Our Future

Formal Research Proposal

Student Self-Management and the Correlation in Academic Success

Jacob M. Espinola

National University

ITL 674 Research in SEL

Professor Wilson

October 23, 2021

I. Introduction:

Results from a landmark meta-analysis that looked across 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students found that Social-Emotional Learning interventions that address the five core competencies increased students’ academic performance by 11 percentile points compared to students who did not participate (Durlak et al., 2011). Fresno Unified is the third-largest school district in California. Did you know over 90% of Fresno School District students come from low socioeconomic status (SES)? “Increasing evidence supports the link between lower SES and learning disabilities or other negative psychological outcomes that affect academic achievement. Low SES and exposure to adversity are linked to decreased educational success” (McLaughlin & Sheridan, 2016). Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that supports students of all ages to understand their emotions adequately, feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others (NU.edu).“Students raised in a low SES have lower enthusiasm children have for learning and limited parental education participation. For a teacher who implements SEL, students will organize their self-awareness, manage their emotions, develop social skills, make responsible decisions, and keep healthy relationships. With 90% of Fresno Unified School District students raised in low socioeconomic status, students are more likely to experience an adverse childhood expense of abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction. I have collected research-based activities for the past two months to help manage student emotions. Our students have the teacher, staff, and administration to accommodate our needs, from shelter, food, safety, friendship, and education at school. As you continue to read, you will encounter the importance of SEL self-management and how students can self-regulate in an unsupportive environment. To keep safe, mentally, physically, and on a path to success.

II. Problem:

Pre-K to Twelfth-grade students ages four to seventeen are asked to attend school one hundred eighty days out of the year. As California's fourth most extensive and the nation's forty-sixth largest school district, Fresno Unified School District supports the needs of more than 74,000 students—approximately 90 percent of which are students of color (67.7% Hispanic, 11.4% Asian, 8.7% African American), and 88 percent live in poverty — across 106 schools every day (Jack McDermott & Brian Rainville, Ed. L.D). Children raised in poverty are more apt to experience emotional and social challenges, chronic stressors, and cognitive lags due to significant changes in brain structure in areas related to memory and emotion (Brito & Noble, 2009; Jensen, 2009). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed a dose-response effect between the number of ACEs and the risk of poor school attendance, behavioral issues, and failure to meet grade-level standards in mathematics, reading, or writing (Blodgett, C., & Lanigan, J. D. (2018). "ACEs" standards for "Adverse Childhood Experiences." These experiences can include neglect, caregiver mental illness, household violence, and physical and emotional abuse. If students are not provided with programs like CASEL and SECOND STEP, academic success and well-being continue to plummet. For children with an ACE score of three or higher, a 2014 study by doctors David Murphey and Kristin Moore found that "48% reported low engagement in school, 44% had trouble staying calm and controlled in the classroom, 49% had difficulties finishing the tasks, and 23% were diagnosed with a learning disability" (Research Brief).

How ACEs affect the educator: for one hundred- and eighty-day teachers all over the nation are faced with students who experience various forms of physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction experienced in childhood. The educator's job is to strengthen interpersonal relationships and social and emotional skills, support students' physical and mental health needs, and reduce practices that may cause traumatic stress or retraumatize students (Murphey, D., & Sacks, V. (2019). National Center for Education Statistics states that in the United States, student misbehavior will decrease classroom academics by 40.7 % (2013). With only eight hours in the academic school day, teachers are limited with time, support, and energy to manage student behavior constantly.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) will teach students self-awareness, self-management, social skills, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. As you continue reading, let's focus on student self-management and regulation strategies to support students' well-being and academic success. Programs like Second Step SEL are designed to help children thrive and be more successful in school, ultimately making them thoughtful and productive adults. Second Step Committee for Children's research-based Second Step SEL gives teachers an easy-to-implement, engaging way to teach social-emotional skills and concepts.

