SEL in Teacher PD: Article 2 of 3

November 2021 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 dx.doi.org/10.12781/978-1-907549-49-6 Appreciative Inquiry and Virtual Technology: An Improbable Pair for Accelerating the Wholeness Principle Edited by Tanya Cruz Teller and Sherri Sutton Editorial support Joep. C. de Jong Co-publishers The David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry and Kessels & Smit, The Learning Company Images created by Gran OM •   www.aipractitioner.com/subscriptions Sign up for our free AIP eNews 

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner dx.doi.org/10.12781/978-1-907549-49-6-17 Volume 23 Number 4 Kimberly Davis David D. Christian Kimberly Davis, Ed.D., is a school district administrator expe- David D. Christian, PhD is a licensed professional counselor/ rienced in accountability, curriculum & instruction, teacher supervisor and licensed school counselor. After spending nearly development, and organizational performance. Additionally, a decade working in secondary and post-secondary education she has consulted leadership development and human perfor- in Texas, David joined the faculty at the University of Arkansas mance improvement for private, government, and non-profit where he is currently an associate professor of Counselor organizations. She also holds certifications as an AI Facilitator Education and Supervision specializing in school counseling, and TEI Coach. adventure therapy, family interventions and Adlerian theory. Contact: [email protected] Contact: [email protected] Richard Hammett Gary Low Richard Hammett, Ed. D. teaches and supervises doctoral Gary Low, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Education, Texas A&M research at Walden University’s Richard W. Riley College University-Kingsville, consulting psychologist, patron and life of Education and Leadership. He is a principal in Emotional member of the Forum for EI Learning (FEIL) in India, a principal Intelligence Learning Systems, Inc., founding faculty member of EI Learning Systems, Inc., and a founding faculty member of of the Emotional Intelligence Training and Research Institute the Emotional Intelligence Training & Research Institute (EITRI). (EITRI), and patron member of the Forum for Emotional Dr Low and the late Dr Darwin Nelson created the theory of Intelligence Learning (FEIL) in India. transformative emotional intelligence (TEI). Contact: [email protected] Contact: [email protected] Tanya Seagraves-Robinson Tanya Seagraves-Robinson, Ph.D. in Education Leadership, worked in Higher Education Administration at Florida A&M University for 18 years. She is president of Essential Intelligence LLC.; provides EI training and coaching and earned her certification in Transformative Emotional Intelligence. Dr Robinson is co-author of VIGOACRE: The Strategy for Results Driven Communication.. Contact: [email protected] Research Review and Notes Social Emotional Learning: A Framework for Practice and Pedagogy This second article of a I n a recently published article, Davis et al. (2021) advocated for the use of three-part series describes a Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to foster teacher social emotional learning (SEL) methodology framework for and Transformative Emotional Intelligence (TEI). Specifically, the authors educator preparation programs described the use of AI-informed professional development for promoting and professional development teachers’ personal and professional growth and development through the promoting embedded SEL/TEI in acquisition of Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills and competencies. Further, Davis practice and pedagogy. et al. made the case for the importance of teacher SEL and TEI for achieving excellence in teaching, which results in better support for students’ development and learning. To maximize learning in all aspects of students’ lives, and to prepare them to be responsible citizens contributing meaningfully to society, explicit and intentional attention must be given to the promotion of students’ SEL competence in schools (Davis et al., 2021). AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development, Part 2 91More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 The degree to which students Benefits of students’ acquisition of SEL competence include an increase in benefit from SEL depends on students’ cognitive abilities and application of new knowledge (Zins & Elias, teacher effectiveness . 2007); increased motivation to learn, commitment to school, effort towards schoolwork, and improved classroom behavior (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2015); and improved impulse control (Elias et al., 1997). However, according to Davis et al. (2021), the degree to which students benefit from SEL depends on teacher effectiveness in their role as deliverer, implementer, and sustainer of SEL curriculum and instruction. The authors explained that teacher training in SEL curriculum development and instructional delivery as well as their possession of social emotional competence and their capabilities to demonstrate that competence to students is paramount to the effective execution of SEL interventions in the classroom. SEL interventions empower teachers to counter negative student outcomes and provide a safe and nurturing classroom environment conducive to learning and the maximization of students’ potential. Using AI to promote teacher The relationship between AI, TEI and SEL SEL and TEI skills equipped them to provide learning Proponents for the efficacy of the AI approach for teacher development, Davis opportunities that promote et al. proffered that utilizing the AI approach to facilitate teacher professional students’ skills. development and the development of their TEI skills can go a long way in successfully implementing SEL and equipping teachers to tap into students’ Table 1: The relationship between AI and TEI inter- and intrapersonal intelligences. Further, they argued that using AI to promote teacher