PUBLIC EDUCATION
JENNIFER BRODDLE Association of Former Board Trustees - CCISD Chapter
Response from “ Association of Former Board Trustees – Clear Creek ISD Chapter ” Joanna Baleson Ken Baliker Jennifer Broddle Bob Davee Glenn Freedman Ann Hammond Charlie Pond Page Rander Dee Scott Win Weber
What is SOCIAL- EMOTIONAL LEARNING ?
What is social emotional learning ( SEL )? According to the Committee for Children , a global nonprofit established to assist abused children , SEL “ is the process of developing the self-awareness , self-control , and interpersonal skills that are vital for school , work , and life success .” ( https :// www . cfchildren . org / what-is-social-emotionallearning /) SEL is often defined as five interrelated core competencies : ( See Figure 1 )
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills
• Responsible Decision- Making How does SEL help students ? Students have any number of issues to deal with at home , at school , and in their relationships with others . The pandemic has just made things more difficult to understand and cope with as home life and school life have been upended . To address the stress and anxiety students feel , SEL offers a means to lower emotional distress and to provide support . Research has found that SEL can lead to fewer disciplinary issues , better grades and test
scores , and higher attendance rates .
Is SEL taught in a special class ? While it is possible to designate a class to SEL , more typically , SEL is woven into the whole curriculum . Professional development programs teach teachers how to use relevant examples to foster interest , to spot students in distress , to teach with empathy and awareness of student needs , and to assure that students feel valued and understood .
Schools have many ways to address SEL , including enhancing decision-making opportunities , provide means for coping with difficult situations , learning to set goals and monitor progress and many more . Does Texas recognize the importance of SEL ? Yes , from pre-K onward , Texas promotes a wide array of programs – from improved study skill to suicide prevention . The Texas Education Agency publishes a list of some of the programs at : https :// tea . texas . gov / about-tea / other-services / mental-health / building-skillsrelated-tomanaging-emotionsestablishing-andmaintaining-positiverelationships-andresponsible-decision-making
https :// bcchp . org / theimportance-of-social-emotionallearning-in-children /
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