Social Emotional Learning - The Foundation of Education.
Inside this post: Discover the pivotal role social emotional learning has in students' access to academics. Students cannot learn when they are not regulated; therefore, uncover how educators can empower students to achieve emotional regulation to pave the way for successful learning. An essential resource is included to provide the tools for SEL.
How to Access Learning:
In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it is discussed how in order to move onto higher levels of achievements, one's basic needs must first be met. Makes sense, right? I'm not going to show up to work without showering, sleeping the night before, getting dressed, eating breakfast, etc... My basic needs are met before I enter the building. This applies to our students on a daily basis and hands us the key to unlock the doors to learning and educational success.
Before a student can be ready to learn, have their basic needs been met? Have they had sleep and food? Do they feel safe, loved, connected? Do they possess self-esteem and self-awareness? This a lot to tap into on a daily basis but it is a non-negotiable.
Checking in to see what a student needs at the beginning of each day allows us access into knowing what needs are unmet.
How can you possibly check in with every student, every day to see if all their needs are met? Choose an effective, efficient daily check-in strategy. Routinize it as a part of your student's day. Students will be given the outlet for expression, self-awareness, and communication while educators are provided insight into what the students need.
The Sidewalk into School.
A school is not just placed in the middle of a field. There is a walkway or sidewalk that paves the way to the building; following the sidewalk, leads to the school. We know how to enter the building and find the door because the sidewalk leads us there.
In the same way, social emotional learning is the sidewalk to academics. It is paving the way to learning. The steps along the way are rooted in the basic needs being met in order to achieve learning.
Building the Sidewalk.
This past school year I started building a sidewalk with Tim.
It started the first week of school. Tim was not just hesitant to enter the building, he was flat out refusing (as in I-am-ready-to-run-away refusing).
I quickly had to start tapping into what was making Tim not want to come to school. How could he express his needs so he could:
- Enter the building.
- Feel comfortable, safe, and ready to learn.
- Be able to access what was being taught in the classroom.
Turns out, Tim was grieving. He felt mad, sad, angry that his Poppa died. He did not want to come to school. He did not have the space for learning. He was upset that Poppa was not here. He loved Poppa and he needed to share that.
So, share he did. He identified why he was upset (self-awareness).
We talked about Poppa and what a special person he was. We talked about how it makes us sad and mad when someone we love is not here anymore (read more about sad/mad here). Tim's coping strategy was talking about his feelings and building a relationship with someone who gave him the space to share about Poppa.
We talked about the hurt.
This was Tim's need: to express his grief. He showed this need through refusing to come to school, trying to run away, being angry, hiding in his cubby...
He certainly was not ready to learn.
Do you see? Learning could not take place until Tim was regulated. Until someone met his need. This is what SEL does - it takes the pulse on where students are at before expecting something from them. It teaches them how to express themselves and what to do with feelings.
And you know what?! Tim not only found his stride and regulated - he SOARED!! He felt heard and supported.
The sidewalk to his learning was paved by tools of self-awareness and coping strategies.
For almost the first half of the year, Tim tied back most of his feelings towards missing his Poppa.
One day he reflected, "remember when I didn't want to come to school? Well not anymore, because you helped me and now I can do it."
Wow. Those words from that little guy are what it's all about.
Together we can pave the sidewalk.
Social Emotional Skills & Successes.
As we check in with our students, we are beginning to teach them self-awareness. We are giving them the space to say what they are feeling and why, then giving voice to what they need.
This is the beginning of critical life skills!!
Individuals who are self-aware are more in tune with their environments, they have successful relationships, they know how to communicate, they are problem solvers, and they are effective on getting their needs met.
When children begin the practice of self-awareness, they are on their way to healthy development.
This development means practice!!
Practice talking about feelings.
Practice coping strategies.
Practice problem solving.
What does mad feel like? Look like? Sound like? How can I tell if someone is mad? How can someone tell when I am mad? What makes me mad? What helps me calm down when I'm feeling mad?
By answering all these questions, students and teachers learn. They learn about themselves. They learn about others. They learn what emotions feel like - what triggers certain emotions - what strategies can be employed for coping with emotions. It normalizes all different type of emotions and how to successfully cope with them.
Just like many students can explain the ins and outs of their favorite video game, they can learn the ins and outs of their emotions.
Emotional maturity comes with self awareness.
I continually use this FEELING Resource to teach, model, and practice SEL with students. It includes effective check-in methods through a daily exercise or a feelings journal. The Road of Emotions game provides a fun, engaging way to talk through and navigate different emotions. While feeling fact sheets give open ended questions where students can explore emotions.
What you practice grows stronger and strong social emotional skills are the goal!!
Students who have emotional awareness develop into individuals who can reach their potential.
Social emotional learners develop healthy relational skills alongside of the optimal development of self.
Now this sounds like students who are ready to learn and excel, does it not!!?!
It's all coming together.
Without a doubt, it is clear to see how social emotional learning is the foundation to education. In order to access the learning, is there a sidewalk to the school?
Do we know how to get in?
Mastering SEL is a journey with many tools and resources we accumulate on the way.
Next Steps: Where You Can Start...
Your commitment to SEL is building emotional resilience one step at a time!
In closing, an SEL poem, because some things are best told through rhyme:
Once there was a kiddo named Lily
when it came to school work - she always got silly:
avoidance, behaviors, and straight up refusing
had the teachers frustrated on the attempts they were using.
"Lily, calm down, be quiet, sit down"
but these statements did not turn the behaviors around.
"We will change the demands, we will alter the load."
But still there were not successes to be told.
Then, one fateful, rainy day
there was a break through - a new way!
To reach
To teach
To understand
A new path to Lily - now this was grand!
The time was taken to learn the girl.
Insight gleaned into her world...
A saddened heart that needed some space
to share her feelings and be given the space:
To process
Explore
To grieve
To heal
Lily, was heard and allowed to feel.
Slowly but surely, academics came in time.
As you can see in this story of rhyme,
before they can learn, students need to be heard
listen to what is said, at times, without a word.
Behaviors are often the communication we get,
when students are angry, sad or upset.
Plant seeds of calm and teach coping skills -
empower students to succeed through valleys and hills!
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