Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic affected education on all fronts. Most troubling was the effect on students' social emotional learning (SEL) across all education sectors. The implications are yet to be fully understood; however, ongoing research points to further exploration. This chapter supports the redesigning of educator preparation programs (EPPs) to include courses dedicated to exploring SEL. In a post-COVID-19 era, it will be essential to integrate SEL in the EPP curriculum to build awareness of these needed skills in future educators, to build capacity to support students during challenging times. This chapter also encourages universities to consider the addition of SEL development for their EPPs. The authors developed specific action steps for EPPs to use in incorporating SEL within their curriculum. These steps include integrating SEL across coursework, recognizing challenges and stressors, practicing collaboration, encouraging independent practice and critical thinking, using pre and post-assessments to measure SEL improvement, and incorporating mindfulness and emotional regulation.
TopSocial Emotional Learning
The American Psychological Association, Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education (2015) explained that Social Emotional Learning (SEL) can transform relationships and communication in education. CASEL (2020) defined 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. (para 1)
The Aspen Institute (2018)
explained that, “Put simply, social and emotional development is not just about the skills that students and adults possess and deploy; it is also about the features of the educational setting itself, including culture and climate” (p. 2).
CASEL (2017) outlined the importance of supporting curriculum and instruction, practice and policies, and family and community partnerships for SEL improvement. CASEL (2020) developed five tenets of SEL development. As seen in Figure 1, each of the five tenets work in conjunction with each other to develop a robust plan for SEL development.
Figure 1. The five tenets of social emotional learning
Key Terms in this Chapter
Self-Management: The will to control individual reactions to internal or external stimuli.
Responsible Decision-Making: The skill of making decisions in a responsible way that is socially acceptable.
Social Awareness: The awareness and understanding of what personal traits and actions impact others in a positive or negative way.
SEL: The practice of demonstrating appropriate social and emotional skills through the process of learning and individual growth.
Relationship Skills: The knowledge of relating to others personally and professionally.
Self-Awareness: The individual awareness and understanding of what personal traits and actions impact yourself in a positive or negative way.
COVID-19 Pandemic: The widely accepted terminology for the novel coronavirus that elevated to a global pandemic in March of 2020.
Adult SEL: The support required to build and maintain social emotional skills of adults who support others’ SEL skills.