Episode 4 - Demystifying Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

In this heartfelt episode of Fostering Futures with CAHELP, host Athena Cordero is joined by Scott Heitman, Executive Director of Special Services at Oro Grande School District, for an honest and insightful conversation about Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Together, they work to demystify what SEL really means moving it out of binders and buzzwords and into everyday human connection.

Scott shares real stories from his time as a teacher, principal, and district leader that show how simple acts of kindness, presence, and genuine care can build meaningful relationships with students and staff. From greeting students by name to listening without judgment, this episode highlights practical, low-barrier strategies that educators can try tomorrow. It’s a reminder that SEL isn’t an “extra” it’s the foundation of student success.

🔑 Highlights & Takeaways:

• What SEL actually looks like in practice
• Why being “nice” is powerful, not soft
• How student voice can transform school culture
• The importance of supporting staff SEL needs too

This episode is a must-listen for educators, administrators, and anyone committed to creating school environments where kids are seen as people first and where learning begins with connection.

Acronym Note: During this episode, several acronyms were used without full explanation. To support listener understanding, we’ve included a list of acronyms and their meanings below.

• CWA (Child Welfare and Attendance)
• TK  (Transitional Kindergarten)
• Maslow before Bloom (Educational philosophy emphasizing that a student’s basic needs, must be addressed before they can effectively engage with and benefit from higher-level learning)
• ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
• SEL (Social Emotional Learning)
• ASB (Associate Student Body)
• SB (Student Body)
• Rosebud Thorn (Reflection or feedback technique where participants identify the positive aspects (roses), potential areas for growth (buds), and challenges or negative aspects (thorns) of a project, experience, or situation.)
• Hattie’s Effect Size (John Hattie Research, Visible Learning)

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram | www.cahelp.org | podcast@cahelp.org

Transcript

00:00:01 Athena 

Hi, Scott. 

00:00:04 Scott 

Good morning. How are you? 

00:00:05 Athena 

I am. I'm actually, you know, I'll be really honest. Summer is catching up with me. The heat is not my favorite and it is making me more tired this year than it did last year. To be brutally honest. Are you a fan of summer or is this not your thing? 

00:00:20 Scott 

I'm a fan of summer, yes, although I am noticing that the heat is having more of of of of an effect on me these days where I'm like, oh, it's a little hotter than I anticipated. 

00:00:21 Athena 

OK. 

00:00:29 Athena 

Yeah, it's different. Right. OK. Well, I'm not gonna drag you into the whole climate conversation, but. 

00:00:31 Scott 

Definitely. 

00:00:36 Athena 

But I'm really excited to have you here today. We are going to talk about SEL, but first I want to do just a brief kind of introduction. You are the executive director of special Services with oral Grand District and this is a Unified School District, not an elementary school district. Or am I wrong? 

00:00:49 

Yes. 

00:00:54 Scott 

It's it's a district with two charters, so yes, but it's unified. We have K12 program. 

00:00:58 

OK. 

00:00:59 Athena 

It's unified, awesome. Awesome. OK. And I just to make sure that folks have some more information about your district. 

00:01:06 Athena 

I know that you've got years of experience teaching administrator, but can you give us just a little bit more about your experience and education and your role right now with role grown? 

00:01:16 Scott 

Sure. Yeah. I started teaching back in the 90s and I was a a general education 6th grade teacher and then I jumped into special education and did that at a middle school for about 11 years. 

00:01:27 Scott 

And then jumped into a high school role as a teacher for students with emotional disabilities. OK. And after that, I jumped into administration, and that's where I've been ever since. So I've been a district administrator. I've been a principal high school principal for a comprehensive high school. And I've been at the district. 

00:01:47 Scott 

Just now for the last six years, been in my role at Oro Grand for the last four years, OK and oral grand, my role there. 

00:01:57 Scott 

Oversee health services, CWA Special education and student services. 

00:02:03 Athena 

That's that's a lofty task list there. 

00:02:06 Scott 

Yes, it's helpful to have a very good team and very good folks that you work with. 

00:02:11 Athena 

Very supportive. If OK. Well, shout out to them indeed for that. OK, perfect. So way through years of experience, I know that today you want to highlight SCL social emotional learning. Can you give us an? 

00:02:11 Scott 

Yeah, absolutely is. 

00:02:21 

Yes. 

00:02:25 Athena 

I know a lot comes with that, but if you can give us kind of a definition or a description or just a feel for what that even means when we say sell. 

