Social, Emotional & Ethical Learning Educating the Heart and Mind

Social, Emotional & Ethical Learning Educating the Heart and Mind (Early Elementary School Curriculum)

Introduction and Acknowledgments

Welcome to the SEE Learning curriculum for early elementary grades. This curriculum is designed to be used with the Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning program (SEE Learning), which was developed by the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

Before implementing the SEE Learning curriculum, it is highly recommended that schools and educators first register with Emory University or one of its affiliates, and participate in an online or in-person educator preparation course. Where available, these steps will help ensure well-supported implementation, resulting in the highest quality experiences for students.

In addition, educators are encouraged to read the SEE Leaming Companion, which explains the overarching objectives, rationale, and framework of the program, and particularly the chapter on implementation, which has useful practical information on how best to use this curriculum. The curriculum is based directly on the SEE Learning framework found in that volume, which was largely inspired by the work of the Dalai Lama, as well as other thinkers and education specialists It provides a comprehensive approach for complementing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) with the cultivation of basic human values, systems thinking, attention and resilience skills, and other important educational practices. As you work your way through this curriculum, you are encouraged to participate in the worldwide SEE Learning community to share your experiences, leam from others, and engage in the ongoing professional development opportunities designed to help both you and your students.

Over six hundred educators have participated in the SEE Learning program from 2016-2019. Thay have attended foundational workshops, engaged their classes in the SEE curriculum learning experiences, been visited and observed by members of the core SEE Learning team, and contributed their feedback and suggestions.

This curriculum was prepared under the supervision of Linda Lantien, Senior Program Advisor for SE Learning, Brendan Ozawa-de Silva, Associate Director for SEE Learning, and Lindy Settevendeme Project Coordinator for SEE Learning. In addition, other chief curriculum writers include Ann Min Bryson, Jennifer Knox, Emily Orr, Kelly Richards, and Christa Tinan. Numerous other educators and curriculum writers contributed in valuable ways to earlier versions of the curriculum, and nearly a hundred educators provided important feedback on individual learning expenences. As with al aspects of the SEE Learning program, the process was also overseen by Dr. Lobsang Tenzin Neg Director of Emory’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics.