Step 2: Create an Action Plan
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Your Rumble's Quest data are a call to action!
The work you've done to explore your data report is a pivotal step in visioning and mapping the path toward a more positive future for every child in your care. Now it's time to act: in this step the focus moves to working out a detailed plan that will help you to put some concrete actions in place to move children towards better wellbeing outcomes.
2.1 Sourcing Ideas for Action
There are many resources that you and your wellbeing team might draw from when deciding what kind of responsive practices you would like to include in your action plan.
A cautionary note: A multitude of programs have been promulgated for use by schools and other services in the field of social and emotional learning, and the "spin" that accompanies some programs can make them seem very attractive. However, as with all things, the quality of these programs varies, and not all programs can be relied upon in equal measure. Some programs are underpinned by rigorous research – but others are not. You should always exercise great care before selecting from the "smorgasbords" offered on some public sites to determine whether you can be justified in believing that implementing the program will contribute to improved outcomes for the children in your care. If no strong and credible evidence of a program's effectiveness has been made available, then it might not be safe to rely upon it to achieve the outcomes you seek. At best it could simply be a waste of your valuable time and resources, at worst it may actually do more harm than good.
At RealWell we have no vested interest in any programs. But in the spirit of trying to help, here are a few ideas for your consideration:
There are some good compendiums and searchable databases that present information about programs that are underpinned by evidence. Here are some you might like to check:
The CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) program guide lists evidence-based programs for social-emotional learning
http://www.casel.org/preschool-and-elementary-edition-casel-guide/BeYou
https://beyou.edu.auThe California Evidence-Based Clearing House for Child Welfare
http://www.cebc4cw.org/Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development
https://www.blueprintsprograms.com/Child Trends What Works
https://www.childtrends.org/what-works
Some platforms for purpose-driven social-emotional learning have been built by education-oriented organisations to help schools select research-backed resources to address the issues they've identified at their schools. For instance:
Wayfinder
https://www.withwayfinder.com/
Find teachable moments in children's behaviour. For example, when a child becomes anxious or stressed, cue them to use a self-calming strategy that you have taught them.
Find teachable moments in the curriculum and everyday activities. For example, reading to children often provides opportunities for teachers and parents to ask children to talk about what they think a character thinks and feels, or what they might do next and why. These sorts of discussions give children a chance to practice empathy, social awareness, and perspective taking. Asking the child to think about what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation provides a further opportunity for them to practice problem-solving and self-awareness. There are many ways creative teaching teams can share innovative strategies to purposefully integrate the development of specific social skills into lesson plans in all academic curriculum areas.
2.2 Engage, Expand, and Prepare
The steps you've taken to collect and review data with your wellbeing leadership team marks the start of a long-haul journey. The plans you've made in the 'hothouse' to this point have set some directions for work your school can do over the coming months to promote all children's wellbeing.
Now, as you gear up for action, it's important to bring all staff onboard. Organise appropriate forums to share the outcomes of your data enquiry process. Identify goals for action to help everyone get a clear view of where they are going, then reflect on what may be needed to ensure everyone is prepared to undertake the journey together: The task of this step is to map out in precise detail what's required to implement the chosen course of action at your site.
The challenging task of integrating a site-wide wellbeing strategy involves not only the need to gain staff support, but also the need to provide staff with support. For instance, staff may require professional learning to be ready to implement, with fidelity, explicit social-emotional learning curricula or programs that have been selected as part of the action plan. What's more, everyone's readiness to provide those vital 'in the moment' opportunities to promote children's social and emotional skills through consistency in everyday practices (e.g., modelling, scaffolding, and mediating) will also depend on the provision of dedicated support and guidance for staff.
So, before you lock-down your action plans, consult with the wider school community:
Create opportunities to share the results and talk about how the wellbeing team has started planning how to help all children thrive. Stress that you are now seeking everyone's insight, input, and ideas in order to take the next steps.
Meeting with staff to brainstorm ideas together goes without saying. But don't forget to find engaging ways to involve parents and children in these conversations to tap into the valuable insights and contributions they can make. Including children as partners in the process can contribute to the development of solutions that enhance relevance and work best for them.
As you engage your site in the planning process it's important to acknowledge the very real efforts everyone is already making. For instance, staff at schools conscientiously strive to address the everyday social and emotional issues that children struggle with: they intervene to help children mediate playground conflict; encourage cooperation, caring and thoughtful behaviour; praise effort and reassure children to help them remain resilient in the face of setbacks. Staff will no doubt welcome the opportunity to contribute to the development of a coordinated school-wide strategy to systematically promote the development of all children's social-emotional skills and supercharge the good things that are already happening.