Standing at a Crossroad: Re-imagining Social Emotional Learning Considering COVID-19

Abstract

Educators who work in K-12 educational settings have only begun to make sense of the many consequences the COVID-19 pandemic has had for students. Months of remote teaching and learning have made one thing quite clear; the academic, physical, and mental health benefits of in-person schooling are difficult to replicate through online learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the importance of social emotional learning (SEL) as children have experienced substantial reductions in social contact with peers while attending school remotely. Given the profound impact this past year has had on children’s social emotional (SE) health, it has never been more important for educators, parents, and caregivers to support student’s SE health. While it may be tempting to put student’ SE well-being on the back burner as we scramble to make up for lost learning; we stand at a crossroad. We can radically weave SEL into the school day to ensure students continue to develop critical SE skills in a socially distanced world or we can fall back on business as usual.

Citation

Liberty, L.M. (2022), "Standing at a Crossroad: Re-imagining Social Emotional Learning Considering COVID-19", Ceglie, R.J., Abernathy, D.F. and Thornburg, A.W. (Ed.) Schoolchildren of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact and Opportunities, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 39-58. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80262-741-120221003