“The illiterate
of the 21st century will not be those who cannot
read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn
and relearn.”
-The Futurist Alvin Toffler
“Research shows that SEL has positive effects on academic performance; benefits physical health; improves citizenship; is demanded by employers; is essential for lifelong success; and reduces the risk of maladjustment, failed relationships, interpersonal violence, and substance abuse” (Elias, 2006, p.10).
Regardless of who you are, what you do, your age, gender, race; everyone benefits from social and emotional learning (SEL).
I believe that to successfully develop socially and emotionally competent individuals, it is crucial to target youth as soon as possible. Gergen states that now, more and more people are getting a secondary education, however there are less jobs, therefore, there is a need to equip children with the life tools that, with the right implementation, can prepare students for their dynamic futures; “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn” (2014, pg. 58 ). The BC’s new curriculum home page further adds to this idea and states “British Columbia’s curriculum is being redesigned to respond to the demanding world our students are entering”, which further emphasizes this contemporary and imminent issue (BC’s New Curriculum, 2015).
We as educators need to prepare students for the world that they will be graduating into; a rapidly changing and dynamic world. In order for our students to be the “literate of the 21st century”, it is crucial that we shift our view from a teacher centered approach for learning, where students are viewed as an empty vessel that needs to be filled, to a more person centered approach, involving students in the lesson planning process; a life planning process. By empowering students to get involved with how, what and why they are learning, they will be more engaged in their learning, participation will increase, resulting in a greater opportunity to develop social and emotional skills. By empowering students to make their own choices, we are introducing them to real life situations that require them to be responsible decision makers; to become effective leaders of their own life.
I strongly believe that educators, regardless of their area of expertise, class sizes, socioeconomic status and demographic, can be strong influences and promoters for social and emotional competence; in every educator, there is a leader. It is important to note that educators are not limited to teachers. Therefore, promoting leadership strategies for social and emotional learning can be useful and significant to all employers, coaches, parents and the community as a whole.
What is Social and Emotional Competence?
Social-emotional learning addresses the development of five key areas of social-emotional competence.
* Self-awareness: identification and recognition of one’s own emotions, recognition of strengths in one’s self and others, a sense of self-efficacy, and self-confidence
* Self-management: impulse control, stress management, persistence, goal setting, and motivation
* Social awareness: empathy, respect for others, and the ability to see different perspectives of the same issue
* Relationship skills: cooperation, willingness to seek and provide help, and communication
* Responsible decision making: evaluation and reflection and personal and ethical responsibility.
(Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2003)
My Inquiry is based on my Teaching Philosophy(click here) of transference; school is a vehicle that teaches valuable life skills, such as those pertaining to social and emotional competence.