What's Up/Just Blogging

Last week in class, we looked at what was currently trending on various forms of media. One of the topics that kept catching my attention, and probably yours, was Black Panther:

Hot Topic on Twitter: Black Panther

Mine is also from twitter! This is currently an extremely popular topic everywhere, but in particular, at my school. My school is mostly students who are considered minorities, and they were so excited for this movie. The main thing I kept hearing them say was that this was a superhero for people of color. They finally felt like they were included in the world of superheroes and villains. For me, it makes me extremely happy to see my students have someone represent them and give them the confidence they need. On a similar note, I have seen on instagram a little girl who is absolutely fascinated with Michelle Obama's official portrait. It's shocking that it took this long to have something like this- a nationally recognized black role model.

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The second topic that drew my attention, and is arguably not as mainstream as a topic, was a post in my social emotional learning group on Facebook:

Hot Topic 2 on Facebook: This one is definitely that situation where facebook specifically caters the news to you, but I'm going to roll with it. This is the exact thought that first popped into my head when I initially started to look into social emotional learning. Where am I going to find the time!? I barely have time now as it is to fit my own curriculum in. After experiencing social emotional learning and it's effect on students, I can see exactly how it fits in. Students are much more willing to comply with directions from a teacher they feel closer and more comfortable with, so you can argue that you end up saving time this way.

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Going off the Social Emotional Facebook page, I've noticed there is a whole group of other people in support of this. At my school, I felt like I was the only one wanting to address this with more emphasis. Finding a supportive "tribe" has been a game changer. When I first decided to look into social emotional learning, it was all on my own. I thought I was looking into this niche topic that no one really talks about. However, I was happily surprised to see there is a big movement for this and I'm able to build and learn off of other people as opposed to reinventing the wheel myself.

The trend I'm noticing in the social emotional learning field is the issue of incorporating it as standards within the curriculum. It seems like many school districts don't believe they have time to work it into the curriculum and are actively resisting it. In addition, if school districts are willing to try it out, it's typically at the lower levels in elementary school. I believe it should also be addressed at the middle and high school level- especially, lower socio-economic schools or schools with more trauma. For example, my school is a highly impacted school. This means that the majority of our students stated in an anonymous survey that they have been exposed to drugs, alcohol, broken homes, physical abuse, sexual abuse, family members being jailed, family members being deported. In many cases, the kids are expected to step up and help with the household through chores, babysitting siblings and extended family members, getting jobs and helping pay the bills... They are not receiving the emotional support they need to be successful in life and to be a human being.