RULER is a social-emotional learning program that we use in our class and many other classes at Parkcrest and across Burnaby (Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence).  It focuses on developing positive social, emotional, and cognitive behaviour in order to support our students’ well-being.  It is integrated into many subject areas but often supports our Core Competency Curriculum.

The RULER program helps us to recognize and name our emotions.  It is okay to feel all our emotions, but sometimes our emotions don’t match the situation we are in.  For example, we may be too energetic or angry to listen to a Math lesson.  The RULER program helps students develop a set of tools to self-regulate and get back to a more desirable mood for the activity they want to complete.

See the link below for more information:

https://sites.google.com/winchesterps.org/a-parents-guide-to-ruler/home

The first part of the RULER program is developing a ‘charter’.  Its purpose is to create a positive culture and climate in our class.  I simply asked the students how they wanted to feel when they were in our class.  Through discussion, Div. 5 arrived at our charter.  For students, it is a powerful process.  In the end, we created a dual charter with an academic and a social side.  It’s not perfect, but it’s meaningful and authentic.  Our poster hangs on the wall and we refer to it often.

 

Just before Christmas, I reworded the charter guidelines (most parts) into a self-reflection.  The students then took the time to reflect on how they were doing according to our charter agreement and set goals for improvement.  In the upcoming days, look for your children’s responses in their blogfolios.  I will be posting them soon.