Compounding social-emotional learning skills with academic development forms a high-quality learning experience and surrounding which empowers students to be more effective contributors in their classrooms, says Rajesh Kumar Singh

Social and emotional abilities are considered as a relevant index to reckon  how well an individual can align to his or her surroundings, adjust to modifications and, eventually, how successful she or he will be in life. Most children have school as their place where  deficiencies in their abilities can be addressed before they take up the role of being active zone members of the society. As a matter of fact, core development characteristics such as conscience, emotional stability, sociability and agreement can be as or more vital than cognitive intelligence in deciding future employment. In accordance to the competencies with regard to the life outcomes it can be difficult for educators to work out efficacious methods to structure, teach and assess the social emotional skills.

Compounding these skills with academic development forms a high-quality learning experience and surrounding which further empowers students to be more effective contributors in their classrooms today and among their peers and professional life tomorrow.

Teachers and administrators at schools now have a high emphasis for social emotional learning skills. The educating faculty is specifically eager to render expert, training and support necessary for efficaciously implementing this new programme, to provide the students with holistic development. The new curriculum will promise improved students social behavior, learning and development. Given the recent assistance that Social Emotional Learning has received in the education community, it may just be a matter of time before it turns out to be a general teaching practice, widely adopted.

Developing an emphasis on this programme in schools will be grounds to an effective and supportive area for students to openly share their creative ideas, ask out questions without any shame and learn academic concepts while structuring lifelong abilities. The general uplifting of social emotional learning will require a step by step alteration in pedagogy. In the due process, the system can shape out a holistic education system to bring up  socially responsible citizens, who are highly equipped to work in a group and create a better world.

How social-emotional learning Skills aids students in their holistic development:

Self-awareness: An open mind with an active sense of self awareness, aids the students to develop their emotions, acknowledge their strengths along with a frame of mind working towards creativity. Therefore an individual can assess one’s limitations and positives.

Self-management: Today managing yourself is vital. All students must have the general cognition for managing their personal traits like emotions, life goals, manage stress and control impulses.

Social awareness:  It is critical at times to view things from other people's perspective, displaying empathy, and appreciating diversity of culture.

Relationship skills: All students need to have active skills for communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution. This aids students to constitute a healthy and pleasing relationships, and to act in accordance with social norms.

Responsible decision-making:  It provides the students with the learning of how to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations and settings.

Although the vast majority of education department will agree that Social Emotional Learning is important, but it has for long remained on the sidelines. In the past educationists have focused on academics, as opposed to the development of the whole child.

All schools currently are mostly multicultural and multilingual with students belonging to diverse social and economic backgrounds. Educators and community agencies need to render students with contrasting motivation for engaging in learning, behaving positively, and performing academically. Social and emotional learning will work as a ground or a foundation for safe and positive learning, eventually deepening the students' noesis to succeed in school, professionally, and in general life.

The writer is Educationist and Chairman of Kunwar Educational Foundation