Teaching strategies employed throughout the curriculum are designed to foster the ABCs of student motivation: autonomy, belonging, and competence (Deci, 1995). In a landmark policy paper concerning the efforts of the country’s leading educational associations, Learning First Alliance identified these factors as “basic needs” of young people and central to the learning process. Schools that satisfy these needs benefit from their students’ improved attitudes, behavior, and performance (Learning First Alliance, 2001).

According to Edward Deci, having autonomy “means to act in accord with one’s self—it means feeling free and volitional in one’s actions” (Deci, 1995). Autonomy leads to authenticity in thought and behavior; without it, students are less likely to pursue learning for its own sake or discover the subjects and types of work that truly engage their interest and attention. In education, autonomy is often referred to as “voice and choice”— students having a say about what they think and what they study. Providing voice and choice requires teachers to be facilitators of learning, rather than imparters of information; this style of teaching is the opposite of the top-down lecture format employed in traditional high school classrooms.

One way that School-Connect develops voice and choice is by giving students many opportunities to speak. “Think-pair-share” activities encourage students to take a minute for quiet reflection and then turn to a classmate to respond to a prompt, share an experience, or discuss the homework. Afterwards, students have the opportunity to participate in a full class discussion. When students are able to organize their thoughts and try them out with a peer, they are more likely to feel comfortable speaking up in the larger group.

In full class discussions, students often use a Koosh ball to designate a speaker; this encourages them to listen and construct responses to one another, rather than reply directly to the teacher. Early in the program, students receive practice in “adding on” to others’ comments and “thinking differently,” rather than disagreeing or competing with each other. The emphasis is on being curious, respecting ideas, and seeking truth—not on winning debates, looking smart (or indifferent), or putting down academic engagement. Research has correlated the former habits of mind with increased student participation and academic engagement (Ritchart, 2002).

These simple strategies have a dynamic effect on class discussions and student relations. Teachers report that School-Connect helped them become better listeners and develop closer relationships with their students. This is critically important, as research indicates that students benefit greatly from having at least one caring adult advocate at school (Resnick, et al, 1997).

Students are also given voice and choice through small and large self-directed group activities. In an early lesson, for example, they reflect upon what makes a good classroom environment. Working in small groups, they generate group guidelines for behavior that they then discuss and decide upon as a class. The class also devises a plan for taking shared responsibility for adhering to the final set of guidelines (i.e., how students will respond when someone violates a guideline).

Teaching strategies that give students opportunities to interact with one another also help build a sense of belonging, a key factor in student motivation and bonding to school (Resnick et al., 1997). Interacting with different classmates allows students to share experiences and discover what they have in common, helping to increase empathy and break down labels and stereotypes. The program also encourages teachers to share their life experiences, which helps students learn to meet new challenges and adjust to school.

The curriculum further aims to create connections between school and home, and between students and their families. Many of the homework assignments involve students in activities with a parent or other family member. For example, parents discuss their children’s character strengths with them and hear how their children view themselves, share an experience they had while growing up and compare and contrast this to what their children experience, and identify obstacles they have overcome to reach a personal goal. Homework and classroom assignments ask students to share and practice the skills and concepts with their families, while maintaining an awareness of cultural differences that may require adaptation of some skills.

Students need to feel a growing sense of competence and confidence in order to pursue new challenges and overcome obstacles to learning. School-Connect develops student competence by providing repeated opportunities to apply the concepts and skills presented in the lessons. Social Learning Theory avers that students will not acquire behavioral skills without: 1) observing role models, 2) discussing and practicing the skills, 3) receiving feedback and reinforcement, 4) applying the skills to real-life situations, and 5) reflecting upon the natural benefits of the skills (Bandura, 1986). For example, after discussing and observing what constitutes a sincere apology, students identify whether given responses for different situations meet the criteria, and then role-play sincere apologies for these situations. After each role-play, the class provides feedback and reinforcement on the student-actors’ performances. Teachers follow-up by continuing to model the skills themselves in everyday interactions with students, and by prompting and encouraging students to apply new skills in class and elsewhere.

In contrast to a business-as-usual approach, School-Connect aims to change the classroom environment by creating reciprocal exchanges among teachers and students and by increasing the skill level of all class members, including the teachers. In this approach, teachers become facilitators of learning and students become active participants in classroom processes. See box Key School-Connect Strategies.

Because School-Connect requires a new way of teaching and interacting with students, the program offers guidance to school administrators in selecting teachers for the course based on their experience and comfort level with SEL concepts and strategies. Program presenters should hold and reflect the belief that social and emotional learning is a worthwhile and lifelong process. It is beneficial if the teachers also possess humility, a sense of humor, and an openness to change. Administrators should select presenters on this basis, rather than on what teachers are available to teach the course.