Social Emotional Learning and Music Education Now More Than Ever

Social Emotional Learning and Music Education now more than ever

by Scott N. Edgar

ocial Emotional Learning (SEL) was around before the COVID-19 pandemic I believe everyone will soon come to realize that our arts and will be around long educators are the secret weapon to implementation of Safter. The common trauma we are experiencing, however, has put a Social Emotional Learning in our schools. magnifying glass on the need for —Dr. Maurice Elias schools to help students survive and thrive when confronted with profound challenges. The singular priority of schools as they seek strategies to navigate the pan- into our time with students. When done well, Musical SEL (MSEL) demic is student and staff safety—physically, mentally, socially, should feel like great music teaching! If it feels like SEL detracts and emotionally. SEL is a skill-based approach that can help from teaching music, we aren’t doing it optimally, nor are we achieve that safety by building students’ self-awareness, self-man- maximizing the true power of music. agement, social-awareness, relationship management, and respon- Intentional MSEL can begin with four broad ideas: sible decision-making skills (simplified to the three goals of: self, • Connection: We need to foster every opportunity for students others, decisions). Rather than react, SEL enables us to respond to to connect with us, the music, and each other. Relationships challenges. are essential for meaningful teaching and learning to occur. Music is inherently emotional: it makes us feel. Admittedly, this has become more difficult with remote learn- Music is social: it has been a rallying call for humans, always. ing and distancing. Two of the best ways to build relationships Music teachers must capitalize on the connections between SEL between music educators and student musicians are to honor and music because our students need it and music education now students’ voices and give them choices. Give up some control more than ever! and allow students to take ownership and have active roles in the educational process. Offer students choice, as simple It’s Not Just a Byproduct—We Must Be Intentional as whether to sing a song first or last today or as involved as For SEL to be effective in teaching students the life skills needed repertoire selection and musical decisions that affect perfor- to navigate their world after they leave our music classroom, it must mance or self-assessment of a musical activity. be embedded into curricular content—for us, it must be musical. We must make SEL intentional and meaningful—it doesn’t • Repertoire: One of the most important elements of quality just happen, and we can’t rely on the inherent fertile ground and repertoire is that students can connect with it and become potential that music education provides to teach our students these motivated by it. Every music teacher remembers that per- skills. SEL is not another box to check or another item to squeeze formance and the piece that helped spark their interest in 30 Southwestern Musician | August 2020 becoming a music teacher. As we con- connecting. Some music educators might and mental health will be paramount sider music selection (at every level) view this as lowering the bar. While I am (along with the obvious need for physical we should always consider how we confident we will return to focusing on health precautions). can make it personal for our students. musical excellence through performance, Students often rely on music teach- MSEL is only as good as the repertoire for now, we must reconceptualize our ers and the music classroom for security, it is connected to—music first! standards. We cannot lower the bar; we school connectedness, and support. They • Experiences: Students must be given need to change the bar and keep it high. need us now more than ever. This doesn’t the opportunity to do MSEL. This is This adaptation—adjusting the how we mean we disregard music and focus solely the culmination of connection, reper- teach music—will allow us to continue to on social and emotional challenges. These toire, and reflection in a musical expe- teach music at a high level and still reach conversations can be valuable; however, we rience that allows students to explore, our students. But it will be different. When must remember we are music teachers, not create, contribute, choose, and we give ourselves space to prioritize non- licensed counselors. Students gravitate to encounter music with other students. performance elements, it makes room for us because of music; we must not forget To maximize the effect these experi- essential components of music education that. As the school year begins, students ences can have on students, exploring including creativity, personal connection, will need opportunities to regain trust, music that interests students must be and MSEL. interacting with people and reconnecting melded with the music we see value in and rebuilding relationships, and they will teaching. These experiences must be Reentry into the Music Classroom be starved for music. It will be our job to intentional and thoughtful and put on and How MSEL Can Help meet all those needs. the same level as we have traditionally The trauma everyone is feeling as a SEL skill-building can help with these placed performance. result of COVID-19 is real. Individual situ- challenging tasks. Below are the three • Reflection: To achieve voice and ations greatly impact our ability to respond broad goals of SEL (derived from the choice and to connect students with to these profound challenges, including CASEL, Illinois SEL Standards), relevant the music, every performance, activ- resources, family support, and existing skill sets, and musical strategies. ity, or objective should have a student SEL competencies; however, many of these While music classrooms will look, feel, reflection component. The process are out of students’ control. Students have and sound different than they did pre- is just as important as the product been away from school and their friends pandemic, with purposeful, thoughtful, and can help unpack creativity, for five months. Issues of reentry, trust, and realistic instruction focused on the self-awareness, self-assessment and can support students’ goal-setting. SEL GOALS SKILLS STRATEGIES These reflections often result in the best responses online, and they give Self: • Identify and recognize • Utilize emoji worksheets for reflection, valuable information as we continue Develop self-awareness emotions listening exercises, and current mood to design in-person and remote music and self-management • Persist assessment. education. While reflection typically skills to achieve school • Cope • Give students opportunities to self- and life success. follows an activity, consider peppering • Manage stress evaluate their current emotional state and the time and space to recenter (e.g., reflection throughout the process so • De-escalate emotions students can connect and consider the “I need a break” pass; calm corners; why as they complete the what. anxiety meters).

