Social-Emotional Learning: Self-Awareness

I think it really is a life-long journey to truly understand our own values, as well as our thoughts and emotions. Our daily decisions, both big and small, are based on all these three aspects - whether we are aware of it or not - I guess that we could also call it intuition or gut instinct. I have learned to notice when  my thoughts are in a complex mess. At that moment I try to go for a walk on the beach because it is such a calming place (even when the ocean is roaring). It always clears my head.  So does a walk in the forest. The Western Cedar trees are so magnificent!

Our values become visible in our daily choices: how we talk, what we do, and the activities we want to participate. I am excited about October approaching, because here it is the Resilience Month  - lots of events focused on increasing awareness of trauma and resilience, fostering collaboration and also educating people and organizations about trauma-sensitive practices. I think most of this learning begins with awareness: self-awareness to know who we really are, the awareness of others and their possible struggles, so that together we can build better societies.

Social-Emotional Learning: Responsible Decision-Making

As adults we are facing so many decisions every day! When my kids were growing up we were joking about "adulting" but already in early 2000's there was a saying "aikuisten oikeesti" meaning that it was seriously for real. And in many ways being an adult means that we need to evaluate the impacts of our decisions, like the safety concerns or benefits of our actions - or inactions. 

While walking or playing on the beach, my family has the rule of knowing where the wet sand begins - simply because sometimes there can be a wave that is much bigger than the others. Sometimes the waves carry big logs - huge, really - so the first rule on the beach is being safe.

This sand castle had been built during the low tide. Where I live the difference between low time and high tide can easily be 7-8 ft. (I often use this page to check the tides). Sometimes it is not safe to go to the beach. Other impacts (like the climate catastrophe) are so collective that it may feel daunting to even think about making "good decisions."  Still, we can choose to reuse, reduce, repurpose and recycle and make responsible decisions, big and small.  

Social-Emotional Learning: Self-Management

Managing our emotions and stress is a huge part of adult SEL. I think I will never be able to say: "Now I have learned everything I need  to learn about it," simply because different situations require different strategies. I spent last week attending a conference, and while I loved it (so much!!) by the end of the week I was completely "peopled out" even though I enjoyed the company and what I was learning. 

So, I had to figure out the best possible stress management strategies to use: walking on the beach and in the forest, finding the beauty in the nature, and  bringing some wild flowers into my room.

Many events are built by extroverts (I think because they like to do that and are good at doing it) and for extroverts. I am very grateful for their work. And I hope we can start communicating about the needs to have quiet time, or a quiet room and take a break, because learning becomes hard or impossible when we get "peopled out". Meanwhile, I hope we all can find self-management strategies that will work for our own needs!

Also, there is a great article in AEON publication Psyche article about the exclusion of introverts and suggestions to meet the needs of this approximately one third of the population. 

Social-Emotional Learning: Relationship Skills

I love trees! And the Ocean! So getting to visit the Striped Peak was a true pleasure. Sitting down in the sunshine, on the grass high above the waves crashing to the cove below was a great treat. 

Observing the madrona tree hanging over the edge, its roots dug deep in the rocky soil, I realized that it had all the support it needed to stay alive. Maybe not thrive, but as a tree you don't have much choice - you have to survive in the soil and environment where the seed dropped. Other trees had been competing for the nutrition and space with it - and some of them had fallen, leaving a broken stump behind.

But as humans, we DO know how to collaborate. Fortunately! Because the social skills of offering help and asking for it are foundational for our societies. 

When we are in the situation of abundance or affluence, we need to remember the moments of scarcity and disposession, and offer help to others. Because that's how we grow as human beings. A flip side of that is equally true - we need to ask for help when we need it. Yet, that can be surprisingly hard.

An important part of being an educator is to keep on offering help to our students. They may not need it today, or tomorrow, or next week. But, they hopefully will remember that it has been offered abundantly - which makes it easier to ask for it.

Seeking and offering help is fundamental for humanity.