III. Question:

After reflecting and considering the professor’s comment, my research question moving forward is number six. How does student self-management improve academic success? Questions one through five are essential aspects of future research. I wanted to focus on a broader topic: student academic success and its correlation with self-management. Some may ask, isn’t self-management related to managing one’s emotions? The answer is yes. Analysis has explained that students undergo various emotions during lessons while studying, and when taking tests and examinations, they can be positive or negative; they can be intense and frequent (Pekrun, R. (2014). The study shows that student academic achievement decreases due to being emotionally unstable. As I continue my research, I will share positive student self-management results on academic success.

IV. Theory:

A. Identifiesatheory/framework: Resilience Theory

ED386327 1995-08-00 Fostering Resilience in Children. ERIC Digest. B. Explainsanddiscussesthetheory/framework:

Resilience Theory is a fantastic addition to my self-management and academic success research. They are fostering Resilience in Children. Eric Digest explains that even students born and raised in a low socioeconomic status can develop into “confident, competent, and caring adults" (Werner & Smith, 1992) and emphasizes schools' critical role in this process. In my studies, I share that students in Fresno face adverse childhood experiences, also known as (ACEs), potentially traumatic childhood events. ACEs can include growing up in a family with mental health or substance use problems, violence, and abuse. Benard (1995) writes resilience” (Eric p.2). Benard explains that resilience is a theory in human development. It is human nature to gain social competence, responsiveness, and empathy. As we age and learn to form our faults and experiences in problem-solving and seeking help from others, we learn different cultures, communication skills, and humility(Fostering Resilience in Children).

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines self-management as “the ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.” Showing resilience is a sign of self-management. Autonomy is having a sense of one’s identity and an ability to act independently and exert some control over one's environment (Benard 1995). Students who manifest resilience can imagine a better future and set goals, educational devotion, optimism, persistence, hopefulness, and spiritual connectedness. Key factors that students develop are the strength of those characteristics in the child’s life, community, family, school, teachers, and staff: those that set high expectations, care and supportive relationships, and meaningful participation.

A Review of Educational Research analysis of 46 studies found that strong teacher-student relationships were associated in both the short- and long-term with improvements in practically every measure schools care about higher student academic engagement, attendance, grades, fewer disruptive behaviors, and suspensions, and lower school dropout rates (Sparks, D. Sparks. 2019) The evidence is clear, teachers who create a relationship with their student find a more significant advanced in academic success, well-being, and future achievements. Teachers who keep their students to high expectations in later years will also hold themselves to high expectations. In addition, a teacher who puts extra effort into their profession will set their students up for success and allow them to participate in activities and assignments they know will shine and succeed. Students who have learned strategies to self-manage emotions have created resilient personalities to achieve school and future accomplishments.

C. Discuss why the Theory or framework resonates with you.

Resilience Theory focuses on students from low socioeconomic status. My current focus is on how I can support student self-management skills to improve academic success. I teach at a low-income school. I am a teacher today to give back to the community and build foundations for our youth to succeed.

D. Explain how you will apply the Theory in your day-to-day practices and apply an evidence-based social-emotional learning intervention or training.

I will continue to be a positive role model for my students. We will continue to practice CASEL during our morning meetings. Next, we will take the Second Step and learn SEL in activities and real-life scenarios. Practice a positive and growth mindset. Lastly, life is challenging to stay faithful, but we must keep our heads up and keep going.

E. Include specifics on the site/context and population (or sample).

Teachers are fostering resilience in kids: Protective factors in the family, schools, and community of San Francisco and Fresno, CA. Far West Laboratory forms Educational Research and Development.

V. Annotated Bibliography:

1. Article: Claro, S., Loeb, S., & Stanford University, P. A. for C. E. (PACE). (2019).

Self-Management Skills and Student Achievement Gains: Evidence from California’s CORE Districts. Working Paper. In Policy Analysis for California Education, PACE. Policy Analysis for California Education, PACE.

a. Summary: Self-Management Skills and Student Achievement Gains describes self-management for achievements gained from data collected from a diverse group of 221,840 fourth through seventh-grade students. This paper describes self-management gaps across student groups. On a large scale, it conforms to the predictive power of self-management for achievement gains, even with wealthy controls for students’ previous achievements, background, and measures of socio-emotional skills.

