4th December 2021

The teaching profession is without doubt rooted in the physical and mental nurturing and growth of young people. However, the reality is that educators are forever burdened by heavy workloads and time constraints, making it difficult if not impossible to support the needs of each student in the classroom. In a world where multiple platforms of entertainment (and distraction!) exist, it’s easy for students to lose interest in studying, become overwhelmed and fall behind. Luckily, educators can try to boost student comprehension and engagement with lesson content by making the classroom a space of self-reflection.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) tools are already utilized by educators around the globe and have proven helpful in strengthening academic achievement as well as student behaviour inside and outside of the classroom. There are many ways to implement SEL into teaching, but it can be especially beneficial to begin by focussing on the classroom environment as whole.

We’ve looked at how educators could incorporate SEL in the classroom and enhance the learning experience of their students.

1) Have daily or weekly check-ins

Quick check-ins at the beginning or end of lessons can help to understand how your students are feeling, and better gauge their receptiveness and understanding of content. Simple questions like “are you ready to learn today?” can encourage students to reflect on their own feelings in the classroom setting. Not only will this help to create a space where students feel comfortable communicating their readiness to learn, but it can encourage a more organic transition into or out of the classroom each day.

2) Conduct warm-up activities

Lessons can pass quickly when there’s lots to cover but taking a few minutes to ease the class into learning can be good for both educators and students. Whether a short quiz about the previous lesson or a fast-paced game, warm-up activities can help boost engagement by creating a more student-centric classroom environment. Industry expert Tom Veryzer also emphasises that consistent class activities can not only build trust and rapport between students and educators but develop a strong foundation for clear communication.

3) Encourage creative expression

It’s well known that engaging in the arts can relieve stress, nurture creativity, and stimulate the mind. Throughout history, world leaders and notable figures from across the world have turned to art when during mentally and physically challenging careers. Why not offer the same vice to your students? Incorporating artistic activities, whether spontaneous drawing exercises or constructing lesson content posters, can help to diversify classes by incorporating non-linear learning in lessons.

There are endless approaches to teaching, and each educator will find some that work more than others. Incorporating activities such as these will not only allow increased student self-awareness but may encourage positive behaviour which boosts academic achievement. Stepping away from academically rigid lesson plans can be a great way to find common ground between the many social emotional differences that exist in a single classroom.