Why schools shouldn\’t only be about academics : Need of SEL

The rising trend of young students committing suicide saddens me. Without a second question, In-school Counsellors should be available to assist them. The most wholesome attitude towards it is to strive for a wholly balanced educational system that will, first, provide a realistic perspective on life and, second, elicit the true inner strength of today\’s learners.

This, in my opinion, would yield positive results. Appointing counsellors is an approach to solve the problem. On the other hand, a proactive approach prevents such situations from occurring in the first place. This is the most basic expectation that parents have of educational institutions. Inner strength is the crucial thing to consider here. Quality education should create a mix of knowledge and inner strength.

The pressure on students of today

On the one hand, students are under increasing pressure to perform and excel to gain admission to prestigious colleges and universities later in life and eventually become wealthy, successful, and famous. However, the unregulated and ever-accelerating susceptibility to the modern technology of kids and mass media, on the other hand, instil in them a very unrealistic and goal-oriented outlook on life.

I can\’t refuse any of it because it is part and parcel of the times we live in. The key is to find a happy medium. It is a matter of introspection that, despite the high amount of assistance that the counsellors provide, a meagre number of school counsellors will also not be sufficient to handle the requirement.

Proactive steps for schools

The steps for it are :

Inner engineering

First and foremost, \’inner engineering\’ is required. It should be encompassed in the syllabi. The aim needs to be that no student progress to higher education without building their inner strength first. Students must learn how their minds work, the relationship between mind and respiration, core energy in cultivating consciousness and power, and how to conserve a powerful and active core, mind, and intellect.

It is similar to a very old saying that \”prevention is better than cure.\” This adage is a very precious and important saying which must be followed.

Adequate guidance

Second, parents should give it at home if this instruction is not provided as part of the school\’s curriculum. Third, they should provide adequate guidance to their youngsters.

Celebration

The celebration is the right step in moving forward. Happiness should be our aim, which is independent of our external environment and fully dependent on what we feel inside. Homes and schools are workshops for inner engineering. Therefore, neither parents nor children should suffer from distressing reports we frequently read in the newspapers these days of students committing suicide.

Researches and researches say on it.

Do you think, is SEL(Social-Emotional learning) more important now than ever before?

Yes, here is an intriguing fact about it. Even as the education sector is witnessing exponential growth, several issues concern the stakeholder\’s anxiety as a whole. Individuals who find it tough to sail through despite good enough academic achievements, and behavioural problems in students, particularly young students, infer the necessity of making learning holistic and life-oriented.

While there is a lot of research and experiment to make learning positive, social and emotional learning (SEL) is considered essential for student success in school and the workplace and life.

Importance of social and emotional learning

I believe that access to the Internet and technology is one set of challenges that have become increasingly essential in recent years. For example, people can look up facts or information on the Internet if they need it. Also, people, particularly young ones, are not always effectively guided and supported.

Some figures indicate that people are increasingly feeling more isolated and anxious. As its end result, attaining some of these abilities, such as how to jell well with others, bind together, and make good judgments, has become essential. Another point to consider is that we now know more about this work (SEL) than we did 20 years ago.

So, we know more about how to do it and why we\’re doing it now, which is part of why it\’s more necessary to do it now. It\’s a new set of skills that can help people improve their academic performance to get along with others and prepare for the workplace.

Strategy to implement social and emotional learning

Roger P. Weissberg is an SEL scholar, researcher, and practitioner who serves as the Board vice chair and chief knowledge officer of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a national organisation dedicated to making evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning an integral part of pre-school through high school education in the United States explain his strategy about it.

SEL has been taught using a variety of tactics and approaches. As a result, several curricula at the pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school levels have been produced. Many schools use these programmes, but it\’s critical to have professional development and staff training and knowledge of how to apply for the programme.

Recognising the aims of the curriculum, practising teaching, and having proficient educators come into the room and demonstrate lessons or observe and provide feedback to the teachers could all be part of that training. Then there are communities of practice, which are gatherings of teachers who collaborate to address problems. He also says that professional learning and implementation support are critical.

Development of a framework

Roger P. Weissberg gives us his opinion about it that he started producing his curriculum when he was asked to take over CASEL. And he began to examine all of the other models in the field, establishing standards for what would make them the most effective programmes possible. Talking about the inception, he says CASEL has worked to advance the scientific base for social and emotional learning (SEL) through research.

