Ķvlog

Special Report
Student Well-Being & Movement

It’s a Critical Time for Student Well-Being

By Lesli A. Maxwell — April 07, 2020 1 min read
Teachers in the Andover, Mass., school district made a “quilt” with notecards as part of an exercise during a professional-development workshop on classroom climate and culture. The notecards show examples of positive practices teachers have seen in their schools that contribute to a more welcoming environment.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

When our team began reporting for this special report, a deeper look at social-emotional learning in schools, coronavirus seemed a distant story, a new infection in central China that might eventually make its way to the United States. But in the span of a just a few weeks, this fast-moving virus was declared a global pandemic and has upended nearly every routine of our daily lives.

For our children, the disruptions are especially profound. The ritual of waking for school five days a week—where they are fed, taught, and cared for in ways big and small—has disappeared indefinitely. Of course, Ķvlog in many schools and districts are doing heroic work to replicate the live school experience in a virtual realm. But the reality is that no amount of robust digital interaction and connection can fully replace the deep need our children have for meaningful, in-person connections with teachers, counselors, and peers. The same is true for our teachers, our administrators—all of us.

Who oversees social-emotional learning in your district?

4%

District does not teach social-emotional learning

5%

A district-level employee who focuses exclusively on social-emotional learning

5%

The district superintendent

6%

The special education department

10%

The curriculum and instruction department

10%

The curriculum and instruction department

13%

No one at the district level

20%

The department of counseling/ social work/mental health

25%

Other

Source: EdWeek Research Center survey, 2020

Eventually, the virus’ spread will slow. Schools will reopen. But in this period when we must use social distancing, our report—a dive into social-emotional learning—is more relevant than ever.

Some students are fearful and angry for what the virus is taking from them. Others worry about how the cascading economic effects will impact their families and their own plans for the future.

We adapted some of our stories to reflect the reality we’re in now and added a piece expressly about how schools can keep social-emotional learning and supports going in a distant learning environment.

Before the virus became the story, we surveyed teachers, principals, and district leaders to capture their views on SEL. We’ll share some key insights from those results in this report.

To get through this trying time, taking care of students’ social-emotional well-being is imperative. Helping them manage feelings of fear and a sense of loss are critical, says Marc Brackett, the director of the Center for Emotional Intelligence at Yale University.

“Because if you don’t know how to deal with the lack of control of your future, or the feelings of uncertainty that you’re having, your brain is going to stay in a constant fight or flight mode,” he said. “And if our brain is in flight or fight mode, then it’s not in learning mode.”

Sincerely,

Lesli A. Maxwell
Executive Project Editor

A version of this article appeared in the April 08, 2020 edition of Education Week as A Critical Time for Well-Being

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, as well as responsible adoption.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by 
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Student Well-Being & Movement Parents and Kids Feel Shut Out of Policymaking. What Schools Should Know
New survey reveals parents and kids want more voice in government decisions.
4 min read
Students from Columbus, Ohio, wait outside a barrier as U.S. Capitol Police watch over the East Plaza where congressional leaders will have a news conferences on the government shutdown at the Capitol in Washington, on Oct. 15, 2025.
Students from Columbus, Ohio, wait outside a barrier at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, where congressional leaders were having a news conference about the federal government shutdown on Oct. 15, 2025. A new survey shows students want more of a voice in shaping government decisions.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Jury Finds Meta Platforms Harm Children. Why School Districts Are Eyeing This Verdict
A trial scheduled for this summer pits school districts against social media companies.
6 min read
Attorneys representing the state and those representing meta speak following the verdict where the jury found Meta willfully violated New Mexico's consumer protection laws, Tuesday, March 24, 2026 , in Santa Fe, N.M.
Attorneys representing New Mexico and those working for Meta talk following a verdict that found the social media company willfully violated New Mexico's consumer protection laws, on March 24, 2026, in Santa Fe, N.M. Schools have been paying increasing attention to how the use of social media can harm students.
Nathan Burton/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool
Student Well-Being & Movement Teachers Keep the Lessons of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' Alive in the Classroom
Teachers say Fred Rogers' work has informed how they weave together academic and SEL lessons.
4 min read
This June 8, 1993 file photo shows Fred Rogers during a rehearsal for a segment of his television program Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood in Pittsburgh.
Fred Rogers rehearses a segment of his television program "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" in Pittsburgh in this June 8, 1993 file photo.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Do Book Bans Protect Students, or Silence Needed Conversations?
When schools ban books that contain sensitive topics, is it the right move?
5 min read
Surreal open book ready to be read in a wild meadow
iStock/Getty