As teachers, one of the benefits of assisting students’ families with strategies to support Social and Emotional Learning skills is that it strengthens family bonds.
Given that the family is the foundation of a child’s social and emotional development, it is only natural that teachers promote social and emotional learning at their students’ homes, as the impact extends beyond the student to the family as well.
The wonderful thing about social and emotional learning is that it can take place almost anywhere, making it simple to implement. While teachers have a thorough understanding of social and emotional learning (SEL), some families may not, as they have little or no knowledge of its definition or how it is used in education.
Teachers can help students’ families understand what SEL is and raise awareness for their students’ social and emotional development by introducing them to key terms associated with SEL, such as social awareness, self-management, self-awareness, relationship-building skills, and responsible decision-making.
Make sure you have enough resources and data to address their worries about the subject. Create resource pages for these families, include SEL activities in your journals, encourage them to take hardcopy resources home, and even organize SEL family gatherings to bring the entire school community together.
Teachers can also assist families in stocking their home libraries with books that promote SEL skills. It will allow families to deeply engage their learning capacity and enhance specific social and emotional qualities if it is accompanied by additional questions for discussion.
Many excellent books exist that teach SEL and its associated competencies and abilities — social awareness skills such as respect and empathy; self-management skills such as resilience; relationship skills such as listening and collaborating, and so on.
Teachers can also use interactive podcasts to help families engage their children. You may look for storytelling podcasts that can aid students with SEL through movement, exercises, and music. They can also introduce journal prompts through creative expression and contemplation.
You can use creative approaches and reflection questions to encourage families to share their ideas and even play them out.
Bottomline
When instructors involve families in SEL activities, they provide them with materials to reflect on social and emotional experiences as a group, as well as tools to encourage social and emotional experiences at home.