Sadly, today’s students are forced to handle a wide range of adult-level stressors, from the effects of poverty to bullying and difficult home lives. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), roughly 20% of students experience a mental health illness each year (Maras, Thompson, Lewis, Thornburg, & Hawks, 2015). Even worse, this number is steadily increasing (Maras et al., 2015). As a result, schools should be empowering students with the necessary skills to handle difficult situations and emotions. Unfortunately, our education system is struggling to do so, as there is increasing pressure on schools and teachers to successfully teach core academic content and produce high standardized test scores (Durlak, Weissberg,
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In regards to behavioral issues, Haymovitz et al. (2018) note that research has shown punishment-based behavioral management efforts are consistently unsuccessful. They suggest using SEL programs as an alternative, in which the goal is to educate rather than punish (Haymovitz et al., 2018). Based on their study of Social Harmony, an SEL program that was implemented in a small, private, kindergarten through eighth grade school, Haymovitz et al. (2018) found that implementation led to a decrease in negative behaviors and an improvement in student-teacher relationships. Teachers also reported feeling more confident in their abilities to handle difficult behavioral issues (Haymovitz et al., 2018). Durlak et al. (2011) had similar findings. Based on the meta-analysis, Durlak et al. (2011) found that SEL programs have a statistically-significant relationship with a decrease in negative student behaviors. In addition, after analyzing several existing SEL programs, Yaeger (2017) reported positive findings as well. For example, the implementation of Teen Outreach, the SEL program previously mentioned, resulted in a decrease in both behavioral issues and the number of teen pregnancies, even though the program rarely mentioned the topic of pregnancy (Yaeger, …show more content…
While there will always be pressure to show traditional academic growth through grades and test scores, it is invaluable that we make time for social and emotional learning. In order to do this successfully, schools must gain teacher support and carefully design these programs to maximize student impact. This will require an understanding of the lessons learned from previous, and hopefully future, research on how to best implement SEL programs.
References
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing student’s social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x.
Haymovitz, E., Houseal-Allport, P., Lee, R. S., & Svistova, J. (2018). Exploring the perceived benefits and limitations of a school-based social-emotional learning program: A concepts map evaluation. Children and Schools, 40(1), 45-54. doi: 10.1093/cs/cdx029.
Maras, M. A., Thompson, A. M., Lewis, C., Thornburg, K., & Hawks, J. (2015). Developing a tiered response model for social-emotional learning through interdisciplinary collaboration. Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 2(2-3), 198-223. doi:
In regards to behavioral issues, Haymovitz et al. (2018) note that research has shown punishment-based behavioral management efforts are consistently unsuccessful. They suggest using SEL programs as an alternative, in which the goal is to educate rather than punish (Haymovitz et al., 2018). Based on their study of Social Harmony, an SEL program that was implemented in a small, private, kindergarten through eighth grade school, Haymovitz et al. (2018) found that implementation led to a decrease in negative behaviors and an improvement in student-teacher relationships. Teachers also reported feeling more confident in their abilities to handle difficult behavioral issues (Haymovitz et al., 2018). Durlak et al. (2011) had similar findings. Based on the meta-analysis, Durlak et al. (2011) found that SEL programs have a statistically-significant relationship with a decrease in negative student behaviors. In addition, after analyzing several existing SEL programs, Yaeger (2017) reported positive findings as well. For example, the implementation of Teen Outreach, the SEL program previously mentioned, resulted in a decrease in both behavioral issues and the number of teen pregnancies, even though the program rarely mentioned the topic of pregnancy (Yaeger, …show more content…
While there will always be pressure to show traditional academic growth through grades and test scores, it is invaluable that we make time for social and emotional learning. In order to do this successfully, schools must gain teacher support and carefully design these programs to maximize student impact. This will require an understanding of the lessons learned from previous, and hopefully future, research on how to best implement SEL programs.
References
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing student’s social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x.
Haymovitz, E., Houseal-Allport, P., Lee, R. S., & Svistova, J. (2018). Exploring the perceived benefits and limitations of a school-based social-emotional learning program: A concepts map evaluation. Children and Schools, 40(1), 45-54. doi: 10.1093/cs/cdx029.
Maras, M. A., Thompson, A. M., Lewis, C., Thornburg, K., & Hawks, J. (2015). Developing a tiered response model for social-emotional learning through interdisciplinary collaboration. Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 2(2-3), 198-223. doi: