Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a process for students and adults to better understand emotions, feel, and demonstrate empathy for others, and establish and maintain positive relationships with others. It can additionally be part of the implementation of effective racial equity strategies. Unfortunately, SEL programming is far too often engineered and used as merely a means to achieve compliance and control. SEL has even become yet another way for some teachers to penalize and police underserved populations. The key concept promoted in this column for music educators is for teachers to deliberately act upon strategies that promote rather than hinder equity for underserved populations.
CamangianP.CariagaS. (2022). Social and emotional learning is hegemonic miseducation: students deserve humanization instead. Race Ethnicity and Education, 25:7, 901–921. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2020.1798374
FordD. (2020). Social-emotional learning for Black students is ineffective when it is culture-blind. Diverse Issues in Higher Education. https://www.diverseeducation.com/
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GregoryA.FergusE. (2017). Social and emotional learning and equity in school discipline. The Future of Children, 27(1), 117–136.
WatsonK. (2019). Confronting implicit bias and microaggressions in the classroom: Distinguishing intent from impact. In HowardT.CamangianP.EdwardsE.HowardM.MinkoffA.OrangeT.TunstallJ. (Eds.) All students must thrive: Transforming schools to combat toxic stressors and cultivate critical wellness (pp. 45–68). International Center for Leadership in Education.
