Blog
Social and emotional learning – where are we now?
Never has supporting social and emotional intelligence been more important than now. There’s such a huge government push on academic attainment that quite often the whole child can be forgotten. Each of us has many intelligences and for each of us to have a sense of self-esteem and self-confidence we need to know all our different selves. We need to value our ability to get on with people, to give warmth, to defuse conflict, to be calm under pressure, to be positive and joyful at times as much as we value doing well in tests. Currently there is no space in the curriculum for this emphasis and social and emotional learning has to take a back seat.
SEAL (the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) offers a fabulous curriculum which begs to be explored and then tailored to each teacher or school’s unique needs. I obviously feel the circle is at the heart of all good social and emotional learning. My 5-step model of Circle Time with its insistence on pace and key ground rules to keep it safe is an ideal forum as many of the SEAL activities can be ‘placed on’ the steps for great SEAL and Circle Time sessions. We have a wonderful book called “Step by Step for SEAL” which shows you the way forward with this.
So do get together in small vibrant staff circles of interested people and re-ignite and re-energise your vision of SEAL and all social and emotional learning . There are many people who are still blazing forward with it but there are many who have quietly given up and now need to reach out either to other people in their school or to other schools.
Joining the SEAL community will give you a wider family circle and lots of ideas. http://www.sealcommunity.org/
Website Editors Notes
1. Jenny Mosley carries out unique and effective training programmes for social and emotional learning in schools and early years settings. Go to TRAINING to find out more or phone 01225 767157. Ask about INSET training and Working in School days as well as Train the Trainers programmes and our round-the-country conference days where individuals or groups can book places.
2. For Jenny Mosley Consultancies and Positive Press Ltd resources for SEAL, Circle Time and many other areas go to our web shop and/or the SEAL and SEAD shop category.
3. Jenny Mosley is proud to have been asked to write the Circle Time Guidance for the primary SEAL resources pack as well as for the SEAD early years pack and the secondary SEAL materials too.
4. For all training, resources and press enquiries email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk or phone 01225 767157.