00:02:36 Scott 

So I that's the difficult part as STL means so many different things to so many different people. And my goal here today is gonna demystify SCLK because I believe that SCL. 

00:02:44 Athena 

OK. 

00:02:47 Scott 

Gets a bad rap sometimes with the touchy feely, or it's all about kids emotions and I would like to distill it down to being nice just to for, for teachers and staff and adults just to be themselves. Be nice to children, see them as. 

00:03:07 Scott 

The child first a human being 1st and then a student second. 

00:03:13 Scott 

Again, it's not difficult to to do, but I think we lose sight of that because there's so much outside pressure for teachers to get through the standards and make sure that all 30 of their students are complying with, with with the rules and doing those procedural things that we lose sight. 

00:03:33 Scott 

Of the child sometimes, and they become I student no number in the in the chair or the student in the grade book. So that is the goal is kind of demystified just show that SCL can be done in a very. 

00:03:40 

Hey. 

00:03:47 Scott 

Uh. 

00:03:48 Scott 

Simple manner, you know. Again, kind of going through some. 

00:03:53 Scott 

Possible examples of calling students by name? Yeah, high fiber measure walking in the door. This can be done at every age, right? Even from TK all the way to seniors. OK, at high school, you know high 5 and more fist bumps. Or hey, I, you know, I like that jersey you've got on today. Talk to them about even if you don't know anything about. 

00:04:13 Scott 

The sport that they are representing, you can always ask the question people love to be asked questions and then that shows that you care about them versus. 

00:04:24 Scott 

Them again, just being a student or a name in the. 

00:04:27 Athena 

Grade book so. So I appreciate those examples, even just in your in your description, but I have to ask in your years of experience in education, was that, did that always come easy for you or did you have to come to the realization that those things matter a lot? 

00:04:44 Athena 

Just even in teaching and being an administrator. 

00:04:48 

It. 

00:04:50 Scott 

It wasn't intentional. It was kind of by accident and I stumbled upon it. For example, we did when I was a principal of a high school, we did called student listening circles. I don't know if you're familiar with that. 

00:05:04 Athena 

Maybe in a different title, but I think I think it should go. 

00:05:05 Scott 

OK. 

00:05:07 Scott 

OK. Yeah. So the so the the idea is we pick students from a wide range of groups. You know from the the jock to the ASP person to just from all walks of of of life for for a student and we. 

00:05:20 Athena 

OK. 

00:05:26 Scott 

Put them in a circle and we prepped them with with questions about 5 questions that you prepped them with about what's going on in school. Talk about school culture. Talk about do they feel have an adult that they can confide in or they can go to in the time of need. What is going well with the school? What is not going well with the school? 

00:05:45 Scott 

And again, we prepped them to answer the questions and and it's safe because. 

00:05:50 Scott 

Because they can't name teachers, they can't name principals. It's just very hey, this is this is what my perception of the school. 

00:05:58 Scott 

Is. 

00:05:58 Scott 

OK. And then we pick adults, we have staff members, teachers and parents that are outside the circle and then you have a facilitator that asks questions and. 

00:06:10 Scott 

You ask the students questions and then that facilitator needs to do a very good job too, of probing deeper and asking those kids, because sometimes students get a little nervous and they wanna, but it's a safe place. 

00:06:21 Scott 

The staff around the circle cannot ask questions. They're there. They are just there to hear what the students, their perception and how they feel. And so the antidote, the the. 

00:06:35 Scott 

Comes to mind. We had a student and when I was principal I had two other admin Co admin and we would be in the quad, you know in the morning time. You know, getting kids to school, getting kids to to class on time before that first bell rang. Hey, let's go. Let's go. 

00:06:47 Athena 

Yes, that's a lot of fun. 

00:06:49 Scott 

In itself, and so we were intentional about the greeting. We were very intentional about, hey, you know, being out there, being present proximity, you know, it was very important to us as a team and. 

00:07:00 Scott 

Every day this young young lady, you know from junior, sophomore, junior, senior. She was running late, running late, Starbucks, Cup in hand, but running late. None. Hey, get there. Right. Come on. Come on. So right. Get the class, get class. And so again she would, you know, just give you, give you a side eye or, you know, not not respond. 

00:07:08 

OK. 

00:07:19 Scott 

Yeah, didn't know that she even cared or heard what we were saying. 

