SEL

As individuals, we experience moments that alter our perspectives and change the course of our development. These moments range from seismic events to a shift in our day-to-day lives, the moment may be near or far, but the impact is just as relevant.

Personal, national, and global traumatic events impact individuals’ development and mental health, especially in children. As we in education find ourselves looking at the whole child, with an emphasis on social-emotional learning and global perspectives, we discover the children of trauma and seek to respond.

Social-emotional learning conversations are ever-present as our children suffer the effects of displacement, poverty, racism, bias, and many other traumatic experiences. So, it is vital to understand their impact and address social-emotional development and mental health in schools. According to CASEL 2021 (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), social-emotional learning practices are designed to guide students in applying their attitudes to develop healthy identities, relationships, and coping mechanisms. There has never been a time like the present where educators have access to resources where they can ensure student learning while simultaneously forming the whole-self.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is a process which occurs when students are actively being taught to understand emotions, set effective goals, and communicate respectfully with others. Learning how to self-regulate, self-manage, and communicate effectively with others can be easily incorporated into almost any classroom lesson.

Educators, parents, and administrators may often be confused as to how to implement SEL strategies into a child’s life due to the expansive variety of options. This website was designed as a tool for teachers to incorporate effective Social Emotional Learning through standardization and curriculum, consciousness and awareness, and the arts.