Emotional Literacy training, developed by Dr. Marc Brackett at Yale University, is being delivered to staff and parents at Shelton School, Dallas, TX.  The training for Shelton teachers focuses on instruction in emotional literacy in the classroom.  The major tools used in this program are a Charter, Mood Meter, and Blueprint.

A classroom charter is written and signed by the students and teacher defining what they need to feel relaxed, confident, knowledgeable, valued and respected.  The charter also states how uncomfortable feelings and conflict will be handled and how to promote positive emotions and cooperative behavior.

Increased awareness of the emotions experienced by both students and teachers during the school day can certainly effect teaching and learning.  Working with a Mood Meter to plot emotions and attach language to those emotions is proving to be very effective in increasing awareness and vocabulary development through working on the ability to label and express those emotions.  After awareness of what emotions are experienced, development of strategies to regulate these emotions can be developed.

A Blueprint for analyzing situations is used when a conflict arises.  The Blueprint prompts discussion with a student of how each involved in the conflict might feel, how the feeling was expressed, and what other strategies might be used.

Shelton also conducts parent education classes in Emotional Literacy.  The same tools are utilized for the parents but emphasis is placed on the use of the Charter, Mood Meter, and Blueprint within a family.