But are we swinging too far on SEL?
Don’t get me wrong here. I believe in SEL. It needs to be integrated into physical education classes without fail and most of us teach it without realizing it every single day. It is a part of almost every set of state standards and of course the SHAPE America National Standards. Health and physical education leaders across the country have asked me to come in and work with their staffs to teach them about SEL. We have an entire conference devoted to SEL in Sioux Falls this summer.
However, are we hanging our hat on it too much?
SEL is only a part of what we do. There are five National Standards. SEL is a single component of what we must make sure our students develop as they work toward becoming physically literate. I get excited to see students working on interpersonal skills, cooperation, and teamwork and many great social media posts get me fired up about SEL. The countless posts regarding SEL have been engaging and important. I enjoy seeing teachers guide their students to make the “right decisions” and take care of themselves and their peers.
But what happened to the physical part of physical education?
With the countless posts regarding SEL, my concern is we are losing track of all the other standards and missing the physical component to physical education. Whether it is fitness, learning motor skills and movement patterns, or applying movement concepts and principles, we cannot forget the physical component of physical education. SEL is certainly important for daily life after K-12 schooling just like skill acquisition and movement concepts are integral parts to an active lifetime.
Where does the SEL fit into physical education?
SEL fits into everything we teach! But just like utilizing technology in physical education, teachers need to make sure there is a natural fit with the SEL component we are teaching and our lessons for class that day. Attempting to jam a round SEL peg into a square physical education hole is not going to be successful. Rather, all components should sync and flow together throughout each unit. For example, any time a new skill is introduced, there should be a connection made to self-awareness and the creation of a growth mindset within your students. Learning those types of SEL skills will serve students not only in physical education, but any time in life when they are challenged to learn something new. Want to see how SEL can flow seamlessly into a standards-based physical education class and unit of instruction? Attend my session Ultimate Disc, Ultimate SEL at SHAPE America’s Professional Learning Institute Exploring the Mind-Body Connection Social and Emotional Learning in HPE in Sioux Falls, SD August 1 at 2:15 PM. I’ll show you how to make those SEL connections with your students and then transfer them to other activities you teach throughout the school year.
As teachers begin to wind down this school year, I am sure there will be discussions at the school and district levels regarding physical education and SEL. Without question, physical educators should jump at the opportunity to brag about what we do with SEL and make sure it is integrated into our classrooms. But as you have those discussions and begin to plan for next year, my plea to you is not to forget all the “other stuff” that we teach that leads to physical literacy. When SEL and physical education are intertwined in a cohesive plan, our students can learn skills for a lifetime from both content areas! That connection is what makes our content well-rounded and develops the whole child in a way no other content area can deliver.