February

Writing for Responsive Classroom in "What's Culture Got To Do With SEL?," education professors and researchers Dr. Andrea Smith and Dr. Cliff Chestnutt, whose work focuses on the intersectionality of race and class in education and culturally responsive pedagogy, discuss the necessity for school-based SEL programs to utilize equity-oriented practices in order to effectively support all students in the development of critical social-emotional skills:

“Promoting optimal development of historically marginalized and under-represented groups in K–12 education in the United States has proved to be a perverse, complex, and long-term undertaking due to vast inequities in the education system (Warren, 2014). According to Plaut (2010), a color-blind perspective implies that discrimination only exists in the past, and ignores what racial inequality looks like today. This approach argues that we should treat people as simply human beings rather than as racialized beings. However, it also further minimizes the impact of racism and other forms of oppression on various groups and individuals. While we should not judge  someone based on race, class, gender, and other characteristics, we should not overlook the injustices or experiences that different groups have historically faced and continue to face in every facet of society. While there are a growing number of programs (Williamson et al., 2015) that seek to address these inequities both indirectly or directly through SEL, many of them often perpetuate identity blindness, including racial “color blindness.” According to Bloom et al. (2015), identity blindness is when one claims to not see different forms of identity—for example, race, gender, or sexual orientation—instead of  arguing that they strive to treat everyone equally. Examples of this can be seen in the idea of “grit” or “resilience” as an equalizer— essentially putting the burden on students to “fix” themselves. This limited understanding of the core competencies of SEL can harm historically marginalized and underrepresented groups by diminishing their sense of self and lived experiences of being marginalized and oppressed. So when schools implement SEL programs, it is essential that they consider issues of diversity and inclusion, placing value on each student’s unique identity and background—alongside teaching students how to effectively manage their emotions and social interactions (Rosario-Ramos et al., 2021).

SEL can be leveraged to promote educational equity in numerous ways. CASEL (n.d.) has identified five critical areas—identity, agency, belonging, collaborative problem-solving, and curiosity—that schools can consider in their efforts to promote equity. These focal constructs for equity-oriented SEL promote equitable learning environments and offer ways to coordinate practices across classrooms, schools, families, and communities, enhancing all students’ social, emotional, and academic learning.

1: Identity is key to developing self-awareness competencies and refers to one’s ability to recognize one’s own emotions and thoughts and how their thoughts and actions influence their behavior. Identity is multidimensional (for example, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, religion, values, interests). Providing opportunities for students to develop positive self-identities can aid in creating a buffer against negative experiences such as racism, discrimination, and bias and promote academic achievement (Shek et al., 2019).

2: Agency is essential for self-management competencies and focuses on the perceived and actual ability to effect change through purposeful action. While behavior management is vital for classrooms and schools, the agency goes beyond reactive measures and emphasizes proactive measures. Agency further positions students as “experts in understanding and fashioning a world that is more just and equitable” (Jagers, 2016, p. 3). This can include providing students with voice and choice in their learning and career goals and in establishing learning environments that encourage collaboration and problem-solving.

3: Belonging is a significant factor among social awareness competencies. It builds on experiences of affirmation, value, and inclusion within a group or community. It implies not only feeling recognized but also being fully involved in relationship building and co-creating learning spaces. Having a sense of belonging is critical to each student’s academic, social, and emotional well-being (Gregory & Fergus, 2017). There are many ways in which teachers can foster a sense of belonging. For example, teachers can model through words and actions that every student is valuable and has something unique to contribute to the classroom and society.

4: Collaborative problem-solving is focal among developing relationship skills in our global society. Fiore et al. (2017) note, “Collaborative problem solving involves two  different constructs— collaboration and problem solving” (p. 2) and is defined as the capacity of an individual to engage in a process between two or more people to collectively solve a problem by sharing knowledge and skills to reach a solution. Teachers can use multiple grouping strategies during the school year to help students apply cooperation and problem-solving skills and gain value from diverse perspectives (Lee et al., 2015).

5: Curiosity is significant for creating responsible decision-makers in the classroom and is crucial for engagement, attention, and learning (Jagers et al., 2019). As educators, it is essential to create an environment in which it is less important to have the “right” answer and more important to create an environment where students can utilize questioning and collaborative discourse so learning can occur. This can be done by modeling curiosity about the world around us through open questioning and project-based learning. A study conducted by Clark and Seider (2020) found a positive correlation among Black and Latinx adolescents between curiosity and involvement in society.”

These areas of focus make up what are known as transformative SEL practices, defined by CASEL as those that "facilitate critical examination of individual and contextual factors that contribute to inequities and collaborative solutions that lead to personal, community, and societal well-being" (n.d.).  Through tSEL, students and adults develop social and emotional skills needed for school and community engagement, with a focus on rights and responsibilities for creating learning environments that are caring and just.