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Excellence In Schools
SIMPLE WAYS TO INTRODUCE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) IN YOUR CLASSROOM IN EDUCATION, THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOL OF THOUGHT HAS HISTORICALLY CENTRED AROUND THE BELIEF THAT EDUCATION AND EMOTIONS MUST ALWAYS BE KEPT DISTINCT FOR ENSURING THE BEST LEARNING OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, THAT IDEOLOGY SEEMS TO BE A THING OF THE PAST, AND TODAY EDUCATORS GLOBALLY ARE REALISING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CAN HAVE ON A STUDENT.
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eachers now universally agree that social and emotional skills play a critical role in individual student progress and group cohesiveness and recognise their role in advancing educational equity and excellence. This is captured by the concept of SEL (Social Emotional Learning). What Exactly is SEL? CASEL defines Social Emotional Learning (SEL) as the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. In simplistic terms, SEL provides a foundation for safe and positive learning and improving a student’s ability to succeed in school, careers and, in fact, life. SEL processes essentially try to address five core competence areas under their ambit. These include: Self Awareness Self Management Social Awareness Relationship Skills Responsible Decision Making
Simple Ways to Introduce SEL into your Classroom There are many simple and nearly effortless ways through which you can integrate SEL activities in your classroom and provide students with the opportunity to grow holistically. Here are five such ways – 1. Introduce brief morning meetings Starting the day with a fixed routine of brief morning meetings can be a very simple way to connect with all the children in the classroom and set the tone to instil the keys to successful socio-emotional learning skills throughout the day. Such meetings offer a quick chance to address items that may not be covered in the academic curriculum; by making room for a few minutes in the morning or even in the afternoon; before wrapping up. As a teacher, you could include straightforward activities in such meetings, such as encouraging kids to greet each other, have positive discussions, build relationships, or share what they are thankful for with the class. Such simple interventions can reinforce SEL skills and turn the class into a haven to share expectations. 2. Conduct partner assignment or group activities Group or partner activities offer an interesting and effective way to build social and emotional abilities in young minds.
