Socio-emotional learning promotes cultural competence
Famous developmental psychologist Erik Erikson wrote, “There is in every child and at every stage a new miracle of vigorous unfolding.” Erikson wanted educationists to see children as constantly evolving beings, who require careful attention to witness this vigorous unfolding.
The 21st century challenge for educators is seeking to educate children who are knowledgeable, responsible, caring and socially competent. The key challenge involves teaching culturally diverse students coming from diverse family backgrounds, having varied abilities and motivations for learning. In recent years research in the field of development, psychology and socio emotional development have led scholars further down the path of integrating socio-emotional learning or SEL and cultural competence. It’s like the two sides of the same coin.
SEL is an educational movement gaining ground throughout the Globe. I strongly opine that SEL enhances the capacity to recognize and manage emotions, empathize, solve problems effectively and most importantly establish positive relationships. Today’s world is diverse and global technology has brought mankind into one chat room wherein interactions across national borders and cultures around the world have become a common experience.
The youth today has to be groomed to enter the adult society which involves interacting with people of varied backgrounds in myriad settings. It is my staunch belief that incorporating SEL across the curriculum promotes cultural competence and augments opportunities for students to learn vital skills, create a positive school and classroom culture.
In my school, SEL curriculum has been inter-woven into the fabric of the school curriculum as a whole. We provide a positive school climate that supports student learning and development by providing opportunities for social emotional development via school assemblies, gamut of cultural programs, community service and club activities. In addition to these, regular needs assessment informs the counselor about the areas that need to be addressed and the relevant interactive life skills sessions further facilitates the understanding of the children.
Teachers strive to create platforms wherein students and the teachers together build and maintain a socio-emotional connect by approaching situations with curiosity rather than judgment. To cite an example, in the Language and Social Science classes the specific characters & historical figures are examined at the microscopic level and related to the thought process of how the person felt at a particular time or during an event, and then analysed how that person’s feelings and emotions might have impacted their actions based on primary sources and historical accounts. This inculcates in them feelings of empathy, understanding and self-awareness. The exercise is followed by meaningful conversations which create space for the students to interact and convey their opinions, agree and disagree respectfully. The whole experience culminates in developing social emotional skills as they study language, arts and history.
This Social and emotional learning is the process through which the students of my school acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. The lessons thus learnt also foster character building, moral and civic education.
Furthermore, the soft skills and interpersonal communication are honed, leading to cultural responsiveness and social awareness which involve the perspective of those belonging to different backgrounds and cultures, and to empathize and feel compassion for all.
Over the last few years, social and emotional skills have been the rising mandate on the education policy. We need to keep in mind that machines are able to automate more and more workplace tasks but it is the social and emotional skills that will become hard currency in the workplaces of the future!
As children put on their backpacks and trek along this trail of life, assisting them on this ecstatic journey is of the utmost importance; so let’s don our thinking hats and make a difference!
Swarnima Luthra is the Principal of ASN Senior Secondary School, Mayur Vihar-I, Delhi. Views expressed are personal.