Social Emotional Learning in Elementary School

Social-Emotional Learning

Why should you teach your Kindergarteners Social Emotional Learning

 

What is Social Emotional Learning?

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a methodology that emphasizes the importance of developing skills to achieve goals, manage emotions, and maintain healthy attitudes   (What Is the CASEL Framework?, n.d.). Studies show that children that are taught through SEL grow up to be more socially and emotionally aware, and are more successful in attaining long-term goals and having healthy relationships (Lapidot-Lafler, 2022).  There are five main pillars that define SEL: 

  • Self-awareness – the ability to identify your emotions and understand how they affect actions and behaviours. This includes being able to identify strengths and weaknesses and having an accurate perception of yourself.
  • Self-management – the ability to manage your emotions. This can include stress-management, impulse control, self-motivation, and goal-setting.
  • Social awareness – the ability to empathize with others and respect different perspectives. Examples of social awareness are appreciating diversity, reflecting on how other people perceived a situation, and displaying empathy. 
  • Relationship skills – essential for creating and maintaining healthy relationships. Some skills include clear communication, active listening, conflict resolution, and much more. 
  • Making responsible decisions – the ability to make informed decisions by considering the benefits and consequences of an action. Responsible decision making skills include problem solving, reflecting, and analyzing situations.

 

Did you know that the classroom plays an essential role in implementing SEL for children in Kindergarten to Grade 2?

 

A Teacher’s Role

The teacher’s presence is an important component of SEL framework, as the teacher’s actions serve as an example to the students (Siew & Bull, 2018, 340-341). One way a teacher can demonstrate SEL is by setting a positive tone in the classroom. 

 

 Tip

Try using these phrases:

  • “Thank you for listening”
  • “I appreciate it when you _____ because ______.”
  • “You were very helpful today!”

 

Additionally, acknowledging achievements creates a positive environment for young students to learn. 

 

Teachers can also implement games to keep their students engaged and excited about learning, as this allows kids to express themselves freely, which helps build their relationship skills and self-awareness. Hands-on activities can be a great way to keep students interested in current tasks and topics. For instance, when teaching addition try pairing up students and giving them unit blocks for counting. Not only will the blocks help the students visualize and conceptualize addition, they will also improve self-management skills and relationships skills by learning to take turns, sharing the blocks, and learn from mistakes (3 Ways to Promote Social and Emotional Learning Through Math, 2020). Tasks that allow students to work together and be in motion is a great motivator to keeping them engaged and learning.

Let Your Students Learn

An important application of SEL is task allocation, where students are assigned specific tasks or roles to develop some of the key skills of SEL. By allowing younger students to have certain tasks where they take leadership positions, they are able to work on all five of the SEL pillars (Siew & Bull, 2018, 345). 

 

One way to implement this in a classroom setting is to have students work in groups. The teacher can assign roles to each person in the group or have students volunteer for roles. 

 

Some important roles in group work are (Using Roles in Group Work, 2022):

  • Facilitator: In this role, students keep the group organized and focused. They ensure that everyone stays on task and has all the materials they need.
  • Note-taker: In this role, students can take notes of anything that was discussed and completed in the group. 
  • Presenter: This student will present to the class, to the teacher, or to the other group members anything that the group worked on and wants to share. They are the voice of the group.
  • Encourager: This student ensures that everyone is staying motivated while working on their assigned task. This can include offering up kind words, or helping out one of their group members.
  • Checker: This student double checks everyone’s work. They can check for grammatical errors, fact-checking, or just that they completed their task correctly.

Then the students are able to work amongst themselves and learn important skills in collaboration, such as communication and creativity. It is important to note that even though each student has their own responsibilities, they need to work together to make sure the group task is completed.

 

To further foster problem solving, and eventually making responsible decisions, teachers should encourage students to suggest their own solutions to problems. Try using the following tip to help students begin coming up with solutions independently.

 

Tip

Ask your student questions to check their understanding!

 

Instead of:Try:
What answer did you get?Walk me through the steps you took.
What don’t you get?What do you know? How can we use that to help us here?
This answer is incorrect.Tell me how you got this answer and let’s try to find the mistake.

 

Remember

It is important to demonstrate patience and kindness when implementing any of these exercises, especially for younger students, as they are just starting to learn how to react to their emotions. A harsh tone or a negative attitude can cause students to become scared because the idea of failure has become a negative and discouraging aspect of learning. We want students to embrace their mistakes because only then will they grow and learn.

 

Creating a space for Social Emotional Learning in the classroom allows students to feel  and express what they need, as it is critical to their success as students and as individuals. Not only will students learn important skills like regulating emotions and understanding perspective, they will also learn to apply these skills in their everyday lives. Give Social Emotional Learning a try in your classroom and see what incredible young people you can inspire!

 

References

3 Ways to Promote Social and Emotional Learning through Math. (2020, April 13). EDC. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.edc.org/3-ways-promote-social-and-emotional-learning-through-math.

The 5 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Core Competencies. (2020, September 4). Positive Action. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.positiveaction.net/blog/sel-competencies

Aquilar, C., & Bridges, C. (2022, November 4). A Guide to the Core SEL Competencies [+ Activities and Strategies]. Panorama Education. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/guide-to-core-sel-competencies.

