Social-emotional learning or SEL is a term that we hear a lot about, especially when it comes to our children. What exactly does it mean and how does it impact how a child learns?
Mike McPharlin, fifth-grade teacher and Chair of the SEL department at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, believes that social-emotional learning improves not only personal issues but academics.
“At its root, SEL is a recognition of emotions and the fact that they affect your life,” says McPharlin. “I can teach the most amazing math lesson in the world. However, if a student is having trouble dealing with emotions, the lesson is not going to be effective for them. SEL helps students develop their emotional intelligence, which benefits them academically as well.”
Integrating SEL via the RULER curriculum
McPharlin points out that rather than creating “pockets” of SEL, Francis W. Parker School embraces the concept in everything it does. Through their Integrated Learning and Information Science (ISIL) class, the 5th-grade students worked on a project that would reflect the school’s SEL practices.
“SEL at Francis W. Parker is not a mere add-on. It is the plate on which the curriculum rests,” says McPharlin. “Our focus is using the RULER curriculum developed by Yale University. This acronym refers to the many ways we recognize and understand emotions and learn how to express them.”
“Because it’s such a big part of our teaching, we wanted to pose an SEL challenge that used what the kids are already learning. The idea was to have a practical application of SEL through an innovative project,” McPharlin explains.
Fifth graders learn SEL by teaching, mentoring
The fifth graders were challenged to design interactive video games that would teach others about emotions and feelings. Fifth graders serve as mentors to the first graders throughout the year, so this group was a natural pairing for the project.
Plus, gaming is an extension of the technology skills that Francis W. Parker School offers its students. Kids learn coding skills as early as first grade.
To make it even more exciting, the fifth graders used SCRATCH, a gaming development program developed by MIT.
“Once they got started, the students were the driving force behind the project,” McPharlin says.
The fifth-grade students also had a pivotal role in developing the games, says McPharlin. Students worked together to brainstorm ideas that tested their own SEL abilities.
“Our fifth graders learned so much from teaching their younger counterparts,” says McPharlin. “One of the most important takeaways was that they had to see the user experience from a first-grade child’s point of view. This gave them not only better game development skills but also more empathy for how the games might resonate with all ages.”
Bonding over creativity, coding and problem solving
One of the most valuable parts of the project, according to McPharlin, was the need for real-life problem-solving. This required not only the students’ coding and creative skills, but their social-emotional skills.
“When faced with unexpected issues, the fifth graders were able to troubleshoot and adapt. This came via feedback from the younger kids and each other,” says McPharlin. “It was rewarding to see the kids work through the various challenges.”
Of course, creating games has many fun aspects, too, McPharlin notes. “Our fifth graders appreciate any opportunity to partner with the first graders. For one thing, it gives them a sense of maturity to teach and observe the reactions of their younger peers. Plus, they loved being able to express their creativity and technical abilities. You could see the joy on their faces throughout the process.”
“The fifth-grade gaming project is a great example of what SEL at Francis W. Parker School is all about,” says McPharlin. “Our mission is to integrate academic learning with social-emotional learning in every way we can.”
For more information about Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, please visit fwparker.org.