For safety reasons, performance won’t Others: • Cooperate • Collectively develop a soundtrack of have the role it had prior to the pandemic Use social awareness • Be empathetic meaningful music that can be played as disruption for some time. We need to and interpersonal skills • Build relationships students enter class. to establish and maintain adapt our pedagogical approaches to capi- • Have concern and • Develop teams of students willing to help positive relationships. talize on other elements of music educa- compassion for others with reasonable tasks to keep music classrooms safe (following all school, tion including creating, responding, and • Seek and provide help district, and health professional guidance and only allow students to do what is possible and safe). SHARE THE POWER OF MUSIC. Decisions: • Promote one’s own health • Have students inventory and rank music Demonstrate decision- • Avoid risky behaviors classroom activities in terms of risk, their making skills and • Anticipate consequences comfort performing them, and protocols responsible behaviors that could make them feel safer. www.tmea.org/ • Analyze situations in personal, school, and • Create a new mission statement • Plan realistic and adaptive community contexts. accounting for musical, social, and itstartswithmusic response strategies emotional objectives accounting for a decreased emphasis on performance.

32 Southwestern Musician | August 2020 students and MSEL, you can facilitate an environment where students can recon- nect with the space and the people who Rough, uncomfortable waters lie ahead; however, mean so much to them. music is a cultural necessity and is fundamental Advocating Utilizing SEL to being human. Music education and SEL SEL represents a widely accepted con- struct that policy makers at all levels value. exposes and deepens this for our students. To effectively make an argument, all elements of SEL are needed: • realizing the personal–collective value of music education (self-awareness), SEL will be front and center for admin- human. Music education and SEL exposes istrators, and MSEL can provide one solu- and deepens this for our students. Through • understanding how this value will be tion to help our students cope, heal, and our intentional integration of SEL, our stu- perceived by decision-makers (social- move forward through music. dents will build the social emotional skills awareness), and to thrive in our classrooms and beyond. 0 • promoting music education Onward through advocacy (responsible We have often been told the only way Scott N. Edgar is Associate Professor decision-making). out is through. This is true as we prepare for of Music, Department of Music chair, Engaging students in this process not musical performances, struggle to teach a and Director of Bands at Lake Forest only lends relevance to music education’s musical concept, persist through personal College. Edgar is the author of Music value but also models/teaches students musical roadblocks, and navigate the pro- Education and Social Emotional these important skills while forwarding found social and emotional challenges Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music, the cause for music education. associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. and he delivers clinics internationally Compelling arguments for music edu- Many of our students are mourning on the topic. He is a Conn-Selmer cation utilizing SEL are: the loss of music education as they know Educational Clinician and VH1 Save the Music Foundation Educational • Purposeful integration of SEL into it and are craving the support and security Consultant. He can be reached at music education will enrich the stu- they have relied on. Rough, uncomfortable [email protected]. dents’ personal connection to music. waters lie ahead; however, music is a cultural necessity and is fundamental to being • The relationship built between teacher and students over multiple years of instruction fosters the caring environment necessary to help build school Resources for SEL and Specific Strategies for connectedness and foster empathy. Implementing SEL in the Music Classroom • The perseverance needed to dedicate • Music Education and Social Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music (and oneself to musical excellence fosters student workbook), by Scott Edgar, GIA Publications. resiliency in and out of the music classroom. • Optimism Through the COVID-19 Disruption: Utilizing Social Emotional Learning for Reflection and Growth, by Scott Edgar, Andrew Morrison, & Bob Morrison: • Musical creation fosters self-awareness https://sbomagazine.com/6934-optimism-through-the-covid-19-disruption-utiliz- and allows students to develop a ing-social-emotional-learning-for-reflection-and-growth.html greater sense of autonomy and emotional vocabulary. • Music Education and Social Emotional Learning, by Scott Edgar, NAfME blog: https://nafme.org/music-education-social-emotional-learning/ • The collaborative community devel- oped in the music classroom around • Music Education and Social Emotional Learning, by Scott Edgar and Bob Morrison, music-making welcomes discussions NAfME webinar: https://nafme.org/advocacy/quarterly-advocacy-webinars/ and an awareness of acceptance and social-emotional-learning/ embraces diversity. • Music Education and SEL During COVID-19: Resiliency and Empathy Now More • Musicians learn the necessity of Than Ever, by Scott Edgar, NAfME webinar: https://nafme.org/my-classroom/ personal goal setting, self-assessment, nafme-online-professional-learning-community/#Webinar%20Recordings and accountability as they develop • Advocating for Music Education Utilizing SEL, by Scott Edgar and high standards for musicianship and Bob Morrison, NAfME webinar: https://nafme.org/my-classroom/ themselves. nafme-online-professional-learning-community/#Webinar%20Recordings • Music education provides develop- • Music Education and Social Emotional Learning Facebook Page: mental experiences that actively allow @MusicSocialEmotionalLearning students to practice and hone social- • New Jersey Arts Education and SEL Learning Framework: www.selarts.org emotional competencies. • Collaborative for Academic Social Emotional Learning (CASEL): www.casel.org

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