b. Evaluation: This study provides evidence that both components of self-management— cognitive and interpersonal—predict achievement gains and provide valuable information to school systems. The analyses suggest that the two parts benefit student achievement independently and interact as complements. Students may benefit from different educational strategies depending on each component's levels. Therefore, teachers and school leaders may benefit from information on students' strengths in each piece. A consideration to keep in mind is that this study focuses on whether a student with higher self-management than a similar peer in the same school and grade will have higher achievement growth. The study does not compare self-management between students from different schools and grades because reference-frame bias and self-selection into schools make it difficult to estimate these differences convincingly. Thus, we do not know if comparing self-management levels across stages and schools would be sensible.

2. Article: Copeland, S. R., Griffin, M. M., DiLuzio, H., & Maez, R. (2021). Teaching Self-Management Strategies to a Child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to Increase Independent Task Completion within Typical Home Routines. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 56(1), 41-53. https://www.proquest.com/ scholarly-journals/teaching-self-management-strategies-child-with/doc view/ 2491978472/se-2?accountid=25320

a. Summary: The journal "Teaching Self-Management Strategies to a Child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to Increase Independent Task Completion within Typical Home Routines" investigates self-management intervention on problem behavior of a nine-year-old with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in the home setting. The examination of self-management intervention within the Homebase line to improve self-care routines is clinically proven to reduce depression and anxiety, improve concentration, reduce stress, minimize frustration and anger, improve energy, increase happiness, and more.

b. Evaluation:

First, this study extends the literature on teaching families to use ABA interventions within the context of daily home routines for children with FASD. Like parents of other children with developmental disabilities, parents of children with FASD have reported increased stress when their children’s problem behaviors disrupt family routines (e.g., Coons et al., 2016). Increasing the child’s independence in family routines can break the cycle of escalation in which a child’s problem behavior contributes to parental stress and vice versa. Second, the findings of this study add to a small but growing body of research documenting that children with FASD can benefit from interventions derived from ABA, particularly self-management interventions. Despite this, we recognize that continued coaching and adjustments would likely have increased long-term benefits to both the child and the parent. We agree with the recommendations of Strain et al. (2012), who suggest continuing services until families report feeling confident in implementing the intervention instead of basing this decision solely on the child’s behavioral performance. However, in the case of this family, the mother’s strong preference to complete the study by a specific date precluded us from collecting follow-up data or providing longer-term support.

3. Article: Grady, P. A., & Gough, L. L. (2014). Self-management: a comprehensive approach to the management of chronic conditions. American Journal of Public Health, 104(8), e25– e31. https://doi.org/10.2105/ AJPH.2014.302041

a. Summary: The text “Self-Management: A Comprehensive Approach to Management of Chronic Conditions” represents a public health issue of growing impotence with chronic conditions and the increasing number of persons living to emphasize patient responsibility and increase self-management strategies for treating chronic diseases. To further explore the benefits of research methods and practical application of self-management as steps in its future defilement and implementation by establishing a pattern for health early in life and providing strategies for mitigating illness and managing it in later life.

b. Evaluation: As chronic conditions emerge as a significant public health concern, self-management will continue to grow as an integral approach to managing these conditions, preventing illness, and promoting wellness. Because chronic diseases are generally slow in their progression and long in their duration, self-management research translated into practice can offer those living with chronic conditions a means to maintain or even improve their capacity to live well throughout their lives. Self-management has particular value in that it represents an amalgamation of the goals of the patient, family, community, and clinician, with everyone working in partnership to manage the individual’s illness best while facilitating comprehensive care. Thus, if one considers the nature of self-management in all its elements and practical characteristics, it is a logical approach to health and health care and an optimal way to address chronic conditions as a significant issue in public health.

