Meeting Ourselves and Others on the Page: Children's Literature as a Doorway to SEL

Presenter: Melissa Guerrette, 2021 Oxford CTOY, 5th Grade Teacher, Oxford Elementary School, Past Chair & Professional Learning Facilitator, NBCTs of Maine

Stories serve as mirrors and windows for readers (Sims Bishop, 1990), whether related to identities, experiences, and/or emotional intelligence. In addition to hearing about classroom-based practices and what the research says about using children’s literature to support SEL, this session will include an opportunity to learn about and interact with a wide array of books used by the presenter in her classroom as a catalyst for learning and conversations related to recognizing and regulating social emotional needs. Participants will come away with their book wish-list and ideas for immediate application of texts in their roles.