The Imperative of SEL

The podcast by education leaders for education leaders

The Imperative of SEL

Guest(s): Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan and John E. Hannigan
Date: 04/05/2021
Run time: 41:50
Season 1, Episode 6

Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan and John Hannigan, authors of SEL From a Distance, speak from their own experience about how important social-emotional learning (SEL) is for students, teachers, and school leaders. SEL is not something that comes to any of us naturally; the skills to take care of ourselves must be taught explicitly. The authors share how to do that from a distance (i.e. online in virtual teaching), as well as in person. Full of personal stories, you will learn in this episode:

How to teach kids SEL explicitly
The importance of taking care of ourselves as educators
How to build clarity and a common understanding of SEL.

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Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan

Dr. Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan is an Assistant Professor in the Educational Leadership Department at California State University, Fresno. She works with schools and districts throughout the nation on designing and implementing effective behavior systems. Dr. Hannigan has a background in special education and student support services as well as experience with district level administration and higher education research. Jessica has developed inclusive research based best practices around systematic implementation of behavior initiatives. Dr. Hannigan is the co-author of multiple educational books such as The PBIS Tier One Handbook, The PBIS Tier Two Handbook, The PBIS Tier Three Handbook, Don’t Suspend Me! An Alternative Discipline Toolkit, Building Behavior, The MTSS Start-Up Guide, and Behavior Solutions. She has received multiple recognitions for her work, including being named California Outstanding School Psychologist of the Year, Administrator of the Year, Outstanding Faculty Publications and Service Award recipient. She was also recognized by the California Legislature Assembly for her work in social justice and equity. In 2017, Dr. Hannigan was awarded the inaugural Association of California School Administrators Exemplary Woman in Education Award for her persistent work around equity in schools.

John E. Hannigan

Dr. John Hannigan has served in education for over 20 years as a teacher, instructional coach, principal, and county office leadership coach. John is a sought-after consultant who works with schools and districts across North America on designing and implementing systematic multi-tiered systems of support for both academics and behavior. Dr. Hannigan holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University, Fresno. As principal of Reagan Elementary in California's Sanger Unified School District, John played a key role in the school earning California State Distinguished School, California Title I Academic Achievement Award, Gold Ribbon School, California Honor Roll School, Bonner Award for Character Education, and Platinum Level Model School Recognition for positive behavior interventions and supports. John has written numerous articles and co-authored nine books. He is the co-founder of Hannigan Ed-Equity Group LLC.

Connect with him on Twitter @JohnHannigan75

Peter M. DeWitt

Peter M. DeWitt, EdD is a former K–5 teacher (eleven years) and principal (eight years). He is a school leadership coach who runs competency-based workshops and provides keynotes nationally and internationally, focusing on school leadership (collaborative cultures and instructional leadership), as well as fostering inclusive school climates.

Additionally, Peter coaches school-based leaders, directors, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, and school-based leadership teams both in person and remotely. In summer 2021 Peter created a yearlong on-demand asynchronous coaching course through Thinkific where he has fostered a community of learners that includes K–12 educators in leadership positions.

Peter’s work has been adopted at the state and university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks, and ministries of education around North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the UK.

Peter writes the “Finding Common Ground” column for Education Week, which has been in circulation since 2011. In 2020 Peter co-created Education Week’s “A Seat at the Table” series, where he moderates conversations with experts around the topics of race, gender, sexual orientation, research, trauma, and many other educational topics.

Additionally, Peter is the editor for the Connected Educator series (Corwin) and the Impact series (Corwin), which include books by Viviane Robinson, Andy Hargreaves, Pasi Sahlberg, Yong Zhao, and Michael Fullan. He is the 2013 School Administrators Association of New York State’s (SAANYS) Outstanding Educator of the Year and the 2015 Education Blogger of the Year (Academy of Education Arts & Sciences), and he sits on numerous advisory boards. Peter is the author, co-author, or contributor of numerous books, including the following:

· Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students (Corwin, 2012)

· School Climate Change (co-authored with Sean Slade; ASCD, 2014)

· Flipping Leadership Doesn’t Mean Reinventing the Wheel (Corwin, 2014)

· Collaborative Leadership: Six Influences That Matter Most (Corwin/Learning Forward, 2016)

· School Climate: Leading With Collective Teacher Efficacy (Corwin/Ontario Principals Council, 2017)

· Coach It Further: Using the Art of Coaching to Improve School Leadership (Corwin, 2018)

· Instructional Leadership: Creating Practice Out of Theory (Corwin, 2020)

· 10 Mindframes for Leaders: The Visible Learning Approach to School Success (edited by John Hattie and Ray Smith; Corwin, 2020)

· Collective Leader Efficacy: Strengthening the Impact of Instructional Leadership Teams (Corwin/Learning Forward, 2021)

Peter’s articles have appeared in educational research journals at the state, national, and international level. His books have been translated into four languages.

Some of the organizations Peter has worked with are the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Arkansas State University, EDUTAS, University of Oklahoma, Victoria Department of Education (Australia), University of Rotterdam (Netherlands), Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), the National Education Association (NEA), New Brunswick Teacher’s Association (Canada), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Education Scotland (Scotland), Glasgow City Council (Scotland), Kuwait Technical College (Kuwait), the National Association of School Psychologists, ASCD, l’Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO), the Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario (CPCO), the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC), National School Climate Center, GLSEN, PBS, NPR, BAM Radio Network, ABC, and NBC’s Education Nation.