Social and Emotional Development

Students do not learn in a vacuum. They are growing rapidly not only physically and in relation to the growing acquired body of knowledge, but socially as well.  “Teachers should think about relationships along four dimensions: teacher to individual student, teacher to whole class, student to student, and student to whole class” (Boryga, 2023, pg 1, paragraph 2). Well-adjusted students who are self-aware, socially responsible, open to diversity of being and opinion, and can communicate their needs effectively grow to become more capable learners, become more responsible adults, and more effective citizens through responsible decision making  (What Is the CASEL Framework? - CASEL, 2023). 

 

The growing awareness of the need for social-emotional learning (SEL) integration in the classroom has led to many studies that clarify the impact of successful social-emotional development: “Not only could SEL enhance students’ overall health and development, social-emotional learning can also have a positive impact on school climate and atmosphere.” (Kaspar & Massey, 2022, page 642, paragraph 5). Well-adjusted students have the emotional and social space and focus to better integrate classroom content learning, identify their own goals more clearly, collaborate more effectively, and are more intentional in their choices. “When students’ social-emotional needs are prioritized, they are more likely to respond to learning within the school environment”, effectively enhancing their own education (Kaspar & Massey, 2022, page 642, paragraph 2).

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