ECSEL in the Everyday Classroom

Join our begin to ECSEL educator and coach, Emily, regarding 5 common child scenarios, and sentence examples and advice to get children back on track to learning!

As a begin to ECSEL educator, I often find that the most teachable moments are not outlined in a science lesson or correcting a child’s pencil grasp, or even a Venn Diagram activity, but in identifying, understanding, and managing the emotions that our everyday experiences bring to the forefront. 

Anticipate and plan to address emotional responses during lessons

When developing our monthly curriculum, my co-teacher and I will ponder over where we can weave Emotional Cognitive Social Early Learning (ECSEL) in naturally — a science experiment where the outcome might be unexpected, surprising or disappointing, an acting activity where children can work on expressing different emotions or solve a problem as the characters they are portraying, or a class-wide discussion about the many emotions felt by the characters in a story.

While these are all wonderful and key to a successful begin to ECSEL classroom experience, but our work doesn’t end there. In fact, it is just the beginning. 

Emotions happen every day and at any moment and as we know well, can disrupt learning. This makes it all the more important for us to know how to work in these moments and turn them into opportunities.

Be prepared for emotions outside of planned lessons

While it is important for children to learn about emotions through curriculum activities, my most important job as a begin to ECSEL educator exists when the children I teach need me the most: when they are fed up or frustrated or have simply had enough; human emotions that, let’s be honest, we all feel at one point or another.

It is during those times that our responses to the heightened emotions of our students make a difference.

Emotions are what bind us all together. They are our universal first language and are the most innately human thing about us all.

Emotions are heightened for children who do not yet have the tools and skillset to self-regulate, understand and manage their emotions, and persist in the face of challenge.

Think about the number of times you feel frustrated throughout the day.

Your morning commute is taking longer than it usually does. Your biggest project is due this week and you feel blocked for inspiration. Your Zoom isn’t connecting on time for your 10 a.m. meeting. Your back is sore from sitting at the same desk in the same room over and over again.

In these instances, we as adults know how to take a step back, take a deep breath, and move on. But for children, moments like these can be a minefield that derails the day and disrupts learning. 

Each display of emotion is a teachable moment

Imagine: you have instructed your Pre-K students to work on an activity where they will create self-portraits using mirrors as inspiration. Once they have finished creating their self-portrait, you tell them that they will be writing about something that makes them unique in the background of their portrait (a word you had taught them about during that morning’s circle discussion). On the table in front of them they have their piece of paper, their mirrors, their pencils, collage materials, watercolors, and more. Now, for us adults, this activity seems fun… a stress-reliever even. However, for young children, this activity may bring up a slew of emotions. One child may feel worried about the array of materials in front of them and where to start. Another might get to work right away, immediately dislike what they’ve produced and want to start over. Other children might rush through their portraits and say the dreaded, “I’m done!” no more than five minutes into the start of the activity. Another child might finish and feel proud of the work he has done, while one more might feel incredibly frustrated, crumple up her piece of paper and throw it on the ground, unwilling to carry on. 

Each of these different displays of emotion are teachable moments where your guidance, modeling, support, and responses come into play. What are some ways to approach and handle these opportunities? 

It is because of these many moments and the opportunities that arise from them that I am a begin to ECSEL educator. I know that it is in these moments that I make a difference in the lives of the children I teach.

By focusing on ECSEL in everyday classroom experiences, my students learn that they can regulate their emotions. They can take a deep breath to calm their bodies and try again.

They can appropriately express and discuss their emotions. They have the tools they need to understand, manage, and regulate. They can solve problems, compromise, and resolve conflicts. And most importantly, they can be resilient and they can persist in the face of challenge and frustration.

This blog was written by Emily Stone, one of our Early Childhood Coaches for the begin to ECSEL program.