Administrators at Akins are hitting the reset button when it comes to how Social Emotional Learning is taught.

The Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum has been mostly limited to brief talks and activities with advisory teachers, leaving some to feel that it wasn’t enough.

Principal Brandi Hosack pushed for the campus to change the way it offered SEL lessons to students and oversaw a series of meetings with teachers that created the new required course for all freshmen.

“It’s a class where you get to become more self aware of who you are and who you want to be, and you get to think about life after high school as well as learning to manage yourself in high school,” SEL teacher Christina Garcia-Mata said.

Making new friends at high school can be a difficult task, but freshman Adriana Galindo said the new SEL class has helped her overcome that challenge.

“I feel like with the advice I get, I can make new friends,” Galindo said.

Another SEL teacher, Courtney Harris, has noticed a difference already this year in how freshmen are making the transition to high school.

“I do think they’re building confidence to be true to who they are and they’re bringing that to their classrooms,” Harris said.

Discussions in SEL range from talking about family to building a relationship with your community.

SEL teacher John McGavick thinks the classes help give students an opportunity to share what’s on their mind.

“We’re really addressing the issues that matter to, or are really immediate to freshmen at Akins, and they can voice their opinions on these things,” McGavick said.

Although these SEL classes were designed with stu- dents in mind, the teachers involved were also experiencing many similar positive feelings about it.

SEL and AVID teacher Christina Garcia-Mata also had the same feelings but not just in the classroom.

“Students have so much to teach me how to be a better person, or how to be a better listener, or how to be more patient, or even how to be a better parent,” she said.

In SEL teachers use practices from Restorative Justice in their activities, such as a circle sharing activity.

“Everyone’s in the circle and you pass what is called a talking piece around and it gives everyone an equal chance to say what they want to say,” McGavick said.

Sel teachers don’t know the impact their work will have in the future but they are hopeful they will make a positive difference.

“We’re just planting seeds right now and they’ll grow into whatever it is they need to,” Garcia-Mata said.