A Perfect Pair: Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Art Education
Art has the unique ability to evoke deep emotions and ignite our creativity, but did you know that it can also help to develop crucial social and emotional skills? Read on to discover the ways in which art education can enhance and promote the social-emotional well-being of students in your school community, plus 5 easy ways to make it happen in your art studio!
Nurturing Social-Emotional Skills through Self-Expression
Art-making provides a safe outlet for students to express themselves and explore and understand their emotions. Whether through painting, drawing, or sculpting, creating gives young artists a way to communicate their feelings. Through engaging in artistic pursuits, students can better identify and process their emotions, promoting students’ self-awareness and self-regulation, two of the key pillars of SEL.
Collaborative Connections: Fostering Empathy and Building Relationships
The art classroom naturally fosters collaboration and empathy among students. When students are working together on a project, they’re not just creating artwork; they’re also learning to listen, understand, and appreciate different perspectives. Through this collaborative process, students develop essential social skills, such as communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution. It also provides an opportunity for students to connect on a deeper level, building empathy and understanding of one another.
The Power of Art Education in the School Community
Studies have shown that social-emotional learning in schools can increase academic performance, reduce feelings of stress and depression, and improve students’ overall well-being. Art education provides opportunities for students to engage with all aspects of SEL: self-awareness, self-management, decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. The benefits of art education extend far beyond the art classroom, setting students up for success in all areas of life.
Here are 5 quick ways to enhance the power of SEL in your art studio!
DO have students share art materials at group tables. Having to negotiate a shared palette or tools will encourage students to be more vocal about their needs and learn to negotiate their wants and physical space in service of the greater artistic community.
DON’T have students “paint or draw their feelings.” Self expression will happen implicitly through their artistic decisions including color choices, backgrounds, settings, which people they include in portraits, and other details they add or omit. The concept of creating a piece of artwork explicitly connected to an emotion always looked forced, overly simplistic and adult-centric. One tip: choose drawing projects that help students express what’s going on in their lives.
DO have students discuss and share their work at the end of a project. Giving students the opportunity to explain why they made certain choices and which aspects of their artwork give them pride is extremely empowering.
DO have students share their strategies throughout their artistic process. Asking students to discuss, at their tables, strategies they’ve discovered for making certain colors or figuring out how to make a sculpture stable will help highlight to them that they are part of a greater artistic community where their approach is valued and where you can learn from others around you.
DO let students have choice and autonomy within the studio. Making materials easy accessible, giving students choice about where they sit (with the understanding that you will move them if they make an unwise choice), holding firm to the expectation that students clean up after themselves all empower students with a sense of ownership over their art-making space.
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