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In 2017, Gunn implemented the Social-Emotional Literacy and Functionality program in response to growing concerns about student mental health on campus and new California social-emotional learning standards.

This program is the first of the wellness initiatives 麻豆放映免费 will be investigating in a continuation of its 2019 鈥淚n the Pursuit of Wellness鈥� series. 聽The objective is to better understand the efficacy of Gunn student-wellness approaches. Our question: Are these measures working, and how can we further promote student wellness?

The creation of SELF聽

Intended as a space for students to build connections with trusted adults and peers, SELF classes meet biweekly 鈥� in rotation with Study Hall 鈥� during the school year. This model, adopted during the 2022-23 school year due听迟辞 teacher compensation issues, marks a shift from the program鈥檚 original weekly structure. As before, however, cohorts remain together during all four years of high school.

SELF Coordinator Kathryn Catalano noted that the program鈥檚 goal is to promote students鈥� emotional regulation, communication and empathy.

鈥淐reating that structure where students have opportunities to practice those things is really important in terms of long-term growth,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think our school is very lucky to be able to offer a program like this.鈥�

The SELF curriculum is based on California鈥檚 Social and Emotional Learning Competencies, or the T-SEL Competencies, which include self-awareness, social-awareness and relationship skills. Gunn鈥檚 SELF curriculum also draws on sources such as private-school curricula; Project Wayfinder, an organization that provides packaged grade-specific SEL curricula to schools; Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond, a social scientist who advised the curriculum鈥檚 development in 2016; student organizations such as the Gender Sexuality Alliance and Title IX Club; and proposals from individual students.

Currently, SELF is designed to suit different grades鈥� needs. For example, ninth graders begin with lessons on 鈥淔ounding a Community,鈥� which includes identity development and community-building, while second-semester seniors focus on 鈥淟ife after Gunn.鈥�

According to Assistant Principal and former SELF Coordinator Courtney Carlomagno, the SELF curriculum constantly evolves based on feedback from feedback forms, focus groups, administrators and SELF Advisory Board students (whose names students can see on the SELF feedback form in the Schoology SELF course). For instance, the Community Circles activity 鈥� in which students take turns sharing in a circle 鈥� was implemented in response to students鈥� suggestions in feedback forms to have more discussion, and freshmen were sorted into SELF cohorts with their World History class starting in the 2022-23 school year to enable more frequent connections.

Student sentiments

Data from the Panorama surveys, which are administered every spring and fall to all secondary-school students, shows improvement in students鈥� cultural awareness and emotional regulation from 2020 (the first year the survey was administered) to 2023.

Students鈥� satisfaction with SELF, however, has roughly remained the same. In the SELF feedback form, sent to students every fall from 2020-23, students were asked to rate on a scale of 1 (鈥渘ot effective鈥�) to 5 (鈥渆ffective鈥�) the SELF program鈥檚 effectiveness at reaching five goals: 鈥渟pending time on team-building and relationship-building,鈥� 鈥渂road-ranging conversations during check-ins,鈥� 鈥渆xploring topics that matter,鈥� 鈥渉earing a variety of student perspectives鈥� and 鈥渉aving fun as a community.鈥�

For all of the goals, the most selected rating was a 鈥�3,鈥� and the second-most selected was a鈥�4.鈥� 鈥淗aving fun as a community鈥� and 鈥渂road-ranging conversations during check-ins鈥� were considered relatively more effective compared to goals such as 鈥渂uilding relationships.鈥�

Additionally, many students feel that they are not especially connected with their SELF cohort and mentor. According to the results of the SELF feedback form from fall 2020 to fall 2022, many students felt that their connectedness to their SELF cohort was the same as with their regular classes: An average of 49.3% of students felt about as connected to their SELF cohort in fall 2020, 53.0% in spring 2021, 49.6% in fall 2021, 58.4% in spring 2022 and 44.8% in fall 2022.

Similarly, over the years, many students felt that their connectedness to their mentor was the same as to their teachers in regular classes. Sophomore Elizabeth P茅rez feels that SELF has not supported her social-emotional skills. While she understands the community-building purpose of the program, she has found that the lessons often feel forced.

鈥�(SELF) feels like it forces interactions between students when most of them don鈥檛 really want to do it,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome think it鈥檚 kind of useless, like, 鈥榃hat are we supposed to do here, when I could be doing other stuff?鈥欌��

Similarly, senior Benjamin Vakil believes that SELF鈥檚 content is not always practical or helpful for students. Seniors, for example, watched Yale University psychology professor Laurie Santos鈥� videos about the science of well-being.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think students are interested in the theoretical things about happiness or Yale鈥檚 classes,鈥� Vakil said. 鈥淚 think that that鈥檚 not been beneficial to that vast, vast, vast majority of students, which is unfortunate because Gunn needs students to be well mentally.鈥�

However, SELF has strengthened Vakil鈥檚 relationship with his mentor.

鈥淪ELF definitely doesn鈥檛 help me content-wise, (but) what is good for me is having a connection to a teacher throughout all four years, (and) I鈥檓 lucky enough to have had the same teacher,鈥� he said.

Similarly, Freshman Class President Nathan Yoon has appreciated the peer relationships forged during SELF, although he finds the four-year format restrictive.

鈥淚 enjoy SELF and the time that I get to spend with the people in my SELF group,鈥� he said. 鈥淜nowing you鈥檙e going to be with them for the next four years encourages you to befriend them. However, I think it is also kind of rigid to be stuck with the same group for all four years.鈥�

When a self-selected survey conducted by 麻豆放映免费 in December 2023 with 133 responses asked students what the most important thing they learned in SELF was, responses varied. Some students said SELF nurtures student-mentor relationships and positive thinking, but others described SELF as ineffective.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been learning about happiness this year, but even though I think it鈥檚 interesting, I feel like most people don鈥檛 care and don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 useful,鈥� one student wrote.

Another wrote, 鈥淲hile the objects and goals of SELF are good, the implementation of SELF is poor and the curriculum is like it was written for kindergarteners.鈥�

Causes of disengagement

Freshman Class President Nathan Yoon believes that students鈥� negative responses stem from a failure to understand SELF鈥檚 purpose: to foster students鈥� social-emotional skills, such as empathy and resilience, and to provide a space to build trusting relationships. Contrary to some students鈥� beliefs, the program does not focus on providing counseling services.

鈥淚 say a lot of students don鈥檛 really recognize SELF for what it鈥檚 trying to be,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of antagonizing of it because people don鈥檛 see what the creators are trying to do with it.鈥�

In the fall 2022 SELF feedback form, 51% of students selected 鈥渟ort of communicated鈥� when asked about how clearly the purpose of SELF has been communicated to them.

According to Catalano, another possible reason students don鈥檛 place importance on SELF is their tendency to focus on rigorous work, causing them to place less importance on soft skills, including many elements of self-care. Some may define success by the traditional path 鈥� acquiring a prestigious job and making a lot of money 鈥� which focuses on the importance of the individual rather than the community.

鈥淪ELF (is) about our larger community and supporting each other, which I think is not really how our community usually operates,鈥� she said.

According to SELF Advisory Board member junior Julia Lee, students 鈥� hyper-focused on the present 鈥� may also fail to consider SELF鈥檚 long-term benefits. Lee believes that SELF will only be effective when students are willing to pay attention to the lessons and recognize educators鈥� intentions. 鈥淚f we are not willing to engage in this topic, then there鈥檚 really no purpose because we are the ones who have control in whether we want to engage,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hink about the perspectives of those who are making these lessons, because if we think about why they are creating these lessons for us, the only intention is for our good.鈥�

Looking forward: Improvements

Moving forward, SELF will continue to evolve, and administrators and teachers are open to student suggestions for improvements, especially in the wake of Feb. 20鈥檚 student death. Catalano says that adults on campus care deeply for students and are open to hearing any suggestions and concerns.

鈥淲e want to support everybody, and I hope that this experience leads students to feeling like there are more adults on campus who care about them instead of less,鈥� she said.聽

SELF teacher David Bisbee says his priority is to make his SELF class a comfortable environment and serve student needs.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 interested in what students want,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat I think the program has done well over the years is listen to students and have an opportunity for students to talk and share what鈥檚 working (and) what鈥檚 not.鈥�

Students have also proposed SELF lessons. Lee has been active in proposing and implementing new lesson plans for SELF, such as one on non-violent communication and positive thinking, which is expected to show up in spring 2024.聽

鈥淚 thought maybe implementing lessons on non-violent communication could be something that students relate to,鈥� she said.

Focus groups have also been hosted periodically, in which one student from each ninth- and 10th-grade SELF class volunteers to gather and give feedback to questions such as 鈥淲hat types of activities have you enjoyed most in SELF?鈥� and 鈥淲hat has worked well to build connections in your cohort?鈥澛犅�

Other students can give feedback to the SELF Advisory Board, which students can apply to join every May. The SELF Suggestion Box Google form is also available on each student鈥檚 SELF Schoology course.

SELF will continue to adapt to optimize student wellness, which is the top priority, through student feedback.聽

鈥淚t is important to get negative feedback,鈥� Catalano said. 鈥淏ecause we want it to be a program that works for everybody, not just the kids who are excited to be there.鈥