4. Article: Hoff, K. E., & Ervin, R. A. (2013). Extending self‐management strategies: The use of a classwide approach. Psychology in the Schools, 50(2), 151–164. https://doi- org.nuls.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/pits.21666

a. Summary: The text “Extending Self-Management Strategies: The Use of a Classwide Approach emphasizes the effectiveness of self-management programs in the classroom and explores the classwide use of self-management procedures and a universal intervention. Using multiple baselines across subjects, a classwide level fringe academic instruction time defined and evaluated the effectiveness of self-management programs. A general decrease in classroom disruptive behavior. The study results showed a reduction in the disruptive behavior of the street students.

b. Evaluation:

The results from this study support classwide self-management as an effective strategy for obtaining reductions in disruptive behavior. The disruptive behavior of the target students decreased to a level closer to that of their classroom peers. Students could maintain these results without moving to a more intensive intervention program. There was also a proportional decrease in general levels and variability of classroom disruptive behavior. Previous research demonstrates that individual self-management strategies using self-evaluation effectively decrease disruptive behaviors (e.g., Hoff & DuPaul, 1998; Mitchem et al., 2001; Rhode et al., 1983). First, this project contributes to our knowledge of effective school interventions by demonstrating an evidence-based universal intervention for decreasing disruptive classroom behavior. Another important finding was that teachers and students rated classwide self-management as a generally acceptable intervention within the general education setting and perceived it as effective and beneficial for addressing problem behavior.

Limitation: First, we did not receive uniformly positive ratings for procedural integrity and treatment acceptability. The teachers reported that the initial training procedures and record-keeping were time-intensive. A second limitation of this study, inherent in its design, was potential order effects as a function of sequencing intervention components. Due to the intervention sequence (teacher-directed phase preceding the self-management phase), the final levels of disruptive behavior may not result from the self-management procedure alone.

5. Article: Willis, K., Hrdina, J., & Luiselli, J. K. (2020). Performance management and maintenance of data recording by educational care providers. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 20(3), 165–173. https://doi-org.nuls.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/ bar0000177

a. Summary: The text “Performance management and maintenance of data recording by educational care providers” is in a multiple baseline design across two classrooms to maintain a recording evaluating performance improvement intentions to increase students by nine educational care providers. Data collected through self-management keeps performance companies of care providers within education service setting supervisions fading as practical meets for improving and awaiting written and visual feedback.

b. Evaluation: The social validity assessment found uniform positive ratings among the participants for weekly written and visual performance feedback intervention components. The self-multiple baseline design with an embedded reversal phase confirmed performance improvement through weekly written and visual feedback. The effect was not replicated by repeating a second intervention phase in Classroom 1. Another experimental design limitation was that the self-management and supervision fading phase (Intervention 2) was introduced simultaneously in both classrooms and decreased supervision. Unfortunately, the study was not designed to evaluate factors that may have been responsible for performance differences among the participants, although this is a topic worthy of inquiry. Therefore, additional research objectives include replicating and extending these findings using similar performance management interventions across other care providers, skills, and service locations.

6. Article: Norman, V. J., Juhasz, A. C., Useche, K. N., & Kinniburgh, K. M. (2021). “How Are You Feeling?” Strategies for Helping Children Understand and Manage Emotions. YC: Young Children, 76(1), 63–68.

a. Summary: The article "How Are You Feeling?" Strategies for Helping Children Understand and Manage Emotions" centers on systems to improve children's understanding and manage emotions and negative consequences to a person's mental health. It discusses children's milestones and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) students reported; trauma during childhood is associated with adverse health outcomes in adulthood. Lastly, it mentions that interactions with their caregivers and within the caregiving environment influence children's social, cognitive, and emotional development.

b. Evaluation: Lesson Learned gained insight into children through implementing the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) framework in lesson plans and teacher-children interactions in the therapeutic children's care center. The article explains the importance of caregiver consistency between themselves and their youth. Those willing to listen and use empathy and kindness make correlations to process the child's trauma, energy, and emotions. However, for this to effect, the adult must provide intervention to build a trauma-information culture that includes trauma-sensitive supervision and teaming practices to support educators with stress reactions and implementation challenges. Lastly, it's also essential that programs provide daily routines and rhythms to help regulate the group as a whole and regulate each child. 7. Article: Simpkins, S. D., Tulagan, N., Lee, G., Ma, T.-L., Garrett, N., & Vandell, D. L. (2020). Children’s Developing Work Habits From Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence: Cascading Effects for Academic Outcomes in Adolescence and Adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 56(12), 2281–2292. https://doi- org.nuls.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/dev0001113

a. Summary: The article "Children's Developing Work Habits From Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence: Cascading Effects for Academic Outcomes in Adolescence and Adulthood" discusses children's work habits at school include turning in work on time, being a hard worker, putting forward one's best effort, and following class rules. A study from 1,124 children by The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) examined children's development work habits from the first grade to sixth grade and their development cascading effects on academic outcomes at the beginning and the end of 12th grade and again at twenty-six. They found that those who model social-emotional learning and self-management strategies find an increase in work habits' stability and maintain their relative position among peers from grade to grade. Studies also show that this increase in work habits and foundational noncognitive skills during middle childhood affects individuals' academic outcomes up to 20 years of adult life.

b. Evaluation: The article aligns with my research on SEL self-management regulation and increasing student and classroom behavior to better support classroom management and student emotion regulation. This research aimed to chart the advancement in children's work habits from middle childhood to early adolescence and outline the cascading academic correlation between youth and adulthood. Limitations and future directions include, first, though we had many child- and family-level covariates, caution should be taken regarding causal claims as NICHD SECCYD is a longitudinal, correlational study. Second, the research sample was drawn across the United States, but it is predominantly White (75%) and middle-class. Future studies must be diverse samples to provide credence to the generalizability of our findings. These efforts align with well-established, school-based social and emotional learning programs (Weissberg et al., 2015). Given the connections between fundamental self-management skills and work habits, they may already be an untested benefit of such programs. The verdicts of this inquiry designate that children's improving work habits may be foundational for their educational results into adulthood.

VI. Methods

Research Question: How does student self-management improve academic success?

Information that would help me answer my question

Data collection strategies that would generate this information
Knowledge about student self-management regulation strategies, activities, and practices.
Interview mentor/master teacher. Note strategies that have been proven to work in their classroom.
Information on who collects data regarding self-management strategies and benefits.
Secondary data: the analysis of existing data collected by others.
What triggers student misbehavior?
The survey regards questions that might cause student discomfort or misbehavior.
Daily Chech-ins on how students are feeling/ doing in the course

Morning Meeting: Pear deck temperature check (after lunch, end of the day). SEL activities that focus on the students (Second Steps, classroom discussion, SEL playbook, etc.).
Knowledge about California State Standards and student engament

Mixed Methods:

Observe mentor/master teacher. Note what they do to make core instruction engaging, relevant, and enjoyable. Interviews: mentor/master teacher; ask what teacher tools, strategies, and activities are practical and what are not.

The purpose of your proposed inquiry project.

Inquiry means an act of asking for information. My proposed inquiry project aims to reduce doubt and lead to a state of belief, which a person in that field of expertise usually calls knowledge or certainty. This inquiry seeks to explore how teaching students self-management improves student academic success. Andrew Miller (2016) Self-management allows students to follow through on plans to complete assignments, study for tests, and stay focused in class. In adults, it is critical to reach goals related to learning or life, like developing a new professional skill or achieving a goal. National Center for Education Statistics states that in the United States, student misbehavior will decrease classroom academics by 40.7 % (2013). With only eight hours in the academic school day, teachers are limited with time, support, and energy to manage student behavior constantly. Based on quantitative research for the data collection and analysis process, I will focus on collecting data via student surveys, observation, interviews, and mixed methods to infer that student self-management benefits student academic success.

1. One data collection strategy you could use to explore your research questions Data Collection Strategy: Surveys

● Emelina Minero (2016) A student survey allows students to voice their issues, needs, and desires, giving feedback on how a teacher can change their instruction to help them perform better in class (Edutopia).

