SEL Myths
Social Emotional Learning is NOT:

• Classroom and/or behavior management
  
  When used as a management and/or behavior modification system, SEL becomes another way to enforce white default culture. It becomes oppressive to all students, but especially BIPOC students. TRUE social emotional learning provides a safe space for students to find out who and what they are – NOT what we, as adults, want them to be or what we feel comfortable with them being.
  
  Please reach out to Kim Marshall (kmarshall@smmusd.org) if you would like to discuss and learn more about this.
  
  
• Conformity
  
  In reality, a healthy and socially & emotionally competent learning environment is the opposite of conformity. It is unique, diverse, varied, and ever-changing. It is not students sitting silently while information is dumped into their brains. 
  
  Social emotional learning is also not the same in any two contexts. SEL should and must look different in every single space. SEL should be responsive to student needs, and since no two students have exactly the same needs, SEL is fluid and flexible. With that, no two classes are the same. Thus, teachers must “start from scratch” every year to determine what their students need for that school year.
  
  
• Rules & regulations
  
  Accountability is a large part of social-emotional learning – as a lack of accountability is abusive to all members of the community. However, having a set of classroom rules with consequences (no matter who decides on those rules and consequences) is not social emotional learning, in and of itself.
  
  Social emotional spaces also are not without rules and regulations, but those are created intentionally, with all students in mind, and are always open to change and revision as the students’ needs change.
  
  
• Perfection
  
  Social and emotional growth in humans is messy, slow, and full of learning via mistakes. No one ever reaches a place where their social-emotional growth is finished. It is a constant cycle of awareness of an area of growth, work and change in that area, and repeat. 
  
  The fun and magic of SEL happens in the mess, muck, and imperfection.