Four ways to help students and teachers in the new academic year

As schools grapple with how to support students and teachers as they return in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest spurred by the killing of George Floyd, psychologists are pointing to the benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL).

SEL is the process by which children (and adults) learn to understand and manage their emotions, set goals and make decisions, and engage in positive relationships. Psychological research has informed the development of evidence-based SEL programs based in school settings. Research has also shown that these programs significantly improve social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance (Durlak, J.A., et al., Child Developmentopens in new window, Vol. 82, No. 1, 2011). During this tumultuous time, experts say those skills are more important than ever.

SEL benefits all children. School-based SEL programs also offer an opportunity to address educational inequities that have long existed but have become even more apparent during the events of 2020. The pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. Meanwhile, public awareness of systemic racism has grown following a surge in nationwide demonstrations and protests. Psychologists and education experts see this moment as an opportunity to recreate an educational system that better serves all students.

To guide schools as they open up for the new academic year, the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning and more than 40 expert partners released the how-to guide “Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening Schoolopens in new window.” 

“There’s this idea that kids are behind, or that there’s this catching up to do. We would argue that rather than focus on learning loss, we need to help our young people process what they have learned and experienced during this tumultuous time—and nothing could be more important than their social and emotional wellness,” says Kathleen Osta, managing director of the National Equity Project and a contributor to the roadmap.

The roadmap provides equity-focused strategies and hands-on tools to guide schools as they reopen on how to:

Schools are encouraged to find ways to connect with students and families whose voices have traditionally been overlooked, and use those perspectives to improve school-family-community partnerships. Schools should double down on their efforts to reach out to disengaged families, for instance, and get creative to reach families through partnerships with community groups or local faith-based organizations. During what is likely to be a long reopening process, schools will have to think beyond simply teaching children via business as usual, says sociologist Karen Pittman, president and CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment, which partnered on the report. “We need all partners at the table together. And we need young people—and families—at the table telling us where they learn best and how they would like to learn.”

An important aspect of SEL is that it focuses on teachers and school staff, as well as students. To support learners, staff should have access to mental health and trauma supports to cope with ongoing stressors related to going back to work during COVID-19 and racial injustice. Teachers with strong social and emotional skills are likely to have better personal well-being. They’re also more likely to have good relationships with students, which leads to more engaged learners. “It’s about creating a common language, beliefs, practices and supports, such that we can maximize the relationships we have with children and provide support for children that are struggling,” says Cesar Rivera, the principal of Samuels Elementary School in Denver, who contributed to the roadmap.

Students learn best when they’re taught in unbiased environments where they feel like they belong and have opportunities to express themselves. For example, schools might rethink their disciplinary procedures and adopt restorative practices. They can create a sense of community with daily check-ins, community-building rituals, and other regular events. They can provide opportunities for students to socialize and connect, even when physical distancing may be necessary. And they can team up with school-based and community mental health professionals to foster trauma-sensitive learning environments for all students.

No one knows exactly what the new school year will look like. Schools will have to respond quickly to changing local health conditions and find new strategies to support students as conditions change. To do that, they should collect and use quantitative and qualitative data to help them understand what students are experiencing, and what they need to thrive.