Purpose: I want to learn more about my students. What triggered students’ emotions to lash out and misbehave? What strategies do students currently use to regulate? A survey will be given to test students’ understanding of self-management. A self-management questionnaire: https://cometauckland.org.nz/assets/files/Self-management-Questionnaire.pdf In addition to the ACEs survey to collect data based on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) What is your ACEs score https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-w hat-it-does-and-doesn’t-mean

VII. Second Step: The Second Step program states, "Committee for Children's research-based Second Step SEL gives teachers an easy-to-implement, engaging way to teach social-emotional skills and concepts. Second Step SEL is designed to help children thrive and be more successful in school—ultimately setting them up to be thoughtful and productive adults" (Committee for Children). Social-Emotional Learning: Second Step programs are research-based, teacher-informed, and classroom-tested to promote the social-emotional development, safety, well-being, and well-being of children from early learning through grade 8 (Committee for Children). The research-based Second Step® Bullying Prevention Unit gives educators and school staff the training and tools to effectively address school bullying in Kindergarten through Grade 5(Committee for Children). Available for Early Learning through Grade 5, the Second Step® Child Protection Unit empowers prevention by providing training and resources to help adults and kids recognize, respond to, and report abuse (Committee for Children). Each unit ends with a performance task in the digital programs of the Second Step Elementary and Second Step Middle School. These formative assessments are fun, engaging activities that allow students to demonstrate their learning from that unit and enable educators to monitor progress toward SEL goals.

Self-manmegent Stratagies:

Monitoring Tool: Emotional Management: Grade 5/ Unit 2/ Lesson 9 What Can I Change? Performance Task: Now, let's think about different strong feelings. Imagine that every time you have to give a presentation, you feel stressed. Talk with your partner about what you think makes this situation stressful.

● Create a T-chart with columns "Can Change" and "Can't Change."

● Take turns describing the change you would make in your group and how it could help.

Ann-Bailey Lipsett's (2011) research suggests, "Instead of using time-out, teachers can use a time-in approach to place the children closer to them. This allows the child to feel the adult's presence when calming down, aiding in their regulation" (p.7). The time-in strategies are highly beneficial in supporting student regulation. I have practiced this strategy in my fifth-grade classroom for four weeks. I notice a student misbehaving or not participating in expectations. I have them sit with me for the time of a lesson. By the end of the study, the student is back on track and ready to continue the day.

Effectiveness: Improvements in Prosocial Skills, Empathy, and Conduct Shown with Second Step® Elementary Classroom Kits (the first with the 2011 edition of Second Step Elementary) conducted a randomized control trial over one year with 7,300 students and 321 teachers in 61 schools across six school districts, from Kindergarten to Grade 2. Children who started the school year with lower baseline skills than their peers significantly improved social-emotional competence and behavior. Additionally, the number of lessons completed and student engagement predicted improved student outcomes(Low, S., Cook, C. R., Smolkowski, K., & Buntain-Ricklefs, J. (2015).

Data:

● Consistent with our hypothesis that Second Step® would promote social-emotional competence and reduce disruptive behaviors, we tested whether students in students in intervention schools would perform better on several social-emotional measures than students in comparison schools ( Low, S., Cook, C. R., Smolkowski, K., & Buntain-Ricklefs, J. (2015).

● Students in schools that implemented Second Step® showed more significant improvements in DESSA-SSE skills learning (p = .022; g = .11), as compared to students in control schools, and more substantial reductions in SDQ emotional problems (p = .012; g = −.10) and SDQ hyperactivity (p = .001; g = −.11) over one year ( Low, S., Cook, C. R., Smolkowski, K., & Buntain-Ricklefs, J. (2015).

VIII. Summary & Reflection:

From August 23, 2021, the beginning of the academic school year, to now October 23, 2021, based on the action of my 5th-grade classroom, students are using self-management to regulate emotions to better prepare them for academic success. To demonstrate, students are more open to communicating feelings and problems from the community and relationship building from morning meetings. In like manner, a student asks to use the restroom to escape from school stress, such as academic or perhaps a situation that occurred during break or lunch, and they need some time to walk it off before returning to class. Likewise, students are asked to move seats in class to concentrate better. For this purpose, I like to keep two isolation desks in each corner of the room. With this in mind, quarter one has concluded for the Fresno Unified School District. As the year progresses, I will monitor and note the progress of student academic success based on student practice of self-management in the classroom.

Backward-Looking Question

1.) What process did you go through to produce this piece?

