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Emotional Development
Emotional Development
The emotional domain of whole child education refers to the development of emotional intelligence, and emotional well-being. It involves recognizing and managing one’s own emotions, understanding the emotions of others, and developing skills for building healthy relationships. Emotional development fosters empathy, resilience, self-regulation, and the ability to navigate and express emotions in a healthy and constructive manner.
Essential Elements
Essential Elements
Emotion identification: being aware that one is experiencing an emotion and being able to identify what that emotion is-- essentially mindfulness
Emotion management: student's ability to withstand overwhelming emotions and belief in their ability to handle a high level of stress
Coping strategies: the tools and strategies that students have under their toolbelt (which are learned) to manage stress. Coping strategies must both be practiced regularly for maintenance and also be activated in times of crisis.
Empathy: the ability to look outward and reflect on the potential emotions of others depending on the behaviors of others. Empathy naturally extends from emotional awareness and compassion for oneself, because students are more likely to have this recognition and tolerance for others when they can recognize their own emotions and that they deserve compassion.
Trauma: can be one large event or multiple smaller events that overwhelm a person’s coping resources, leading to responses that fluctuate between feeling numb to reliving the traumatic experience. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to have long lasting impacts on children's ability to self-regulate.
Practice Checklist
Practice Checklist
Below is an overall checklist that details the major steps in addressing the emotional domain of the whole child both at your school and in the classroom.
As the you develop a team and classroom practices, this checklist is designed to help you keep track of your progress and moving forward in the pursuit of whole child development.
emotional_checklist.pdfWhat is Emotional Intelligence?
What is Emotional Intelligence?
The objective of SEL is to improve emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is highly correlated with career success, as well as high quality relationships, which has a host of downstream effects on health throughout the life span.
There are four main components of emotional intelligence: (1) self-awareness, (2) emotion regulation, (3) empathy and (4) relationship management. Each domain of emotional intelligence builds off of one another, starting with self-awareness. Click on each photo below to learn more about each subdomain of emotional intelligence.
The ability to be aware of one's emotions. It involves mindfulness by identifying feelings and associated thoughts that contribute to those feelings.
The ability to self-regulate and self-soothe when feeling overwhelmed. Emotion regulation can include calming activities such as breathing, meditation, physical exercise, talking to a friends, and other enjoyable hobbies.
If one can recognize an emotion in oneself, one is more likely to recognize that same emotion in someone else, thus empathy instinctively extends from self-awareness. Empathy allows people to relate to one another.
Empathy is a feeling that inclines someone towards the action of relationship and conflict management. Relating to others and understanding their perspectives leads to a willingness to meet someone in the middle and compromise. Finding the balance between setting healthy boundaries and meeting the needs of others leads to long-lasting, high quality relationships across the lifespan.
Classroom Routines
Classroom Routines
How the educator sets the tone in the classroom with their own behavior and the behavior they expect from students makes all the difference in classroom management. Learn more about regular systems and habits that benefit both teachers and students.
Structure
Structure
Establishing a regular routine and rituals is extremely important for children at all ages. Routine can make the vital difference between students who behave in one class and the same students who seem out of control in another class. There should be some habits as students enter and exit the classroom (for example, having an "admission," asking students to reflect on their assignment for the previous day and an "exit" ticket, asking students to articulate what they have taken away from the class discussion).
Clear Rules & Expectations
Clear Rules & Expectations
Human beings behave in a way that aligns with their expectations, therefore, the expectations that are set up at the establishment of a new class setting and at the beginning of the day are very important. Standards and habits in the classroom are reinforced through clear rules and consequences.
The above is an example of our partnership school, St. Mary's, set of school conduct and rules which are posted around the school, visibly for everyone to see.
Rituals, Rituals, Rituals!
Rituals, Rituals, Rituals!
The middle of the lesson or day should also follow a formulaic pattern (set times of prayer, discussion, reflection, active engagement, passive engagement, meals, etc.) that leaves room for creativity, awe and flexibility.
Welcoming Rituals
Welcoming Rituals
Closing Rituals
Closing Rituals
CASEL Optimistic Closures.pdfClosing circles and optimistic closures are a way are a way of reflecting over the day's learning experience as well as think ahead. The above is a document of CASEL's optimistic closures.
Balancing Routine with Adaptability
Balancing Routine with Adaptability
Routines are not intended to be rigid-- there are intended to create security and structure. But, much like a willow tree can be sturdy but also bend to weather conditions, so, too, can classroom routines be flexible. Teachers are recommended to engage students in dialogue about classroom practices, which are subject to change through ongoing conversations. Students should also be given options during various activities and points in the day.
Some examples of adaptable routines include
Calming corner: provide a technology-free space in the classroom with calming scents, sounds and visuals. If possible, provide toys that stimulate sensory. As students improve in their emotional awareness, they can voluntarily visit the calming corner when feeling
Brain breaks: There are a variety of activities that can be done in the classroom in order to give students a break from the heavy cognitive process of absorbing lesson knowledge, allowing them to destress. This allows other aspects of the whole child, other than just the cognitive domain, to be fostered.
Emotion Regulation Techniques
Emotion Regulation Techniques
Having children identify their emotions is a very helpful classroom practice, especially when done regularly. The Feeling Wheel was created to help people be able to have a wider range of vocabulary for their emotions. Sitting and thinking about one's emotions, becoming aware of what emotions are present, and putting more descriptive words to those emotions are all key practices of emotional awareness. Emotional awareness is a foundational aspect of emotional intelligence, allowing students to then be able to regulate and express their emotions productively to others.
To learn more information about the Feeling Wheel and how to use this in collaboration with students, please refer to this resource.
Breathing
Breathing
Breathing, and in particular exhaling for longer than we inhale, is one of the most effective methods we can use to regulate our nervous system and immediately start to feel more calm. This video helps to meditatively guide children on learning how to breath in for 4 seconds and exhale for 6 seconds cyclically. To learn more about breathing exercises for children and how to teach them how to breath more effectively, visit this link.
Mindfulness Glitter Jars
Mindfulness Glitter Jars
Glitter jars are fun, hands on activity that students can create and use in the classroom. The glitter is useful to represent the thoughts and watching the glitter fall can help students understand the concept of mindfulness. Click on the above video to hear students and teachers explain how glitter jars have improved their mindfulness in the classroom.
Follow the link below to see one recipe on how to make a glitter jar.
How Emotional Intelligence Relates to Values of Christ
How Emotional Intelligence Relates to Values of Christ
Michael Boyle, Director of the Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education at Loyola University Chicago, has mapped out aspects of emotional intelligence to Christian virtues. For example, our self-awareness can lead us to exhibit the virtue of humility and modesty. Since self-awareness is mainly in inward, contemplative process, we get to the root of Jesus' teachings that to be a disciple we must not be okay with actions alone-- it is also our thoughts and intention that matter.
"we take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor 10:5)
Emotional intelligence deepens our understanding of Christian virtues by deepening our closeness to Christ beyond outward actions and towards an inner oneness with Christ.
Learn more about accompaniment in Catholic schools through Michael Boyle's book, entitled A Light Unto My Path: https://ncea.org/NCEA/iCore/Store/StoreLayouts/Item_Detail.aspx?iProductCode=SDV-70-1618
Essential Concepts of Behavior.movVideo Resource
Video Resource
The following video to the right is a professional development session presented by the Roche Center team member, Molly McMahon. In this session, Molly provides an overview on the essential concepts of behavior and tips on how to help children regulate behavior in the classroom that might interrupt instruction.
Recommended Publications
Recommended Publications
Greater Good in Education SEL Basics by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center
SEL RULER Program created by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
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