Why schools should be taking students’ emotions seriously

How can schools best prepare young people to lead happy, successful lives? Academic preparation is obviously important and is a strong predictor of success in college and career. A growing body of research, however, suggests that academic preparation is only one piece of the puzzle. This research shows that teaching students to manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions can be equally important. Teaching these skills has always been important for schools like KCD who are committed to educating the whole child, but educators are now using the term Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to talk more systematically about this aspect of teaching and learning.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines SEL as “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”

SEL is based on the recognition that everyone experiences a wide range of emotions throughout the day. Some of these emotions are positive and helpful; others aren’t. SEL can help students learn to use positive emotions to enhance their learning. It can also help them recognize when negative emotions are posing a barrier to learning and provide them with strategies to get around that barrier.

There is now a solid body of research showing why schools and businesses alike should be taking SEL seriously. A 2011 study [1] shows that schools that consistently addressed social and emotional learning showed increases in their students’ academic success, fewer disruptive behaviors, and stronger relationships between adults and children.

The benefits even extend past graduation and into adulthood. A 2015 study [2] suggests that strong social and emotional skills are important indicators of career success as well as strong familial and professional relationships. Employers are increasingly realizing that employees with strong social and emotional skills are happier, more productive, and make better team members and leaders. [3]

There are many ways to implement SEL in a school environment. At KCD, we are using the RULER program developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, supported by ongoing training for our teachers. RULER provides an evidence-based set of skills and strategies that teach students to Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, and Regulate their emotions. RULER provides us with a way to approach SEL in a thoughtful, systematic way.

Children learn best in an environment that is positive, supportive, and characterized by strong relationships between students and teachers. We’ve seen that SEL can play an important role in supporting such a school environment, and the research shows that students will benefit from such a program not only during their school years, but well into college and beyond.

This post was previously published in Business First.