Social-emotional learning is the new trend. Gone are the days of only focusing on academics. Educators are teaching soft skills. My initial response to teaching one more thing in the classroom was of complete dread. I couldn’t believe someone wanted me to fit one more thing into our day!
Don’t they realize that we are getting graded on test scores? Johnny has outbursts every day and Susie is constantly bringing her drama in from the playground. HOW was I supposed to manage my students, help them through their middle school awkwardness, improve their test scores, teach my lessons AND add one more thing!
After my initial grumbling, I decided I had no choice so I buckled down to see what I really needed to do. Lessons are ready to go. No prep on my part! Not only did I have no prep but most of the lessons are relatively short and very interactive.
Immediate Changes
After the first quarter of lessons, I noticed a complete difference in my room. Johnny’s meltdowns became few and far between. The drama did not follow my students in from recess and there was just a sense of calm and stillness in the room.
My class is engaged and ready to learn. Students are excited to learn difficult material instead of grumbling. I can even hear them console a friend with the statement, “remember it’s ok, you just didn’t get it yet.”
The students are starting to care for one another even students that are not their friends. They are really showing empathy! Students are consoling each other when they are upset. They are also standing up for one another and standing up against bullying.
It seems like I am waking up in a dream world. The kids are learning to communicate with one another and are able to respectfully solve disagreements and share their feelings. It is nearly blissful.
Academic Changes
On top of the atmosphere, student attendance and tardiness have improved. My kids are sitting in class and eager to learn. Their grades and test scores are starting to show improvement as well.
I am so glad that my school brought social-emotional learning into my classroom. At the beginning of the year, I was completely dreading one more thing on my plate. Now the small amount of time that I spend doing The Mind Trek program has paid off one hundredfold in my room.
From a classroom teacher that has too much on her plate, social-emotional learning is worth every minute we spend on it in the classroom! The benefits are endless.
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