Integrating Social-Emotional Learning into Music (Part 2) Shawna Longo Durban Avenue School, Hopatcong Borough Schools shawnalongo@gmail.com
In Part 1 of this article, I laid a foundation of what social-emotional learning is and how it authentically connects to music. Remember – SEL is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. In a school setting, SEL is an educational process through which skills for life effectiveness are intentionally taught and modeled in a safe, supportive, and culturally responsive environment. The five core competencies are: • Self-Awareness • Self-Management • Social Awareness • Relationship Skills • Responsible Decision Making According to CASEL, these five goals can be combined to create three areas of focus: SELF, OTHERS, and DECISIONS. There are two competencies that fall under the SELF-category: Self-Awareness and Self-Management. Social Awareness and Relationship Skills fall under the OTHERS-category. And, Responsible Decision Making comprises the DECISIONS category. Thinking more broadly with the three areas of focus (self, others, and decisions) can help you focus on when, how and where you will embed SEL into your classes. It can also help the students gain a firmer grasp on the five core competencies by shining light on who or what is affected. When we intentionally embed SEL within our music classes everyone benefits. It should be a sustained practice - not just a box to check on a lesson plan. Below you will find a number of questions that musicians ask organized by the five SEL core competencies. You will note that some questions may fall under more than one competency. A muTEMPO
sician, composer, conductor, or others could ask these questions in the field of music. They can serve as a great place to start if you aren’t sure where to begin bringing SEL intentionally within your classroom. Self-Awareness - Musicians Ask… • What do I need to do next? • Is this coming out the way I planned? Is that okay? • Does my work relay what I intend? • What do I need to change? • Is this how I want this to look/sound/feel? • How can I fix this? • How much more should I do? • How do I feel right now with my progress thus far? • What is influencing my choices? • Why is this work important/unimportant to me? • What are my talents in this? My limitations? • How does this work help me to understand myself better? • What can this work teach me about my thinking and myself? Self-Management - Musicians Ask… • How far have I come? How far do I need to go? • What do I need to work on next? • When can I practice and for how long? • What is the purpose of this work? • What do I want to accomplish or understand? • What tools, media or people do I need access to? • What limitations or roadblocks might I face? Social-Awareness - Musicians Ask… • How do others experience the arts? • What do I think about another person’s work? • How do others create? • How do I interpret this? How does this compare to the 38
MAY 2021
