Hi everyone!
Welcome to the EQ4Peace newsletter’s first edition and to the EQ & SEL in the Classroom Corner. It will be our goal to give you information, tips, & activities relevant to the classroom in every edition.
My name is Bill Overton, EdD. and I was a classroom teacher for over 35 years. After I left the classroom, I became a principal for 5 years. Throughout my career, and even before, I believed that children’s emotional well-being was not being addressed in schools. I believe our classrooms and playgrounds reflected that. I became passionate in my own classroom to add SEL to my practice in major and meaningful ways. It’s my intention to help you do the same, also positively impacting your students’ academic performance.
If you’re reading this newsletter, you have already taken your first step to offering your students information that will be important to their lives and world. Research from the Consortium on Academic and Social-Emotional Learning (CASEL) clearly states the importance of SEL to each student’s future. The research also makes it clear that SEL in the classroom promotes to academic growth and even test scores. In fact, schools that have quality SEL programs have on the average an increase of 8 points on standardized tests over control schools.
EQ4Peace is committed to spreading EQ skills in a variety of ways. We also are specifically committed to the future of our world. One of the most important ways for the messages and lessons to be spread to future generations is through our educational system. You, the teachers, and the people who work daily with our students are the most important players and contributors to a future world where everyone is emotionally intelligent, makes good decisions, and is able to navigate tough emotional challenges. If those abilities are spread globally, the future of the Earth looks hopeful.
We look forward to communicating with you through this newsletter and through the conferences and written work EQ4Peace offers. Hopefully our contributions to you will in turn benefit your students and the greater good.
Talk to you soon.
Bill