Testimonials from the Nueva School SEL Teacher Training Institute 2009

From Megan Terra, MAT - First Grade Teacher

This summer I had the privilege of attending three professional development opportunities.  I attended the 32nd annual weeklong Confratute hosted by the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, the 3rd annual Teacher Workshop at The Stanford School of Design, and The Nueva School’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Institute.  While I learned a great deal at each event, The SEL Institute provided, by far, the highest quality experience.

Upon arrival to the Institute all participants received a “toolbox” full of handouts, notes, and sample lessons pertaining to each session offered at the Institute.  This organized file allowed the attendants to choose each session with care, benefit from an overview of all sessions (even those they couldn’t attend), and bring back numerous resources to encourage successful implementation in the classroom.  The director from my previous school attended the Institute, and afterwards shared that she used the toolbox to create packets and efficiently get her teaching staff on board with the changes their school was making in SEL programming.  

Nueva’s SEL team also paid attention to the details.  The environment was always prepared to create a comfortable and enriching experience.  The chairs were carefully set up to fit the appropriate size of group, allowing for optimum interaction.  The food was high quality, and the café tables were set with orchids.  The environment is often overlooked at professional development conferences, yet just as with our students, adults also learn best when the environment is prepared to heighten their learning ability.  I constantly heard participants comment about how they were not only learning a lot but they were also grateful for the thoughtfulness evident in each meeting space as well.  One attendee mentioned that she felt like she was at a spa (what a difference a flower, snacks, and welcoming presenters can make!).  By the last day of the workshop, participants expressed how sad they were to leave!  The Nueva School set itself apart with its attention to the quality of the experience.

Finally, Nueva’s SEL team brought strength of experience to the Institute.  With the living SEL laboratory of the Forts, diversity of background experience among presenters, and an organized program dedicated to building a “toolbox” of social and emotional skills, the team offered a wealth of information.  The team shared their expertise through experiential workshop sessions, supporting documents, and practical lessons for implementation.  They also went a step further.  They intentionally created time for strategic planning and collaboration among participants, encouraging them to brainstorm together, problem solve, and share their expertise.  If there is a “Nueva Way,” I’m pretty sure that this is an essential component of it—inviting the learners to create knowledge, understanding, and opportunity!  

In short, the SEL Institute modeled best practice.  At the summer Confratute I attended, leading experts stressed again and again how to teach effectively—often ironically lecturing from the front of the room.  They constantly encouraged teachers to give students the notes and information before a lecture or discussion, involve participants in experiential learning, and give them authentic roles while neglecting this advice in their own presentations.  At the SEL Institute, the team demonstrated by example—they gave us the information, practical tools, and experiential opportunities, paid attention to the environment, and invited us to join the team, helping to create the solutions to bring back to our classrooms.

At the end of each day, Nueva teachers, parents, and students presented on their experience with SEL.  After hearing the student presentation, every participant I spoke to left inspired and completely in awe.  Nueva students are of course the greatest evidence of the power of this program, the strength of the SEL team, and the benefits to individuals and schools of the training received in the SEL Institute.

From Nicky DeCesare - Director of After-School Program - Town School for Boys

What set Nueva's SEL program apart from any other that I've seen is that through their exhaustive scope and sequence, they have developed a pedagogically and psychologically sound method and curriculum for teaching children to care for themselves and care for others in the same way that we are able to teach other academic skills.

I made more "SEL" colleagues who I am still in touch with during that week than I have in the rest of my professional career!  We were provided with a toolbox of literature, resources, suggestions, lesson plans, and articles to reflect or refer back to later, or to share with our schools, which I find myself using almost daily. Most importantly, we left, not only with the reaffirmation of the importance of SEL in schools, but with the concrete tools to build and create change in our own communities. I can honestly say that SEL Teacher Training Institute was by far the most inspiring, empowering, and career changing professional developments I have ever been a part of. One of the greatest gifts that we can give to education at this point in time is to help spread the word and the tools to continue this kind of work.

Anonymous Feedback from the Institute Evaluations

Session: Toolbox I & II
- “Excellent tools and useful techniques to talk about the tools in order to know the foundation. Great interplay between listening and participating"
- "Clear explanation of how SEL toolbox is introduced"
- "Great and very resource-rich for teachers and kids – presented with great clarity.”

Session: Emerging Middle School Curriculum
- “Comprehensive, creative and coherent. Excellent examples to back up thinking. Thank you!”
- "Worthwhile. Good ideas and resources."
- "Excellent. Very informative. Well-balanced blend of informational and experiential learning. Valuable resources!"

“I received a sense of well-being and awareness, personal renewal and rejuvenation. I am taking away a huge amount of resources and ideas for introducing collaboration, cooperation, self-awareness, reflection and conflict resolution in the classroom. Also, I have a strong sense of the importance of SEL learning for the wellness of every child and teacher…so thank you for opening me up to all of this and sharing your knowledge and passion.”

“The institute inspired me to think in a new way about my role as an educator. I’ve also gained the ability of spreading SEL not only to my classroom, but also to my school.”

“I’m leaving the institute more empathic, understanding, and reflective. I now realize how important SEL is and I want to reframe my approach to teaching.”

“I take with me many, many new ideas and tools but the overriding more important thing is the reassurance that SEL should be given as much attention as the academic program.”