Thriving in Turbulent Times: Why Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is Essential (Ep. 15)
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Episode Notes
Host Ken Futernick speaks with Stephanie Krauss, author of the new book, Whole Child, Whole Life - 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive. In Part I of this episode, Krauss, a former teacher with years of experience doing social work, explains why she wrote the book and why it’s especially relevant right now for parents and educators.
“We're at a moment where young people are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis and being impacted in profound emotional ways,” she says. “They have lost so many social health opportunities from multiple years in the pandemic, which has also compromised their learning…There has never been a more important time to support the social and emotional development in skill development of kids.”
When asked about the recent pushback to Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Krauss says, “We've taken this three letter acronym and weaponized it as the next CRT (Critical Race Theory). And, there are folks on both sides of the aisle to blame here because when that happened, there were people who dug their heels in and began defending the acronym and defending the programming wholesale without recognizing real limitations that those of us who've been in the work for a long time already knew existed.”
In Part II of this episode, Futernick and Krauss discuss why this seemingly innocuous call to teach the whole child - what we for decades we referred to as “citizenship” - has found its way to the center of today’s culture wars in education.
ABOUT STEPHANIE MALIA KRAUSS
Stephanie Malia Krauss works at the intersection of education, youth development, workforce development, and human services. Her work and writing focus on what young people need to build lives and futures they love. She has worked with brilliant leaders across the US to advocate for and build systems, structures, policies, and practices to make that possible.
She’s the founder and principal consultant of First Quarter Strategies LLC, a senior fellow to Education Northwest and the CERES Institute for Children & Youth, a senior advisor for Children's Funding Project, and a staff consultant for the Youth Transition Funders Group. You can learn more about her current projects by clicking here.
She is also the author of Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive, and Thrive and Making It: What Today's Kids Need for Tomorrow's World. She regularly writes for parenting and education outlets, including EdSurge and Scary Mommy.
Stephanie’s website: stephaniemaliakrauss.com
About her latest book:
Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive
In a world that seems to grow more unpredictable and challenging by the day, how can we increase learning and joy for children while offering them much-needed support?
Uncertainty and disruption have created a youth mental health crisis that requires all hands on deck. This urgently needed guidebook offers comprehensive and scientifically-grounded methods you can use to support young people’s well-being, no matter what obstacles they face.
Related Reading/Video:
Article referenced in this episode:
Frederick M. Hess, April 28, 2022. “How Social and Emotional Learning Became a New Front in the Culture Wars,” The Dispatch. Note: Hess is Senior Fellow and Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
YouTube video, “Beware of Social Emotional Learning,” with Jennifer McWilliams, founder of Purple for Parents Indiana.
Recent Article in EdWeek:
Arianna Prothero, June 7, 2023. “Addressing SEL Skepticism: Tips From Education Leaders for Getting Parents on Board,” EdWeek.
About the Show:
Courageous Conversations About Our Schools is a podcast that brings people together for respectful conversations about today’s most contentious issues affecting our schools.
Host, Ken Futernick
Courageous Conversations About Our Schools is hosted by Ken Futernick. Ken also hosts Teacher Stories, a podcast about the profound impact so many teachers have on their students and communities. Teacher Stories produced a special series of episodes on the question, What can schools do to help save our democracy?
Ken is an experienced moderator, a teacher educator, and a long-time advocate for collaboration and civil dialogue.
He is the author of the book, The Courage to Collaborate - the Case for Labor-Management Collaboration in Education.
Please feel free to send comments and questions to ken@schoolconversations.org.