[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

The Impact of Social Emotional Learning

As an educator, finding ways to help a student battling various academic and social issues can be a real challenge. But integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) techniques can offer much relief. A recent study reveals that SEL can positively impact conduct problems, emotional distress, academics, and drug use for up to 18 years. This piece focuses on the impact of social-emotional learning on the overall life of a student.

What is Social Emotional Learning?

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in education refers to a methodology designed to help students comprehend their emotions and fully interact with those emotions while demonstrating empathy for others. The learned behaviors will then be utilized to help students choose positive, responsible decisions, create strategies to achieve their goals and cultivate positive relationships with those around them.

What Are the Impacts of SEL on a Student?

Academic Achievement

A recent study on the impacts of SEL on the intellectual life of students reveals the program can help increase a student’s test score by 11 percent. Compared to the students who didn’t participate in SEL programs, those who participated recorded improvements in their classroom behaviors and increased their ability to manage stress and depression. The students who benefited from the SEL program also developed more positive attitudes about themselves, the school, and fellow learners.

Positive Life Outcomes

Studies reveal teaching social skills at an early age helps students avoid psychiatric issues, substance abuse problems, and other risky behaviors. Early intervention  with SEL programs show outcomes that stretch far into adulthood by minimizing the life risks commonly associated with social problems.

SEL Helps With Trauma

Integrating social-emotional learning programs into your learning and teaching environment can help equip young students with strategies to cope with everyday disappointments, as well as trauma. A recent study revealed a large percent of the young American population has witnessed at least one violent incident in their lifetime.

SEL programs help such students to respond to the effects of traumatic events by equipping them with social-emotional competencies. The programs are designed to re-shape the brain and reverse the effects of chronic stress due to past traumatic events. SEL can be a top-notch tool for repairing the damage of trauma and building lifetime coping skills, especially for the most at-risk students living in poverty and who may have experienced traumatic events.

Reduced Aggression

SEL can help you reduce aggression in a classroom setting so that you focus on imparting knowledge. Several studies reveal students who receive SEL training were 42 percent less likely to display aggressive behaviors in schools. SEL programs integrate mindfulness techniques that effectively reduce reactive behavior and aggression in students.

Let Hope Rising SEL Integrate Hope into Your Classrooms

If your students are struggling in class and your school performance is unimpressive, they could be finding the conventional school and learning environments as sources of anxiety and stress. This could manifest in diminished motivation, engagement and may eventually lead to harmful behaviors. Social Emotional Learning programs have had positive effects on children’s behavioral, social-emotional, and academic lives. Although SEL is not a designated subject such as English or Math, you can weave it into your school’s curriculum and leverage it as a tool to solve some of your pertinent challenges.

If you are looking for a solution to bring SEL to your schools, we invite you to explore My Best Me, our hope-certified SEL Curriculum.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]