Inspire

FIRST^® programs stand apart in the STEM world of offerings due to our incorporation of the FIRST Ethos of Gracious Professionalism^® and Coopertition^® and commitment to the FIRST Core Values. In this incredible time of change, it is more important than ever that we engage students to practice empathy, understand self-assessment, manage behavior and emotions, and build social awareness and responsible decision-making in addition to other, more academic topics of education.

To support parents, educators, and coaches in the development of young people, we have created a free 10-session social-emotional curriculum series to be adaptable to remote and live learning environments, including classrooms, summer camps, team meetings, and parent-child at-home learning. Throughout these lessons, you’ll engage students in developing the five competencies of Social-Emotional Learning. 

Engaging Students in Developing the 5 SEL Competencies

The social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies align with the FIRST Core Values, one of the factors contributing to the power of FIRST preK-12 programming. Students are not just learning STEM skills, but experiencing the challenges of teamwork, setting goals, and coping with the frustrations that lead to meaningful growth and development.  

Caroline Hanson, a long-time educator, FIRST coach and FIRST Champion, has authored this curriculum series in collaboration with FIRST Education.  Caroline shared her experience with using SEL activities to build the students. 
 

“What drew me to FIRST programs as a coach and teacher more than other robotics programs is the Core Values component that addresses the whole child. Taking time to develop collaboration, communication, and teamwork skills while programming robots enriches the experience. Many FIRST alumni say that the robots were great, and learning new skills helped them, but what impacted them the most was the emphasis on Core Values and being ‘good, smart people doing good, smart things,’ as Woody Flowers so aptly described Gracious Professionalism. 

Using these lessons, you’ll engage students in developing the five competencies of Social-Emotional Learning. They are simple and require few materials, and all are variations of activities suggested by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning and their decades of research into social development. You will find that even a five-minute check-in during which students share their state of mind, or writing a frustration on a sticky note and throwing it in the trash provides insight and awareness.

The social-emotional competencies align with the FIRST Core Values, contributing to the power of FIRST programming. Students are not just learning STEM skills, but experiencing the challenges of teamwork, setting goals, and coping with the frustrations that come with worthwhile endeavors. On the path to competition, FIRST team participants learn about themselves and others to become leaders and participants in their communities. 

This pandemic year challenged all of us. Take time to reflect on what you learned and what was frustrating. Then write what you want to leave behind and toss it in a campfire, roast a marshmallow, and look ahead with some renewed vigor and a bit of a sugar rush. 

I hope this offers a fun and meaningful way to engage your students.”

If you have an inspiring story or piece of wisdom that you’ve picked up through your experiences in the FIRST community, please reach out to us at inspire@firstinspires.org and inquire about becoming a guest contributor for Inspire.