1. Tamara Banks DPAC SD43 Presentation - November 7, 2016
THE RULER APPROACH: BUILDING EMOTIONALLY LITERATE SCHOOLS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Tamara Banks
DPAC SD43 Presentation - November 7, 2016

2. The RULER Approach ruler
Recognizing emotions to obtain information about themselves and their environment
Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions to predict behaviour
Labeling emotions to describe feelings precisely
Expressing emotions to communicate effectively and in socially appropriate ways
Regulating emotions to promote learning and personal growth, including healthy relationships

3. Evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning
Helps school communities integrate the teaching and practice of emotional intelligence into daily life
Trains “everyone with a face” beginning with the adults
Reduces problem behavior and enhances academic achievement
The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, along with other research institutes around the world, have been doing this about emotions and emotional intelligence research for over 25 years. The evidence is in.
We provide educators and families with tools that translate into life skills.
“Everyone with a face” includes children, teachers, administrators, FAMILIES. Children and all the key adults in their lives. It’s not something we try to teach children to do that we don’t do ourselves. You have to walk the talk. Whether we like it or not, our kids are watching us all the time, and learning. We are the role models for how they will handle their emotions.
In order to get along (problem behavior) and achieve academically (pay attention and focus) we need skills and strategies for managing our emotions.
The RULER approach Was designed to to align with CASEL’s guidelines surrounding the 5 Core Competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness and Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision Making Aligns with Core Competencies – BC Redesigned Curriculum

4. Social Responsibility RULER: Regulating emotions (Meta Moment)
Positive Personal and Cultural Identity
Personal Awareness and Responsibility
RULER: Recognizing, Understanding, Labelling emotions
Personal Awareness and Responsibility
RULER: Recognizing,
Understanding,
Regulating emotions
Communication
Critical Thinking
Creative Thinking
PPCI
Social Responsibility
RULER: Regulating emotions
(Meta Moment)
Communication
Critical Thinking
Personal Awareness and Responsibility
Social Responsibility
RULER: Expressing and Regulating emotions (in a socially appropriate way)
Communication
Personal Awareness and Responsibility
Social Responsibility
RULER: Expressing emotions

5. 4 Anchors of Emotional Intelligence
Charter
Mood Meter
Meta-Moment
Blueprint
4 Anchors of Emotional Intelligence

6. Family charter 3 guiding questions
In this family, we want to feel…
In order to feel this way, we will…
When there is conflict we will…

7. emotional intelligence charter
Core beliefs and values for the entire family
Every family member agrees
Commitment
Follow through
Helps to facilitate healthy conversations when conflict occurs
emotional intelligence charter

8. The Mood Meter Building Self- and Social-Awareness ENERGY PLEASANTNESS
SAY: The Mood Meter anchor is the foundational tool to building the RULER skills. It is a tool for building self- and social-awareness.
TIME: 30 minutes.
ACTIVITY: Understanding the Mood Meter quadrants
PURPOSE: Explain how to use the Mood Meter.
SAY & DO:
Have participants turn to the Mood Meter, page 40 in workbook
AXES: Describe the MM by explaining the two axes – Remember: Pleasantness first, then Energy.
The X axis is pleasantness (the subjective private mental experience of pleasantness).
You can model the Feeling Axis by moving your hand horizontally across your head.
The Y axis is energy (how much physical energy we have)
Do not provide situational examples yet, just give physical signs of high vs. low energy. You can model the energy axis by moving your hand up your body from your toes to the top of your head.
Ask participants to write down the meaning of the two axes in their workbooks. (4 minutes)
QUADRANTS: Now, inform participants that the two axes create four quadrants, the RED, BLUE, GREEN, and YELLOW. Using the language from above, explain each quadrant with scenarios or stories from your life (brief ones).
For example, explain that we may be in the RED when we are in traffic —it is very unpleasant with a lot of energy whereas we may be in the Blue when something does not turn out the way we had planned—it is unpleasant with lower energy. (3 minutes)
PLEASANTNESS