SEL and TEI skills equipped them to provide learning opportunities that promote students’ skills to solve problem, manage stress efficiently, exercise civic responsibilities, develop healthy relationships, practice conflict resolution and negotiation strategies, and dismantle affective barriers hindering academic achievement (Maag & Forness, 1991; Mendaglio, 1992). Table 1 relates the components of AI and TEI to demonstrate the rationale for using AI to teach TEI skills. Appreciative Inquiry Transformative Emotional Intelligence Define Explore Discovery Identify Dream Understand Design Develop Delivery Apply/Model AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 92More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 The TEI approach emphasizes TEI is a practical model of EI that aligns well with CASEL’s definition of SEL four active domains: process. self-awareness, social awareness, interpersonal and Accordingly, the TEI approach emphasizes four active domains and is defined intrapersonal skills. as the confluence of learned skills and abilities that facilitate (a) accurate self-knowledge and appreciation (self-awareness), (b) a variety of healthy relationships (social awareness), (c) productive work with others (interpersonal), and (d) dealing with the everyday pressures of work and life in healthy ways (intrapersonal; Low & Hammett, 2021; Nelson & Low, 2004). The hallmarks of TEI are that it is research-derived, skills-based, person-centered, and relationship focused. The relationship between SEL and TEI is depicted in Table 2. Table 2: The relationship between SEL and TEI SEL characteristics Related TEI process Self-Awareness Positive Assessment Social Awareness Interpersonal Skills Domain Responsible Decision-Making Intrapersonal Skills Domain Self-Management Career/Life Direction Skills Domain Relationship Skills Intrapersonal Skills Domain Operationally, AI provides a paradigm that aligns to create an active, engaging framework for positive change. AI methods guide the process with relevant questions, such as Who (teachers), Why (school-based Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; an American program), What (SEL competency requirements), When (best practice time to prepare and implement with current teachers as well as address the needs for teacher preparation and education), How (with SEL and TEI within a framework of AI), and Where to start (AI/SEL/TEI philosophies merge as a best practice approach to achieve positive change for both teachers and learners). An operational example of an engaging framework for positive change is the TEI scale Personal Change Orientation, a potential problematic indicator for effective change. The reframed skill of Positive Personal Change provides a practical and engaging learning process to understand and demystify change with an important EI skill. Before teachers should be Method expected to teach SEL to their students, they must Framework have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to model SEL In this study, we recognized and developed a methodology to address several themselves. challenges of teaching SEL to educators. The first is that, before teachers should be expected to teach SEL to their students, they must have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to model SEL themselves. In addition, we recognized that many AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 93More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 Educators attending teachers do not receive SEL training in their teacher preparation programs and, conferences were recruited therefore, a personally meaningful SEL learning process was needed to help from various schools and existing teachers develop their own EI skills and abilities so that they could then from multiple American states model EI for their students. We chose TEI (Nelson et al., 2015) as the conceptual as participants, framework and the AI process for teaching SEL through this book-study initiative. This framework and process was elaborated in the first article of this series (see Davis et al., 2021). Description of the participants For this study, educators attending conferences were recruited from various schools and from multiple American states as participants. Teachers and educators from schools and higher education learned of the development of the project through communication from the project director and team members. Calls, emails, and messages showed that interest in the study was evident from the beginning. Initially, 64 individuals expressed interest in participating; only 33 participants signed consent to participate. From those giving consent, 30 (n = 30) participated in the study and their demographics are reported in Table 3. Table 3: Initial participants’ sex, degrees completed, n% current campus level, and certifications 33 94 2 . 06 Sex Female Male 26 Degrees n.b individuals may hold 13 more than one degree 30 86 Campus level No degree 1 29 Associates 18 51 Bachelors 39 Ed. specialist MS 11 31.4 Doctorate 10 25.7 9 25.7 Elementary 1 2.9 Middle school 3 8.6 High school 1 2.9 Multi-level District admin Higher ed. The research team recognized the difficulties of many participants to meet each week at the times specified for the focus groups; therefore, there was some AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 94More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 Most current teacher attrition. Potential causes for attrition are that teachers are busy with current preparation is focused on responsibilities and work under considerable stress and pressure on a daily teaching the academic basis. One idea to address the challenge of teacher attrition in the field and the content and methods of problem of adding new teaching responsibilities to the already heavy demands subject matter material on teachers is to openly have dialogue with teachers about preparation for adding effectively. new skills necessary to comfortably engage learners and model the new skills in the