Pawsitively Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Overview

The Pawsitively Social Emotional Learning Curriculum is unique. Lessons and activities engage students by vicariously using canines to introduce SEL attributes. That SEL concept progresses to humans and ultimately bridges to themselves. By first introducing a concept through the lens of a canine, students are more trusting, open and willing to share their thoughts and emotions.

The Pawsitively Curriculum is all-inclusive, brain friendly and easy to use. It is organized around units consisting of explicit instruction and in-depth, age appropriate, real world activities that integrate ELA standards and allows students to focus on a deep understanding of specific social emotional attributes and how they can apply them in their own lives.

We are committed to supporting both student and teacher SEL competency through our systemic approach. Here are some highlights about the curriculum:

The Pawsitively Curriculum is arranged in units, which include lessons that explicitly teach SEL skills. In addition, students apply the skills using activities that include complex, real world scenarios.
The Reading for Information, Speaking and Listening and Writing standards are explicitly embedded throughout the Curriculum. It is designed to be taught once per week during ELA, which provides time between lessons to apply the learning. The reasoning behind this approach is so schools can implement SEL without having to add “one more thing” to a teacher’s load.
Throughout the curriculum, canines are used vicariously to assist in deepening and strengthening SEL concepts.
We believe all students benefit from SEL, so our program is designed to be used as a PBIS Tier 1 Intervention.
Our Curriculum is based on CASEL’s five core competencies.

How We Support ELD:

We provide scaffolding for ELD students through the use of sentence frames, realia, and vocabulary support.
Through incorporating the interacting ELD standards by providing structured academic talk and vocabulary practice for interpreting shades of meaning using SEL terminology.
By providing consistent practice of Speaking and Listening Standards in both our lessons and interactive activities.

How We Support ELA Common Core:
Through ELA integrated complex real world activities.
By incorporating consistent use of speaking and listening skills throughout the curriculum.
Through the use of age appropriate pictures, video clips and reading for information articles.

How We Approach Bullying:
At Pawsitively we believe teaching about bullying should go beyond a lesson that simply defines bullying and instructs students that it is wrong. Our Curriculum addresses bullying from multiple perspectives. We address bulling by developing the SEL skills needed to deal with various bullying situations.
Our Curriculum addresses bullying from three vantage points; the observer, the recipient and the bullier.

If a student observes bullying behavior, it is addressed by building their ability to practice and apply empathy through age appropriate, realistic scenarios.
If a student is the recipient of bullying behavior, it is addressed by supporting their ability to identify and grow their own positive self-concept.
We help students acknowledge whether they are participating in bullying behavior by teaching them about the three types of communication; passive, aggressive and assertive. Through age appropriate, real world scenarios students learn to identify each of the communication strategies, practice and explore how to appropriately apply assertive communication in all interactions.

How We Support Teachers:

Teacher SEL Pawsitive Professional Development.
- Nine fully designed 20-30 minute Pawsitive Professional Development (PD) activities that your team can implement during staff time.
- Each Pawsitive PD includes a PowerPoint, Facilitator Guide and all necessary materials.
- The PD’s correspond with the SEL concepts being taught through the Pawsitively Curriculum. This provides your team the opportunity to increase their SEL competence, which helps creates sustainability.
Teachers receive a monthly document called the ‘The Dog’s Tale.”
- Nine support documents that follow the succession of units for each social emotional competency that is covered in the Pawsitively Curriculum. We believe that extra support will be helpful as teachers progress through our curriculum. Each month teachers will receive the Dog’s Tale, which covers the SEL competency for that month.
- Each Dog’s Tale includes: a definition and overview of the SEL topic; benefits of practicing the particular SEL topic; grade specific resources that include discussion starters, videos, picture books and read alouds that focus on the particular SEL topic being covered.
- Research supports the importance of a teachers social emotional competence just as much as student competence so in the Dog’s Tale we’ve provided teachers with personal resources to help them practice that particular SEL skill in you’re their own life so they can more effectively teach it to their students. This allows them to increase their own SEL competence by being focused on and personally practicing SEL skills while teaching it to their students.

How We Support Parents:

Along with each Dog’s Tale, teachers and principals will receive a monthly document for parents that first explains what SEL is an why it is important for their child to learn and practice SEL skills. It will also detail the SEL competency their child is learning that month and provides resources on how they can support their child at home. Each parent support document includes: a definition and overview of the SEL topic; benefits of practicing the particular SEL topic; grade specific resources that include discussion starters, videos, picture books and read alouds that focus on the particular SEL topic being covered.

What Teachers Get:
Digital or journal options available

Teachers receive engaging, colorful, animated PowerPoint lessons and activities with embedded video clips.
Along with the digital PowerPoints, teachers receive a beautiful printed and bound Teacher Guide that includes all lesson and activity plans that are scripted for easy implementation. They are written in such a way that teachers can modify a lesson or activity based on their student population and needs. It is very important to us that we provide differentiation support to teachers for all lesson and activities.
Monthly Dog’s Tale.
Monthly parent support document.

What Students Get:

All students receive their own SEL Journal that they utilize throughout the entire curriculum. They get to keep the journal and can utilize it to reflect back on what they have learned.
The Journal is an integral part of successfully learning SEL skills and includes graphic organizers, reflection prompts, reading for informational articles, group activities and independent practices.

Professional Development:

Teacher SEL competency component.

Nine fully designed 30-60 minute Pawsitively Professional Development (PD) activities that your team can implement during staff time.
Approximately 12 hours of Professional Development spread throughout the year.
Each Pawsitively PD includes a PowerPoint, Facilitator Guide and all necessary materials.
The PD’s correspond with the SEL concepts being taught through the Pawsitively Curriculum. This provides your team the opportunity to increase their SEL competence, which in turn creates sustainability.

Please note- you do not have to be implementing the Pawsitively Curriculum to utilize the PD’s.

Happy teachers = Happy students

Curriculum Pricing

Detailed Curriculum: Text