SEL Day and teaching students to be more emotionally aware

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL learning is increasingly becoming an integral part of public school curriculum. The advocacy organization Social Emotional Learning Alliance will be spreading awareness around the learning concept with Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Day on Friday (March 11).

Dr. Amy McConnell Franklin is a licensed mental health counselor and the co-chair for SEL4NM, the New Mexico affiliate of the national organization. Dr. Franklin has been involved in SEL learning for more than 20 years and has been involved in leading the organization at the statewide level for the past seven months.

She said that SEL leads to a better understanding and defining of one’s emotions, with people learning to become more accountable and compassionate decision-makers.

“[SEL is] the ability to get along with other people. The ability to navigate and manage your own emotions, ” Franklin said.

Franklin added that alongside cognitive learning — like reading and math — there needs to be more teaching about how to get along with others and build relationships. She said many poor and harmful decisions made by individuals are due to a lack of understanding or inability to define one’s emotions. She stresses better emotional literacy in schools, like defining the difference between frustration and disappointment.

“Your chances of staying alive, safe and well are better if you can accurately express your feelings,” Franklin said.

SEL, on a chemical level, can make a person think better by making the front of one’s brain, the neural cortex, more available, according to Franklin.

SEL can also help with students’ creativity and artistic development. Franklin said that better expressing one’s emotions can make more interesting and meaningful art.

“If you’re going to fight/flight, or freeze mode, you are not creative. The brain doesn’t work that way… So it’s amygdala, the limbic system, which is the system in the brain that moderates great emotions…if it’s on too high of an alert, the neocortex then goes offline… You need to be safe enough to think outside of the box, and not just be worrying about survival,” Franklin said.

She added that studies show a correlation between SEL in classrooms and higher high school graduate rates, better job satisfaction and better physical and mental health.

“One of the foundational skills and capacities to build is to be self aware and be able to know yourself,” Franklin said.

This SEL Day, she said that Albuquerque mayor Tim Keller will make a proclamation about SEL to spread awareness, along with announcements of some research findings.

For more information about SEL resources, monthly webinars and more, visit SEL4NM.org.