classroom. Highlighting the importance of TEI and SEL skills is particularly important since most current teacher preparation is focused more on teaching the academic content and methods of subject matter material effectively rather than the interpersonal, intra-personal SEL/TEI competencies and skills of the affective domain and life skills. Additionally, this study began October 22, 2019, just before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with extra illnesses and teacher stressors, even though the virus had not been clearly identified or named at that point. Data Collection & Instrumentation This was a planned event Participants were administered the Skills for Career and Life Effectiveness prior to the onset of COVID- (SCALE®) assessment (Nelson and Low, 2011) at two time-points (pre- and post- 19, but the results were more, intervention) to examine potential changes in their TEI skills from beginning not less, pertinent because of to end of the book study intervention. Participants also used the post-test to the pandemic conditions. identify what skills they needed to strengthen, enhance, or improve on during phase two, skills development. The two participants selected for case study from this project were given a third SCALE® assessment a year after the project ended and their results and cases will be the topic of the third and final article in this series as we discuss the impact this training had on their personal and professional lives. This was a planned event prior to the onset of COVID-19, but the results were more, not less, pertinent because of the pandemic conditions. The SCALE® assessment has provided evidence of internal reliability and construct validity for measuring EI as defined by the authors (Hammett, in press). Any time an assessment instrument is used with a new population, it is important to establish a baseline profile for the group. The normed profile for the educator group is provided in Figure 1. We will provide individual SCALE® results of two focus group participants in the third and final article in this series. When interpreting the SCALE® profile, it is important to observe that the instrument measures eleven skills (self-esteem through physical wellness) and three potential problem areas (aggression, deference, and personal change orientation) (see Figure 1). For the skills, the vertical color bands are red for skills in the Develop (low, left) range, beige for skills in the Strengthen (normal, middle) range, and yellow for AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 95More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 skills in the Enhance (right, high) range. For the three problematic areas at the bottom of the profile, the color bands are reversed so that high scores in those areas represent the need for caution or attention. Also, the skill of assertion is repeated at the bottom of the profile with aggression and deference to emphasize its importance as a skill to mitigate and balance the automatic interpersonal communication patterns of aggression and deference. These data provided a benchmark of personal, emotional-social, relational, and life skills from participants. Figure 1: Participant educators’ normed SCALE® Profile (n = 30) Procedures This study was conducted in four phases (see Table 4) and utilized a pre and post self-assessment of TEI skills using an online assessment called SCALE® (Nelson & Low, 2011) at the beginning and end of phase one. Then participants chose a skill from the SCALE® assessment they wanted to develop and were coached on that skill during phase two. By phase three, participants provided a copy of their lesson plans and were coached on how to view what they were already doing through the lens of their chosen TEI skill. They were taught to frame questions and activities around that particular skill so they could embed SEL into what they AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social l Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 96More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 Table 4: Tuesday night Zoom call focus already do instead of holding it out as a separate lesson. In the fourth phase, they group discussion topics learned to collect data on the embedded TEI skill as a Tier 4 intervention. Phase Project Focus Phase 1 Phase 2 Book study: “Teaching and Learning Excellence: Engaging Self and Others with Phase 3 Emotional Intelligence”. Pre and post SCALE® assessment Phase 4 Skills development: each individual participant selected a TEI skill from their SCALE® report to personally develop. Lesson development: teachers presented current lesson plans and learned to look at it through the lens of their chosen, developed TEI skill. Learned to embed SEL into lesson plans SEL student interventions: teachers learned to choose interventions and collect data on the chosen SEL/TEI skill from their lesson plans. Intervention Embedded in the four phases were the multiplicity of techniques and interventions that included: •   Administering two SCALE® assessments, •   Reading assignments, •   Participant reflections, •   Exploration of supplemental research articles and web resources, •   Group discussions, and •   A final roundtable discussion. All interventions were carefully designed to introduce AI, SEL and TEI to participants with the objective of increasing their understanding of EI and the value of developing their EI skills to aid in their transformation from good teachers to excellent 21st century educational leaders. Further details of the interventions are briefly discussed below and highlight why the case study was viewed as a success. Book study and relevant research literature The book selected for the case study was Teaching and Learning Excellence: Engaging Self and Others With Emotional Intelligence (Nelson et al., 2015), with weekly reading assignments from all ten chapters and a short AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 97More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 The sponsoring