Thoughts on why EELS should be a classroom's class pets! Let's call SEL skills what they really are

 SEL, or Social-Emotional Learning, has been a guiding framework and set of ideas and skills students (and all human beings) should be exposed to, taught, and made use of throughout their lives. Prior to teh COVID crisis, shutdown, and reopening, SEL has taken on new life and widespread interest among school districts and educators because of the need to help so many students and adults recover from emotional damage and baggage caused by and during the global shutdowns. But also more recently, SEL has become part of the political culture war, as many conservatives and Republicans feel SEL is part of attempts to teach our children about DEI and 'wokeness', indocrination of students, and other reasons that have given SEL a black eye for many around the country. 

I say the SEL has the letters in the incorrect order - try ELS instead, meaning Essential Life Skills. Since students, and all human beings, need the skills everyday, we get EELS, or Everyday Essential Life Skills! 

Here are some of my thoughts about renaming/rebranding SEL as EELS. I include graphics any teachers can use immediately as handouts, posters, or to add to student assignments and literature, reasoning behind all this, and evidence as to why EELS are essential for student growth and learning. Teachers of all ages and grade levels are encouraged to include EELS in all aspects of your classroom culture and curricula - and teachers are already using numerous skills, likely without knowing the skills are associated with traditional SEL models. So these are not new, but instead a foundational part of every classroom! Check it out.