ABSTRACT
Mindful Practices program model begins with a lesson each Monday, which includes a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Story to make relevant connections between Social-Emotional Learning and students' lives. The SEL Story is an instrumental element of each Monday's Social-Emotional Learning lesson. It is not just the reading of the story or the theme of the story itself, it is the peer-to-peer communication tools employed during the activity that are the richest and most impactful aspect. The students work in teams to decide a solution to a culturally relevant SEL problem or issue taken from the Thumbs-Up/Thumbs-Down Box. The terminology should be used as part of a common classroom language during SEL instruction and across disciplines and should be reinforced throughout the day. Additionally, the POP Chart activities are there at any time, if needed can Get In the Zone and energize or relax either as individuals or as a class.
