RTI for SEL: Turn Behaviors into Learning Opportunities with Miriam Campbell

Miriam Campbell, a speech language pathologist, social worker and teacher, built an SEL RTI model after seeing the skills she taught in therapy not reach the classroom. She shows how to bring SEL in schools into a regular math lesson, so teachers learn emotional regulation along with students and behaviors become learning opportunities. Her tier one tool is a four-step routine: I see, I think, I feel, I choose. She runs it on a crumpled math worksheet and on the day a student shut off the classroom lights, ending with a deep breath. For tier two and three, students with IEPs need more repetition and more specific examples. What you'll learn Teach the routine I see, I think, I feel, I choose so students and teachers separate facts from thoughts, feelings and choices. Build SEL into lessons you already teach, such as a math worksheet, instead of adding another program to teachers' plates. Help teachers own the skills by practicing them, since you cannot teach emotional regulation without being regulated yourself. For tier two and three students, repeat the routine with more specific examples and walk through their own situations step by step. Treat teacher stress and burnout as learning opportunities, and model how to process them. Chapters 0:00 Meet Miriam Campbell and her SEL RTI model 3:43 Why skills taught in therapy do not generalize 7:51 Fitting SEL inside a regular math lesson 9:38 Behaviors become learning opportunities 11:05 Why teachers take behavior so personally 14:58 Tier one: I see, I think, I feel, I choose 22:51 Tier two and tier three support 26:30 This week: see behavior as learning Times are for the episode without ads. Your player may be off by the length of any ads. Questions this episode answers How do you teach SEL skills so students use them in every class? Campbell says generalization fails when skills stay in therapy. She teaches teachers organized structures they fit into lessons like math, so nothing is added, therapists' work is reinforced and tier one students get extra support. Teachers must own the skills to use them in social studies or on lunch duty. What is the I see, I think, I feel, I choose model? Campbell says it helps people process information: what you see, the thought you develop, the feeling tied to it, and the choice you make. She says no diagnosis, situation or upbringing decides your choice, which gives responsibility back to students and teachers and turns problems into learning. Why do teachers take student behavior personally? Campbell says when a teacher's only goal is academic instruction, any behavior gets in the way of that goal and feels like an affront. If the goal shifts to real connection and helping students become connectors, behavior stops being an attack and becomes part of the work. About Miriam Campbell Speech language pathologist, social worker and teacher who created the SEL RTI model behind Skills for Connection. Links and resources Transformative Principal Mastermind John Catt bookshop The Coach's Guide to Teaching The Feedback Pendulum Putting Staff First 10 Things Schools Get Wrong Let's Talk About Flex A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching SchoolX by Jethro Jones Skills for Connection website John Catt agents and distributors Working on this at your school? Get a free preview of a 10-week leadership pathway built from episodes like this one at transformativeprincipal.com/start. Thanks to our Sponsor Broadcast Made Easy who help you start a news broadcast at your school by having everything you need in one easy-to-download place. Check it out today and get your kids creating. We’re proud to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more: Simplify and streamline technology Save teachers’ time Reliably meet Tier 1 standards Improve student performance on state assessments 🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.