Take a deeper dive into the relationship between SEL and academics.
All across the country schools have opened up their doors, or are preparing to, for the start of the school year. Again we find ourselves still amidst a pandemic, something that as a nation we certainly had hoped would not be the case by the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
COVID has changed so much, Social emotional learning being one. SEL used to have one definition with varying degrees of importance. For some it was just unicorns and rainbows. But the pandemic has surfaced so many elements, layering them on to this dated perspective and expanding how we both view and value SEL. We’re seeing it in a whole new light.
There is an urgency and opportunity to implement strategies that reinforce the connection between both. And we all know connections and relationships matter. In a classroom we see three relationships at play:
- The relationship a student has with other students,
- The relationship a student has with the teacher,
- And the relationship a student has with the content.
Of course SEL plays a big role with the relationships among peers and peers and teachers. What’s becoming more apparent now across differing schools of thought is the SEL connection that is prevalent between the student and the content.
From 30,000 feet, it may look like a math teacher is simply teaching the quadratic formula. Peel back the layers and you’ll see that it’s much more than teaching students to solve quadratic equations, rather students are developing SEL skills that will help them not only solve problems, but evaluate the problem and then ultimately demonstrate perseverance to work through it until there is a solution.
We’re in the middle of this eye-opening moment where people are understanding that SEL doesn’t just impact the compassion kids have towards each other on the playground but also shapes how they show up in class, whether that’s in person or online.
National Life Group’s educator recognition program, LifeChanger of the Year hosts an ongoing teacher-led webinar series called TeacherTalk. In an effort to prepare for the school year, TeacherTalk collaborated with the National Coalition for Safe Schools to host Resetting for Reslience: Reinforcing the link between SEL and Academics for the next phase of the pandemic.
To take a deeper dive into the relationship between SEL and academics and to learn how schools can change their perspective to have the greatest impact on students adjusting to life back in the classroom, you can view Resetting for Resilience here.
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