Lapidot-Lefler, N. (2012, November). Promoting the use of Social-Emotional Learning in Online Teacher Education. International Journal of Emotional Education, 14(2), 19-35. https://doi.org/10.56300/HSZP5315

Making These 4 SEL Strategies Work in Your Classroom. (2018, May 15). ASCD. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.ascd.org/blogs/making-these-4-sel-strategies-work-in-your-classroom

Raimundo, M.-P. A., & Lima, M. L. (2012). THE EFFECTS OF A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: THE ROLE OF PUPILS’ CHARACTERISTICS. Psychology in the Schools, 50(2), 165-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21667

Reframing Classroom Management: A Toolkit for Educators. (n.d.). Learning for Justice. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/general/TT_Reframing_Classroom_Managment_Handouts.pdf

Siew, N. C., & Bull, R. (2018, August 24). Facilitating Social Emotional Learning in Kindergarten Classrooms: Situational Factors and Teachers’ Strategies. International Journal of Early Childhood, 50(3), 335-352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-018-0225-9

Using Roles in Group Work. (2022, August 10). Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/using-roles-in-group-work/

What Is the CASEL Framework? (n.d.). CASEL. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/

What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Why It Matters. (2022, August 17). National University. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.nu.edu/blog/social-emotional-learning-sel-why-it-matters-for-educators/

 

 

The Importance of Social Emotional Learning in Grade 3 to Grade 5

 

SEL in Kindergarten to Grade 2 vs. Grade 3 to Grade 5

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is just as important for students in Grades 3-5 as it is for younger students. But when it comes to applying the SEL framework in the classroom, the age difference should be taken into consideration. Similar practices to the early childhood application can and should be used, such as task allocation and setting a safe space in the classroom. 

 

Differences can be seen in the actual implementation of these ideas. For instance, the teacher might still have students work in groups, but instead allow them to decide roles and tasks amongst themselves. This will help students grow more comfortable with responsibility, aiding in their self-management skills and ability to make responsible choices (Knight, 2018).

 

Leading by Example

Students in Grades 3-5 should continue to be shown SEL principles through example, hence, it is important for teachers to model self-awareness to their students. One way teachers can do this is by using themselves as an example when asking students to complete SEL related activities (Siew & Bull, 2018, 345). 

 

Examples: 

  • If the students are asked to reflect on what they learned that day, the teacher could go first and share.
  • Start each day by asking students how they are feeling. The teacher can share how they feel first, or just participate in the activity with the students.
  • After group activities and presentations, students can be asked to share what they learned, felt or liked about another group’s activity/ presentation. The teacher can start by saying that they were happy to see everyone working hard.

 

The last two examples will allow teachers to gauge what capacity they have for learning that day. This also benefits students as it will allow them to practice identifying their emotions on a daily basis, which is crucial in developing self-awareness.

Set a Positive Tone

Classrooms are more likely to succeed if they are set with a positive tone (Siew & Bull, 2018, 345), essentially the classroom is set as a safe space for students by offering encouragement and assistance in hard tasks. This type of environment helps students feel less afraid to make mistakes because they know there are no negative consequences in doing so. An obvious way to apply this to a Grade 3-5 class is to encourage kindness. 

 

Tip

Focus on reframing behaviour corrections to be positive. 

 

Instead of:Try:
Can you stop talking, please?Show me what good listeners do!
Don’t draw on the desks.Markers are hard to get off of the desks. Let’s color on some paper instead!
If you were paying attention, you would know.Start by asking a classmate. If you still have questions, I am happy to help. 

(“Reframing Classroom Management:

A Toolkit for Educators”, 2016)

 

Finally, it is important for young learners to hear SEL language used frequently.

 

Tip

Try using phrases like:

  • “I am allowed to make mistakes” 
  • “Mistakes help me learn” 
  • “I am always improving”
  • “I can do hard things”
  • “I believe in myself”

 

Pink Red Yellow Retro Colorful Motivational Quote Poster. Canva Template. Canva. 19 January 2023.

 

Posters with similar sayings hung around the classroom can be a great and subtle way to include SEL language to any classroom. Starting class with daily affirmations such as these can help build confidence in the students so that they are able to learn without the fear of making mistakes. This allows students to develop their self-management skills.

 

Teaching elementary students using the SEL framework is crucial in setting students up for success, whether academically or socially. They will have all the necessary tools to become emotionally-aware, thoughtful, and resilient adults. Try these strategies out in your classroom and see your students flourish.

 

References

3 Ways to Promote Social and Emotional Learning through Math. (2020, April 13). EDC. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.edc.org/3-ways-promote-social-and-emotional-learning-through-math

The 5 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Core Competencies. (2020, September 4). Positive Action. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.positiveaction.net/blog/sel-competencies

Aquilar, C., & Bridges, C. (2022, November 4). A Guide to the Core SEL Competencies [+ Activities and Strategies]. Panorama Education. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/guide-to-core-sel-competencies.

Knight, S. (2018, May 15). Making These 4 SEL Strategies Work in Your Classroom. ASCD. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.ascd.org/blogs/making-these-4-sel-strategies-work-in-your-classroom

Lapidot-Lefler, N. (2012, November). Promoting the use of Social-Emotional Learning in Online Teacher Education. International Journal of Emotional Education, 14(2), 19-35. https://doi.org/10.56300/HSZP5315

Raimundo, M.-P. A., & Lima, M. L. (2012). THE EFFECTS OF A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: THE ROLE OF PUPILS’ CHARACTERISTICS. Psychology in the Schools, 50(2), 165-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21667

Reframing Classroom Management: A Toolkit for Educators. (n.d.). Learning for Justice. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/general/TT_Reframing_Classroom_Managment_Handouts.pdf

Using Roles in Group Work. (2022, August 10). Center for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/using-roles-in-group-work/

Webb, J. (2022, June 7). 30 Social Emotional Learning Activities for Elementary. Teaching Expertise. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/social-emotional-learning-activities-for-elementary/

What Is the CASEL Framework? (n.d.). CASEL. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/

What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Why It Matters. (2022, August 17). National University. Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://www.nu.edu/blog/social-emotional-learning-sel-why-it-matters-for-educators/