I have explored The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) beliefs and studies for the past three months. National University organized three months of Three Inspired Teaching and Learning courses. In month one of ITL 670 Introduction to SEL CASEL’s social-emotional framework, five social-emotional competencies are academic. There are five social-emotional competencies- broad, interrelated areas that support learning and development (CASEL). 1. Self-Awareness 2. Self-Management 3. Social Awareness 4. Relationship Skills 5. Responsible Decision-Making As the course progressed, it was time to select a focused competency. With excellent consideration, self-management is the focus of the project.

March 19- California Issues Statewide Stay-at-Home Order. Communication, interactions, and gatherings became a distant memory. Leveling an effect on human relationships. Leaving most students alone in front of a computer screen. Derived from Fresno, California's demographics, the poverty rate in Fresno is 28.4 %. One out of every 3.5 residents of Fresno lives in poverty. Three-point five, there is a good chance a Fresno Unified student lives under the poverty line. Others who might be affected by trauma, neglect, and abuse have an increased chance of misbehaving, affecting academic success. When school began on Auguest 23, 2021, the students on campus seemed lost, confused, angry, and hurt. Ultimately, self-management was selected as the basis of the research. As the month proceeded, the meaning of self-management analysis was defined and explained, and strategies to support students in regulating emotions before studies to focus on participating.

In month two, course ITL 672 SEL in action was asked to develop a problem statement, followed by a research question. The problem is that several students who attend the Fresno Unified School District suffer from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). “These experiences can include physical and emotional abuse, neglect, caregiver mental illness, and household violence” (ACEs). Based on the problem statement, the research question is, how does student self-management improve academic success? Likely, research and evidence-based intervention were organized, tabled, and analyzed to support my claim.

October 2021 is the final month of the ITL course 674 Research in SEL—the final steps to completing the final research proposal. Week one revised the problem statement. Second, I will apply Theory based on qualitative research. Based on data collection strategies that would generate information that would help me answer my questions. Such as surveys, interviews, and secondary data. Apply and explain who supports my case and how it is collected. In the final analysis, organize the three months of coursework to complete the Formal Research Proposal.

2.) Inward-Looking: Question 9. How do you feel about this piece of work? What parts of it do you particularly like? Dislike? Why? What did/do you enjoy about it?

I am delighted about my research on student self-management and its correlation to academic success. Furthermore, I enjoyed this project because it was student-focused. It is finding ways to improve student academic success through decompression self-management strategies. Likewise, this project can support teachers and students nationwide to promote a safe and inclusive classroom- to ensure student academic success.

Dislikes include finding exclusive data that proves self-management benefits students’ academic success. However, this data does exist. The only way to retrieve such findings is to purchase the work. Nevertheless, I collected data from extensive research using Google Scholar and the National University Library to support the correlation between student self-management and academic success.

3.) Outward-Looking: Question 26. What do you want people to notice when they look at your work?

When people read my work, I want them to notice that the project is student-focused. What is the teacher doing to help students regulate emotions? What strategies are being practiced that students can take home with them? Equally, teaching students to manage emotions before progressing in an activity or lesson will motivate them to engage, retain, and succeed academically. Not to mention the importance of the teacher-student relationship; the more robust the bond between you and your student, the more open you are to sharing and confronting their problems and concerns. Once a connection is established, explore and determine the reason for the student’s misbehavior or lack of participation. Similarly, find a strategy to prevent the student from an outbreak or shutting down during instruction. Altogether, focus on the whole child before stating the conclusion.

4.) Forward-looking: Question 38. What might you want next year’s teacher to know about you (what are you good at)?

Remember, kids are kids, and they only know what they know. Have a plan. Stick to the program. If the project is not working, make adjustments and be an agent of change. Reflect and modify to better support you and your students. It’s equally essential that teachers establish a time to learn and a time to frolic. School should be fun, so play outside under the beautiful blue sky because relaxation is sometimes the best self-management strategy. Of course, our focus is on student academic success, but we must establish a strong Student-Teacher relationship. I want to be remembered as the teacher who focused on his students' well-being and well-being to succeed academically.