What is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Why Should You Care?
(from SOS4Students coach Kelsi)
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is the umbrella term used to describe lessons that focus on identifying student feelings, teaching coping strategies, rehearsing problem-solving, and integrating mindfulness into the learning space. Many schools have been incorporating SEL for years, though this year there seems to be an extra focus.
Anyone who interacted with a student last year knows that, for most, virtual learning was physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing. Students learned an entirely new way of being a student all while under the stress of living through a pandemic.
This year, as students return, educators have noticed that students are still exhausted and overwhelmed. The emotional toll of the last year apparently did not dissipate with the return to in-person learning. So, your school may be spending extra time making sure students are equipped with the strategies and resources necessary to continue both their educational and emotional growth.