00:07:23 Scott 

Until she was part of the student Listening Circle and one of the things that she brought up with making her feel safe and connected to school was the fact that we were out there saying hi in the morning every morning, rain or shine, helping her, you know, getting her to class or just being there. 

00:07:45 Scott 

Being present. So that's what got me thinking about, even though they're not giving you the feedback or they're not coming and going. Hey, thank you so much. You're so great. You're so awesome. They are. They hear you. They see you. They know that you care, even though you're not getting. 

00:07:51 Athena 

Right. 

00:07:59 Scott 

That feedback from them, they hear they see it and. 

00:08:03 Scott 

They know it. Wow. So. 

00:08:05 Athena 

And you're absolutely right, it's it's kind of a thankless position to be in sometimes when you're trying to implement things that you hope make an impression, but you don't always know the impression that it's making. 

00:08:19 Athena 

And for her to not be particularly interested, you know, it looks that way in the morning. It did have an impact. 

00:08:25 Athena 

On her? Enough to where she decided to share it in front of the adults. So from go ahead. 

00:08:31 Scott 

Another another interesting fact from those and we did did them over multiple years. I was there for six years. We did five years worth and one reoccurring theme from the students and this was not prompted. This was not, you know stage or whatever. 

00:08:37 

OK. 

00:08:47 Scott 

Every group said I wish my teachers saw me as. 

00:08:53 Scott 

Johnny, or as Susie, they felt that they were just part of the the process, just that name in the grade book. And when asked about what could teachers do to make you feel more included in or more of of of that person they talked about, hey, go to a baseball game. 

00:09:14 Scott 

Bars go to a basketball game show up to a play show up to one of our activities. 

00:09:14 Athena 

Yeah. 

00:09:19 Scott 

You know, again, say hi. Ask me about what happened over the weekend. Hey, how was your weekend? You know, get to know me. You don't have to drill down and, you know, be best friends or or, you know, text or do anything inappropriate. It's more about just asking those questions and showing a bit of caring, right. Not, not. Not that they don't care. 

00:09:28 

Yeah. 

00:09:39 Scott 

But just on a different level and more that that human level. 

00:09:42 Athena 

That's so. So as you're that's so interesting. As you're saying that I have two kids, they both play soccer. And I can tell you right now when they see a teacher that shows up to a game, even if the teacher or an old coach, you know, from when they were younger. 

00:09:58 Athena 

Shows up to a game, even if it's someone who has no idea what the rules of soccer are. And they say something you know off the wall. Like kick me a home run. You know something? It doesn't matter. The fact that they showed up and that they were paying attention and they made the effort to be there means more than I can even explain in my kids faces. 

00:10:18 Athena 

I can see that so I can see how and the experience that you had and you said you guys did this over the course of the 55. 

00:10:25 Scott 

Six years you were there 5-6 years over there. Five times. 

00:10:28 Athena 

And the age group of that of those kids. 

00:10:30 Scott 

9 through 12, so 14 to 18. 

00:10:32 Athena 

That's a rough. 

00:10:33 Athena 

And that's a rough group. Sometimes to get feelings from, especially in front of people. So kudos on that. I'm sure that that left. 

00:10:41 Scott 

And it was a common theme that was completely organic from the students, which we were amazed like ohh, OK, that's that's great. And so we tried with the staff like hey, you know, gave them the feedback and said, hey, this is these these. 

00:10:44 Athena 

Wow. 

00:10:47 Athena 

Yeah. 

00:10:55 Scott 

Are the items coming back from or the information coming back from the students of what they they. 

00:11:01 Athena 

Feel not what we think they feel, what they. 

00:11:04 Athena 

Told us. Awesome. 

00:11:04 Scott 

Correct. And again, this is a wide group of a wide swath of students as well. So it wasn't just your straight A students or your SB, you know, totally plugged in, correct? 

00:11:13 Athena 

Newspaper they know how to speak about, you know, things marketed, stuff like that. There's a raw feeling. 

00:11:18 Scott 

Correct. 

00:11:19 Athena 

OK, so you've tried this. You've seen it. You know it works. And so today, and talking about when to demystify some of this, what can you help us to understand? What's the mystery about it? What are teachers kind of thrown off about? Maybe. 

00:11:34 Scott 

So I think with and with education, I mean we're kind of guilty of, you know, going to a training a sit and get you get the binder and you take it back to your classroom and you're expected to, you know, do XY and Z and then just sometimes there's check-in, sometimes there's not. Yeah, you know or or a little bit of. 

00:11:51 Scott 

Feedback and that's why I want to say sell is not in a binder, it can be. There are some programs where we can do and be systematic of weekly or daily lessons and those kinds of things about getting in touch with your feelings or being, you know, conflict resolution being kind and those kinds of things. But I I guess to simplify. 

00:12:11 Scott 

To simplify and demystify. 

00:12:14 Scott 

It's not an A. 

00:12:16 Scott 

Binder, you don't have to have that. 

00:12:20 Scott 

System or that that model. It can be done on the daily with, again going back to the high fives, the hellos, the how was your weekend the hey, I I see. Hey, you know it doesn't look like feeling very well. Is anything that we can do for you? Hey just. 

00:12:37 Scott 

Put your head down for a little bit, you know. 

00:12:40 Scott 

Get yourself together and we'll we'll talk in a few minutes, right? Little things like that and. 

00:12:47 Scott 

Those things can be done every day, every grade, and it doesn't cost anything, and it it actually will pay dividends because again, going back to physical and emotional safety, our prerequisites for learning. So the more the, the safer, the kids feel, the more that they think you like them or. 

00:13:08 Scott 

Care for them. The more they're gonna work for you, right? And so not. And I don't wanna distill. 

00:13:16 Scott 

SL And the high fives and fist bumps and how you doing, but I think that's a great start and that's that's a way for teachers to get going with that without having to feel, they've gotta go to an 8 hour training or get some curriculum because I think that's that's what I hear too. Like well, I need to be trained and I what curriculum and then. 

00:13:21 Athena 

OK. 

00:13:37 Scott 

When you go to that curriculum then I think it gets a little stale because they're reading off a paper. And are they really? Is it really being felt? So not that it can't. I just feel that it should be. 

00:13:49 Athena 

Organic. So a couple of things come to mind for me, and I agree with what you're saying. I think that when you say you want to implement. 

00:13:57 Athena 

Something automatically you think about an 8 hour training. Having to put it into your Lesson plan, squeeze it in someplace. It does feel like another thing, but the way you're describing it, I remember hearing things like don't smile till December, right? You gotta get the rules down and. 

00:14:15 Athena 

I also remember a lot even in my time in the classroom with kids Maslow over bloom. You know, like, there's no way they're going to listen to you if it's too hot. They're hungry. They came in cranky. They don't think you care. You can't expect them to learn math or read or answer a question or get up to the board. I remember hearing those things. So. 

00:14:36 Athena 

For for teachers who maybe right now do feel like it's a binder, I heard you talk about the fist bumps, the hellos, the mentioned by name. Is there anything else you think you could put into some quick try this tomorrow, you know type of strategies for them? 

00:14:56 Scott 

Yeah, I mean you can check in with your students. You know, as a group, you know, something that comes to mind is a rose thorn and bud, you know, share a good moment challenging moment, right? Also, what comes to mind is be open with your students, obviously don't want to share. Hey, I had a fight with my child before, but again, they need to see that you're human. 

00:15:04 

I. 

00:15:05 Athena 

That, yeah. 

00:15:13 Athena 

Right. 

00:15:16 Scott 

As well. 

00:15:17 Athena 

OK. 

00:15:17 Scott 

And that here's how I manage my anxiety. Or here's how I manage my anger. And yeah, I'm having a hard time today, but I'm going to take a I'm going to take a deep breath, show them and model that for them. Another thing that comes to mind that I didn't mention early. 

00:15:34 Scott 

There is. We also need to tend to the SL needs or of of our staff. Yes, because before they can be at their best for their students, they need to be at their best for themselves. And I think that we lack sometimes in in providing that for our students because for our teachers, our staff, we expect them to, hey, you're professional. 

00:15:56 Scott 

You get a paycheck. You know, we've trained you here you go. But we all come in with our own sets of trauma. We did trauma informed training at the district. 

00:15:58 

Yeah. 

00:16:06 Scott 

Last school year where we brought out the ACES scores and and to see folks and talk about aces and then talk about, you know, chronic trauma and how it has physiological effect on the brain. People are like, Oh my gosh, wow. And so that was great conversation starter as well for staff to go, hey, we need to be. 

00:16:27 Scott 

You know, talking amongst ourselves and have our go to and. And so that's another step that we're. 

00:16:34 Scott 

Take. 

00:16:35 Scott 

In the future, is providing services providing support for our staff so that they can be their best to then take care of our students? 

