Let’s SEL-ebrate: SEL Day March 11

By Larry Jacobs

I’ll cut to the chase. SEL is good for kids and educators… and SEL Day is on March 11. Click thru on that link and see how your school, your classroom can be involved. We just did a podcast about the big day here and we also present to the world our website SELtoday.org. We like and encourage SEL because it’s good and it works. We have skin in the game.

Why is Social-Emotional Learning good?

Because SEL is where students learn to manage their emotions, show empathy for other people, and make responsible decisions *( *all good things , btw) and it’s been proven that good SEL leads to better academic performance (like understanding the difference between ‘gazpacho”’and ‘Gestapo’),.. and I hope teacher education schools incorporate SEL pedagogy into their coursework, since SEL is the #1 item in every school district’s agenda.

Yeah, it is, post COVID. Number one.

I might add there’s an organization of SEL Providers that may help schools do their part of the job.

And it’s not political. Yo, it’s not political. Do you know there’s a bill moving through the Oklahoma legislature (put into the docket by Senator Shane Jett of Shawnee, OK) which would basically ban SEL in their public schools. Really???

Don’t they remember the theme song from the Broadway play Oklahoma?

It ends with, “You’re doing fine, Oklahoma. Oklahoma OK.” Wanna really make sure the kids are OK? Stop the political silliness! Hopefully it’s not too late for you, state legislators, so please manage your emotions, show real empathy and make a responsible decision. That’s what SEL is all about and, by the way, it’s good. Pass a law like that and that’s not OK, by any standard.

Listen to our podcast about SEL Day

American Consortium for Equity in Education

The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.