The benefits of good social and emotional skills
Good social and emotional skills can contribute to greater self-confidence and better academic performance. Pupils and students who have strong social and emotional skills are also less likely to develop problem behavior and build stronger relationships.
What skills are we talking about? For example: recognizing and dealing with feelings, forming friendships, resisting social pressure, empathizing with others, accepting differences, cooperating, and resolving conflicts.
The school as a testing ground
As education professionals, you and your colleagues can make a significant contribution in this area. After all, the development of social and emotional skills takes place to a large extent at school, where there is a great deal of social interaction with teachers and peers. At school and in the surrounding environment, you can therefore support pupils or students in developing these skills effectively.
For pupils and students who grow up in unfavorable circumstances, the school has an especially important role. Examples of such circumstances include poverty, traumatic events or mental health problems (KOPP/KOV) in the home environment. Strengthening social and emotional skills can be done, for example, by paying attention to emotions in the classroom. Or by teaching pupils and students to resolve arguments by talking about them.
Give pupils and students the right tools
By developing strong social and emotional skills, you give pupils and students tools that can help increase their well-being. These tools also help them cope with challenges in life, including at their current or future jobs and at school.
Think of dealing with intense emotions or conflicts with friends. Or the pressure from school and social media to meet certain standards. All of this affects how a pupil or student feels.
Feeling good helps you learn better
When pupils and students are better able to cope with setbacks, they retain mental space for school. This is especially beneficial for those who struggle with cognitive learning and are not encouraged at home to develop their social and emotional skills. Investing in social and emotional skills is therefore a logical part of working on well-being at school.
But as a teacher, you do not do this alone. It is not a trick or a one-size-fits-all solution. Nor is it solely a matter between an individual pupil, student or teacher. Schools that successfully strengthen social and emotional skills do so through an integrated approach. Scientific research shows that such a sustainable, collaborative approach works best.
Tips for well-being at school
- Use the Gezonde School approach to work in an integrated way on the social and emotional skills and well-being of pupils or students. Find out how to do this in primary education, special education, secondary education or vocational education.
- Check out the Trimbos Institute's guide to preventive work on social and emotional development and well-being.
- Get started with a Gezonde School activity on the theme of Well-being. At the very least, most Gezonde School activities include teaching materials and manuals.
- For more in-depth information, visit Welbevindenopschool.nl or read Integrated work on well-being at school: research insights at a glance (trimbos.nl).
Source: Gezonde School.