Social Emotional Learning with The Calm Caterpillar
If you think back to your days in school, from kindergarten all the way through high school or beyond into college, you will likely recall a moment, or many, where you wondered just why you were being taught about, say, photosynthesis, and what “synthesis” means, and what the point of chemistry even is and whether you will end up using this knowledge in “the real world”.
Whether you actually ended up using photosynthesis in your post-school life is besides the point in this article, as the important thing here is that school, for a student of any age, can be a frustrating and confusing experience.
Educators, and plenty of parents, realize that for many students frustration and confusion hinders them from a deeper understanding of what they are learning.
This can be even more difficult when students may be taught, or learning alongside, people that they do not connect with, or may not even particularly like.
Hopefully the point is clear by now: Our education can depend as much on our emotions as it does our intellects.
This is where Social Emotional Learning (SEL) comes in.
What Is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) teaches children five core competencies to improve their learning experience: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and making responsible decisions.
These core competencies can be neatly divided into two areas of focus: The self, and others.
For the self-focused competencies, the overarching goal is to teach students to understand how their thoughts and emotions impact their behavior and relation to the world, and to better control and take responsibility for their thoughts, emotions, and actions that result.
From there, children get a deeper understanding of how to practice empathy (“putting yourself in someone else’s shoes”). They also strengthen their relationship skills, such as being an effective and patient listener and communicator. This makes it easier to get along with teachers and classmates, and be in a better, more learning-friendly mood throughout the school day.
How the Calm Caterpillar Can Play a Role in SEL
For anyone who knows about the benefits of mindfulness techniques for children, it should come as no surprise that SEL and The Calm Caterpillar’s mindfulness techniques dovetail nicely in helping students of all ages get the most out of their education.
We offer plenty of tools and resources that will assist Social Emotional Learning in the classroom or at home.
You can also take advantage of our free mindfulness resources that can be printed out and hung up in the classroom or at home.
Having readily-visible posters in your classroom makes for an easy reference point for students who are looking for a simple and immediate way to self-manage and reach a greater state of self-awareness.
One place to put those posters is in a calm corner, where students can go to calm down with breathing exercises if they are frustrated, overly excited, or experiencing another disruptive or distracting emotion.
Our Calm Corner Kit provides a set-up that students will love, including a meditation cushion and an expandable breathing ball that will make breathing exercises comfortable and fun.
A “calm down” corner can be used at home or at school, and students could benefit from both.
When students return from the calm corner, they will be more able and willing to manage their own emotions as well as practice empathy in dealing with others.
The Calm Caterpillar Is Here to Help
Want to learn more about the great products and classes that we offer, so that you, your students, or your children can get the most out of Social Emotional Learning? Visit our website today!
