Integrating Social-Emotional Skills into Schoolwide Behavior | By: Committee for Children RSS Show Notes In this episode of the Grow Kinder® podcast, Committee for Children Chief of Staff LaShuna McBride talks with Katie Wohlford-McCracken, recipient of our Second Step® Educator of the Year Award and counselor at Fairview Elementary School, a National Blue Ribbon School outside of Asheville, NC. Katie shares how her school integrates social-emotional skills directly into its school-wide behavior expectations. Students are expected to be assertive and ask for what they want or need, as well as be able to stop and name overwhelming feelings and work to calm themselves down. Katie attributes her school’s success to teachers being fully on board and SEL being the “base language” at Fairview. SEL success, she explains, can often be identified by what you don’t see, like disruptions. Instead, students are quietly engaged and learning. Katie shares her favorite part of Second Step’s curriculum and how she weaves personal stories into her lessons. LaShuna and Katie explore misconceptions about SEL and what parents and community members can do to amplify SEL’s benefits. To sign up with Committee for Children to advocate for children’s social-emotional well-being, click here. Stay tuned for more episodes on our thought-provoking journey throughout this new season. You can catch us on your favorite podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, and more. For additional information, visit GrowKinderPodcast.org. Don’t forget to engage with us by filling out our listener survey. We created this podcast for you, and your feedback is invaluable. Keep an eye on your podcast feeds for the new season, and in the meantime, remember to Grow Kinder!