Like Music to My Ears: A Hip-Hop Approach to Addressing SEL and Trauma in Schools

While there are evidence-based curricula available to help students develop social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies and process traumatic events, many students in general and culturally diverse learners in particular, refuse to participate in traditional school-based groups that address SEL and trauma. In the curriculum Like Music to My Ears: A Hip-Hop Approach to Addressing Social Emotional Learning and Trauma in Schools, Dwayne D. Williams reveals proven strategies that educators can use to get students to say Yes! to developing SEL competencies and Yes! to dealing with stress and trauma in schools. Not only does Williams share how to adapt SEL and trauma-informed curricula to include hip-hop cultural elements for students who embrace hip-hop-but also, he details exactly how to get your students to help you do it. Like Music to My Ears provides: A step-by-step map to creating hip-hop SEL groups-and how you can get your students to help you do it 18 lessons by Williams, all tested and shown to increase engagement, 18 action-item agendas that practitioners can adapt to bring hip-hop SEL and trauma-informed lessons to life, A simple, evidence-based tool students can use to monitor their progress, Rap songs aligned with the 5 SEL competencies, Strategies that students can use to process stress and trauma, Engaging community building activities that include hip-hop themes-and more!
… By the end of the group, which was extended by student request, the students had not only reached nearly 100% group attendance, but they also demonstrated an increase in their school attendance. One student even stated that the only reason he came to school was so that he could attend group. -Sheena Mohseny-Seranella School Social Worker