Social and Emotional learning (SEL) develops the skills to recognise and manage emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations effectively. These capabilities in turn benefit all learning and will impact capacity for well-being and happiness within the individual. Good Counsel College explicitly teaches SEL with students from Year 8 – 10, undertaking one lesson per week taught by either the SEL Coordinator or their Year Level Coordinator.
Circle solutions is an integral method of delivering many of the topics. Circles provide a structured framework for group interaction, one that enables students to think reflectively and creatively, talk together about important issues, grow to have an understanding about themselves and others, and over time to develop knowledge and skills they can ‘put into practice’.
The Cairns Catholic Education website provides further information about SEL, including the SEL Policy and SEL brochure for parents.
A general overview for each year level includes:
YEAR 8
- Developing and maintaining friendships
- Study skills and time management techniques
- Developing communication skills
- Building resilience – techniques and strategies to assist
- The use of positive self-talk and enhancing self esteem
- Cyber safety awareness
- Bullying – No Way!
- Body image
- Techniques to deal with stress
- How to deal with emotions
YEAR 9
- Relationships – how to maintain and develop healthy relationships
- Planning and time management
- Communication in relationships
- Reading people’s emotions
- Keeping well
- Cyber safety and awareness
- Developing cooperative skills
- Techniques to deal with conflict and assist with anger management
- Social etiquette
- Protective behaviours
Year 10
- Goal setting
- Career Match – exploring career options, personality types, career pathways
- Communication skills
- Workplace skills
- Setplan
- Cyber safety
- Life skills
- Healthy living and healthy choices
