Skip to main content

Be Good to Your SEL

 by Sharilee Griffiths, Director, and Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination!

No, that is not a typo in the title. SEL is actually an acronym that stands for social-emotional learning. According to National University, “Social emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages to better comprehend their emotions, to feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others” (https://bit.ly/3M9Qs1M). And, it is important because it increases kindness and empathy while reducing depression and stress among students (https://edut.to/3IMjQct). 

SEL is an integral part of human development. It is the process through which all children and adults develop the knowledge, skills, self-awareness, attitudes and personal well-being to acquire and apply the emotional competencies that help them thrive. It helps young people to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. It covers everything from building confidence and managing emotions to making friends and understanding ethical decision-making skills.

SEL activities also give kids the tools they need to deal with challenging situations, cope with new environments, develop a growth mindset and forge positive relationships with their peers and beyond. 

I recently spoke with a friend of mine who is an educator; she has taught elementary school, been a teacher mentor, and is now an elementary school principal. She shared a disturbing fact with me–most teachers do not have time to teach curriculum because they are spending most of their days teaching SEL. While SEL is important to a school setting, students function best when these important coping skills are taught at home.

My Discovery Destination! can help!

The second Friday in March every year (this year March 11th) is SEL day, an annual event to “showcase, promote, advocate, and support SEL in school and communities across the world” (https://selday.org/). Only for the month of March the Celebrate #SELday Discovery Hunt (game code “SEL”) housed on the Goosechase App will be available to families for FREE. 

Come celebrate SEL Day with us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Focus on New Beginnings

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! With the enchantment of the holidays in the rear view mirror, many of us are looking through the windshield at a new year. We make resolutions and even keep some of them. Sadly, many of them fall by the wayside within a few months, weeks, or even days. I’ve already eaten some of the chocolate I got for Christmas–I guess I should have finished it off by New Year’s Eve. The best way to tackle those good intentions that come with a new year is in baby steps. If one of your new goals is to spend more quality time with your family and to be an interactive, intentional parent, My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition have got you covered. My Discovery Destination! makes interactive, intentional parenting easy.  The Discovery Family Adventures are chock-full of free, flexible, fun activities that help parents really connect with their children and do it with a purpose. While some are more involved, even lo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Oh, The Places You'll Go...

  by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! Dr. Seuss, the beloved children’s author, wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” on a bet. The co-founder of Random House Publishing, Mr. Bennett Cerf, wagered that Seuss couldn’t write a book that had fewer than 50 unique words. Seuss won 50 bucks, and we have a piece of literary art with which one cannot help but rhyme along.  If you haven’t read it, you should. It can get you thinking about the relationship between what you believe and what you experience. It can encourage you to think outside the box (no would-nots, could-nots for you!) and try new things. It can give you courage to show resilience in the face of challenges, opposition, and adversity. Yes, reading can do that for you. March is National Reading Month. It has been designated as such in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2. My Discovery Destination! is celebrating. How? With a Discovery Hunt, of course! In fact, we bet YOU that you are going to love this ...
2 comments
Read more

Fall into Family

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! While I am a warm-weather individual at heart, I do love autumn. The temperatures are no longer stifling (although it sure seems to cool off FAST in the Rocky Mountain West), fall sports return (L.O.V.E. to play volleyball and watch football!), and there are lots of activities to get families geared up for the end of the year (where did 2021 go?!?).  The list of fall activities and responsibilities can be quite overwhelming. The desire to bond as a family can get lost in the never-ending catalog of time-worthy pursuits. Active, concerned parents might ask themselves, “How do we make time for what is most important when we have so many good tasks tugging at our attention?”  What is the answer? In this case, the answer is ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. So, how about intentionally combining efforts? The “how” is even easier.  The Discovery Family Coalition is proud to bring you two virtual Discovery Hunts ...
Post a Comment
Read more