Social-Emotional

Lamplighter’s social-emotional curriculum is a cornerstone of The Lamplighter School’s program. A core commitment states, “Lamplighter develops character, confidence, and collaborative skills through the social-emotional curriculum.”

Teachers create lessons around the core values, based on five benchmarks: respect, responsibility, cooperation, communication, and self-management. These terms form a common language used throughout the school, which helps clarify communication with parents about their child’s growth and development.

Throughout their time at the Lamplighter School, students get opportunities to develop confidence, responsibility, and respect. From feeding the barn animals and watering the plants in pre-K, to the daily jobs around the classroom that all students do, to taking care of chickens and selling eggs in fourth grade, the Lamplighter community encourages pride in a job well done and respect for others’ work.

Students are exposed to social emotional concepts and values daily, through the use of picture books, journaling, role-playing, group discussion, and/or cooperative activities. Students are taught to celebrate each other’s unique qualities and to respect each other’s differences. Teachers establish classroom norms to promote equity and inclusion and to teach students how to disagree respectfully. Students learn to become respectful listeners, problem-solvers, and independent thinkers through play, stories, cooperative activities, and hands-on lessons.

The Lamplighter School faculty is trained in a variety of social-emotional programs. The Lamplighter School is a Love & Logic School. Each faculty member is trained in this approach, which empowers children by emphasizing respect and dignity and providing limits in a loving way. Teachers also incorporate tenets from The Responsive Classroom, a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. Additionally, students and teachers practice mindfulness daily (this includes times for active listening, sharing positive thoughts, attention to breathing, quiet reflection, and more) to strengthen attention and focus, encourage self-regulation, and build compassion.