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Windows and Mirrors

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When looking through a window, we have the opportunity to see new things, and when the sun hits the window just right, it turns the window into a mirror where we can see ourselves reflected back. The Windows and Mirrors strategy is a journey both beyond and within and is designed to support teachers to reflect (mirror) and reveal (window) to ensure that students are engaged and empowered learners by providing them with continual opportunities to see their lives, interests, histories, cultures, perspectives, and experiences represented in the content in addition to learning the same about others. The strategy, based on the work of Rudine Sims Bishop, can be used when designing lessons in any content area, and particularly with literacy, social studies, history and/or humanities lessons.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Afrika Afeni Mills

Oregon’s Transformative Social and Emotional Learning Framework & Standards

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SEL is already a key component of teaching and learning in many places across Oregon, from kindergarten classrooms to high school. Some of the ways SEL is integrated with academic learning in classrooms is through: ● Empathizing with a protagonist’s emotions when reading allows students to interpret narrative texts; ● Collaborating with fellow students on research projects applies social skills for academic success; ● Ethical deliberations that balance technical knowledge as students make scientific discoveries or learn about current events; ● Physical activity which nurtures mental and emotional well-being as students develop healthy practices to last a lifetime; ● Learning how to navigate social settings with confidence and respect develops students’ interpersonal and employability skills. Oregon’s vision for SEL builds on these existing efforts by providing intentional focus on the social and emotional elements of learning, teaching, and cultivating affirming school cultures through a transformative approach. Oregon’s Transformative SEL Standards help provide a well-rounded education that teaches to the whole child, builds on their strengths, perspectives, and contributions, and guides the interactions Oregon’s Transformative SEL Framework and Standards.

Material Type: Reading

Learning the 4Cs Through Literacy-Based STEM

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In this unit, students will learn about the 4Cs (communication, collaboration, creation, and critical thinking) through literature-based engineering challenges. Each lesson focuses on one "C" and one read-aloud. This unit is geared for grades 2-3 but could be adapted to any elementary grade level. COMMUNICATION - Click Clack Moo COLLABORATION - Iggy Peck Architect CRITICAL THINKING - Rosie Revere Engineer CREATION - Galimoto

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Unit of Study

Author: Sara Bowers

Circle Up: Community Conversations

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Students often need space to discuss the issues that face them on their developmental journey as they grapple with a range of emotions, navigate peer challenges, and consider their place in the world. No matter the content area, teachers can support productive whole-class discussions by establishing a practice of Class Circles or Class Council. In Class Council or Class Circle, students sit in a circle, pass around a talking piece, and respond to questions posed by the teacher. This community-building practice can help students address hypothetical conflicts in a safe space, explore encounters and moments that stem from class conflict, and reflect on shared and personal experiences. Teachers can also use circles for academic content by eliciting prior knowledge when launching a unit or reflecting on a new class practice. As students become comfortable with Class Council or Class Circle, teachers can gradually release control of the circle to students, identifying peer leaders who eventually facilitate the circle and contribute topics and questions.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Laura Cruz