00:16:43 Athena 

That's a great example of leadership, and I know even even again, the phrase where you put your oxygen mask on 1st right if you're going to try to save or do for support others and you don't have a place to give it from it makes it very difficult. And that's probably where some of those that angst. 

00:16:52 

For you. 

00:17:03 Athena 

Comes from to make it feel like a thing. You know something that we have to do. 

00:17:07 Athena 

Is there any other part do you feel like needs to be cleared up? You know, for folks when it comes to SEO or what they can do. 

00:17:14 Scott 

Yeah, I think. 

00:17:17 Scott 

Focusing on what the student can do and what they're bringing to the table, resilience versus the deficits cause I think yeah, we get stuck in what they can do in the deficits and trying to fill that void versus really, hey, where are you? Meet them where they are and really pump them up and and and accentuate the positives and accentuate what they're bringing the. 

00:17:37 Scott 

People versus, you know, dinging those deficits and and and try that. Now we want to close the gap, but let's focus on on the positive stuff versus the negative and yeah and that's a challenge because I think just by nature we you can get 25 positive statements and you get one negative and going to focus on the one negative. 

00:17:44 Athena 

Of course. 

00:17:59 

Of course. 

00:17:59 Scott 

And so that's just, that's a tough, tough nut to crack if. 

00:18:02 Athena 

You will, and that's natural. I can think of. It's just as a parent. You know, your kid brings home a report card and. 

00:18:10 Athena 

We've got 5A's and C. 

00:18:13 Athena 

'S the 1st. 

00:18:14 Athena 

Question might be what happened? You know, do you need some more help here? And we just like, blew past the other A's because you wanna help? Mm-hmm. You're doing so well in all these other areas. How? What's going on here? Let's help you here. So you're right. We do have a natural tendency, even as adults to look at the deficit. 

00:18:31 Athena 

First, not the strength. So if I was a teacher in a classroom and I'm trying to do that, I'm trying to focus on the positive focus on the strength, what's 1 area of advice or suggestion you could? 

00:18:43 Athena 

Give. 

00:18:44 Scott 

And I I think it goes back to the mindset of you, you, you. 

00:18:46 

OK. 

00:18:49 Scott 

Look at the work. You, you you celebrate the hard work or whatever they've tried to do, not the fact that they didn't get it done right, kind of going back to Carol Dweck and the the grid and the mindset piece. So yeah, hey, great job. You got an A well now great job because I know you worked hard which. 

00:19:08 Scott 

And that led to the A that type and so again. 

00:19:09 Athena 

Yeah, yeah. 

00:19:14 Scott 

Getting to know the students and kind of going backwards a little bit, something that you that would help too. 

00:19:20 Scott 

Knowing your students when they walk in there, I know it's difficult at the beginning of the year. You know you've got 30 new students, but do a bit of diligence and get to know who these students are because many of them are going to come in with trauma. And so you have to be very cognizant of what. 

00:19:36 Athena 

Yeah. 

00:19:40 Scott 

Your triggers are what your triggers are, and knowing how to meet them, because again, we are trying to take care of 30, some high school teacher A150170 students. And so that's a tough. 

00:19:52 Athena 

Right. 

00:19:57 Scott 

Thing to to do with 170 different personalities and you're trying to take care of everybody, but in the long run, if you do that work initially, you're going to you're going to get the the, the positive, you're going to get the return on that investment. 

00:20:13 Athena 

I I totally agree and I don't know. I know now just based on being able to work with teachers, how impactful. I don't know if they realize how much impact that has not just on the student, they're maybe talking to directly. But the ones that are paying attention. 

00:20:31 Athena 

You know, you could be in a conversation, you know, just a one-on-one where it's not, you know, a secret, but others are looking at the care you're giving. And they know now they know your tone. They know your manner. They know your interest. They know your curiosity and them as individuals. And that spreads, you know, that spreads. They talk to their friends. You know, I don't know. I'm. 

00:20:51 Athena 

I'm gonna go talk to you know Mr. Hagman about this. I don't know if if I'm doing this right then now that kid knows that you're somebody that they can go and talk to. I don't know if they give themselves enough credit for how the kids go out and push that for them, but I've seen it. I've seen it happen and it does it. It changes cultures on. 

00:21:09 Athena 

This is OK, so I want to go back really quick because we talked about it really fast, the Rosebud Thorn. Explain what that is. 

