Question: How can social and emotional learning be effectively integrated into daily practice by physical educators?
Context:
Because the goal of physical education is to encourage students to be healthy and active for life, course content must be delivered in a way that is applicable outside of the gymnasium and the school environment. To me, social and emotional skills are the most transferrable pieces of knowledge that students learn in physical and health education. In order to form and maintain healthy relationships, perform well in job interviews and work environments, and contribute positively to one’s community, people need well-developed social and emotional skills. Physical education settings offer a unique opportunity for this type of learning because, unlike many other classes, students’ performance and ability can be observed visually, and there is ample time spent working in partners or teams, leading to many opportunities to practice regulating emotions during interactions with others. This makes it an ideal context to develop social and emotional skills such as emotional self-regulation and solving disputes respectfully (Jacobs, Knoppers, & Webb, 2013). Participation in physical activity correlates to mental health and emotional well-being (Lu & Buchanan, 2014), which further strengthens the link between physical education and SEL.
Social and emotional skills are relevant to students because they are transferable to contexts outside of the school environment. Students without social and emotional skills are more likely to experience challenges in and out of school, including poor grades, disengagement from or dropping out of school, unemployment, substance abuse, and violence (Lu & Buchanan, 2014). Skills that help students avoid these challenges and behaviours can be learned, such as respect, empathy, and responsibility (CASEL, 2017). Teaching these skills in schools is a way to promote community health and economic stability by supporting students’ healthy social and emotional development and increasing engagement and positive behaviours that influence their chances of success (Durlak et al., 2011).
Social and emotional learning is relevant to teachers who strive to build classroom environments that are safe and inclusive. It can be a foundation upon which the classroom environment is built, and can be used as a guiding framework for classroom management and conflict resolution (CASEL, 2017). Teaching emotionally competent behaviour can contribute to a supportive and enjoyable learning environment (Lu & Buchanan, 2014), and can support relationship building between students, teachers, and the community (CASEL, 2017).
Through personal experience working with youth and recent classroom observations, I have heard many youth and adults say that anxiety is an increasingly common barrier to social interaction, conflict resolution, and even attending school or finding employment. I learned through conversations with teachers at alternative education programs that many of their students are afraid of graduating and facing the real world, and have difficulties forming friendships because they have not learned behaviours consistent with appropriate social interactions. My work with these same youth in designing and implementing children’s recreation programs showed me the influence a supportive learning environment can have on motivation and achievement. Teaching in a way that is nurturing and sensitive has always brought me the most success and positive outcomes, especially when working with children and youth who face barriers like poverty, racism, or intergenerational trauma, and with children and youth with disabilities like anxiety, FASD, or ADHD. This style of teaching feels natural and authentic to me, and it seems to be encouraged in elementary school settings while being largely ignored at the secondary school level.If social and emotional learning was supported on an everyday basis, both within physical and health education and across subject areas, I believe youth would be more able to connect with others and cope with challenges, and therefore more likely to be healthy and active for life.