Providing social and emotional learning support is the first of my six strategies for effective parent engagement, outlined in my parent engagement program for teachers.
What is social and emotional learning?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) develops the “ability to understand and manage our emotions, establish positive relationships, develop empathy for others, set and achieve goals and feel good about ourselves” (Beyond Blue).
Research tells us that SEL not only enhances a student’s social and emotional skills, but it also improves their attitudes, behavior, and academic performance (Durlak et al., 2011).
While school is one of the primary places where students learn social and emotional skills, the program’s success requires a coordinated effort amongst teachers, parents, and the community.
Extending learning into the home
Teachers can support the facilitation of SEL outside of the classroom by engaging parents in the learning process. When parents are informed and supported, they can strengthen the teacher’s efforts by providing students with additional opportunities to apply their SEL skills.
We saw this first-hand during the COVID-19 lockdown as teachers and schools sought to communicate and connect with parents so that they could facilitate learning at home. If teachers continue to proactively connect and communicate with parents, parents will be better equipped to reinforce SEL learning at home, leading to more engaged parents and improved outcomes for students. This will be very important again as different areas are forced back into lockdown.
For more information on how to engage parents in your student’s learning, head to cathyquinn.com.
References:
Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). “The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions.” Child Development, 82, pp.405-432.