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A conference for teachers, principals, policy-makers, researchers & the public 

with keynote speaker
Daniel Goleman, psychologist and author of Emotional Intelligence

Come share with and be inspired by teachers, principals and others who are making their schools models of social and emotional learning.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which we develop our capacity to understand and manage feelings, relate well to others, make good decisions, deal well with conflict and other life challenges and take responsibility for improving our communities—from the classroom to the world. SEL promotes life-long skills, academic success, and caring relationships.

 The conference is organized by Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, which has been working in schools since 1985, developing and implementing research-based programs including Resolving Conflict Creatively and The 4Rs (Reading, Writing Respect & Resolution). Support for the conference is provided by the Tiger Foundation, New York Community Trust, and the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

Conference registration fee: $20 in advance; $25 at the door. For more information on the conference, contact Mara Gross at mgross@morningsidecenter.org or 212-870-3318 x73.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

8:30-9:00am       Registration

9:00-9:20            Gathering and Welcome

9:30-11:00          Morning Workshop (please sign up below)

11:15-12:15        Keynote Speaker Daniel Goleman

12:15-12:45        Student Panel

12:45-1:45          Lunch (provided on site)

1:45-2:15            Poet/Performer Dr. Lindamichellebaron

2:30-4:00            Afternoon Workshop (please sign up below)

4:15-4:45            Closing Remarks

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

All workshops are interactive and draw on the experiences and skills of participants.
 

1.  Going All the Way I: Leading an Elementary School in Embracing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

SEL is more than a process of developing life skills. It’s a lever for transforming schools. What does it look like when a school fully embraces SEL? What are the benefits for our children and for our society? How does a school move from its current reality toward this vision?  A panel of principals strongly committed to SEL will engage participants in exploring those questions after brief presentations in which they’ll share the joys, the benefits, and the challenges of integrating SEL into the curriculum and culture of their schools.

Morning session: Maria Nunziata, principal, P.S. 130 (Brooklyn); Phyllis Corbin, principal, P.S. 269 (Brooklyn); Sheila Phillip, assistant principal, P.S. 251 (Brooklyn).
Afternoon session: Lisa Manfredonia, principal, P.S. 62 (Bronx); Christina Fuentes, principal, P.S. 24 (Brooklyn).

2.  Going All the Way II: Leading a Secondary School in Embracing Social and Emotional Learning.

SEL is more than a process of developing life skills. It’s a lever for transforming schools. What does it look like when a secondary school fully embraces SEL? What are the benefits for our children and for our society? How does a school move from its current reality toward this vision?  A panel of secondary school principals strongly committed to SEL will engage participants in exploring those questions after brief presentations in which they’ll share the joys, the benefits, and the challenges of integrating SEL into the curriculum and culture of their schools.

Morning session: Mark Weiss, former principal, Bronx Regional High School and School for the Physical City (Manhattan); David Cintron, principal, P.S. 214 (K-8, Bronx); David Cohen, principal, Midwood High School (Brooklyn).
Afternoon session: Mark Weiss, former principal, Bronx Regional High School and School for the Physical City (Manhattan); Tyona Washington, principal, High School for Excellence and Innovation (Manhattan).

3. Leading with Emotional Intelligence.

What does it mean to lead with emotional intelligence (EI)? What are the benefits? What does research say about the links between EI and effective leadership? How can school leaders accurately assess their social and emotional competencies and boost their skills in areas that need improvement? In this workshop participants will explore those questions by role playing challenging situations leaders face and by reflecting on the social and emotional skills involved in dealing well with these situations.
Facilitators: Janet Patti, Ed.D.,  Hunter College and co-author of Smart School Leaders: Leading with Emotional Intelligence; Robin Stern, Ph.D., Teachers College.
Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon.  

4.  Building Emotional Intelligence through Contemplative Practices.

Modern brain research has firmly established the usefulness of contemplative practices in developing emotional intelligence. In this interactive workshop, participants will practice calming and focusing techniques that they can use in their personal lives and introduce to children.
Facilitator:  Linda Lantieri, founder, Inner Resilience-Tides Center, and an author of Building Emotional Intelligence: Techniques to Cultivate Inner Strength in Children.
Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon.

5. Culture and Conflict.

Culture is an often overlooked or underestimated factor in our social and emotional interactions. Everything from respect and how we show it to body language and how we use it is related to culture and its influence on us.  This workshop begins with developing working definitions of both conflict and culture and then identifying key elements of both.  We then explore the relationship between conflict and culture, including the effect culture has on how we view conflict and how we handle it.
Facilitator:  Lynne Hurdle Price, trainer, Operation Respect and Inner Resilience-Tides Center.
Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon.

