personal, social, and academic assessment will be in the best position to support teaching, learning, and student outcomes when: (a) educators assess competence, climate, and implementation in the context of an integrated system, (b) competence assessments measure skills that are the targets of instruction and reflect state standards, where such standards exist, and (c) school districts adopt and support high-quality data review practices that result in data-informed decisions about practice, and that chart the impact of those practices on climate and student competencies.

The third idea is an expansion of this last point above about data use and is equal parts aspiration and prediction. Educational leaders and decision-makers increasingly recognize that personal, social, and academic assessment involves more than administering an assessment and getting back score reports. For assessment to support effective practice, educators must spend time with the assessment reports, interpret their meaning, and use the data to make decisions about what to do. In 2021, I predict that more educators will participate in professional learning experiences designed to help them use personal, social, and academic assessment data to maximum benefit.

My final idea is aspirational, but I see signs that things are moving in this direction. The field of healthy learning has evolved in such a way that assessments and healthy learning programs and practices are largely offered separately. Assessment will be more useful to educators if it is integrated more closely with programs; conversely, programs will be more effective if high-quality assessment guides their use. I predict that 2021 will witness more collaborations between assessment providers and curriculum providers to create more integrated assessment and program offerings. 

 

Conclusion 

As 2020 closes and 2021 begins, we are still looking into the telescope—wondering what will come, how will we better engage students, engage adults, and heal individually and collectively. If we can leverage the power of healthy learning to take care of ourselves and our loved ones, to show compassion and empathy for those who may be experiencing this differently from us, we can begin to heal and ultimately evolve into a more caring and just society. As our experts and districts have noted, we have to be intentional in doing this. As an educational community, we need to create the teaching and learning conditions that allow all students to thrive in a way that is meaningful to them and prepares them to succeed in their futures.

 

By Nick Yoder, PhD

The creation, development, and refinement of Harmony SEL is driven by the need for young people to develop the skills and be in environments (in classrooms and other settings) that lead to harmonious social interactions (Hanish et al., 2017). The program and associated activities are predominately driven by Intergroup Contact Theory (Allport, 1954), which states that diverse groups of individuals will more likely develop relationships when they receive opportunities to connect with another, establish common goals, obtain equal status, and are broadly supported by institutions (for review see Delay et al., 2017 and Pettigrew et al., 2011). To do this, Harmony is similar to other social and emotional learning (SEL) programs in that it explicitly develops core social and emotional skills (Rimm-Kaufman & Hulleman, 2015), yet is distinct because it centers development through peer influence and interactions (Miller et al., 2017).

Guided by cognitive behavioral and social-cognitive approaches, Harmony’s active ingredients— explicit SEL instruction and applying SEL Everyday Practices—define the mechanisms that matter most within the curriculum (Miller et al., 2017). In other words, these mechanisms are the core beliefs and theory that drive improvements in students’ social, emotional, and academic development (Rimm-Kaufman & Hulleman, 2015). Explicit instruction occurs within the units and lessons, comprised of relationship-based activities that allow students to learn and practice social and emotional skills at least once per week. Lessons and activities include storybooks; participatory, play-based peer activities; interactive games; hands-on activities; and role-plays and discussions (peer-to-peer, small and whole group) (Martin et al., 2017)—typical instructional practices found in other SEL programs (Jones et al., 2017). Everyday Practices provide students with ongoing and supportive opportunities to interact with diverse peers to participate in discussions, decision-making, problem solving, and community building—authentic opportunities to apply those skills learned in units and lessons (Martin et al., 2017).

Although the research base behind Harmony is strong (Delay et al., 2017; Hanish et al., n.d.; Miller et al., 2017), we continue to modify and adapt Harmony to meet the needs of students and adults within in and out of school time-settings. A key component of that is to elevate the general principles that guide our work (see Figure 1). The general principles come from the research and theory that guided the development of Harmony (Martin et al., 2017), research-based strategies on systemic SEL (e.g., Mahoney et al., 2020), and the evidence of what is needed to promote effective implementation of SEL programs (Jones et al., 2017; Rimm-Kaufman & Hulleman, 2015). In the remainder of this paper, we elevate key principles that guide our work at Harmony (see Appendix A for a description of active ingredients and Appendix B for the supports Harmony provides).

 

Figure 1. Harmony Active Ingredients and Guiding Principles

 

 

General Principles  

Student development of social and emotional competencies are complicated and intertwined with broader human development (SOLD Alliance, 2020). Social and emotional development depends not only on their individual knowledge, skills, and beliefs, but is influenced by the various environmental conditions students engage in. In other words, does the environment, co-created by the individuals who are in it, honor the lived experiences, cultures, and families of students? To facilitate Harmony users’ understanding and application of Harmony in a way that explicitly promotes student development and creates environments in which students feel safe and supported, we elevate the key principles that guide Harmony’s development, implementation, and adaptations.  

