Moving from Trendy and Traditional to Transformative Social and Emotional Learning: Building Belonging from the Inside Out in K-12 Schools

• In Event: Moving From Trendy to Transformative Social and Emotional Learning: A Conversation With Practitioners and Scholars

Abstract

Building belonging from the inside out in K-12 classrooms is a creative and healing process. The purpose of this paper is to inspire and heal by (1) Promoting educators’ self-awareness of their identities and personal stories of belonging, (2) Exploring how the real value of social and emotional learning (SEL) lives in relationships — relationship with self, others, and the larger system, and (3) Reframing educators’ approaches to teach SEL as heart-centered with an equity lens. In this conceptual paper, data sources are rooted in my experiences as a school principal and theories of Transformative SEL (T-SEL), specifically anchoring belonging as a key equity lever.

Through journaling, storytelling, and centering love, teachers are empowered with a three-step process for applying T-SEL in liberatory ways. Interactive features support educators’ deep reflective work in finding their own voice as well as centering the voices of students, particularly those furthest from power. Since schools are a microcosm of society, it behooves educators to jointly prioritize equity concerns for students on the margins alongside efforts to improve well-being and belonging. How is belonging built from the inside out? It starts with tending to educators’ inner child wounds and seeing with fresh eyes. Then, it is growing in cultural awareness. When belonging becomes a collective effort to build community in and outside of classroom walls, psychological safety and relational trust increase. Lastly, liberation is inextricably tied to choosing love (hooks, 1994). Using the three-step process, teachers gain a framework for applying T-SEL in liberatory ways by co-designing conditions for belonging with young people, demonstrating its scholarly significance. By building belonging from the inside out, T-SEL has the power to interrupt inequities, repair harm, and heal our communities.

Author

• Jeneca Parker-Tongue, Hunter College - CUNY