As Tom Ralston planned to convene the Forum for Western Pennsylvania Superintendents this May, the main topic for discussion seemed obvious: social-emotional learning.
βItβs at the top of the of superintendents. Focusing on learning without focusing on social-emotional health is pointless, because if kids are not in a good place with their social-emotional health, theyβre really not going to learn at their optimal level,β said Ralston an assistant professor and director of the Forum for Western Pennsylvania School Superintendents at the University of Pittsburgh.
βThey have to feel a sense of belonging and self-worth. We were already concerned about kids before the pandemic. We knew this digital age has a lot of challenges for kids. But certainly the pandemic has accentuated those things.β
The Forum for Western Pennsylvania School Superintendents meets twice a year β once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Founded in 1994, the forum is composed of 55 superintendents throughout the region. Each meeting has a different, relevant topic. The intention, though, is always to provide a unique professional development opportunity, where superintendents can discuss and learn from their direct peers.
βWe want them to focus on two things: learning and their own health. Superintendent jobs are really difficult. Itβs incredibly stressful,β said Ralston. βOne of the really important things about bringing these folks together is thereβs only one superintendent in a school. Itβs a lonely job. And when we come together, itβs a time for folks to lean on one another and support one another.β
This time around, Ralston thought that social-emotional learning would be a relevant topic, knowing just how much schools have shifted their attention to mental health β especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayβs meeting took place from May 1 to May 3 at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford, PA. The meeting was supported by Project SEEKS SES, a wide-ranging grant partnership between the AIU, ACHD and local school districts and universities.
Among those that presented throughout the meetings were Dr. Junlei Li, Dr. Shannon Wanless, Dr. Tammy Hughes, Jennifer Ehehalt, and Dr. John Balash. Dr. Ehehalt led a presentation on digital well-being and social media use, while Dr. Balash led a hands-on activity involving LEGOS that focused on utilizing building and hands-on activities to build relationships with kids.
Dr. Li was the headliner, leading a presentation titled, βWhatβs In Your Toothpaste? β Strengthening the Relational Foundation of Learning and Social-Emotional Well-Being in Schoolsβ.
βHeβs an excellent presenter, and heβs done some really cool research on social-emotional health, especially with young children and the importance of relational health, like how you relate to children and how important even the simplest interactions can be,β Ralston said of Dr. Li.
Ralston said that the goal of each meeting is for the superintendents to have takeaways that they can implement in their schools, while also having their thought process and beliefs stretched.
βI really want them to be pushed outside their comfort zone, and to question what they believe and why they believe it,β Ralston said.
On that account, Ralston believes the meetings were extremely successful and beneficial, evidently giving superintendents the tools to push their school districts forward.
βThe speakers stressed that SEL isnβt something that we want you to add to your plate. Itβs not a program that you buy, itβs really about a mindset and taking what youβre already doing and putting that social-emotional lens to it. Itβs more so teaching your teachers and the other people in the school how important it is to build relationships with students,β said Ralston.
βThey shouldnβt just look at you as a teacher. And that begins with us at universities. When weβre preparing teachers who are going into the field, we need to incorporate that into our classrooms and into our programs, so that students understand the importance of mentorship and how you do that really well.β