Social-Emotional Learning vs. Classroom Culture

gadflyonthewallblog

 

 
A student accidentally drops her books in the hall.  

 
Another student stops and helps her pick them up.  

 
Then a teacher homes in on the two and gives the helper a little yellow card which can be redeemed for candy.  

 
This is what social-emotional learning (SEL) looks like in my school. 

 
Teachers instruct on proper behaviors and then reward students they see going above and beyond to achieve them.  

 
Here’s another example. 

 
A student at his lunch table is yelling and throwing food. Nearby another student is sitting quietly and reading a book.  

 
Then a teacher walks over and gives the quiet child a yellow card which can be used to enter a raffle for a special prize. He might win an Oculus VR game system or tickets to a baseball game.  

 
That’s social-emotion…

View original post 1,065 more words

---