SEL Takes Center Stage as Students Return to School Post-Pandemic
As students return to school following the COVID-19 pandemic, social and emotional learning (SEL) is taking centre stage. This educational approach focuses on skills like empathy, emotion regulation, and problem-solving, becoming increasingly vital due to the youth mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic.
SEL helps children identify and manage their emotions, communicate effectively, build relationships, and make responsible decisions. It can be integrated into classrooms through daily emotion identification, journaling, writing prompts, reading passages, problem-solving activities, and teamwork exercises. Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a key component of SEL, enabling individuals to understand and manage their own emotions and those of others.
Research has shown the benefits of SEL. A 2011 study found that participating in SEL programs improves students' academic performance and has lasting impacts on students and school communities. The pandemic has caused significant disruptions to children's lives, including loss of social structure, increased food insecurity, and mental health stressors. In the United States, there's been a rise in emergency room visits and reported unhappiness and depression among children and teens, highlighting the urgent need for SEL.
Social and emotional learning is crucial for students' mental health and academic success as they return to school. By focusing on skills like empathy, emotion regulation, and communication, SEL can help children manage stress, readjust to the school environment, and build resilience in the face of ongoing challenges.
