Last month, we reached the one-year mark of distance learning — a year which forced a generation of students and adults to re-examine what we thought we knew about school and proved that how we learn and how we feel are deeply interconnected. The past year provided insight into how we must rebuild our education system better, which was even reflected in the theme of Social and Emotional Learning Day 2021: “Building bonds, reimagining community.”
The idea of “building back better” has been embraced by everyone from President Joe Biden to school leaders, but if we truly want to build back better, we must start with SEL. Social and emotional learning is the way through which we learn and develop all aspects of our being. The skills and practices it promotes, such as creating and strengthening supportive relationships, are the foundation on which we can build more resilient schools, systems and communities.
SEL can help heal the traumas of the last year, uplift marginalized voices and support students and adults as they grow together — not only in our schools, but in our communities as well. SEL is not only a program or set of parameters to integrate into classroom learning, but the thread that can bring together schools, families and communities around the positive, healthy development of students — our future leaders, co-workers, neighbors and engaged members of society.
Read full article here: https://www.k12dive.com/news/s...-back-better/598185/
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