SEL in 5: Proactively supporting collective well-being
What if the foundational purpose of school was to foster well-being?
This month, we focus on ways to proactively support students’ social and emotional well-being. Thank you, as always, for reading.
3 SEL Leadership Thoughts
Imagine what might happen to the overall health of individuals in our communities if every school environment was built to prioritize positive relationships, develop social-emotional learning skills, build a sense of belonging, and explicitly teach our students about mental health, stress responses, and resilience. At a time when so many young people are in need of support, there seems to be increasing awareness that much of what we have been doing in schools to preserve (and improve) our collective well-being has not been working. Yet, we continue to seek solutions that can be implemented overnight versus attempting to understand and address the root causes. [Tweet This]
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We must focus on supporting students and adults in tandem. Whether you are prioritizing their sense of belonging, social-emotional competencies, or overall well-being, we need to consider the needs of students AND staff. The emotional skills of educators can positively influence student conduct, engagement, connection to school, and academic performance. This means that we need to strive for collective well-being and build SEL competencies across our entire school communities. [Tweet This]
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Students and educators have undoubtedly lost a great deal over the past two years. But we shouldn’t let loss prevent us from seeing what’s left; from rethinking what we are doing, particularly when it comes to how we’re treating and taking care of young people and adults in our schools. [Tweet This]
2 Quotes from SEL Leaders
"Getting students proactive support to help them manage issues before they become challenges, and recognizing and supporting students with challenges before they become crises, is crucial. This is a much-needed paradigm shift in our schools: We need to become a wellness model instead of a sickness model around student well-being and mental health." – R. Keeth Matheny [Tweet This]
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"Belonging is something under the surface that drives the things we can see above the service (e.g., attendance, engagement and performance). When students lack a sense of belonging, it will manifest in behavior." – Dr. Clayton Cook [Tweet This]
1 Question for You
What would our society look like if the foundational purpose of school was to foster collective well-being?
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Until next month,
Nick Woolf
Author of SEL in 5
Founder of Inside SEL
p.s. here’s what else I’m reading and one event that I’m especially looking forward to:
How Schools Can Meet the Moment With Programs to Teach the Whole Child
Catching Kids Before the Waterfall: The Case For More Proactive SEL
Students Train to Spot Peers With Mental Health Struggles and Guide Them to Help
President Biden Addresses Student Mental Health in State of Union Address
Student and Adult Well-being Are Key to Positive Conditions For Learning
Are the Kids All Right? What New Federal Data Says About Child Well-being