Developmental continuum. Harmony takes a developmental approach, understanding that the complexity of social and emotional skills increases as students develop. A growing body of research suggests social and emotional skills emerge and change over the first 10 years of life (Immordino-Yang et al., 2018) and are continuously malleable across the lifespan (SOLD Alliance, 2020). Although skills are malleable, the literature points to two key findings. First, some skills act as a set of building blocks or as a foundation for more complex skills that emerge later in life. Second, some skills are stage-salient meaning they enable students to meet the demands of a particular developmental stage and/or setting (Jones et al., 2017).  

Adult SEL. Harmony believes that if we do not start with the adults, effective implementation may not be as maximally effective for students. Educators model and facilitate discussions to help students connect, communicate, collaborate, and problem solve (Yoder, 2014a). Research confirms that for successful implementation of any SEL program, leaders need to focus on adult social and emotional competencies and capacities (Jennings & Greenberg, 2008; Maroney et al., 2020). In other words, explicit attention needs to focus on adult development of the five core competencies, as well as their capacities to support student development.  

Culturally responsive practices. To truly meet its potential, SEL must be used as a lever for equity and excellence, or what CASEL refers to as transformative SEL (Jagers et al., 2019; Schlund et al., 2020). To accomplish this goal, SEL programs and practices must honor the lived experiences of all youth, promote youth voice and choice, and work to dismantle systemic barriers. Harmony units and Everyday Practices provide opportunities for students to develop meaningful relationships with those who are different from themselves, and to recognize the assets and strengths that everyone brings to the community. Harmony promotes explicit practices to break down barriers between peers, discuss stereotypes, and ensure that all students are represented within the program. 

Academic integration and SEL teaching practices. Science confirms that learning is social and emotional, and education can no longer think of academic learning and SEL as distinct areas of learning (SOLD Alliance, 2020). Educators can promote integration through academic integration and through SEL teacher practices (National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development [NC-SEAD], 2019; Yoder, 2014b). Harmony provides opportunities for educators to do this. Through Everyday Practices of Meet Up and Buddy Up, Harmony provides opportunities that teachers can easily use for class discussions and problem solving. For example, during language arts, students may deepen their understanding of current or historical events and be encouraged to discuss how characters or historical figures have taken into account the perspectives, feelings, emotions, or needs of others. Physical education teachers will work with students to establish and monitor Harmony Goals to promote cooperation and teamwork in sports and games.  

Positive learning environments. Environments and social and emotional development are two integral components of student learning in schools. Students cannot develop or apply their social and emotional competencies if they are not nurtured within safe and supportive learning environments, and learning environments are created when students and adults have social and emotional competencies (Mahoney et al., 2020; SOLD Alliance, 2020). Harmony lessons, activities, and Everyday Practices are not only designed to develop social and emotional competencies, but to create environments where students feel as though they belong, are safe, and are heard.  

Trauma-informed care. All students need to feel safe and secure, particularly those students who have experienced trauma and traumatic events. When students experience constant stressors, those experiences modify student behavior and the ways they interact with the world. A key component of trauma-informed practices is inclusion of a social and emotional learning program that promotes student assets (Guarino & Chagnon, 2018). And Harmony takes that approach. Harmony ensures that lessons and activities honor the assets students bring with them and encourages continual development and refinement of them, in addition to ones that students need to work on.  

Data for continuous improvement. Harmony believes that high-quality assessment data can and should be used to support consistent, high-quality SEL practices. SEL assessment should include a comprehensive approach, in which SEL goals, assessment, and instructional practices align with one another (Assessment Work Group, 2019). An effective data system includes both implementation measures (e.g., school climate and educator implementation of Harmony), and student outcome measures (e.g., social and emotional competencies, attendance, and behavior incidents). Educators, families, and students should come together to collect, analyze and review these various data sources to best understand them and to determine next steps.

Moving Forward 

When students engage in classrooms that effectively implement the core components and guiding principles, student classroom environments improve and the students develop social and emotional skills, creating more harmonious classrooms (see Figure 1). For example, students develop such social and emotional skills as encoding social cues, generating prosocial and problem-solving strategies, creating consensus of divergent views, identifying solutions to overcome barriers, finding commonalities, recognizing stereotypes, and developing relationship efficacy (Hanish et al., 2017; Martin et al., 2017). Further, the relationship context is better, in which students build strong relationships with diverse others, feel a greater sense of belonging and inclusion, and feel greater affect in the classroom (Delay et al., 2017; Miller et al., 2017).

