by Steven Rubin(MSW), Social Worker and Director of Teen Programming, The Meeting House

A whole body of research suggests that Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) can lead to improved academic performance, employment, health and wellbeing. How students express and develop social and emotional skills is shaped by their life experiences and backgrounds, including gender, race, culture, and class. For this reason, differences and inequities, such as disabilities, poverty, and discrimination can dramatically impact children’s social and emotional development. Being exposed to an expanded emotional vocabulary to express oneself around issues of empathy and compassion is as critical as the ability to stand in someone else’s shoes and see the world through their eyes.

At the core of both is the practice of mindful self- awareness, which can be practiced by actively observing yourself when communicating with others. This includes your reactions to verbal and non-verbal forms of communication, and the way those reactions influence your responses. According to Mindfulness specialist, Dr. Matthew Lippincott, mindfulness is comprised of:

1) Clear focus of attention on the present moment, including experience and events.

2) Ability to change the level of non-judgmental attention.

3) Awareness of shifting attention between the inner self and the outer world.

In other words, the easiest way to understand mindfulness experientially is to focus all of your attention on your thoughts, feelings, and actions as they occur. By focusing on the intersectionality of SEL, Equity and Mindfulness, educators can better support themselves and their students within the process of child development. Alignment around these processes can deepen one’s professional impact and transform one's personal and professional journey. Below are some strategies you can use to incorporate these three ideas into your practice as a parent or educator.

1) Develop Cultural Competency: Implicit biases and prejudices can lead to low expectations for and disengagement among marginalized groups. Examining your own biases, building respect for other views and cultures, and increasing teacher diversity can boost empathy, perspective taking skills and student engagement.

2) Promote Self-Awareness Through an Equity Lens: In order to be mindful of our equity awareness, one requires a full body check-in. Start with asking questions: How does your body feel and react when encountering someone of a different race? What thoughts go through your head when you see a person of color speak or behave in a way that is unfamiliar to you? It is counterproductive to judge the way our body unconsciously reacts and the thoughts that pop into our mind. Instead, consider and acknowledge these thoughts and feelings, and train your mind to think differently. This does not happen overnight, over a week, or perhaps even over a year. Racial Identity Development is a process and can be a life-long journey for most people - so remember to stay patient and diligent. Above all, Racial Identity Development is a key factor to relationship building and equality. For white people, this starts with understanding their own privilege and recognizing implicit biases.

3) Engage Families and the Community: Training staff in research-based methods for engaging marginalized families and respecting their culture, concerns, and hopes for their children can help educators build trust with the community and gain support for SEL initiatives. In order for SEL to affirm the assets of children from diverse backgrounds, schools need to understand the cultures, lived experiences, and values of families and communities. Most importantly, students need to feel ownership over their own social and emotional development.

4) Provide Trauma-Informed Care: A tendency to focus SEL on building skills can miss underlying causes of behavior, such as poverty, neglect, and abuse. Combining SEL with trauma-informed care can reduce triggers, promote healing, and foster a sense of security for students.

5) Rethink Discipline: Suspensions and expulsions can have long-term negative effects and are often imposed disproportionately on black male students. Focusing discipline on behavior management and taking responsibility for one’s actions can promote safer and more equitable schools and healthier home environments.

6) Practice Self-Care: We often hear the term self-care thrown around but what does it really mean to engage in mindful and constructive self-care? Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it's a simple concept in theory, it's something we very often overlook. Engaging in proper self-care helps to avoid burnout and allows an individual to be fully present and mindful. It is a way for social service professionals, parents, and teachers to balance activities and preserve longevity and happiness in both their personal relationships and their careers. Self-care practices can range from engaging in mindfulness techniques such as yoga and visualization exercises, knowing when to unplug, and avoiding over-scheduling of activities. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety.

To access a list of self-care resources click here.