November 20, 2023
This past summer, I had the privilege of teaching Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to students at my old middle school. While academic knowledge is crucial, SEL skills are equally vital for a student’s holistic development.
SEL is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success. The enrichment program lasted for three weeks in the month of July, and every class was based off a virtue or principle.
The principles I concentrated on were:
I concentrated on these concepts because these are the skills I needed to learn when I was around their age, so I wanted the students to be better equipped than I was. Each day, I would introduce an SEL word to them, then ask them if they could define the word or give an example of a moment when they demonstrated it.
We would then watch a video explaining the term, complete an activity to demonstrate what it would look like in a real-world scenario, and then reflect at the end to wrap up class. For example, in our lesson on ‘respect,’ we focused on communication. I had students create negotiation skits to demonstrate respectful communication between one another so they could see what it looks like and to learn that how you respond in certain situations is important. We also created positive self-talk on sticky notes, putting them throughout the classroom to create a calmer, more respectful environment for them and for myself.
I loved this summer experience because although I taught these students, I also learned from them in many ways. They taught me how to reflect on my own and to be confident in everything I do. Watching these students take what I taught them in class and apply it to their own individual, real-life situations warmed my heart. It also highlighted that I led them in the right direction, which makes me more confident in my work as well. This experience was a true pleasure to embark on, and I hope to fulfill this opportunity again next summer.
Learn more about why SEL is essential for students here.
Written by Kaden Johnson, Fall 2023 Let’s Detroit Campus Influencer
