These Children Are in Your Classroom: How Teachers Can Integrate Social-Emotional Learning to Support Children with Adverse Childhood Experiences

Location

Guzman 201, Dominican University of California

Start Date

4-20-2017 2:35 PM

End Date

4-20-2017 3:00 PM

Student Type

Undergraduate - Honors

Faculty Mentor(s)

Rosemarie Michaels, Ed.D.

Presentation Format

Oral Presentation

Abstract/Description

Research indicates that two-thirds of children in the United States have had at least one adverse childhood experience (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & Kaiser Permanente, 2016). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events, such as abuse and family dysfunction, which can negatively affect well-being and school performance. Children who have had three or more ACEs are three times more likely to experience academic failure, five times more likely to have attendance problems, and six times more likely to have behavioral problems than those with no ACEs (Hall & Souers, 2015). These children are also more likely to have emotional insecurities and difficulty connecting with others. The integration of social-emotional learning (SEL) is a strategy that teachers can use to better support children, especially those who have had ACEs. SEL helps create a safe learning environment for children that fosters equality and respect, while teaching conflict-resolution skills, stress management techniques, and other forms of respectful behavior that may not be modeled at home (Collaborative for Academic SEL, 2013). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how SEL benefits children in elementary school, especially those who have had ACEs. A second purpose was to examine ways teachers can integrate SEL into their classrooms. This study addresses two research questions: (1) How does social-emotional learning benefit children in elementary school, especially those who have had adverse childhood experiences? and (2) How can teachers integrate social-emotional learning into the classroom? Data will be collected through classroom observations over one academic year and interviews with five teachers in California elementary schools. I anticipate the results to show that the effects of ACEs can be reduced when integrated efforts are used to develop children’s social-emotional skills, as reflected through more positive social behaviors and less psychological distress among these children.

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Apr 20th, 2:35 PM Apr 20th, 3:00 PM

These Children Are in Your Classroom: How Teachers Can Integrate Social-Emotional Learning to Support Children with Adverse Childhood Experiences

Guzman 201, Dominican University of California

Research indicates that two-thirds of children in the United States have had at least one adverse childhood experience (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & Kaiser Permanente, 2016). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events, such as abuse and family dysfunction, which can negatively affect well-being and school performance. Children who have had three or more ACEs are three times more likely to experience academic failure, five times more likely to have attendance problems, and six times more likely to have behavioral problems than those with no ACEs (Hall & Souers, 2015). These children are also more likely to have emotional insecurities and difficulty connecting with others. The integration of social-emotional learning (SEL) is a strategy that teachers can use to better support children, especially those who have had ACEs. SEL helps create a safe learning environment for children that fosters equality and respect, while teaching conflict-resolution skills, stress management techniques, and other forms of respectful behavior that may not be modeled at home (Collaborative for Academic SEL, 2013). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how SEL benefits children in elementary school, especially those who have had ACEs. A second purpose was to examine ways teachers can integrate SEL into their classrooms. This study addresses two research questions: (1) How does social-emotional learning benefit children in elementary school, especially those who have had adverse childhood experiences? and (2) How can teachers integrate social-emotional learning into the classroom? Data will be collected through classroom observations over one academic year and interviews with five teachers in California elementary schools. I anticipate the results to show that the effects of ACEs can be reduced when integrated efforts are used to develop children’s social-emotional skills, as reflected through more positive social behaviors and less psychological distress among these children.