His path had taken him from being a clinical psychologist to working with teachers in schools, conducting research, and finally considering the entire field and how the work may be done successfully and by anybody. Therefore, a planned, comprehensive approach to SEL that incorporates everyone is required for the most effective SEL.

Adoption of it in the society

There are a variety of approaches that can be used in a variety of situations. There are a variety of models too. First, however, we should all understand the fundamental principles that allow it to function properly. Most individuals understand the importance of SEL\’s five basic competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relational skills, and responsible decision-making.

However, elements such as how to teach people and what to do within those large component areas must be developed within the country. The Teacher Foundation, for example, chose to look at many frameworks from across the world, select some of the greatest concepts, and test them in India.

For this, they are interviewing teachers, administrators, and students and considering the work at various levels. All this needs to be done, making sure that it is culturally appropriate. The next step in the process is to put the programmes into action, assess their effectiveness, and review them to verify that they have the desired impacts on pupils.

This must be done on a local level. The people and communities must take responsibility for the job. People will be further interested in the work if they know it was finished in an analogous context. Policy interventions aid in the implementation of SEL on a large scale.

Role of collaboration in putting it in place

It is a collaborative effort. Academics, researchers, practitioners, students, families, and communities are among the people with whom collaboration is done. The goal is for children to be engaged, self-aware, caring, respectful, responsible decision-makers, and academically successful. Parents should participate in all aspects of the process. Parents, kids, and community members should be included at all stages of the process, from planning to implementation.

Integration of Social and emotional learning with other school-based activities of students

Schools, I believe, play an important role in this. Families and communities, on the other hand, play a critical role. Families and communities must be reached out to, and relationships developed so that they understand and contribute to what the programme is and how it may best help the young people. This type of labour requires a conducive home environment and support. Some of that endeavour will start up in elementary schools when parents are more pleased with their kids. Being a parent is a duty that lasts the whole life.

Adolescent problems managed by social and emotional learning

Here is an intriguing thing. You take on the role of a parent. Your children, on the other hand, are constantly changing. Being the parents of a two-year-old is not the same as being the parents of a six-year-old, a teenager, or a young adult. Parents must be more involved and provide more advice while their children are younger.

Children seek greater autonomy and independence as they become older and have more relationships. It is a part of their evolution in life.

Impact of Social and emotional learning

There is plenty of proof that children who partake in SEL programmes operate. Reasonably in academics. Students who can self-advocate and state what they know and don\’t know, seek help when they need it, and persevere and overcome hurdles have all developed social and emotional competencies and contexts that help them participate in learning and perform better academically.

Set Skill\’s importance

Why does having a skill set become so important, and why should it be a matter of botheration?

Academic achievement does not define your skillset: More marks do not imply that you are more competent. I\’ve seen pupils who excelled academically throughout their undergraduate careers but struggled in the workplace.
Your qualifications will get you the job: In the end, it\’s all about your abilities and competency. No matter how good your academic credentials are, you won\’t be hired if you don\’t have what it takes.

It is not difficult to get good grades on semester examinations. Still, you will also be required to acquire abilities, which will take up a significant portion of your college time. Schooling requires concentrating on formulating the personhood of children and their ability to engage as citizens. If you\’re taking a certain set of subjects at school, you should be aware of what skills you\’ll acquire and how they will help in your future. Taking this approach in your mind will make your education wholesome.

My opinion on it from my own experience

In the end, if you ask me what is my opinion about it from my life experiences, then well, honestly, I felt alive in school because of extracurricular activities. Why are we forcing people to be academically oriented or to enjoy academics? Not everybody wants to become a physicist or a college professor. Extra-curriculars are what helps pupils build vital life skills.

Working as a group, acknowledging obligation for your activities, and other essential abilities such as negotiation, compromise, and other abilities, depending on the activity. Model UN taught me how to think critically and consider the opinions of others. It taught me to put myself in the shoes of others.
Drama enlightened me about my hand-eye coordination and how to decipher my body\’s actions. Chorus enlightened me on how crucial it is for various team components to function in unison. The list goes on and on.

Hence, teachers should encourage students to take part in sports activities or say music in as many forms as they can. They should also be complemented and made feel happy about their achievements. As told earlier in this article, happiness and celebration is the correct direction to move forward.

Also Read : Importance Of Career Counselling For High School Students

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