Cultural Curriculum Chat with Jebeh Edmunds

Season 7 Episode #1 How SEL is Shaping the Future of Education

• Jebeh Edmunds • Season 7 • Episode 1

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Step into the transformative world of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in our latest episode! We dive into the integral role SEL plays in reshaping classrooms by highlighting its potential to enhance emotional regulation, foster empathy, and improve interaction among students and teachers. As our educational landscape continues to evolve, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, we spotlight how SEL equips students with essential life skills, turning them into better citizens and community members.

Discover the compelling statistics linking SEL programs to significant improvements in school behavior and decreased dropout rates. We share real-life insights from educators with years of experience, stressing the urgent need for tools that help students navigate their emotions, make responsible decisions, and develop lasting friendships. Their stories bring to life how innovative practices, like mindful morning meetings and engaging classroom discussions, create supportive environments where children feel valued and heard.

In addition, we address the rising stress levels among teachers and how SEL practices can empower educators, enhancing their ability to create positive classroom climates. As we embark on this essential conversation about the future of education, we encourage you to reflect on your experiences with SEL and join us in cultivating a community that supports learning and growth. Don’t miss out on enriching discussions—subscribe now and tune in every Friday for new episodes!



Resources:


https://casel.org/sel-in-schools-nationally-and-in-the-cdi/?view=true


https://casel.org/professional-services/school/





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Speaker 1:

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Cultural Curriculum Chat. Wow, today is season seven. Oh, my goodness, I gotta sit back and, just you know, give myself a pat on the back and a pat on your backs as well. Thank you for rocking with me, listening with me and watching me as well on YouTube for these past seven seasons. I could not do it without y'all, and this episode is really a really good one to kind of kick off our new series about social emotional learning and some really good tools for you, educator in mind, especially in the era that we are in, and this topic we're talking about is creating big waves in the educational world. It is social and emotional learning, or SEL. Now I know what you're thinking. Oh, here we go, jeb, Another educational keyword buzzword. Whatever you want to tell me, but trust me, this is something you'll want to pay attention to. Imagine a classroom where students aren't just learning math and history and health and sciences, but they're also learning how to manage their emotions, building those lasting friendships and making responsible decisions. Sounds too good to be true, right Wrong? Well, that's exactly what SEL is bringing to schools across the globe. Now here's the kicker SEL isn't just about feeling good, it's about real, measurable results that are changing the game in education. So buckle up, because we're about to unpack the hidden power of SEL and how it's revolutionizing our schools. Sel is about teaching students the skills they need to understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals and feel and show empathy for others. They also learn how to establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions.

Speaker 1:

Now, being a classroom teacher, I was in the classroom for over 10 years. I taught first and fifth grade and we really worked hard on talking about problem solving as a class. Every morning we would do the responsive classroom practices of morning meetings and kind of getting ourselves ready to learn and having those open discussions and talking about scenarios of what would you do if this were to happen. Or you know, I used to have this bedazzled spatula I got and I would put little rhinestones and sequins on it and we would pass the spatula we called it the sharing spatula around and that really helped us open that discussion. There's so much great curriculum out there that specializes in SEL. They started infusing a lot more of those SEL practices right after COVID because we noticed a huge shift in isolationism with our students. We noticed a huge shift in kids just not knowing how to use their words, not knowing how to self-regulate, because we were in such a fog the last three years going through the pandemic, and so I'm really glad to see that this SEL practices is not going away, but it's something that parents and educators really need to understand and get on board with, because there is so much data out there and I cannot wait to share this data with you right now.

Speaker 1:

