NSLA Recap: Optimism in a Time of Change
How do you top a phenomenal event from 2023? Well, ask the folks over at the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA).
Sometimes what your students need most right now is not what is on your carefully crafted content lesson plan. To truly understand a concept, kids (and us, for that matter) need to be prepared with the right tools, social emotional understanding and experiences. Time and again I am reminded that “hungry” kids cannot learn a thing.
As a young student of education, I will never forget the feeling of “A-Ha!” that I had when studying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs; all about how we, as humans, have to meet our basic physical and emotional needs of food, shelter and love before we can ever aspire to learn beyond our current understanding and/or become all we are meant to be in life. This foundational approach made such perfect sense to me.
Now, as a kid-grit ambassador, I am inspired anew by participating in the important work of teaching to the whole student which aligns so closely to Maslow’s framework. Kid-grit’s approach to Social Emotional Learning is a holistic one with the goal of growing more healthy people by building a firm foundation of filling the bucket of understanding first.
kid-grit’s pillars of instruction begin by meeting foundational needs and then build on up from there! Frontline staff are empowered by being “poured into” so that they can pour into others. By filling up the needs we all have to be nourished both physically and emotionally with engaging activities that give us all a voice, we are building a community that supports the success of all; students and the adults who serve them.
This ‘REAL TIME” SEL is a truly systemic approach that allows stakeholders to discover deep insight into what SEL is. A kid-grit team is able to tailor mindful experiences that match the needs of participants with over 40 (and growing) different workshops/trainings. I am excited to work alongside other teachers and students as we grow even more adept at self-care, reflection, collaborating and pouring into each other along our journey. I am grateful that kid-grit gives us the tools!
How do you top a phenomenal event from 2023? Well, ask the folks over at the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA).
In today’s fast-paced educational environment, mental health is no longer just a personal issue, it’s a professional priority.
At kid-grit, we are huge fans of CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning).