Socio-emotional Learning (SEL) in Schools
Children are naturally curious and observant. They learn through experience, social interactions and reflective practices. Social-emotional learning (SEL) provides a relational framework for children to know themselves and the world around them and helps build foundational skills for responsible decision-making.
As a learning framework, SEL can be woven into the fabric of the school system to address 5 key competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.
At Muktangan, our approach has evolved over the years. A key relational component at Muktangan has been Quality Circle Time, where teachers and students gather around in a circle every week and approach SEL themes playfully. These sessions combine expressive arts-based experientials, with teacher-led discussions covering a range of themes such as understanding emotions, making choices, relationships, self-esteem, decision-making, gender, boundaries, empathy, and so on. This opens up a space for deeper engagement between teachers and students and helps re-affirm rituals of collective connection and respectful interactions. Every week teachers and faculty from all Muktangan schools and the SEL team discuss emerging concerns and plan upcoming sessions.
The goal of SEL is to nurture wholesome students who feel valued, cared for and capable of navigating the world and its challenges as responsible citizens. Schools play a vital role in the lives of children by providing a safe, predictable environment with established routines, rituals and meaningful interactions with peers and teachers. The loss of these experiences during the pandemic, combined with emotional and financial hardships endured by families have left students and their eco-systems carrying significant traces of cumulative stress. Across the world, reports have indicated that pandemic-induced stress has resulted in a significant increase in disruptive behaviours and increased aggression. According to the National Centre for Education Statistics in the US, 87% of public schools in 2021-22 have reported that COVID-19 has negatively impacted student socio-emotional development.?[1]The toll it has taken on children’s mental health overall is borne out by numerous studies across the world.?[2]
The return to learning environments has allowed us at Muktangan to re-assess our methods and take active steps towards equipping our schools with trauma-informed care and practices. Teachers play a pivotal role in creating a safe environment for students to explore how emotions are experienced in the body, what friendships can be like, how stress impacts our well-being, and how we can cope effectively with various challenges, make decisions, work respectfully with differences, and so on. The social and emotional well-being of our teachers is crucial. Their self and community-care practices are vital to the health of the school eco-system. In addition to this, workshops to sensitise and adapt learning practices to the realities of trauma in our communities and systems are a priority.
The Socio-Emotional Department continues to provide one-to-one counselling sessions at schools. Our team of social workers and counsellors work closely with children, parents and teachers to address a range of concerns.
In recent years, we have also crafted short-term intensive programmes for Grade X students graduating from Muktangan.?Mukt-Minds?blends several strands and helps students transition to a life beyond school. These sessions, facilitated in April in conjunction with multiple departments, enable students to enhance skills in areas such as self-awareness, communication, career readiness and community research. This year, as part of their SEL sessions, students explored and built a foundation across a range of self-awareness skills through the use of body maps, vision boards, role-play, dance, and group discussions around personal boundaries, relationships, stress and self-care. Gauri Nandgaonkar, who attended the sessions, appreciated the experience saying, “It felt energetic and active. It gave me the opportunity to understand my own emotions. I came to receive a lot of information and many doubts and misinformation were also cleared.”
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According to Thich Nhat Hanh, “We have more possibilities in each moment than we realise”. Unless we have the awareness at the moment and the skills to make choices that align with our values the possibilities will remain elusive. At Muktangan we are aware of possibilities that await us, and through SEL we attempt to create opportunities that allow students and teachers to tap into possibilities that each moment offers us.
Sources
1. National Center for Education Statistics. “Press Release - More than 80 Percent of U.S. Public Schools Report Pandemic Has Negatively Impacted Student Behavior and Socio-Emotional Development - July 6, 2022.” Nces.ed.gov, 6 July 2022, nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/press_releases/07_06_2022.asp.
2. Ng, C. S. M., & Ng, S. S. L. (2022). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's mental health: A systematic review.?Frontiers in Psychiatry,?13, 975936.?
Author: Ms. Jayshree Kewalramani (Faculty-Socio-emotional Department, Muktangan Education Trust)
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