Sel programs have been linked to a 23% improvement in school behaviors, especially with social emotional learning, a 10% decrease in classroom misbehavior and get this, a 9% decrease in school dropout rates. One of the biggest benefits of SEL is improved emotional regulation. We've all been there that moment when emotions take over, rational thinking goes out the window and for students, this can lead to conflicts, poor decision-making and they struggle. Sel gives students those tools to recognize and manage their emotions effectively. Think about this, for example a student who's used to lashing out in anger when they're frustrated now has the skills to take deep breaths, identifies their feelings and finds constructive ways to address the situation. That's how SEL works in action. Now let's share about some social skills. Okay, in today's digital age, we are face-to-face with interaction skills, and that is more crucial than ever. Sel programs teach students how to communicate effectively, resolving conflicts and building relationships positively. And these aren't just nice-to-have skills. They're essential for success when they become adults. But here's how it gets even more interesting. Sel doesn't just benefit individual students. It transforms classroom communities, Schools that implement SEL programs. They have seen reduced bullying. They've seen an improvement in school climate and increased student engagement. This is really how students feel that they can belong. Students feel that they can be empathic with their peers and they learn effective conflict resolution strategies. It is a positive domino effect that ripples throughout the entire school system and student body.

Speaker 1:

Now I found this article titled Teacher Stress and Health Effects on Teachers and Students, and it was written by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Penn State. This was a study taken in 2017, and it talks about how teacher stress is at an all-time high. It affects their physical health. It talks about the high percentage rate of daily stress amongst all occupational group, tied with nurses, and that is alarming. 46% of teachers report a high daily stress during the school year. Right that leads to higher turnover rates and lower effectiveness of teachers being able to function and teach in school. I mean from 1988 to 2008,. They said 41% of teachers left the profession due to high stress and, of course, we all know student behavior can be a part of that Hard, poor working conditions, job dissatisfaction and, we all know, low salary. That is one part of the evidence, but, again, student achievement and being penalized, low academic performance, and that also is tied to test scores and the pressure to test to teach.

Speaker 1:

On the flip side of that, we are learning more about what does the research say on the benefits of helping our students regulate themselves and have a more manageable climate and this one I want to share with you with academic performance. It says that SEL interventions that address those core five competencies collaborative for academic, social and emotional learning, casel. This is a wonderful resource. I'll have this in the show notes about how you can implement SEL in your everyday life as an educator, and one of their studies I wanted to share with you talks about the effectiveness of SEL in the classroom and how those systems have implemented for the better.

Speaker 1:

In 2021, they did a study titled Rising Up Together Spotlighting Transformative SEL in Practice with Latinx Youth, and in this they talk about initial efforts to illustrate how it works in the classroom, based on surveying the youth and interviewing those teachers in that area and observations during their SEL instructional time in a predominantly Latinx school community in a large urban district and just what they found was amazing District and just what they found was amazing. They found adapting an evidence-based SEL curriculum that was selected by the district to ensure that their students' identities and communities and values and concerns were represented, because that was also showing that they valued each student and had that cultural intelligence about where they come from and their values that they bring into their classroom every day. They also talked about how they validated each student's experiences of oppression, including opening a space to acknowledge that the trauma they may have experienced. At the community level they also infuse a broader social justice issues component into their SEL topics and they also recognize the youth as emerging social change agents. So having that social change in there really is reflective of listening to the youth, surveying the youth, seeing and recognizing their youth as future community leaders is very important. There's lots of evidence of helping teachers manage that stress with having mindfulness programs infused, helping teachers managing their emotions, having mentoring programs within their emotions, having mentoring programs within that has retention rates, wellness programs, benefiting them with their also improves teacher health. Looking at the research, looking at those case studies, is so powerful, right? That is something that I want you to think about moving forward. The benefits of SEL extend far beyond just the classroom, far beyond just your grade level. It is the life skills that our students will carry with them in. So we're not just talking about better students, we're talking about better citizens, better colleagues and better friends.

Speaker 1:

Now, I know that this shift can be scary, especially in education, but the evidence is clear that I have shared. Sel is not just another trend. It's a fundamental shift in how we approach education, focusing on developing well-rounded individuals ready to tackle those challenges for the 21st century. What do you think? Are you ready to join this SEL shift? Drop your thoughts in the comments of this episode. I want you to think about this and if you're a parent, a student, an educator who has experienced SEL, share your story with us and let's keep this conversation going. Subscribe for more episodes that drop every single Friday so you are up to date with our latest educational and professional development content. And if you want to dive deeper into learning more about SEL, check out those resources that I have for you in the show notes. So you are in tune to what I have shared. Until next time, keep learning, keep growing and remember. Education is about more than just what's in our textbooks. It's about preparing for life. So see you same time next week. Bye-bye.