29 NOV 2021 From the Wellbeing Team

A Team Effort

SEL learning does not take place inside a vacuum. Our behaviours and knowledge is shaped by our interactions, relationships and environments including school, home, and communities. CASEL suggests that SEL is best supported when schools, families and communities work together to provide a consistent message.

For example, key learning and explicit teaching of skills is likely to take place in the classroom through direct programs. This kind of learning can be embedded in all subject areas.

The school as an institution can further reinforce this learning by creating a community culture that supports the topics and skills being taught in the classroom. A culture that is committed to fostering a sense of belonging and safety and reflects the key messages of acceptance and respect that underpins SEL content allows students a safe space to practice skills on a day to day basis.

All of this can be further supported by keeping families involved in the process, allowing students to transfer skills into the home. Parents can also be great models of behaviours that students are learning about in their classes.