Building students skills in Social and Emotional Learning

On the Staff Development Day all staff completed a session on Social and Emotional Learning to support families in promoting SEL within the school.  When educators and families work together, they can build strong connections with each other that reinforce social and emotional skills developed in the home, in schools and in their communities.

Through supportive relationships and home environments, family’s model and practice SEL with their children. As experts in their children’s development, interests, cultures, and strengths, families are also important advocates for SEL at their child’s school. Families and caregivers can also be critical partners in shaping SEL implementation in schools.

So what is SEL?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to:

• Develop healthy identities,
• Manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals,
• Feel and show empathy for others,
• Establish and maintain supportive relationships, and
• Make responsible and caring decisions.

Cultivating the social and emotional competencies of all members of a school community is important for creating models for student social and emotional growth. The Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has identified five core SEL competencies:

SELF-AWARENESS

The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behaviour across contexts. This includes capacities to recognise one's strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

SELF-MANAGEMENT

The abilities to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviours effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.

SOCIAL AWARENESS

The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behaviour in different settings, and recognise family, school, and community resources and supports.

RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING

The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behaviour and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.

SEL skills are beneficial for all students are they have been found to:

So how can parents encourage students Social Emotional Learning at home?

Model and Foster Self-Confidence

When your kids go out into the world and begin to engage with people outside of their family group, they begin to develop a sense of self that isn’t merely a reflection of or defined by their position within the family or household.

As a parent, you are your child’s greatest role model. What that means is that you can model self-confidence for your child.

So focus on demonstrating what confidence and competence look like in daily life. Never negatively compare yourself to someone else, especially when it comes to things like appearance.

You should also model confidence and self-esteem by practicing self-care: getting enough sleep, exercising, eating healthfully, and taking time to do the things you love. When you do that, you’re showing your child how to value themselves, how to practice self-care.

Nurture Your Mental and Emotional Health

Because your child takes their cues from you, you must prioritise your own well-being, both regarding physical health and mental and emotional health. Your child is likely far more affected by any distress you may be experiencing than you might realise.

Ensure that you are exhibiting for them the healthy coping skills you want them to adopt themselves. Share your struggles with them in an age-appropriate manner.

Above all, take steps to nurture your mental and emotional health, including seeking professional help when you need it. Not only will you be a healthier, happier, and more “present” parent for your child, but you will also be teaching them crucial lessons about self-care, the importance of mental health, and the power of emotional self-regulation.

Set Boundaries on Technology

With kids spending more time than ever at home, mobile digital devices, such as tablets, have become increasingly important both to the academic and social lives of our children. This reality presents a powerful opportunity for fostering children’s emotional and social learning not only through the use of tablets to engage peers but also by establishing clear boundaries in how and when tablets are used.

For example, you might set limits on the times of day when tablets are allowed. You might require your kids to reserve morning and evening hours for family time while allotting just a few hours in the afternoon for the tablet.

This can not only teach children key emotional skills such as impulse control and self-regulation, but it also requires them to thoughtfully manage their relationships with peers and family members alike. In other words, they learn to recognise the needs of others, such as the need for parents and siblings to have both time for themselves as well as time with the child, time when family members’ full attention is on each other and not on their device.

The Takeaway

Social and emotional learning is critical to a child’s health development and future success and well-being. Fortunately, it’s possible to foster your child’s development even when they’re at home. It simply takes time, commitment, and strategy.