Final Imagine it report
Continued climate crises, globalization, and technological changes will be a big factor in today’s students’ lives. To be able to deal with such paramount issues our students will not only have to have the cognitive skills, but also the social emotional skills to try solving and dealing with these new realities. Our world will look to people with emotional stability, perseverance and a positive attitude to give us hope that the future for our children will be better and safer. Hope that current problems can be managed and eventually solved. These skills can be developed in the home and school environment. The key is to find out where the child is social and emotional wise to where he or she should be and then develop improvements for teacher practices. Surveys and assessments for SEL need to be transparent and have the same weight as academic achievement assessments. Only then will policy makers and teachers be able to understand and reform curricular practices that will promote SEL in the classroom.
From now on SEL will be a major factor in all my classes. We will work hard on cognitive skills that are badly needed in today’s world, but we will also develop those skills that will be paramount in navigating through challenges and transitions that life shows us so often. Skills like regulating emotions, and dealing with change and loss. Being appreciative, empathetic and being able to work and collaborate with others successfully. These skills are just as valuable if not more than the traditional problem solving skills needed in today’s world. Our students need to respect the differences and diversity that they will find themselves in. In order to live a healthy, productive and happy life these skills must be a part of our educational system and our culture. That is why I am so passionate about SEL!
From now on SEL will be a major factor in all my classes. We will work hard on cognitive skills that are badly needed in today’s world, but we will also develop those skills that will be paramount in navigating through challenges and transitions that life shows us so often. Skills like regulating emotions, and dealing with change and loss. Being appreciative, empathetic and being able to work and collaborate with others successfully. These skills are just as valuable if not more than the traditional problem solving skills needed in today’s world. Our students need to respect the differences and diversity that they will find themselves in. In order to live a healthy, productive and happy life these skills must be a part of our educational system and our culture. That is why I am so passionate about SEL!
The conversations that I have had with my peers and students ranged from “why are you doing this?” to “SEL is a major part of my life now.” It has been a long road, but worth every bump. My Teacher collaborators have seen the benefits of SEL in my class and are incorporating it into their curriculum. Being frank and honest about this project from my peers and students has helped me to reevaluate how I taught it and how important it really was to each of my students. How it is an essential part of everyone. It is the foundation to our critical skills, which are needed now more than ever.
What I have learned through this process is that it is an ongoing venture that needs to be tweaked occasionally, managed carefully and reviewed constantly. The benefits are self-evident; students perceiving their emotions, keeping them flexible in order to get a positive outcome. Student’s ability to understand other people’s moods, behaviors and motives in order to deal with them in a constructive and positive way. Also another benefit of SEL that many of my students were not aware of was money! According to TalentSmart every point increase in emotional intelligence adds $1,300 to an annual salary. But to me emotional intelligence is even bigger than money, it is about getting along with our fellow man and helping him or her during struggling times. It is about eliminating prejudices and discrimination. It is about making a personal commitment to nonviolence. It is about saving this world for future generations. If we have SEL and compassion for each other then maybe this species will prevail.