During adolescence students experience significant emotional, social, and cognitive development which can affect them profoundly. Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in fostering emotional intelligence, empathy, and interpersonal skills, which are essential for personal and academic success, and it is believed that it can help teenagers go through this sensitive period of their life. This article explores how by integrating SEL into our classrooms, we can create a supportive learning environment that promotes holistic growth.
Who is the teenage student?
According to the American National Institute of Mental Health adolescence is a period which plays an important role in the development of the human brain since this is the time when the brain fine-tunes the way it works. Thus, it comes as no surprise that once our students reach adolescence they may come into our lessons with altered behaviour, interests and habits. By understanding the following developmental changes, we can engage with our students more effectively and create a supportive learning environment:
- Search for Identity and Independence
Teenagers are at a critical phase of developing their sense of self and they often experiment with different styles, interests, or behaviours, which might lead them to challenge authority or question rules as they seek independence.
- Emotional Fluctuations
Adolescence is marked by significant emotional changes due to hormonal fluctuations and that is why teenagers may experience mood swings, shifting from excitement to frustration or sadness quickly. For example, a student may be enthusiastic one day and disinterested the next, which can affect their participation and interaction in class.
- Desire for Peer Approval
Teenagers value relationships with their peers to a great extent, and they often seek acceptance and approval from their peer group by trying to conform to peer norms or behaviours to fit in. As a result, group dynamics may affect the classroom environment positively or negatively since students may be reluctant to participate if they fear judgment from peers, or they might follow the behaviour of influential classmates, whether constructive or disruptive.
- Risk-Taking and Experimentation
Adolescents are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviours as they test boundaries and explore new experiences, resulting in testing the limits of classroom rules or experimenting with language in ways that push social or cultural norms.
- Sensitivity to Criticism
Teenagers are often sensitive to criticism, as they are still forming their self-concept and are more prone to feeling embarrassed or judged. Thus, negative feedback, if not handled carefully, can lead to disengagement, defensiveness, or reluctance to participate.
- Interest in Social and Global Issues
Many teenagers start developing an interest in social justice, environmental issues, and global affairs as they become more aware of the world around them. They may engage more enthusiastically in topics that relate to real-world issues or that allow them to express their opinions on matters they care about.
Social and Emotional Learning in the Teenage Classroom
Research has shown that SEL not only supports emotional well-being but also improves academic performance, reduces behavioural problems, and enhances students' ability to cope with stress. According to Durlak et al. (2011), students who participated in SEL programs showed significant gain in academic performance compared to those who did not. Additionally, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) highlights that SEL contributes to better social behaviour, reduced emotional distress, and increased positive attitudes towards oneself, others, and school .
Strategies for Integrating SEL in the Teenage Classroom
- Mindfulness and Language Learning
- How to implement: Incorporate mindfulness activities such as short breathing exercises or guided visualisations in English. You can narrate a simple mindfulness script, asking students to focus on their breathing or visualise a calm scene while listening and responding in English.
- Why it works: Mindfulness exercises not only promote self-regulation and reduce anxiety, but they also reinforce listening skills in a calming, low-pressure environment. This is particularly helpful for students who may feel anxious about speaking English in front of peers.
- Writing Journals
- How to implement: Encourage students to keep a journal where they write about their feelings, experiences, or challenges in both life and language learning. Provide prompts that invite reflection, such as “Today I felt...” or “Learning English makes me feel... because...”.
- Why it works: Writing journals helps students reflect on their emotional experiences and develop their self-awareness. Journaling in English builds writing fluency and emotional vocabulary while offering a safe space for students to express themselves.
- Goal Setting & Self-assessment
- How to implement: Have students set personal language goals on a regular basis (e.g., “I want to speak more in class” or “I want to improve my writing”). Pair this with self-assessment tasks where students reflect on their progress toward these goals and how they feel about their learning journey.
- Why it works: Goal Setting promotes self-management and self-awareness. When students assess their own progress, they become more engaged and responsible for their learning, gaining confidence in both their language skills and emotional development.
- Using Role-playing Activities to Develop Empathy and Language Skills
- How to implement: Design role-playing activities that focus on everyday social situations, such as resolving conflicts, apologising, or offering support. Provide students with language structures and phrases to use in these scenarios (e.g., "I understand how you feel," or "I'm sorry that happened to you").
- Why it works: Role-playing builds empathy by putting students into someone else’s perspective, while also giving them authentic opportunities to practise language in real-world contexts. It enhances both their emotional intelligence and communication skills.
- Reflective Discussions
- How to implement: After challenging language activities, like tests or oral presentations, hold a reflective discussion on how students felt about the task. Encourage them to express not only what they have learned but also their emotional experiences, using phrases like “I was nervous because...” or “I felt proud when...”.
- Why it works: Language learning can be emotionally challenging, and discussing these feelings helps normalise the ups and downs of the process. This builds resilience and self-regulation, key SEL skills, while giving students opportunities to practise English in a personal context.
Conclusion
Integrating SEL in the teenage classroom is a powerful way to support students' emotional well-being and academic success. By creating a safe and supportive environment, incorporating SEL into the curriculum and modeling SEL skills, we can help teenagers develop the skills they need to thrive in school and beyond, while preparing them for the challenges of the future.
References
CASEL. (2017). 2017 meta-analysis finds SEL programs can improve academic performance, reduce bullying, and more. Retrieved from https://casel.org/2017-meta-analysis/
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2020). What is SEL? Retrieved from https://casel.org/what-is-sel/
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x
National Institute of Mental Health. The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know’
