Supporting the Whole Child: The Importance of Social and Emotional Learning

Supporting the Whole Child

The Importance of Social and Emotional Learning

BY: BEVAN KOCH

In the past ten years, there has been growing recognition supported by an extensive body of research that social and emotional curriculum is not only as important as the core curriculum but also an essential contributor to high academic engagement and success. With that recognition comes the understanding that the time given to teaching the social and emotional curriculum is a critical component of a high-quality education.

Every school has a mission statement that includes a statement of its intention to prepare students for citizenship and success in their everyday life.

At The Westview School, we believe that when students are educated in a nurturing and supportive environment, they learn, grow, and develop a strong sense of self and an appreciation for others.

Social and emotional competence is vital for students to imagine and pursue a bright future for themselves and their community. This competence develops when students are provided the time to learn and practice developmentally appropriate skills that prepare them for citizenship and future success in everyday life.

Social learning focuses primarily on oneself in relationship to others, including demonstrating responsible citizenship and acting in ethical ways for the benefit of not just oneself but also for society.

Emotional learning focuses primarily on one's relationship with oneself, specifically one's responses to emotions, and includes learning to recognize and manage those emotions to stay on a trajectory that leads to the best and most desirable outcome.

Social and emotional competence prepares students to learn, play, work, and form friendships and relationships in school with people who are different from them and to learn to manage change more effectively. It enables students to be more cooperative and responsible, increasingly control their own behavior, and make good choices and decisions for themselves.

Learning to Socialize

FLY FIVE AT WESTVIEW

Through a generous grant from the EANS Program, The Westview School purchased the Fly Five Social Emotional Learning Curriculum to support students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 in their acquisition of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills.

The C.A.R.E.S. Standards are based on the five social and emotional competencies that were identified through research conducted by the Center for Responsive Schools in 1985. The C.A.R.E.S. acronym comprises the traits of cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.

COOPERATION

Cooperation is the ability to establish new relationships, maintain positive relationships and friendships, avoid social isolation, resolve conflicts, accept differences, and be a contributing member of the classroom and community in which one lives, works, learns, and plays.

ASSERTIVENESS

Assertiveness is the ability to take initiative, stand up for one's ideas without hurting or negating others, seek help, persevere with a challenging task, and recognize one's individual self as separate from the environment or circumstances.

RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility is the ability to motivate oneself to act and follow through on expectations, define a problem, consider consequences, and choose a positive solution.

EMPATHY

Empathy is the ability to recognize, appreciate, or understand another's state of mind or emotions, to be receptive to new ideas and perspectives, and to see, appreciate, and value differences and diversity in others.

SELF-CONTROL

Self-Control is being able to recognize and regulate one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to be successful in the moment and remain on a successful trajectory

As students prepare to go beyond the school walls, they will face the push and pull of societal dilemmas. We hope that acquiring these skills will prepare them to be respectful, empathetic, and assertive. Mastering these social and emotional competencies will also enable them to be empowered citizens who exhibit prosocial behaviors and demonstrate respect for self, others, and property. Finally, our students will be prepared to manage adversity and meet challenges and difficult circumstances with hope, resilience, and a greater sense of efficacy to solve problems or successfully resolve conflicts.