We all know that academic learning isn’t the only kind of education that takes place in a classroom. Children form relationships with friends and teachers, experience camaraderie, make decisions, engage in teamwork, and encounter a range of emotions while doing so! Social-Emotional Learning, or SEL, acknowledges the emotional side of learning. SEL is aimed at providing tools to nurture self-awareness, self-management, and social skills. Integrating SEL into the classroom has been associated with improvements in overall academic performance, reading skills, and relationship building. It’s also a key component of the curriculum at The Gardner School. Here are a few social-emotional learning activities that TGS incorporates into everyday learning:
Practicing Mindful Moments
Practicing mindfulness is a helpful way for children to acknowledge when they are feeling distracted or experiencing intense emotions. Thirty seconds to a minute of quiet reflection can serve as a mindful moment for children. Taking this time gives your child the opportunity to make observations about their own thoughts and feelings without judgment. Taking a break to listen to calming music, hold a stuffed animal, or draw a picture are a few other ways children can practice emotional regulation in and out of the classroom.
Teaching Healthy Resilience
The way we respond to situations impacts the outcome. TGS helps give children engaging strategies to help them practice resilience and optimism. Our students practice naming emotions, sharing their feelings, showing gratitude, and identifying positive traits in themselves and others. When children are given a range of emotional tools to navigate the world, they show more confidence and resilience in new or unfamiliar situations.
Building Strong Friendships
We all know the thrill of a win when you’re on a team, whether it’s in sports, in the theater, or on a successful group science project! It’s no different for children. Working in teams and cultivating a warm group dynamic is a wonderful way to establish caring bonds and achieve higher levels of learning. Our daily enrichment activities give kids a chance to build strong relationships as they learn a new skill.
Establishing Routines
Parents know better than anyone that children move and grow at lightning speed! While each day comes with its own measure of unpredictability, establishing daily check-ins and reflections is a great way for teachers and parents alike to add structure and ritual to the day. Not only that, Morning Meetings help to ease transitions from home to school and prepare young children for the day ahead. Ending each day with an optimistic reflection is another great tool to keep children in touch with their own emotions, connect with others, and practice expressing thoughts and feelings.
The Gardner School Supports Social-Emotional Learning
TGS stands behind our unique approach to pre-K education. In warm, supportive classrooms, our students learn the academic skills they need for preschool and the social-emotional skills that will help them relationally. Our nurturing teachers meet students where they are to help foster their growth. To learn why parents choose The Gardner School to help their children to grow and learn, contact us to learn more or to schedule a virtual tour.