The school year has begun, albeit different than it has ever been before. Students, teachers, administrators, parents, EVERYONE is affected by the changes that have been imposed on the structure of school and the people who are trying to figure out how to make it happen. Every family is different, every situation is different. No one has ever had to address this type of situation before! I continue to be impressed by the professionalism and determination of our teachers and those who support our teachers in the school systems.

From my own personal experience, I can state that I have seen school administrators (my sister) and teachers (my husband and my closest friend) work tirelessly to make this the best possible experience that it can be. They understand what is necessary to be successful and are dedicated to connecting to the students in order to address their wide range of educational needs.

We must remember that teachers teach more than just the subjects that are presented in their class title. Teachers teach children. Teachers teach each child by identifying how that child needs to learn and grow. This is no simple process and is complicated by the social and emotional situation of the student – no matter the age of the child. The great chasm between teacher and student caused by virtual learning can only be bridged by the relationship that the teacher can build. The culture of the classroom is created by the teacher. Not only that, but the teacher must inspire the buy-in of the student in order for the intended culture to become a reality. 

This week, I am sharing an article written by my friend, Chuck Stamper. He is a specialist in UK Extension and a wonderful educator who cares about kids and families. I think it is an important and timely article because everyone – family, friends, and education professionals – must focus on the individual needs of our children and their social emotional learning in this trying time.  

Importance of social emotional learning BY DR. CHARLES E. STAMPER, ED.D. Extension Special Projects Coordinator/ 4-H Youth Development

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2020) defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as “the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” Understanding the importance of SEL as we start a new academic year will help in making the transition into an uncertain school year less stressful.

There are five core abilities of CASEL’s SEL Model (CASEL, 2020).

• Self-awareness: The ability to accurately recognize your emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior. This includes accurately assessing your strengths and limitations and possessing a well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism.

 • Self-management: The ability to regulate your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating yourself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.

• Social awareness: The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to understand social and ethical norms for behavior, and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

• Relationship skills: The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse people and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking and offering help when needed.

• Responsible decision-making: The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self and others.

These core competencies cannot just be taught in traditional school settings, but must be brought into the community and home as well. Positive youth development enhances the assets youths have in their lives as they develop into well-rounded adults.

How can we teach SEL as kids go back to school? Understood.org (2020) gives these suggestions:

• Activities for preschool: Show students how to work in pairs. You can do this by showing them how to read a book together — point out how to hold the book so it’s centered between two students and how to take turns flipping the pages. This kind of instruction can help kids learn about sharing, think about the needs of others, and develop mutual respect.

 • Activities for grade school: You might ask students to identify their strengths and weaknesses as part of math lessons. You can encourage each child to do things like fill a hundreds grid or a pie chart to show how strong the child feels at a particular skill.

• Activities for middle school: At this age, you can focus more on human connection. Do this by telling students to ask one another how their weekend was. Make the classroom a safe space where everyone can express themselves by having the class agree that there’s no teasing or bullying allowed.

• Activities for high school: Help teens practice taking the perspectives of other people, like getting them to think about how a character in a book felt or why a historical figure took certain actions. You can ask the class to reflect on how and why someone fought for justice and equality. This builds SEL skills by creating opportunities to discuss these kinds of things in small groups or by having them define and use the word empathy.

Our youths are living through experiences no one in our lifetime has ever gone through. We must give them the supports they need to get through this period of challenge.

For more information, contact the Greenup County Extension office. Anne Stephens, Extension Agent for Fine Arts in Greenup County can be reached at 606-836-0201 or anne.stephens@uky.edu. Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING