In many countries, parents are the ones responsible for teaching their children social-emotional skills at home. Even in countries where social and emotional learning (SEL) programs are established practices in schools, some people still believe that schools should not take care of teaching them. They prefer focusing on academic subjects, which are part of the standard school curriculum. However, there are good reasons in favor of schools including social-emotional teaching in their curriculum and not leaving only parents to deal with it.
Once more and more schools around the globe start including SEL programs in their curriculum, not only children but also teachers will benefit in terms of their social-emotional development. Such programs will help students achieve better academic success and prepare them for life outside the classroom. Moreover, teachers will no longer struggle to bring order to the classroom, as we all know how challenging this can be when dealing with teenagers.
Children at school are vulnerable, and often teachers face problems such as bullying in the classroom. By teaching children how to recognize and control all of their emotions, thoughts, and actions within them, teachers smooth the entire working process in school communities. They support students in regulating daily challenges such as social interactions, which many of them struggle with, and minimize all negative social behaviors in and outside of the schoolroom. SEL teaches children how to take a breath before acting.
Besides the positive classroom climate that teachers create, children’s average grades and attendance at schools increase, which is again valuable for both students and adults. A lot of students find it difficult to always act accurately, but SEL programs can guide them as to what is right and wrong. Social-emotional learning supports children in discerning how they are expected to behave in different situations, which makes them more confident.
Coupled with emotional regulation, students start recognizing other people’s feelings. This helps them show empathy and compassion, regardless of others’ backgrounds. They understand how to solve their problems without causing tension and conflicts, and fully express themselves, indicating their needs and wants. Knowing themselves better favors not only their communication with classmates but also with adults.
What is more, Aperture Education SEL Solutions showed that teaching social-emotional skills at school does make a difference. It contributes not only to improved academic performance and behavior at the early stages of school, but also to a higher likelihood of graduating from high school, earning a university degree, and then finding a full-time job later in life. Socially and emotionally competent children tend to have stronger connections with other people, which is an important skill for adult life.
Although teaching social-emotional skills at school supports children throughout their personal development, some people still believe that schools should not abandon their standard curriculums. They also believe teachers should focus mainly on teaching academic subjects and leave this responsibility to their parents at home. Some teachers even argue that social-emotional learning contradicts the traditional role of schools and that children naturally learn through their social interactions with one another.
Another reason for teachers not supporting such programs is that schools should provide training programs for them. Programs like these are an additional expense that is not achievable for each school, and some of them prefer relying on the traditional curriculum.
Even though integrating social-emotional learning in schools might require investments, it allows children to develop themselves at an early age, making it easier for teachers during classroom time. As teachers, parents, or just ordinary people, we all can contribute to children’s social-emotional development. Together, we can establish the right school environment so that children can progress in and out of the schoolroom.
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Eyma Georgieva is a senior at the American University in Bulgaria, majoring in Business Administrations and Journalism and Mass Communication. She strongly supports the idea that social-emotional learning should be part of each school’s curriculum.