6. Addressing Challenging Student Behavior “the SEL Way” I (Elementary School Level).

Schools that embrace SEL have a comprehensive approach to discipline that includes SEL instruction for students, a supportive learning environment for adults, and mental health supports for students and their families. Within this context and the NYC Department of Education’s Discipline Code, students are held accountable for their behavior and are supported in a process of self-reflection to help them make better choices in the future. In this workshop, participants will explore SEL-friendly strategies for dealing with challenging student behavior, including class meetings and interactive dialogue to encourage student self-reflection.
Facilitator: Mariana Gaston, former assistant principal, P.S. 24 (Brooklyn); Dawn Pagliaro and Rebecca Brown, teachers, P.S. 130 (Brooklyn). Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon.

7. Addressing Challenging Student Behavior “the SEL Way” II (Secondary School)

An SEL-oriented discipline process is most successful within a school that has adopted a comprehensive SEL program.  From an SEL perspective, much of what we call student misbehavior is rooted in underdeveloped social and emotional skills. This workshop will present strategies including peer mediation, mentoring, and counseling techniques that provide emotional support, develop skills, encourage reflection, and lead to better decisions.
Facilitator: Marieke van Woerkom, Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility; and Asheena Baez, teacher, P.S. 214 (Bronx); Jose Alfaro, social worker, Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School (Bronx).
Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon. 

8a. Using Art to Foster Social and Emotional Learning in the Classroom 

Classroom-based art activities can help students better identify and understand their feelings and promote academic, personal and social success. Through an experiential art project, participants will learn ways to encourage student communication and group cohesion. The facilitator will share supplemental information for adapting materials to all grade levels.
Facilitator: Dawn Gilbert, art therapist ( MA, ATR-BC, LCAT), Millennium High School (Manhattan).
This workshop offered in morning only.

8b. Using Poetry to Foster Social and Emotional Learning in the Classroom

In this workshop, participants will actively use poetry to awaken their minds and open their hearts. We will rekindle our creativity by removing our internal critics using a specially designed “critic removal kit.”  We will discover ways to ignite our students’ creativity, including by reading, performing and presenting poetry.  We will also develop strategies we can use in the classroom throughout the school day to weave poetry into our students’ lives.
Facilitator: Dr. Lindamichellebaron, poet, assistant professor, York College,and  founder, Harlin Jacque Publications. This workshop offered in afternoon only.

9. Fostering Social and Emotional Learning in the Elementary School

In this interactive workshop, participants will experience a holistic approach to fostering social and emotional learning—one involving student leadership as well as classroom instruction. Participants will get an introduction to The 4Rs (Reading, Writing, Respect & Resolution), Morningside Center’s classroom instruction program that integrates SEL and language arts. They will also become familiar with strategies for developing student leaders,  including peer mediators, peace helpers, and diversity panels. Teachers and students will be on hand to share their experiences.
Facilitator: Emma Gonzalez, Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility; Martin Alvarado, Nydia Mendez, and Sherley Guerrero, teachers, P.S. 24 (Brooklyn). Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon.

10.  Fostering Social and Emotional Learning in the Middle School

How can middle schools foster social and emotional learning? How can SEL programs help middle schools address the challenging developmental needs of young adolescents? How can we tailor SEL programs to be effective in middle schools? Through interactive activities, participants will share their ideas and experiences and explore strategies that have proven effective in middle schools, including advisories, student leadership programs, afterschool programs, and service learning opportunities.  
Facilitator: Vanessa Tricoche, Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility.
Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon. 

11.  Fostering Social and Emotional Learning in the High School

What are the developmental needs of young people as they move through high school on their way to adulthood? Why is it important for high schools to focus on fostering SEL in their students? How can SEL be integrated into high schools, with their emphasis on covering academic subjects? How can a school’s leadership open the minds of faculty members whose mental models of high school don’t include SEL? This workshop will address those questions by presenting the experience of Midwood High School in implementing a variety of SEL initiatives, including a course for first-year students, peer mediation, public service announcements, mural projects, and guidance interventions that foster students’ awareness and self-reflection. Participants will learn how these initiatives have positively influenced students’ behavior and decision-making processes.  
Facilitator:  Jeremy Marks, guidance counselor, Midwood High School (Brooklyn).
Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon.

12.  Introduction to Conflict Resolution

Since 1985, Morningside Center has provided training and coaching to support hundreds of NYC schools in implementing our evidenced-based conflict resolution instruction programs, Resolving Conflict Creatively and The 4Rs (Reading, Writing, Respect & Resolution).  In this workshop, participants will develop their own skills in active listening, assertiveness, and problem-solving through interactive activities that can be adapted for classroom use.  They will come away with a clear understanding of Morningside Center’s approach to teaching conflict resolution to young people and they will receive sample lessons. Facilitator: Nelly Espina, Morningside Center trainer and staff developer.
Same workshop offered in morning & afternoon.