The R Factor and SEL

Today we will begin to explore the direct correlation between student well-being and the
R Factor System. This blog is the first in a 3-part series that will show that our student well-being efforts are the “what” and the R Factor system is the “how”.

Children face many circumstances and life experiences that can affect their success in school. According to @traumasensitiveschools.org, 2019, “Experts explain that trauma is not an event itself, but rather a response to one or more overwhelmingly stressful events where one’s ability to cope is dramatically undermined”. In public education we are faced with many requirements, or state and local mandates, that often restrict us from providing adequate services our children so desperately need. The focus on mental health and student well-being must be paramount in our work in public education. We can’t master Bloom’s until we meet Maslow’s.

We must create a culture where adults and students feel safe, loved and cared for before any learning can take place. How do we become more proactive in equipping our students and adults with the skills needed to handle life’s adverse events?

The R Factor System equips students and adults with skills necessary to respond to life’s events in a disciplined, intentional manner; therefore creating better outcomes. In the following few paragraphs, we will show the direct correlation between Social-Emotional Learning and the powerful R Factor System.

The “WHAT”
Social-Emotional Learning
According to CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

The “HOW”
The R Factor
Life comes at us fast. Situations, people, responsibilities, challenges, change… we are constantly dealing with the stuff of life. This presents a universal challenge for everyone:

How do we navigate the events we experience

in a way that produces the best possible results?

The answer lies with implementing a simple and powerful framework into your life. A system for being intentional about the way you think, make decisions, and act.

The SEL components identify what we “want” students to make growth in on their journey to a healthier social-emotional state.

We also know that we get better at any skill with systematic  purposeful practice in small, slow, and daily actions. The R Factor provides a simple, yet powerful system to improve our response to the inevitable obstacles we will face through life. The six disciplines of the R Factor system provides individuals with a behavioral toolbox for managing their R’s (responses) with intention, purpose, and skill. The daily application of these disciplines, not circumstances individuals face, determine the quality of outcomes which individuals produce.

Below you will see the R Factor Disciplines paired next to the correlating CASEL SEL components.

The R Factor “The How”	SEL Components “The What”
Press Pause Before you respond, think and gain clarity. Get off auto-pilot.	Self Management The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.  Self Awareness The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior.
Get Your Mind Right Create the necessary mindset for responding to situations you face.	Responsible Decision-Making The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.  Self Awareness The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior.

Step Up Take the action you need for the outcome you want.  Win the Moment!	Responsible Decision-Making The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.  Social Awareness The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Adjust and Adapt Be exceptional at dealing with change. Things change, be flexible.	Social Awareness The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Make a Difference Your R is an E for others. Create value and give other people a great experience.	Relationship Skills The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.
Build Skill  How you manage your R (response) determines the quality of your life.	Relationship Skills  The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.

In public education we must stop adding more “whats” and spend more of our time, energy, and resources on the “how’s”. We must move beyond posters on the wall and charts telling students what we want them to do. We need to SHOW them, EQUIP them, and SUPPORT them with a simple system that empowers each student to live their best life even in the hardest of circumstances.

Be ELITE,
D. Sayre