9. The Mood Meter Where are you on the Mood Meter? ecstatic surprised
What caused you to feel this way?
What word best describes your current feeling?
How are you expressing this feeling?
Given where you’ve plotted yourself, what strategy will you use to get the most out of this presentation?
ecstatic
surprised
afraid
excited
annoyed
pleased
sad
content
bored
tired
melancholy
TIME: 3 minutes.
ACTIVITY: Getting to know the Mood Meter
PURPOSE: Use the MM to understand the RULER skills – Recognizing, Understanding, and Labeling
SAY & DO:
“Now that we have a clearer understanding of the Mood Meter, let’s plot ourselves again and begin to learn how the RULER skills can be developed by using the Mood Meter.”
Note: Remind participants to please write in workbooks because their own notes will be so helpful in the coming weeks – the training is too short for everything to sink in immediately.
Reflection/Writing:
“Everyone, please sit up straight in your chair. Take a deep breath. How are you feeling? Plot yourself on the Mood Meter in your workbook with an “X”) Presenter: share where you are on the Mood Meter. Also let participants know why you plotted yourself where you did.
Next, ask participants to reflect on and then write out the possible cause of their current feeling. The “Why.” (click)
Then, ask participants to find the best word to describe their current feeling state. Provide them with about 5 seconds and then ask, again, how many had still had difficulty finding the right word. Show feeling words (click). Let participants know that there are hundreds of words to describe the feelings in each quadrant and a major goal of emotional intelligence is to develop a sophisticated emotion vocabulary; that’s coming soon! (click)
serene

10. Mood Meter – SHIFTING TIME: 30 seconds.
TIME: 30 seconds.
ACTIVITY: Show images of Mood Meter lessons and activities
PURPOSE: To provide participants with a concrete visual of Lesson 3
SAY:
In Lesson 3, students learn strategies to regulate emotions in each quadrant of the Mood Meter. Here is an example of the “RED.”

11. SHIFT HAPPENS – when we want it to
Desire to shift
Strategy wall
Choice
Empowerment
Control

12. THE META MOMENT ”Between stimulus and response,
there is a space. In that space
lies our freedom and power to
choose our response. In our response
lies our growth and freedom.”
Viktor Frankl

14. SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH THE BLUEPRINT
Empathy and perspective
taking
Emotions influence how we
Interact and respond to others
We can experience many
emotions in a short period of time
Past experiences can influence
how we handle emotions

15. WHY EMOTIONS MATTER Attention, memory, and learning
Emotions influence:
Attention, memory, and learning
Decision making and judgment
Relationship quality
Physical and mental health
Note to FACILITATOR:
Provide examples for each that connect with parents’ experiences (consider the specific families in the room)
Emotions drive attention, memory, and learning.
Have you ever tried to pay attention to something when you’re really anxious? How was that? Was it difficult? If your children come to you for homework help and you are distracted by some disturbing news, how does that affect your interaction?
Emotions drive decision making.
“Has anyone here ever made a bad decision?” We consult our emotions when making decisions. Does it “feel” right? Different mood states facilitate different types of decision making. How does waking up after a poor night’s sleep affect deciding what to do with your children on a weekend?
Emotions impact relationships.
People like to be around people who are more positive. Research has found that emotionally skilled children have better quality friendships, are more skilled socially, and are viewed as leaders by their teachers. Emotionally skilled parents experience more positive emotions and have better relationships with their children.
Emotions influence health:
In particular, how we manage our emotions. Emotionally skilled children have less anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity. Many health-related illness are a result of poor emotion regulation. Isn’t that what we want for our children – better health?

16. WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?
Results from numerous studies align with the program’s theoretical model. In one study, students in middle school classrooms integrating RULER for one academic year had higher year- end grades and higher teacher ratings of social and emotional competence (e.g., leadership, social skills, and study skills) compared to students in the comparison group (Brackett et al., 2012).
A randomized control trial in 62 schools tested the hypothesis that RULER improves the social and emotional climate of classrooms (Rivers, Brackett, Reyes, Elbertson, & Salovey, 2012). After one academic year, schools that had RULER as compared to those which used the standard curriculum were rated by independent observers as having higher degrees of warmth and connectedness between teachers and students, more autonomy and leadership and less bullying among students, and teachers who focused more on students’ interests and motivations.
Additional research examined the extent to which these first-year shifts in the emotional qualities of classrooms were followed by improvements in classroom organization and instruction at the end of the second year (Hagelskamp, Brackett, Rivers, & Salovey, 2012).

17. THANK YOU COQUITLAM DPAC!
Tamara Banks Principal Hampton Park Elementary School
THANK YOU COQUITLAM DPAC!