It is hard to believe that we are at our final F2F, and I am at a point of reflection on what has been discussed and what I have tried and learned in the process. As a member of the Wellbeing Committee at my school, I came to Cohort 21 wanting to learn how other schools approach wellbeing and what resources might be helpful to understand the social-emotional needs of my students post-COVID. By our second F2F, I narrowed my focus to “How might we incorporate social-emotional learning to support the academic potential of students?” I had already been checking in with my students daily to see how they were starting their day. I saw the benefits of taking this time to listen, care and connect and how it moved those students who were having a difficult morning to feel supported and, as a result, eased them into their academic work.
I wanted to try something to build resilience and joy in my classroom because I thought both could underpin greater academic success. I decided to implement two strategies: using a weekly gratitude journal and explicitly teaching lessons on compassion through The Compassion Project. Students learned the definition of compassion and explored the meaning and benefits of self-compassion and compassion toward others. I noticed how self-compassion and resilience were connected. I also noticed how, as my class developed a deeper understanding of compassion, they acted more compassionate toward each other, and risk-taking increased while classroom conflict decreased.
The use of gratitude journals was also successful in creating a more positive environment.
Ultimately, I am convinced that supporting students’ social-emotional wellbeing benefits students academically.