00:21:18 Scott 

Rosebud, Thorne. So it's where I'll be. 

00:21:23 Scott 

Sure. Good moment, a challenge and. 

00:21:25 Scott 

A hope. OK, OK. 

00:21:27 Scott 

Again, just kind of cut all bases, you know? Hey, what's what's the challenge? 

00:21:32 Scott 

What's going well? Again, we want to talk about that. And hey, what's the challenge? Because we don't grow unless we're challenged. You know, we need that challenge to to, to grow. And so just to have those frank conversations and also share, hey, this was a challenge for me getting to work on time this morning because of XY and Z. But hey, I made it and I'm happy to be here with you. 

00:21:51 Scott 

And you know, I I'm. I'm hoping tomorrow is gonna be a better day, right? I mean that that's quick and easy. But you're showing those kids that you're human and, you know, we all have our our. 

00:22:01 Scott 

Our issues that. 

00:22:02 Athena 

We deal with. It's a great way to model too. And you talked about that that we need to show them that we're all so comfortable in sharing a little bit about ourselves doesn't have. 

00:22:09 Athena 

To be super. 

00:22:10 Scott 

No, you have to go too deep. 

00:22:11 Athena 

Exactly. And we don't. We wouldn't want to, but there are ways for us to show we're human. One of the things I know that left the biggest impression on me, even as a student, is when a teacher owned up to something. 

00:22:23 Athena 

That was a mistake, right? You know what, you guys, I didn't quite do that. Right. Let's look at it again. Give me about 5 minutes. We're gonna regroup. Or I forgot this today, we're gonna have to do something a little bit different. It just shows. 

00:22:36 Athena 

Code the very human side it it almost gave permission for us to make mistakes in the classroom, and again, that spreads like wildfire. That feeling. And I don't know if teachers know that, you know, if they realize the impact that that has. 

00:22:50 Scott 

Yeah, the vulnerability is tough for some teachers because they feel they have to all the answers, right? It's like, no, you don't. Because yeah, if you go back to hatties effect size, content mastery is, you know, down on the list of effect size, it's all about connections. It's all about feedback. It's. 

00:22:53 

Yes. 

00:23:04 Scott 

All about, you know, just being being there and present for your students. So yeah, we could do a better job with our newer teachers to say, hey, it's OK to be wrong. It's OK to make mistakes, own it and you move. 

00:23:14 Scott 

On then you show the kids that hey. 

00:23:17 Scott 

That's how you make a mistake and you grow from it. So very positive. 

00:23:18 Athena 

Yeah. 

00:23:21 Athena 

Though so in in your years of experience in making it, this intentional effort to try these things, to practice them, because that's of course the only way that they're gonna work. 

00:23:32 Athena 

For us, have you? Is there any particular success story or any particular particular instance that you'd like to share for administrators for districts who are looking to to try this more? 

00:23:46 Scott 

The success was, yeah, I talked a little bit about it earlier. The young lady, you know, getting the class on time, I I felt that was very positive. You know, the the student listening circles I think are very invaluable information from from your students there. 

00:24:00 Scott 

I've been out of the out of the classroom or off site for the last, you know, six years now. So I haven't had that student engagement. But I do try to continue my that practice with staff. For example, you know, if staff come in for when I want to have a question, you know, before they leave that office. 

00:24:19 Scott 

The question I have is, hey, how's it going? How are the kids? How's everything at home or just, hey, what's going on? Because I want them to know that I see them as a person first. Yeah. And a staff member or a colleague next and so. 

00:24:36 Scott 

I I was fortunate to have a great admin team when I was a. 

00:24:42 Scott 

Site administrator and we had a common vision of of relationships come first. People first don't sweat the small stuff. Take care of kids. And so the I I the return on investment there are the dividends that that paid was just having a having a good group of kids and. 

00:25:02 Scott 

I had also the benefit and the curse fiasco. My daughter and my son. They were both my students. They were students at the high school at the. 

00:25:09 

Wow. 

00:25:10 Athena 

So that's a little extra pressure. 

00:25:12 Scott 

A little extra pressure on on all of us. Yeah, but what was very cool about it was I I knew a lot of these kids from the time they were, you know, from sports and dance and all those other is correct. And so to see these students grow and to be able to. 

00:25:24 Athena 

Yeah. 

00:25:26 Athena 

They grew up in front of you, yeah. 

00:25:30 Scott 

Have that. 

