“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
Imagine a kid named Rohan, he’s a third grader and your child’s classmate. Last night Rohan’s parents argued, they were yelling and shouting. Rohan had a very hard time getting to sleep, he woke up late and had no time to eat breakfast. While rushing towards the school bus Rohan fell on his face and everyone laughed. Rohan rushed through the corridors to get to his class but was scolded by the teacher for running. As soon as he enters the class, the teacher asks “Alright Rohan, you’re already late. Do you have that homework from yesterday?” Rohan completely forgot about the homework with all the commotion going on at his place. The teacher gives him a punishment. At this point, Rohan loses it and throws a tantrum, banging his hand on the table and screaming. The teacher asks,” What is wrong with you?”
So what exactly was wrong with Rohan? Nothing. With all the things piling up, Rohan lost his calm and yelled in frustration. A better way of tackling the situation could have been if he had talked to his teacher about his emotions or taken some seconds before he responded.
The toxic stress a child goes through while growing up can affect the development of the brain and the years ahead. It can lead to lifelong trauma, fear of failure, social distress, unhealthy relationships, low self-esteem, and substance abuse such as alcoholism. It is important to incorporate social emotional learning in a school’s curriculum to help children grow emotionally and mentally.
What is Social Emotional Learning Commonly Known as ‘SEL’?
Social Emotional Learning, also known as SEL, is the process through which one develops the skill of empathizing with others, being emotionally intelligent, and maintaining social conduct.
Social Emotional learning consists of 5 key components, also known as CASEL 5 (Collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning) :
1. Self-Awareness:
This involves understanding your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values. It’s about identifying how you feel and how those feelings affect your thoughts and actions.
2. Self-Management:
This is all about managing your emotions and behaviors in healthy ways. It includes skills like self-control, goal setting, and coping with stress.
3. Social Awareness:
This focuses on recognizing and understanding the emotions and perspectives of others. It involves empathy, appreciating diversity, and being aware of social contexts.
4. Relationship Skills:
This is about building and maintaining healthy relationships. It includes communication skills, conflict resolution, and teamwork.
5. Responsible Decision-Making:
This involves making thoughtful choices considering the consequences and potential impact on yourself and others. It requires critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical reasoning.
The future of a nation rests on the shoulders of its children, and the kind of education they receive shapes the adults they become. Schools that equip students not just with knowledge, but also with critical thinking, collaboration, and emotional intelligence are nurturing the very skills needed to tackle future challenges. Teaching Social emotional learning in school provides the foundation for adults who:
- Are empathetic and caring
- Possess conscientiousness to connect with other people
- Can manage their emotions
- Have social conduct
- Can express themselves without feeling ashamed
- Have confidence in themselves
- Have healthy relationships with their friends and family
- Possess problem-solving skills
- Refrain from showing characters engaging in drug or alcohol use.
Research conducted at Loyola University, Chicago, performed an analysis of 213 studies looking at Social emotional learning implementation. They found that students who received direct SEL instruction gained an average of 11% points on standardized academic achievement tests compared to peers who did not take part in SEL.
Another Study reveals that one of the major reasons that students drop out of school is not because they feel education was not worth it but because they feel that they didn’t have a meaningful connection with anyone and a reason to stay which is shocking.
Here’s how Social Emotional learning can be incorporated into a child’s learning journey:
- Sitting in a circle with friends and teachers and talking about their day, the thoughts weighing on them, and how they feel about a certain thing
- Give them real-life problems to solve to understand how would they react in a situation
- Being empathetic towards a character through storytelling
Students who indulge in social emotional learning are less likely to experience depression and show signs of criminal behavior or even engage in substance abuse.
Social Emotional Learning at Cyboard School
At Cyboard, we integrate mindfulness practices to help students manage stress and develop emotional regulation. We organize regular workshops that cultivate life skills among students:
- Arousing Curiosity
- Self Management
- Taking initiative
- Emotions
- Creativity
- Self Esteem
- Peer Pressure
- Self Love
- Growing up changes that we experience
If you want your child to grow up in a safe space where they are free to express themselves without the judgment of others, then you should visit our website.
Join Cyboard now!