As we continue to develop and refine Harmony, it will be critical to more fully integrate the core principles within the active ingredients or mechanisms that matter so that students get the optimal experience and reflect current best practices in SEL (CASEL, 2013; Jones et al., 2017; Rimm-Kauffman & Hulleman, 2015; Mahoney et al., 2020). Further, we will need to continue to consider how those active ingredients are defined, for whom they work, how to adapt them based on context, and what it means for maximal implementation.  

 

 

       Appendix A. Active Ingredients of Harmony       

 

Explicit SEL Instruction  

Explicit skills instruction delivered through units and lessons helps students develop and practice the social and emotional competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. In other words, when educators implement Harmony, they are implementing lessons and activities aligned to the CASEL core competencies. Through our program materials, Harmony provides all students with rich learning experiences that build the critical knowledge and skills that foster academic achievement and preparation for life after school, ultimately fostering readiness for college and career. This section provides an overview of units and lessons, Harmony’s explicit instruction, including three of Harmony’s primary tools within units and lessons: games and activities, storybooks, and sing-along songs. 

Units and Lessons. The Pre-K – 6th Grade units and lessons found in our Online Learning Portal engage students in storybooks; participatory, play-based peer activities; interactive games; hands-on activities; and role-plays and discussions (peer-to-peer, small and whole group). Through lessons students learn core social and emotional skills that educators can reinforce throughout the school day, as outlined in our pacing guide. Each unit includes a family letter and suggested home activities. These home-school connections help families reinforce social and emotional skills at home.  

The core social and emotional knowledge, attitudes, and skills that students should learn are organized into five units, elevating core themes that Harmony embraces. The five Harmony unit themes are:

• Diversity and Inclusion: Promotes inclusive classrooms; encourages students to appreciate and respect commonalities and differences, embrace diversity, and consider the perspectives of others.
• Empathy and Critical Thinking: Helps students recognize, predict, explain and regulate feelings, emotions, and actions and develop critical thinking skills that reduce stereotyping.
• Communication: Provides opportunities for students to effectively engaging with one another through building positive communication skills and understanding ineffective communication techniques.
• Problem Solving: Helps students recognize how their behaviors affect others and develops constructive strategies for resolving conflict and working cooperatively with others, learning to compromise and practice self-regulation, and to seek and offer help when necessary.
• Peer Relationships: Provides opportunities for students to form and maintain meaningful friendships, be inclusive, learn to apologize and forgive and reflect upon their choices as they consider safety concerns, and adopt prosocial social norms (ways of interacting with one another).

 

Games and Activities. Students in grades 3 – 6 can engage in the games included in the units, providing opportunities for students to enhance what they’ve learned and apply their social and emotional competencies. The games help build student understanding of commonalities and differences, identify positive communication strategies, utilize “think outside the box” strategies, and engage in team building and problem solving. 

Storybooks. As part of their lessons, students in Pre-K – 2 use a set of online, read-aloud storybooks featuring a character named “Z,” who learns the meaning of friendship from the Treehouse Friends. Educators facilitate discussions to help Z and friends learn about friendship, solve everyday problems, learn how to recognize and manage feelings and emotions, and communicate with one another. 

Sing-Along songs. The Pre-K – 2nd grade Buddy Time Sing-Along Songs reinforce lesson concepts and engage students in music, movement, and dance. Buddy Time Sing-Along Songs are a lesson resource, for example, they can introduce lessons, conclude Meet Up time, signal transitions, and provide additional opportunities for movement and dance.

 

Applying SEL in Everyday Practices 

Designed to foster relationships and build community, the Harmony Everyday Practices of Meet Up and Buddy Up are routines in which students connect with peers, collaborate, and solve problems, creating a positive classroom community. Everyday Practices also include developing and reflecting on Harmony Goals and can be extended through the Harmony Game Room app. Through these Everyday Practices educators provide ongoing opportunities for students to share strengths, backgrounds, interests, identities, and needs with peers and staff, ensuring all voices are heard. As they talk about and debate big ideas with respect, clarity, and understanding, students think about, discuss, and share ideas, coming to value the perspectives of others. Harmony Everyday Practices provide opportunities for students to practice social and emotional skills from the Harmony lessons and activities.  

Meet Up. Meet Up is similar to a community meeting (Grades K – 5) or advisory period (Grades 6 – 12) that fosters a culture of inclusion and community. Meet Up gives students the opportunity to learn and practice important social and problem-solving skills, including the following: setting and monitoring goals for how to treat one another; respecting others; identifying commonalities and differences; celebrating diversity; listening and responding respectfully; understanding the feelings of others; considering the impact of one’s words and actions; making group decisions; identifying consequences for behaviors and solving problems; taking responsibility; and being accountable toward one another.  

During Meet Up, students and teachers meet daily to greet one another by name, share ideas and experiences, monitor classroom Harmony Goals, solve problems, celebrate friendships, and engage in team-building activities using the Harmony Quick Connection Cards. Because there are diverse practices during Meet Up, teachers facilitate, model, and reinforce positive communication and problem solving. 

