Oak’s K-1 teacher, Logan Zeman, just published this article about children's feelings and their age-appropriate, social-emotional development. As a community, we believe the social emotional development of a child is not separate from education, but rather is a hugely, integral part of it. It’s one of the main reasons we are doing what we’re doing!
She writes, "When working with children, I always keep in mind that developmentally, the frontal lobe, the part of the brain that is the emotional control center, is still growing, and won’t be fully developed until they are in their early 20s. To leave a young child on their own to manage a strong feeling would be like watching them flounder in the deep end when they do not yet know how to swim. As an adult, I can choose to let them sink or swim, and when given a decision like that, how do I not choose the latter?"
"As adults in children’s lives, we need to be role models and clearly demonstrate what to do when we have big feelings or even small ones. By being calm, patient and supportive, we can avoid power struggles, model positive strategies for emotional regulation, and be the lighthouse that children can rely on. It is our responsibility to guide these currents and to aid children as they learn strategies to cope."
Read the full article here: