By Minka Atkinson, The Daily News, Longview, Wash. The Tribune Content Agency
A Kelso teacher was recognized this week for her work helping students manage stress and become more empathetic, which in turn has shown to improve learning.
Coweeman Middle School paraeducator Rebecca Keithley was one of five educators nationwide to be awarded the Second Step Educator of the Year award Thursday.
The award - given out by Seattle-based education nonprofit Committee for Children - recognizes educators who make a difference by teaching social-emotional skills and comes with a $500 prize.
"I'm pretty honored to receive it," Keithley said. "I really believe in social-emotional learning and the power it has to change kids and help them with their academics."
Coug Cave success
Social emotional learning helps students manage emotions and set goals, as a way to educate the whole child beyond traditional disciplines of math, science and reading.
Kelso School District implemented social-emotional learning standards districtwide in 2018. Since then, there has been a noticeable change in student behavior, said Keithley, who has been involved with the program since the start.
Students are displaying better communication skills and more empathy in their interactions with each other.
"We are setting them up for success today and in their future endeavors in the community," she said.
Keithley works in Coweeman's social-emotional center, named the Coug Cave after the school's cougar mascot. In the Coug Cave, students participate in small groups or work with Keithley one-on-one to learn social-emotional skills like emotional regulation and empathy.
She uses curriculum developed by Committee for Children, which covers kindergarten through 12th grade and also has options for preschoolers and adult staff members. Much of her focus is on helping students recognize and manage their emotions effectively and learn how to be more empathetic toward their peers.
Keithley started volunteering with Kelso School District in 2012, then became a paraeducator and worked at Rose Valley Elementary's social-emotional center, the Panther Den. She transferred to Coweeman in 2020. She is also the secretary for Kelso High School Cheer Boosters and the PSE-1 Union, and co-president for the class of 2028 parent boosters, according to a district press release.
Keithley said she plans to use the award's prize money for more school supplies and regulation tools.
Those tools include things like fidget rings and moldable erasers that students can take with them to class to help them stay focused and grounded. Such tools can help distract students from anxious thoughts and focus on the present, experts say.
Since 2020, Washington state has required social-emotional learning in public school curriculums from kindergarten to third grade, while Kelso teaches social-emotional learning in all grades and started two years before the requirement.
According to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, social-emotional learning improves academic performance and helps students better manage stress and depression.
Social-emotional learning is sometimes criticized by conservative activists, who say it is used as an alternate name for critical race theory, a college-level concept that is not generally taught in grade school. Washington's social-emotional learning standards include teaching empathy and awareness for other cultures as part of the larger goal of helping students establish healthy relationships.
Minka Atkinson is a news reporter for The Daily News covering education, health and social services in Cowlitz County.