Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a primary focus in many schools' strategic plans. Fortunately, there is a long list of literature, articles and research that describes the importance of SEL and the positive impact it can have on student development. Knowing this, teachers try to include these lessons in their morning meetings, projects, special classes, birthday celebrations, snacks, and lunch times. They are trying to adapt to learn and create space for SEL, but SEL requires more time and consistency, with a heavy emphasis on timing.
As an early childhood counselor and educator, I work with children in their early years of development and the families who care for them. Knowing that SEL is valuable and requires dedicated time, my school has taken the approach of allowing me and my colleagues to remain with the same caseload of children for five years, which is a unique opportunity for counselors and educators in this field. . During this time, it takes students about two years to understand my role as “teacher of feelings.” They go from asking me: “Who are you and what are you doing here?” to tell me his feelings the moment I enter his classroom. By the time they are in kindergarten, they are completely used to my presence. Some of them introduce me to caregivers I haven't met yet, while others greet me with a hug when they enter the building alone or holding hands with friends. They have grown physically, but also emotionally, as they can notice and manage their emotions more easily.
As I have developed these foundational skills with my students, my school has also given me enough time to build the expectation that students discuss their identities as a valuable component within the SEL curriculum. My teachers and administrators understand that this is imperative to the work I do in creating systemic change and building relationships with my students where they can feel comfortable discussing identity in an authentic, holistic, and vulnerable way. The time I have been given to incorporate identity into SEL has allowed me to explore, experiment, and most importantly, provide my students with new tools to navigate the world and their identities and grow and mature in their learning.
Bringing identity to the forefront
In his book “shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/unearthing-joy-9781338856606.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener nofollow”>Discovering joy”, author Gholdy Muhammad talks about the importance and impact of taking the time to get to know your students deeply. Specifically, Muhammad says, “It is important to know children in authentic, loving, and meaningful ways so that you learn who they are, who they are not, and who they are meant to be on this earth.” I have learned that it is important to center identity as I learn more about my students. Recognizing and affirming their identities creates opportunities to teach SEL on a deeper, more impactful level.
Although I work at a predominantly white institution, I work to focus on improving every child's experience in the world while recognizing the role of prejudice, racism, and oppression in our schools. My experiences over the years, when I have had time to work and collaborate with a diverse group of teachers, have taught me that teaching SEL without discussing these issues is often the easiest and quickest path to take, but it also creates more opportunities. for damage. Instead of settling for this, I challenge myself and my colleagues to harness the discomfort and expand our understanding of SEL. In doing so, I find joy in the incremental and marginal change we have created within our school because it creates an opportunity for continued growth.
As I enter first grade with my students, I realize that as much as I have learned about them, they have also learned about me. They expect to hear my jokes and know that as a black woman, my hair will look different almost every time they see me. We have developed a consistent, trusting relationship in which they are seen and valued holistically, and it shows in their commitment to SEL lessons and their ability to problem-solve and express themselves.
One day during our fourth year together, I was preparing to read the book. “What do you do with a problem?” for my SEL lesson, and I started by asking, “What problems do you see in your world?” Students began talking about gun violence, robberies, and the unfair treatment of people. When one student spoke, another contributed to their idea and told the story from their perspective. Students also talked about their families in India, how they were hurt, and the effects of racism in the United States.
One boy expressed great concern that “blacks and whites would always fight.” This became the focus of the conversation for a while until one of my students noticed that the injustices Asian Americans experience are rarely discussed. He challenged me directly, telling me that we don't talk about these things enough. Instead of reacting negatively or moving on quickly as we moved forward in time, I listened, made time and space for the student to discuss their experience, and respectfully validated them as I continued this conversation. I was not prepared for this conversation and asked my fellow teachers for help; They remained present during the conversation, which lasted 45 minutes. We didn't even read the book.
The true power of SEL
Coming out of that conversation, I felt a lot of emotions. Mostly, I was proud of them for being able to have such a dynamic and important conversation. Using their self-advocacy skills, they were able to speak up and challenge me, centering the experiences that matter most to them and their families. By getting to know their personalities over the years, I created a safe space where they knew their voices would be heard, valued, and amplified. I was able to get to know my students as they are as individuals and they understood that not only did I know them, but I also had a relationship with their teachers, which created a community of care that they could lean on when needed.
Giving SEL the time and space it deserves allows children to become more self-aware and more connected to their peers and adults in the school environment. This sense of safety enables learning environments that foster challenging, broad conversations and the building of a community that values and respects the identity of all students. Doing this while building consistent, real relationships with students creates the foundation for an exceptionally safe educational environment. Create opportunities for students to learn to be better citizens of one another. When our students are regulated, able to think critically, and encouraged to talk about the things that are important to them, educators can better address students' concerns while honoring the identities and feelings that accompany them.
SEL is and should always be part of our work as educators. However, to have a positive and lasting effect on the lives and relationships of our students, we must create environments where more intentional and purposeful time is spent on SEL and understanding the role of identity.
