Lily Howard Scott joins Michelle Morris Jones on PEBC’s Phenomenal Teaching Podcast to discuss how a focus on social and emotional learning (SEL) isn’t simply a nice-to-have, a perk, but a need-to-have, a prerequisite for meaningful learning. How children feel in the classroom is inextricably linked to how they do in the classroom. Emotionally literate children who know how to navigate their inner lives can persevere through challenging tasks with resilience, and students who feel deeply connected to their peers and teachers can take the risks that inspire the greatest cognitive growth. Best of all, prioritizing SEL doesn’t mean adopting a new curriculum or adding one more thing to teachers’ plates—Lily introduces simple ideas and techniques that can be easily woven into every portion of the school day. These often-subtle shifts in practice can have a tremendous impact, tilting classroom cultures away from shame and competition towards love, creativity, and personal growth. This episode connects to the Community strand of the PEBC Teaching Framework.
Lily brings nearly 10 years of classroom teaching experience to our discussion. Currently an SEL coach, she teaches in the Continuing Professional Studies department at Bank Street College of Education and provides professional development to teachers and school leaders around the country. Her work is centered around helping children navigate their inner lives, connect with each other, and explore and empathize with varied perspectives. Lily presents regularly at national conferences and her writing about the importance of a child-centered, holistic approach to learning has been published in Edutopia and The Washington Post. Learn more about Lily at https://www.lilyhowardscott.com/
The “Phenomenal Teaching Podcast” is brought to you by Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and is intended to elevate the strands of the PEBC Teaching Framework illustrated in Wendy Ward Hoffer’s book, Phenomenal Teaching. Those strands include community, planning, workshop, thinking strategies, discourse, and assessment. Thank you for joining us this season as we strive to share the stories of educators who are creating scaffolds for each and every student to ensure that classrooms and schools are places where agency, equity, and understanding can flourish.