00:25:33 Scott 

Interaction with them on a very because I knew them as little. Yeah, Johnny and Susie first versus, you know, student X&Y. So I had a little bit of an advantage there, so but yeah. And to this day you get feedback from students, you know that you see when I, you know, go back to town like oh, hey, that's that's what. 

00:25:53 Scott 

You know, fills your bucket for there's a heart. Absolutely, yeah. 

00:25:54 Athena 

That's the best. 

00:25:55 Athena 

It's the best. Yeah, I still get folks who misses C, and I'm like, I haven't been Mrs. C and ohh, you know, 15 years or whatever it is, but instantly, instantly, the fact that they recognize you. 

00:26:09 Athena 

And then you have to look at them because they've grown and matured. Yeah, but the moment you put eyes on them, I can't explain the feeling. I'm sure it's the same for you all. To me, that's one of those bucket fillers that we talked about and how you're gonna give more of yourself. It's things like that that come back to you that help you to keep doing it and then spread those things to other. 

00:26:30 Athena 

Newer teachers like you're saying how we help them to have those same experiences. 

00:26:34 Athena 

OK, you have demystified uh, I think quite a few things. Is there anything else though that you think you want to share just to help help with that? 

00:26:39 Scott 

Ohh. 

00:26:46 Scott 

I would just tell somebody, just go and try it. Yeah. Just, just, just do it just also, you know, you when we're dealing with students, speak to them, talk to them as if their parents were standing behind them or with them. You know, that's another thing that kind of helped me too is like because sometimes, you know, the frustration level gets up and you we're human. We all have our our levels. 

00:27:07 Scott 

Or. 

00:27:07 Scott 

Thresholds. Yeah. And so always remember that. Hey, I'm gonna talk to that child, and I'm gonna meet that child as if their parents were with them. And also some of our parents that come in could could use that kindness because they're coming in and, like, hey, how can I help you? What's what's going on? And so. 

00:27:27 Scott 

Again, I I don't. I don't want to simplify it too much, but it's it's all about just being a good person, being nice, you know. And that's one thing that we've talked about in our district a little bit is we just want our our folks to be nice to kids. Yeah, cause the parents are sending us. 

00:27:33 Athena 

Yeah. 

00:27:42 Scott 

The best that they have, and we are, you know, with them 8-9 hours a day and we want to make sure that we're doing right by them. 

00:27:50 Athena 

You know, it's to me it is very helpful to hear somebody in an administrative position kind of bring the tension down on what SQL can be. 

00:28:02 Athena 

On a campus in a classroom, not so much that it's an expectation, but it's almost a protection and a support for the adult and for the kids. Yeah, it really does take the. 

00:28:16 Athena 

Human side of what we have to do every single day, the things surrounding us can get a little hot as well, and it's it's great to think you know what? We can come in here and breathe, be human. Look at people for who they are, their strengths, what they're passionate about. These are kids that don't even know what they want. 

00:28:34 Athena 

Yet they're they're still trying to figure it out and just breathe through it. You know, it doesn't have to be so stressful, even though we do recognize there's deadlines. There's expectations on the part of the educator that they absolutely do need to take serious. But there's a good balance there. 

00:28:51 Scott 

Definitely. And that's another thing I'd like to accentuate as well is sometimes. 

00:28:56 Scott 

We get stuck in the curriculum piece, we get stuck in the standards, and if they're not working on some standard or working on some curriculum, then they're not learning well. Once they walk into the stuff foot on that campus or even get on the bus. 

00:29:13 Scott 

They're learning. They're learning how to interact. They're learning how to follow a follow a rule. They're learning how to to be that age. They're. 

00:29:23 Scott 

There. 

00:29:25 Scott 

Walking to the to the breakfast line, they're learning that it's all the curriculum because I we talk about curriculum. Well, curriculum encompasses the whole child. Yeah, the whole school, activities, lunch, recess, everything. It's not just the X's and O's. And so, even though they may not be. 

00:29:34 

Absolutely. 

00:29:43 Scott 

In the classroom, writing down and working on those standards, there's learning going on no matter what is going on in the school. 

00:29:49 Athena 

I appreciate you saying that because those are not the things we test on, right, right. And it's hard for us to remember and give ourselves credit for what we're teaching them, how to do, if if it's not the thing that's being tested. And so it's it's a good reminder, I think, for anyone on a campus. 

