During a recent online exploration, I came across an interesting non-profit website. This organisation is dedicated to the vital cause of suicide prevention within India. Among the various compelling terms and phrases I encountered, one particularly struck me: the term ‘public health crisis’ was used to describe suicide. This significant revelation prompted me to pause and reflect, especially given the rising rates of crime, depression, and suicide among the younger generation, especially the students.
I dare not traverse on the path of identifying the multitude of ’causes and reasons’, as many of them would require appropriate research and data which I acknowledge I currently lack. Yet, as an educator, my focus on fostering mental health awareness particularly among young student population, leads me to consider this important element – i.e., the development of a compelling curriculum centered around social-emotional learning.
The 2020 National Education Policy (NEP) envisions that Indian schools should aspire to deliver a holistic education, to develop all capacities of human beings – encompassing intellectual, aesthetic, social, physical, emotional, and moral dimensions – in a unified and harmonious manner. In order to fully understand Social Emotional Learning, let’s explore how it could contribute to preparing the youth to deal with a variety of challenges and complexity.
The journey of cultivating self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal aptitude, are crucial for achieving success in academia, professional endeavors, and in facing life’s challenges. Learning these essential skills not only has a direct impact on the well-being of students but also enables them to excel in other areas of life such as – higher education, habit formation, leading a healthy lifestyle etc.
The entire curricula of SEL is focused on creating an intentional framework to cultivate essential life skills and competencies that go beyond academic knowledge. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) in the United States outlines five overarching competencies within the SEL curricula: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These competencies are frequently translated into various in-school exercises and activities designed to foster empathy, enhance emotional regulation, encourage diverse perspectives, promote teamwork, handling failures positively, and nurture patience in the students.
Having an SEL based curricula in the school fosters an environment that assists students in not only achieving academic excellence, but also growing into comprehensive individuals capable of handling life’s complexities with empathy, resilience, and adept interpersonal abilities. A well-designed SEL curriculum is customised to meet the developmental requirements of students and remains flexible enough to suit diverse age ranges and cultural settings.
Students engaged in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) experience reduced instances of depression, anxiety, stress, and social withdrawal, as indicated by assessments such as the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). SEL initiatives actively influence core executive cognitive functions, leading to enhancements in students’ inhibitory control, planning abilities, and task-switching proficiency. A SEL programme allows students to practice self-regulation skills, which can then promote better emotional well-being in the youth through the various phases of their career.
A few examples of SEL lesson plan** links are made available at the end of this article. The methodology adopted range from collaborative models, role-playing, story and literature, community service and outreach, art and creativity, crisis handling scenarios etc., Through role-playing exercises, students experience diverse scenarios, adopting alternate viewpoints, and interacting with a variety of social contexts. This dynamic practice cultivates skills such as empathy, conflict resolution, and proficient communication. By incorporating artistic and creative skills into Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lesson plans, pupils can achieve higher levels of engagement, foster self-expression, and cultivate emotional intelligence. For instance – In an activity such as Emotional Collage – we could make the students create a visual representation of different emotions or feelings using colors, shapes, and symbols.
The 2020 National Education Policy (NEP) makes a clear and explicit call for the integration of socio-emotional learning (SEL) into school curricula. Additionally, the policy underscores the significance of incorporating counseling and mental health services within educational institutions. This is a progressive attempt aimed at holistic development for our students. This would be a long and challenging process, given the considerable groundwork to be done across all types of schools and needs to be rigorously tested. The government would also need to invest in training the school teachers on SEL and certify them prior to implementing this initiative.
**SEL Lesson Plan
https://www.centervention.com/social-emotional-learning-activities/
https://talkingtreebooks.com/teaching-resources-catalog/lesson-plans/lesson-plans-catalog.html