There has been a shift in the academic focus of schools all over the country. More and more educators have realized how important an allencompassing education is versus the traditional check box that covers reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Out of the emergence of this broader thinking came the concept of SEL: Social Emotional Learning.
Social Emotional Learning is the process of learning social and emotional skills. Just as students learn letters and words and sentences with reading and writing, numbers and math computation and formulas with math, and all about historical figures and landmarks and events with social studies, they learn social and emotional skills with SEL. SEL helps children (and adults) understand and manage their emotions better, set and achieve positive goals for themselves, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. They help children learn more about themselves and how they fit into and interact with society. Learning more about who they are and what their strengths and weaknesses are can help them in their personal goals, in their interactions with others, and in so many other aspects of their lives. Our students are taught elements of CKH (Capturing Kids Hearts), which helps them self-manage and interact better with others. They work with a partner or in groups in the classroom. We offer flexible seating in all of our classrooms. And there is so much more that is planned and implemented throughout our school that is geared directly toward social and emotional learning.
SEL skills are vital for a well-rounded education. Research shows that children who are socially and emotionally competent do better academically, have improved attitudes and behaviors, make and keep friends more easily, and feel more connected to school and their responsibility to learn. Students who are taught social and emotional skills as part of their education are 50% more likely to graduate high school and twice as likely to graduate college.
As a future-oriented school with a commitment to educate wellrounded students and citizens of society, we at COA Elementary feel it is our duty and privilege to make sure SEL is implemented across our curriculum and lessons. We are proud to have many examples and systems of SEL in place at COA for the past few years, and hope to continue to improve upon SEL learning as we progress. Whatever it takes, our kids our worth it!
Daniella Manzyuk, Student Support Specialist
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