university accompanying video that summarized the key points from each chapter along provided the Blackboard with supplemental information on SEL and educational practices. Each chapter Online Learn System as provided participants with a plethora of innovative and exciting information as the platform to manage well as a saturation of new-found knowledge confirming the theory that the AI the project. model with the TEI model does provide the rationale for using both models in faculty development, research, and educator preparation programs. In addition to the book, the instructor also introduced relevant research articles into the weekly reading and discussion topics to expand the depth and rigor of the conversations. Blackboard/video discussions After granting Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, the sponsoring university provided the Blackboard Online Learn System as the platform to manage the project. Participants enrolled as course members and had the opportunity to join in thoughtful discussion posts that take place in the traditional classroom, but with the advantages of asynchronous communication. Discussion board questions outlined key points from each chapter in a short video for group reflections and discussions. Examples of discussion board prompts are provided in Appendix 1. The guided learning enriched by the videos and group discussions provided insight to the researchers as well as deepened the participant’s learning. Group discussions Group discussions allowed a platform for effective communication to learn from one another and obtain different perspectives on issues participants are passionate about. The meeting format consisted of weekly Tuesday night Zoom calls, totaling 19 scheduled meetings, commencing on October 22, 2019, and ending on March 10, 2020. This format provided space to share perspectives, experiences, and insights from the learning and application of new ideas from their own lives. Roundtable Discussion The final meeting of the The final meeting of the case study allowed for all participants to engage in a case study allowed for all round table discussion and to reflect on how learning about AI, SEL and TEI was participants to engage in a helpful, and how the information and interventions could be used in their daily round table discussion and to activities, classroom instruction, personal development, and as a tool for teacher reflect on how learning about preparation and professional development. There was also much discussion AI, SEL and TEI was helpful. about how this learning was applied to their personal lives and the way they view their thinking and interactions with others. Several examples were given by each member of the discussion to demonstrate the impact the training had on all aspects of their lives. It was from this discussion that two of the participants AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social l Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 98More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 Teacher training in SEL were asked to extend their contribution by allowing the research team to follow curriculum development ... is up with them as a case study within this study, which they graciously agreed to, paramount to the effective and will be the focus of the final article in this series, anticipated in early 2022. execution of SEL interventions in the classroom. Implications for teacher preparation As outlined in the previous article (Davis et al., 2021), it would be beneficial for teacher preparation and induction programs to include SEL training along with a SEL curriculum. The lack of preparation is problematic both from a cognitive and emotional perspective. The program outlined in this article is an innovative approach with the potential to support traditional teacher preparation programs in addressing the SEL and TEI development of pre-service teachers. Teachers are indeed our most valuable resources and, because of them, our students are the primary beneficiaries of their excellent classroom leadership and pathways toward college, career, military, and general life success. Summary Davis et al. (2021) advocated for the use of AI to foster teacher SEL and TEI, specifically the use of AI-informed professional development using TEI skills and competencies. The degree to which students benefit from SEL depends primarily on the teacher’s effectiveness in communicating SEL curriculum and instruction. Teacher training in SEL curriculum development and instructional delivery as well as possession of social emotional competence and their capabilities to demonstrate that competence to students is paramount to the effective execution of SEL interventions in the classroom. This article describes the professional development program introduced by Davis et al. (2021). The AI and TEI models approach introduced in the current study is a pathway for teacher learning and a deeper look into the teacher preparation process to help educators support their students in the field of SEL and TEI. REFERENCES Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) (2015). CASEL guide: Effective social emotional learning programs: middle and high school edition. Author. http://secondaryguide.casel.org/casel-secondary-guide.pdf Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2021). What is SEL? https://casel.org/what-is-sel/ AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 99More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 Davis, K. K., Christian, D. D., Hammett, R., Low, G., & Seagraves-Robinson, T. (2021). Social emotional learning: An appreciative approach to teacher development. AI Practitioner, 23(3), 122-135. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.12781/978-1-907549-48-9-16 Elias, M. J., Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Frey, K. S., Greenberg, M. T., Haynes, N. M., Kessler, R., Schwab- Stone, M. E. & Shriver, T. P. (1997). Promoting social and emotional learning: Guidelines for educators. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Greenberg, M. T., Weissberg, R. P., O’Brien, M. U., Zins, J. E., Fredericks, L., Resnik, H. & Elias, M. J. (2003). Enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning. American Psychologist, 58(6–7), 466–474. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.58.6-7.466 Hammett, R. D. (in press). Validating the skills for career and life effectiveness: A positive assessment of emotional intelligence. The International Journal of Transformative Emotional Intelligence, 5. Jennings, P. A. & Greenberg, M. T. (2009). The prosocial classroom: Teacher social and emotional competence in relation to student and classroom outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 491–525. Maag, J. W. & Forness, S. R. (1991). Depression in children and adolescents: Identification, assessment, and treatment. Focus on Exceptional Children, 24(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.17161/fec.v24i1.7534 Mayer, J. D. & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational Implications, (pp. 3–34). Basic Books. Mendaglio, S. (1992). Attending to emotionality in exceptional children in individual and small-group work. Focus on Exceptional Children, 25(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.17161/fec.v25i3.7544 Nelson, D. B. & Low, G. R. (2011). Skills for career and life effectiveness [Assessment instrument]. https://www.doscale com Nelson, D. B., Low, G. R., Nelson, K. W. & Hammett, R. D. (2015). Teaching and learning excellence: Engaging self and others with emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence Learning Systems. Weissberg, R. P. (2015). Education to promote all students’ social, emotional, and academic competence. In M. J. Feuer, A. I. Berman, & R. C. Atkinson, R. C. (Eds.). Past as prologue: The National Academy of Education at 50. Members Reflect. National Academy of Education. Zins, J. E. and Elias, M. J. (2007). Social and emotional learning: Promoting the development of all students. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 17(2-3), 233–255. https://doi. org/10.1080/10474410701413152 AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social l Emotional Learning and Teacher Development 100More articles at www.aipractitioner.com

November 2021 ISBN 978-1-907549-49-6 Practitioner Volume 23 Number 4 Example Discussion Board and Focus Group Prompts Appendix 1 Example Discussion Board Prompts Prompt 1 – Review Chapter 3 video. This chapter discusses learning and positive skills- based model of emotional intelligence and provides a necessary foundation to build success in education, work, and life. After viewing the video, please review Appendix A: The Teaching Excellence Assessment Activity, located in the back of the case study book. As part of this assignment, you are to give the assessment to a student to see what teacher excellence looks like. This assessment consists of completing a demographic section and the assessment portion “Teacher Excellent Behavior” and the Likert scale rating which is comprised of 12 questions to rate the importance of the behavior to Teacher Excellence. After completing this step, please post a summary and reflection on your experience. Purpose – The purpose of this assignment is to help determine what teachers are thinking and to see what teacher excellence looks like across content areas, school districts and across states – since some participants are from Kansas, Texas, Florida and Arkansas. Prompt 2 – Read Nelson, Low, Nelson & Hammett’s (2015) Hallmarks and Principles of Transformative Emotional Intelligence (p. 49–50). After completing the reading, please post your thoughts on the described model. Purpose – The purpose of this assignment is to introduce participants to a model of TEI comprised of research derived hallmarks and principles. We plan for exposure to this model to provide a teaching and learning process for beginning, and capstone learning and key concepts for teachers and learners. Participants can them incorporate these hallmarks and principles into individual and team learning plans and use them to guide and enhance growth and development of emotional intelligence. Example Focus Group Prompts Prompt 1 – After exploring the relationship between connecting Maslow’s Characteristics of Self-Actualizing and Nelson’s and Low’s Key Emotions Skills (KES, Nelson et al., 2015, p. 66), focus group participants were asked to discuss the following prompt: As a primary resource for positive change in students, how can you apply this connection to your classroom practices? Purpose – The purpose of the discussion requires participants to consider how this information can be used by teachers in the classroom as a primary resource for student change. In one discussion, a participant mentioned that Maslow used the term Gemeinschaftsgefuhl (loosely translated as community feeling or social interest), an Adlerian psychological term that describes the state of social connectedness and interest in the well-being of others that characterizes psychological health. Comparatively KES uses the terms empathy and social awareness. Prompt 2 – This group discussion centers on the processes to develop EI skills through the Emotional Learning System Model. Participants are asked to complete ESAP Action Plan using their SCALE® results and identify the skill they see as their strongest behavior. Participants then discuss this during their group meeting. Purpose – The purpose of this activity is to help participants understand ways to develop their EI skills (i.e., through self-directed coaching, emotional mentoring, and personal goal setting). In addition, this activity game gives participants an opportunity to use the AWAKE process (a pathway to intelligent self-reflection) to learn constructive thinking, creative problem solving, and personal goal settings. AI Practitioner, November 2021,Davis et al: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Development Back to Table of Contents 101More articles at www.aipractitioner.com