NORWICH – A local teacher with nearly 40 years of experience will host a discussion next Friday for those hoping to inspire young minds and fill an emotional void he says many students face on a daily basis.

On Friday, August 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus, Otselic Valley Teacher and Morrisville Professor Michael Foor-Pessin will discuss storytelling, emotional wellbeing, and social skills in the classroom.

"Together, we will develop some specific strategies that will allow us to simultaneously explore the emotional and spiritual landscapes of our students while enhancing the academic rigor and the pace of learning," he said. "Satisfying both the emotional and academic needs of our students will enable us to create a transformational environment that will extend our students' cosmologies so that each of them will journey with confidence into adulthood with the necessary skills."

Foor-Pessin said the New York State Education Department is in the process of unveiling and implementing its Social Emotional Learning (SEL) benchmarks because it recognizes that the academic success of students is largely dependent on the social wellbeing and social skill.

"While the scope of the best practices investigated in our talk extends well beyond the SEL benchmarks, it does provide a pedagogical template for how to implement the goals of the benchmark," he said. "The teaching field has changed. We have young people who are growing up with a flow of constant negativity from social media and the news."

Foor-Pessin said young people are internalizing that negativity, and aren't able to express their emotions which is taking a toll on their performances in academics and in life.

According to the New York State Education website, nysed.gov, the goals highlighted in SEL benchmarks would include developing self-awareness and self-management skills essential to success in school and in life, using social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships, and demonstrating ethical decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

Foor-Pessin said a lack of these skills could be contributing towards the number of tragic situations society is facing right now.

"Kids are as good as they've ever been," he said. "It's up to us to teach them how to define themselves, and express their emotions in a positive way."

"For the teachers that are veterans in their fields, I want to help reignite their passion and love for education. For the teachers that are just starting out, I want to share my 40 years of experience with them and methods I often use in my own classroom."

According to SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus Director Lindsey Lefevre, events like these are directed towards individuals hoping to engage in professional development activities, to learn about issues most impactful on their community, and to allow for meaningful discussion among participants.

"We have often discussed how today’s student is very different, even from 10 years ago," said Lefevre. "And we in higher education often do not have an opportunity to learn about these changes and how to best engage these students in the classroom."

"Our hopes are that during this discussion, we will be able to learn from each other and discuss our observations at the high school and college levels."

For those interested in learning more about the event – which includes lunch from The Wild Owl, a copy of the book entitled, "The Astonishing Power of Storytelling: Leading, Teaching, and Transforming in a New Way," by Robert J. Garmston, and open dialogue between working professionals – can visit http://tinyurl.com/norwaug16 or contact Lindsey Lefevre at 334-5144, or by email at lefevrelg@morrisville.edu.

There will be a $100 fee per person to attend the event, payable by cash or checks payable to SUNY Morrisville. This event was sponsored by the SUNY Morrisville Human Services Institute