The Impact of Social Emotional Learning in an Elementary Classroom

Social emotional learning is a growing topic in education due to the increase in mental health and behavioral disorders in children and youth (Blewitt et.al., 2021). Taking into consideration students’ emotional needs is an important aspect that helps to support students\u27 overall performance at school. This action research study conducted with first grade students not only supported students in their social and emotional needs but in their reading and mathematical skills as well. The researcher used the chosen curriculum to help students to learn about self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. The findings of this action research support the literature reviewed that teaching and implementing social emotional learning does impact students overall behavior and academics. The data shows that students of all backgrounds and different abilities are positively impacted by implementing social emotional learning into the classroom. However, the degree to which students are impacted vary from student to student. The findings suggest that most students show progress in improving their academic performance and behavior