The Importance of Social/Emotional Learning
Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing educators. As we move through our careers as teachers we pick up ideas and make them our own. This sharing is a big part of what helps us grow within our profession.
I have always considered myself to be a bit of a pacifist when it comes to issues of war and peace. However, when I first began teaching I had the pleasure of working with someone who quickly became a true mentor for me within my practice. She was able to help me put a name to a feeling and idea that I had. The question I was asking and wrestling with was "what if we could teach our students to go out and change the world?"
The twist that this teacher helped me to put on my idea was to take it a step further and ask: "What if we could help students to spread peace within themselves and the world?" This idea of peace education quickly became a central part of my own teaching philosophy and a lens through which I came to do all of my work with kids. Peace education is about empowering others to make change in the world for the better, but also to make change within themselves.
Over the last few years, I have been learning much about self regulation, and the role that our mood and emotions play in our learning and our lives. Our emotions are critical to how we behave and act toward others. If we can regulate ourselves, we are better able to navigate our world successfully.
Who has never seen the person at the grocery store "flipping their lid" because it takes too long to get service, a student breaking down because they feel incapable of doing the work asked of them, or perhaps someone who simply cannot keep their body under control? These are instances when those individuals' ability to self-regulate has broken down. Until they are able to self regulate again, they will be incapable of doing the learning or participating in whatever task is at hand. The trick is to find strategies to help us regulate ourselves and our emotions.
One of my former teaching colleagues recently posted this video on emotions to her Youtube channel. Please check it out, as it explains much of this.
I have always considered myself to be a bit of a pacifist when it comes to issues of war and peace. However, when I first began teaching I had the pleasure of working with someone who quickly became a true mentor for me within my practice. She was able to help me put a name to a feeling and idea that I had. The question I was asking and wrestling with was "what if we could teach our students to go out and change the world?"
The twist that this teacher helped me to put on my idea was to take it a step further and ask: "What if we could help students to spread peace within themselves and the world?" This idea of peace education quickly became a central part of my own teaching philosophy and a lens through which I came to do all of my work with kids. Peace education is about empowering others to make change in the world for the better, but also to make change within themselves.
Over the last few years, I have been learning much about self regulation, and the role that our mood and emotions play in our learning and our lives. Our emotions are critical to how we behave and act toward others. If we can regulate ourselves, we are better able to navigate our world successfully.
Who has never seen the person at the grocery store "flipping their lid" because it takes too long to get service, a student breaking down because they feel incapable of doing the work asked of them, or perhaps someone who simply cannot keep their body under control? These are instances when those individuals' ability to self-regulate has broken down. Until they are able to self regulate again, they will be incapable of doing the learning or participating in whatever task is at hand. The trick is to find strategies to help us regulate ourselves and our emotions.
One of my former teaching colleagues recently posted this video on emotions to her Youtube channel. Please check it out, as it explains much of this.
