Using Testimonios to Enhance Social Emotional Learning Skills With High School Latina/o Students

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Multiple Perspectives: Families' and Students' Voices on Social and Emotional Learning

Abstract

Students of color (SOC) typically experience more challenging social environments ​(Polleck, 2010; Reyes et al., 2013) ​and are more at risk of not graduating from high school when compared to their white peers (Leon et al., 2011). With SEL being regarded as an essential missing piece to providing students with an effective education (Elias, 2009), recent studies have reflected on ways to make SEL more accessible to SOC. Incorporating more culturally-relevant practices and resources in classrooms has been effective in increasing students’ academic and SEL skills (​Reyes & Elias, 2011). Given this potential, this study looked at how 41 Latina/o high school students attending a summer-bridge program used testimonios, a form of narrative, to develop SEL skills.

Authors

• Jose Ortiz, SUNY - College at Cortland

• Enrique Lopez, University of Colorado - Boulder