SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING: DEVELOPING THE ADOLESCENT

Abstract

"During the latter part of the 21st century, social emotional learning (SEL) started being incorporated into the classroom in a meaningful way. While SEL has garnered enough attention to be included in school curricula throughout the United States as well as several other countries worldwide, research about the import and effect of SEL is relatively new (America Succeeds, 2019). The worldwide COVID pandemic has brought about challenges beyond the obvious serious health concerns. Byproducts of the pandemic include the increased need for coping mechanisms and problem solving, interpersonal interaction skills, as well as an understanding of identity development to help children handle emotional distress resulting from the numerous significant changes in their daily lives. However, many current SEL programs do not address these key areas of concern. It is the authors’ contention that an SEL curriculum which focuses on resilience as well as key indicators of identity development, coping mechanisms, and personal de-escalation techniques are necessary to effectively aid adolescents with navigating their current lives and building a positive future. This research proposes a new SEL program that fits the needs of adolescents and preteens as administered in the school system. Building on a previous program shown to significantly improve self-esteem and school cohesion and trust (Cipra & Hall, 2019), Gr2IT focuses on several key principles to help children develop social and emotional skills and resiliency in the classroom and beyond. A unique component of the program is the principle of identity. Because identity formation is a significant developmental task, understanding the reinforcing and bidirectional relation between behavior and identity is beneficial to adolescents. Gr2IT incorporates principles of identity development throughout the curriculum. In conjunction with emotional regulatory practices, problem-solving strategies, and a social equity perspective, Gr2IT introduces a holistic approach to social and emotional learning to support the positive development of youth. While Gr2IT is currently being developed for American schools, many of the principles are universal to child development and may be adapted cross culturally."