Maeser Elementary has been excited to find success in a special program being utilized by teachers and staff. “Second Step is a social-emotional learning program designed to help students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn,” shares Dr. David Aldrich of Maeser Elementary Support Services. “Students are taught how to interact positively with each other in a variety of situations, as well as solutions for negative behaviors that sometimes cannot be avoided. Each week students are given classroom instruction on one lesson highlighting skills for positive learning and behaviors. The students also talk about the skills being demonstrated and how they can be put into action in real world situations. As they move through their time at Maeser, the social-emotional learning skills build to echo and reinforce the positive attributes of future leaders. Kindergarten starts with simple skills such as listening and identifying basic emotions. As the years go on, students practice empathy and problem-solving at different levels. When the students reach to 5th grade, they are shown age appropriate real-world situations that help them to apply the skills learned through the years to help control stronger emotions. The emotional skills being learned at all ages affect classroom learning. They also help students become better examples in class and in life.”
