Students Taking Action Together : 5 Teaching Techniques to Cultivate SEL, Civic Engagement, and a Healthy Democracy

A field-tested, classroom-based approach for developing the critical thinking, social-emotional, problem-solving, and discussion skills students need to be good citizens and effective changemakers. We often hear that a key purpose of schooling is to prepare students for informed and active citizenship.

But what does this look like in practice? How do teachers pursue this goal amid other pressing priorities, including student mastery of both academic content and social-emotional competencies?

Students Taking Action Together, based on a program of the same name developed at Rutgers University, clarifies that the way to prepare young people for life in a democracy is by intentionally rehearsing democratic behaviors in the classroom. This field-tested program ("STAT" for short) is built on five research-backed teaching strategies that work with existing social studies, English language arts, and history curriculum in the upper-elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Incorporating these strategies into your lessons is a way to meet students' natural desire to be heard with skill-building that empowers them toAdhere to norms of civil conversation, even when topics are controversial and emotions are high;Speak confidently and listen actively;Engage in respectful debate aimed at understanding issues rather than winning points;Target communication to different audiences, needs, and contexts; andExamine problems from many sides, considering potential solutions, drawing up action plans, and evaluating these plans' effectiveness against historical examples. In addition to vignettes that show the five STAT strategies in action, you'll find practical teaching tips and sample STAT lesson plans.

For school leaders, there is a road map for schoolwide STAT implementation and guidance on communicating the program's value to stakeholders. Are you ready to help students understand complex content, confront pressing social issues, and engage with the structures of power to advocate for change?

This book is for you.