00:30:09 Athena 

To remember that they are absolutely learning from you whether you are aware of it or not, and they're paying attention more than you think they are. And to really think about that as you're going to the classroom every day and with the kids, I appreciate the importance you're placing on student feedback in another program that I got to support in that was a huge thing. 

00:30:29 Athena 

Student voice was a huge. 

00:30:31 Athena 

Piece of that, we sometimes as the adults sit down and try to guess, you know what, what can we say? What words can we use? Ohh, why don't we just ask them? You'd be surprised what you can get by just asking the kids. You'd be surprised what interventions you might not need anymore if you go interview the kids. Is there a bullying? 

00:30:51 Athena 

Problem. Yes. Are you sure you know? Have you talked to the kids? Do we know what's going on? And so there's that's that's gold for us as the adults. And I think sometimes we forget how powerful they can be. 

00:31:03 Athena 

I appreciate all of what you shared. Is there anything else that you can think of? You want to give today? 

00:31:09 Scott 

Not at this time. 

00:31:10 Athena 

OK, then I have another question for you. So here is a help. You know our mission is the relentless pursuit of whatever works in the life of a child and just in our conversation about SL today, I have to ask you what worked for you as a kid on a campus with teachers? 

00:31:33 Scott 

What worked for me, so I guess what comes to mind, had a couple of high school teachers. I went to a small Catholic High School. 

00:31:41 Scott 

And we it was small knit group about 500 total students, 120 kids in graduating class. So we all knew each other and the teachers were. 

00:31:51 Scott 

Were. 

00:31:52 Scott 

Very involved in everything. So for example the. 

00:31:58 Scott 

Varsity football coach was also the Dean of students, was also the typing and yes, so you were with him once you started, you know, a freshman year you were with him multiple time for. I spent probably more time with him over those four years I did at home, if you will parents but Dad and also one of our senior teachers. 

00:32:01 Athena 

Mini hats. 

00:32:12 Athena 

Right. 

00:32:19 Scott 

And as a high school students, you know, you get into, you know, make some goofy choices. And, you know, it is it? Yeah. Well, you know you it. 

00:32:28 Scott 

And maybe this is what kicked off the SCL piece, but yeah, so you made made some choices with some friends and instead. 

00:32:36 Scott 

Of these teachers calling you in and saying, hey, you're you're out of here. See you later. 

00:32:44 Scott 

They were human, they said. Hey, we understand kids make mistakes. This is why you're here. We not that we expect it. But you're a teenager and therefore we're going to work with you, not against you and not just, you know, cut you off with the knees type of thing. And so they showed some humanity. 

00:33:04 Scott 

And they showed caring and like they cared for you as a person and wanted you to. 

00:33:09 Scott 

To be better, not because they could have easily said, hey, you know what, you know, you go go some other schools because that's the way, you know, private schools. 

00:33:18 

Cool. 

00:33:20 Scott 

Can be. 

00:33:20 Scott 

Like thank you, we don't need your money. Yeah, exactly. But at the time they did, they just showed some humanity and showed caring and showed that. 

00:33:20 Athena 

They can be. 

00:33:21 Athena 

They have a right to be. They do. You're right. 

00:33:30 Scott 

That I was not just in my friends, we weren't just. 

00:33:35 Scott 

The students in the grade book or the check that our parents wrote it was we want you to be here because we. 

00:33:40 Scott 

See value in. 

00:33:41 Athena 

You. Wow, that's that's beautiful for a lot of reasons. My take away from what you just said though, is that's why you're here. When kids make mistakes, it's not an excuse to get rid of them. That's why they're there. 

00:33:55 Scott 

To learn and then think about it, until you brought it up. How and. 

00:34:00 Scott 

I don't know if you remember the sea best. Yes. And you had to write the five paragraph. Yes. So my homage to that was I wrote about that incident and it was kind of that was my way to try to pay them back and say hey, thank you very much and here. 

00:34:12 Athena 

Wow. 

00:34:15 Athena 

Right. 

00:34:18 Scott 

I am now, so that's awesome. 

00:34:20 Athena 

For by chance anyone. 

00:34:23 Athena 

There's. 

00:34:24 Athena 

This knows them, knows of them wherever they are. I hope we get back. It gets back to them again so that they can see that even years later, like we said earlier, it makes a huge impact even into an adulthood decision career. Those things stick with us. Perfect. Thank you so much for being with us today. 

00:34:43 Athena 

Scott, I appreciate it. 

00:34:44 Scott 

No, thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. Great.