Educators are in a unique position to, directly and indirectly, influence children’s development. By being informed and having access to current information and resources, educators can empower themselves and their students to be intentional about social and emotional learning and development. Teachers also have a unique opportunity to encourage families to be mindful of how to support social and emotional development at home.
For fellow educators that examine the importance of social/emotional learning. Include the following elements:
Discuss the effect that prenatal development and care and early childhood experiences can have on adolescent social and emotional development.
Select three developmental stages (prenatal, infancy, toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, or adolescence) and provide specific social/emotional milestones for each of the selected stages.
Share two social-emotional learning strategies or activities for each selected developmental stage that teachers can implement in the classroom.
Define and provide examples of self-regulation. Identify two or three specific ways teachers can model and encourage the development of self-regulation skills in the classroom.
Provide families with social and emotional learning strategies and/or self-regulation skills to implement at home to support their child’s social/emotional development within the selected developmental stages.
