Meena Srinivasan - SEL Every Day

SEL Every Day

Integrating Social and Emotional
Learning With Instruction
in Secondary Classrooms

MEENA SRINIVASAN

Note to Readers: Models and/or techniques described in this volume are illustrative or are included for general informational purposes only; neither the publisher nor the author(s) can guarantee the efficacy or appropriateness of any particular recommendation in every circumstance.

For my son Kailash and the next generation. May SEL help create thriving, resilient, courageous, and caring young people as we build a more compassionate, equitable, and WOKE world together.

The SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING SOLUTIONS (SEL SOLUTIONS) SERIES features compact books for educators focused on recommended SEL practices from experts in the field. Cutting-edge research continues to confirm that teaching students social and emotional skills pays off in improved behavior and academic learning that continues into adulthood as success in life. The books are intended to provide school leaders and classroom teachers with SEL tools and strategies that are grounded in research yet highly accessible, so readers can confidently begin using them to transform school culture, improve student behavior, and foster learning with the proven benefits of SEL.

It is with great enthusiasm that I introduce Meena Srinivasans new book SEL Every Day: Integrating Social and Emotional Learning With Instruction in Secondary Classrooms . This much needed volume is a treasure for educators looking for research-based approaches to support adolescents social and emotional learning. The need for such a book became blatantly obvious to me when my son became an adolescent and a dramatic change came over him. From my perspective, it seemed like he was regressing in his social and emotional skills. Overly irritable and touchy, he seemed less empathetic than he had been as a younger child. I wondered, Where did my kind, sweet boy go? Like many parents, I wasnt sure how best to help him. But we now have a much better understanding of the dramatic developmental transformations that adolescence involves, how these changes impact childrens social and emotional development, and how to provide the support they need. This book fills a critical need; there are many resources for elementary-level educators but few for those in middle and high schools.

As children enter puberty, they are flooded by hormones that their bodies are not used to and their brains go through important changes, with different regions of the brain developing at different rates. At this stage of development the limbic system, where emotions are processed, develops more quickly than the prefrontal cortex (PFC), where executive functions are based. Executive functions allow the individual to differentiate among conflicting thoughts, make judgements about good and bad, determine the future consequences of current activities, engage in goal-directed behavior, and exercise social control, which is the ability to inhibit urges that might result in socially unacceptable behavior. The developmental imbalance during adolescence, when the limbic system is ahead of the PFC, results in teens active engagement in social media, parties, gossip, sex, substance use, and other behaviors that provide stimulation. However, some of these activities are dangerous and as we all know, adolescents often make unwise decisions.

Contrary to the common misconception that adolescents dont need SELthat teens should have learned these skills alreadythese developmental changes make adolescence an optimal time to teach SEL. We know that the brain is more malleable during this time, which gives us a critical window of opportunity to promote self-understanding, self-control, and better decision-making. The teen brain is also more vulnerable to stress, making this an optimal time to learn stress reduction and self-care skills such as mindful awareness practices. SEL is a lifelong learning journey and at every age we can learn new skills and adapt to new challenges. The dramatic changes during adolescence provide both a window of opportunity and a necessity to support social and emotional development.

Based in the most current research on adolescent social and emotional development, SEL Every Day is an accessible guide for teachers about how to integrate SEL into their instruction. Meena Srinivasan offers a holistic approach to SEL and academic instruction, rather than treating it as a stand-alone add-on or intervention. This approach frees time by efficiently embedding SEL into existing teaching practices. The book also provides easy-to-use strategies for promoting a positive school culture by building strong teacher-student and peer relationships, using approaches that are based in equity and cultural responsiveness. Each chapter begins with a story about how the SEL concepts presented in the chapter have been applied by an educator. Other highlights include notes from the field that clearly demonstrate how things work on the ground. In addition, the text explores the connections between SEL and the Common Core, project-based learning, personalized learning, and college and career readiness. I am confident that SEL Every Day will become your go-to resource for SEL instruction.

Patricia A. Jennings, M.Ed., Ph.D.
Editor, Norton Series on Social and Emotional Learning Solutions

Any teacher who thinks that SEL should be done in younger grades is 100% right. We 100% wish that all of our students came fully equipped with all the social and emotional intelligence and skills and attributes that we would want everyone to come with. Sadly and unfortunately, thats not our reality. This is something that a lot of our young people dont come to school equipped with, and just like we do with any young person that needs support in learning, whether it be algebra or English, we take the time to slow down and develop those skills so they can learn to be successful. SEL is no different. We have an equal responsibility to slow down and take time to find ways to meaningfully incorporate SEL into our teaching.

Matin Abdel-Qawi, principal, Oakland High School, Oakland, California

S ocial and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which children, adolescents, and adults can acquire and apply the necessary knowledge and skills to understand and manage their emotions, feel and express empathy for others, set and achieve positive goals, and make responsible decisions (CASEL). SEL skills are fundamental for effectiveness in life and are especially valuable during the emotionally turbulent years of adolescence. Despite recognizing its value, middle and high schools do not always make room to offer a standalone SEL program, and administrators and teachers often state that they dont have time to implement SEL.

It is common in some school communities to view social and emotional learning as separate from academics and instruction, and there is insufficient evidence that solely skills-based SEL programs provide the most effective approach for teenagers (Yeager, 2017). This book is for middle and high school leaders and teachers who understand the need for SEL as an integrated part of instruction rather than just a stand-alone SEL program. It will help teachers see how SEL is in fact not separate from academics or instruction, but is integral to and interdependent with quality teaching and learning. SEL Every Day: Integrating Social and Emotional Learning With Instruction in Secondary Classrooms draws upon the latest research and resources on SEL-integrated instruction and offers an accessible guide for educators on how to begin to incorporate SEL into their everyday teaching.