Page 16 - Cornice Grade 8

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

What is Social Emotional Learning?

l Shayna Shrestha l

Aristotle once said “Educating the mind without discuss issues with one another and most impor-
educating the heart is no education at all”. Some- tantly, find someone who understands them. The
times taking a break from exercising your brain feeling of someone understanding and agreeing
and focusing on your heart plays a big role in with you is one of the best feelings in life. SEL in
development, self-awareness, self-management, RBS brings a group of students who have differ-
and decision making skills. SEL means “Social ences together, and makes them help each other
emotional learning “. Being quite unique from with their problems. Having different perspec-
other subjects in school, practicing SEL is a great tives or opinions during a problem is the best
way to bring out positive and fresh behaviors way to find solutions.
in class. Schools are full of students with
unique thinking and various opin- I remember being very uncom-
ions. Each and every one of fortable the first time SEL was
these students have their introduced. The thought of
own thinking and emo- sharing my feelings with
tions that need to be a counselor or a teacher
dealt with. SEL focus- I never talked to was
es on the emotional intimidating. The past
needs of a student and years, we never talked
provides a safe envi- about sensitive top-
ronment for students ics or topics related to
to talk about their feel- what a student really
ings. wants instead of study-
ing. RBS had frequent
SEL was first introduced sessions about bullying,
to us in eighth grade. Grow- but I believe that the rea-
ing up, both the school and son bullying stopped in our
students feel the need to have grade was because every-
a separate session to discuss Image source: https://www.issuewire.com/so- one stopped caring about
each other’s feelings, opin- cial-and-emotional-learning-market-research- each other. What others do,
ions and issues. A school is report-2021-trends-size-share-growth-and- what others say and what
one of the first places where forecast-2026-1715863583870776 others were going through
we make friends, we develop social skills and get wasn’t important for us anymore. Each day
comfortable being around a crowd. However, al- was repetitive and felt like a task. Everyone
most all students later on feel like they don’t need was so lost in being the best or being perfect.
friends or no one understands them. They be- Full marks, getting an A, getting compliments
come less confident, speak a lot less and feel like from teachers were our goals every year. Ev-
they get judged if they do anything. During times ery student pushed themselves to achieve these
like this, SEL creates a special place for a group of goals. SEL has brought change into my life. It
students to find similarities between themselves, might not be a big one but, I see myself looking