Buddy Up. Buddy Up is a peer buddy routine designed to bring together diverse students who otherwise might not interact with one another on a regular basis. Buddy Up can be integrated in Grades K – 6 or in 7 – 12. During Buddy Up, students engage in discussions, activities, and projects provided in the Harmony Quick Connection Cards as well as in teacher-designed activities connected to academic content areas. When students are paired with a different buddy each week, they connect with peers who they may not normally connect with. Buddy Up provides opportunities for students to practice social and emotional skills, including the following: sharing information about themselves; negotiating decisions and solving problems; developing relationships with diverse groups of peers; practicing reflective listening; empathizing with the feelings of others; demonstrating self-control; expressing ideas and feelings; disagreeing respectfully; and demonstrating caring and kindness. 

Harmony Goals. Co-created by the class, Harmony Goals are similar to group agreements, expectations, or a class pledge. The goals reflect how everyone wants to interact and be treated by one another. Goals are established and monitored during Meet Up and guide the class throughout the day. Harmony Goals promote a safe, supportive and productive learning environment by treating one another appropriately in a respectful classroom community.

 

        Appendix B. Harmony Supports       

 

Harmony provides multiple supports to our users to effectively implement the program with students in school and in out of school time settings. Almost all resources are in both English and Spanish. 

• Online Learning Portal. Our Online Learning Portal empowers Pre-K – 6th grade teachers with everything needed to successfully integrate our social and emotional learning program into the classroom, including easy navigation for all lessons, classroom activities, SEL stories, games, and sing-along songs. 
• Pacing Guide. Pacing plans provide flexible ways to incorporate Harmony Everyday Practices, lessons, activities, and games into the educator’s instructional program. Harmony’s design allows educators to use the program flexibly, for example using daily practices 3-5 times per week, or implementing lessons in one setting or divided over several days. Harmony pacing plans found in our online portal provide scheduling examples for educators to implement Harmony in different settings.
• Scope and Sequence. Harmony provides an overview of the Pre-K – 6th grade unit focus themes and key concepts covered in the lessons and activities, including a Scope and Sequence of the objectives and concepts.  
• Family Engagement Strategies. Family engagement is critically important for successful SEL implementation. Harmony provides home-school connections for each grade level unit, which provide a variety of suggestions and activities for interactive homework assignments and other ideas to help families practice skills to promote SEL with their students. In addition, Harmony developed Harmony at Home, an online toolkit for families and caregivers to reinforce social and emotional skills through curated strategies from Harmony lessons, activities and Everyday Practices.  
• Distance Learning Guide. The Distance Learning Guide helps teachers start to plan and implement the Everyday Practices and Harmony units, lessons, and activities in virtual and classroom settings. The Guide also provides both strategies to support families and recommendations for SEL professional learning. 
• Professional learning. There are multiple opportunities for educators to learn about Harmony through virtual learning experiences, as well as select in-person learning experiences (as allowed). On-demand videos, live-online training sessions and training webinars, as well as demonstration videos provide flexible and accessible options for users to learn how to implement the program. Furthermore, Harmony’s sister program, Inspire Teaching & Learning, offers multiple on-demand pathways, including Building Teaching Practices and Developing SEL Capacity for educators to create inspirational teaching and learning environments.
• Game Room app. The Harmony Game Room app is designed for students and families to connect, practice communication and problem solving, discover commonalities and differences, and engage in relaxation activities. Students, families, and educators can use the games on the app either in conjunction with units and lessons or independently. The app provides electronic resources that are age appropriate and support social and emotional skills that can be used within the digital space.

 

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References

Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Reading, MA: Addison‐Wesley. 

Assessment Work Group (2019). Student social and emotional competence assessment: The current state of the field and a vision for its future. Chicago, IL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Retrieved from https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AWG-State-of-the-Field-Report_2019_DIGITAL_Final.pdf  

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (2013). The CASEL guide: Effective social and emotional learning programs–Preschool and elementary school edition. Chicago, IL: Author. Retrieved from https://casel.org/preschool-and-elementary-edition-casel-guide/  

DeLay, D., Zhang, L., Hanish. L. D., Miller, C. F., Fabes, R. A., & Martin, C. L., Kochel, K. P., & Updegraff, K.A. (2016). Peer influence on academic performance: A social network analysis of social-emotional learning effects. Prevention Science, 17, 903-913. 

Guarino, K., & Chagnon, E. (2018). Trauma-sensitive schools training package. Washington, DC: National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments. 

Hanish, L. D., Martin, C. L., Hedberg, E., Fabes, R. A., Gaertner, B., & Goble, P. (unpublished manuscript). Building connections with peers: Evaluating a peer pairing intervention in preschool.  

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