Posted on July 08, 2022.

As a former New York City public high school English teacher and parent of an 11th- and eighth-grader, I am delighted in the district’s use of social emotional learning (SEL).

I recently read the article “Parents concerned about changes in school curriculum.” I, too, watched the district’s presentation on SEL and culturally responsive teaching.

The writer asks: “... how will [SEL] concepts affect a student’s core subjects (math, science, history, social studies, etc.)?” This is a great question.

I spent a lot of time teaching skills where students learned how to dialogue, listen effectively, set academic goals, resolve conflicts, and communicate ideas and feelings clearly – all SEL skills needed to support academic learning to thrive in jobs, and to simply get along with others.

If students don’t feel confident in their abilities or heard or safe, they will not thrive academically in their core subjects nor withstand schools’ challenging academic standards.

In my English classrooms, SEL skills helped students write essays about character motivation, theme and conflict. It enhanced their analytical skills.

A study of SEL programs involving 270,034 kindergarten through high school students, found that “SEL participants demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point gain in achievement” (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, Schellinger, 2011). SEL and academic mastery go hand in hand. One supports the other.

The writer says: “... [SEL’s] effectiveness at adequately measuring anything in regard to students’ emotional competency is largely untested.”

Rubrics come home where teachers assess group effectiveness. Students give themselves and one another critical feedback and reflect on their contributions and communication.

Teachers use a variety of assessments to see the whole student – academic and social emotional growth. Most undergraduate and master’s education programs require teachers to take child development/psychology courses.

While I don’t believe teachers are creating “therapy-based classrooms,” I do believe it’s imperative for them to have a deep knowledge of how a child develops and learns to best support each child’s growth.

I absolutely agree with the writer that “district[s] should be … transparent.” Many school district policies/terminology are confusing or new to parents.

I was so appreciative the school district offered the recent presentation. Regular newsletters from school and city leaders are essential. Information is key.

I was also pleased that members of the panel encouraged parents to reach out by phone/email so we can work together to brainstorm positive strategies for our kids.

Original Post: Letter: Praise for social emotional learning in schools