While Social Emotional Learning (SEL) was introduced to schools in the mid-1990s, it’s become a more popular topic in schools over the past several years and even more so as we acknowledge the impacts of COVID-19 on children today.
What is Social Emotional Learning?
Social Emotional Learning is a framework for teaching children how to manage and regulate emotions, have empathy and care for others, solve problems, make responsible decisions, and maintain healthy relationships.
The concept of SEL helps schools support students’ social emotional development in addition to their skills in reading, math, and science.
There are five competencies of SEL that drive social emotional curriculum and guide teachers and school districts when incorporating social emotional learning in the classroom:
- Self-Awareness: Students gain an understanding of themselves.
- Self-Management: Students learn how to manage and regulate their emotions.
- Social Awareness: Students learn how to understand other individuals and groups.
- Relationship Skills: Students learn how to build and maintain relationships and keep lasting friendships.
- Responsible Decision Making: Students put all competencies together to make positive decisions.
Research shows that when schools focus on SEL, students have more positive attitudes toward others, have a stronger sense of self, and perform better academically. Schools also see reduced behavioral issues, lower levels of distress and higher graduation rates.
“Educators need to keep in mind that not all students are coming into their classrooms on an equal playing field. Assessing your students’ skills in Casel’s 5 competencies is essential for any student to achieve academic success.” – SEL representative from Lowell Public Schools
Some schools introduce SEL to children as a part of their daily classroom activities and curriculum while others block out specific times of the day to teach SEL to students.
The impact of Social Emotional Learning on children in poverty
It is known that poverty has an immense impact on children in a variety of ways. Mental health struggles, low self-esteem, lack of access to basic necessities, lower academic performance, and behavioral problems are just several of the many long-lasting effects of poverty.
Additionally, children from the lowest income levels are the least likely to have positive social interactions.
“Often these students are the highest at risk to not being taught these skills at home. For many reasons students in this social economic bubble do not have the modeling at home to assist with learning the foundation of this skill set, which puts them at greater risk for a negative outlook on their academic career.” – SEL representative from Lowell Public Schools
Unfavorable early social and emotional development can lead to long-term school failure.
Children in poverty are also at an increased risk of incurring an adverse childhood experience (ACE).
Children who’ve been impacted by an ACE are more likely to disengage from school, leave tasks incomplete, be cruel to others, and engage in excessive arguing and bullying.
SEL can help curb the negative impacts of poverty.
Since Social Emotional Learning fosters students’ intrinsic ability and desire to recognize and manage strong emotions and impulsive behaviors, demonstrate empathy, make positive decisions, set and achieve goals, and build and maintain strong, healthy relationships, it can set a foundation necessary for kids to overcome the influence poverty has on their well-being.
When incorporated into the school curriculum, SEL creates a positive, safe environment where students with the most need are assured they are cared for and adults want to help them succeed.
They are empowered to be successful and given a sense of control over how they go about their day.
“SEL in the classroom environment is as simple as teachers being focused on relationship building with their students. The more that students see that their teaches have genuine care and interest in them, the more they are apt to rise to want to make their teachers proud of their academic engagement, wanting to come to school to see them and wanting to demonstrate the same care to their peers. This small act affects a multitude of adverse actions that can often place to at risk students such as discipline issues, truancy, academic success.” – SEL representative from Lowell Public Schools
How Catie’s Closet supports students’ social emotional development
Catie’s Closet provides children in poverty with free access to clothing and other basic necessities that are critical for students to build a successful life in and out of school.
We open free “stores” inside schools that students can visit to get the items they need.
By nature, the Catie’s Closet model supports both students and teachers in Social Emotional Learning.
Relationships
A school faculty member aware of the students’ situation accompanies the student to their school’s Catie’s Closet to help them pick out everything they need.
This allows teachers to form strong relationships with their students and helps children learn they can trust their teachers.
Self awareness, agency, empowerment
In SEL practices, children are provided opportunities to explore individual and community identities.
Catie’s Closet gives all children the opportunity to discover and express their individuality with on-trend clothing available in styles and sizes that fit students’ preferences.
As students get older it’s all about fitting in. They become quite aware of the social pressures in the school environment. Without having the means to dress in a certain manner students often will isolate and often avoid school all together.
By encouraging all children to express what makes them perfectly designed, Catie’s Closet creates a world of tolerance and understanding among children and communities.
Safety
SEL strives to give students a reason to turn to school as a safe place. Catie’s Closet does the same. With immediate access to life’s most basic essentials, they not only feel a sense of belonging among their peers, but they feel more motivated and inspired to turn toward school as a solution.
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SOURCES:
https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-does-the-research-say/
https://www.wingsforkids.org/sel/social-emotional-learning/
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html
https://www.ecmhc.org/tutorials/social-emotional/mod1_1.html
