A critical look at the current trends in SEL and Emotional Intelligence with Emotional Equity as a critical approach to providing integrative support

1. Social Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Emotional Intelligence (RULER)
& Emotional Equity Connected to
Integrative “Thriving”
Kurt Love, Ph.D.
Central Connecticut State University

2. Artist: Jessica Perlstein

5. Marc
Brackett
RULER

6. RULER (Emotional Intelligence)

8. Mood Meter
Emotional Intelligence
Our ability to identify
and communicate our
emotions clearly and
use emotions as
“guideposts” in order for
us to make meaningful
and intentional
decisions.

11. To What Extent Do Schools Help or Harm?

12. To What Extent Do Schools Help or Harm?
Social Emotional
Learning (CASEL)
Emotional Intelligence
(RULER)
Culturally Responsive
Teaching
Character Education
Anti-bullying
Parents’ Nights
Community Learning
Events
Testing & anxiety
Tracking (internal re-
segregation by race/class)
Bullying
ISS/OSS/expulsion
Culturally biased curriculum
Over-identification of students
of color for SPED
Globally competitive, 21st
Century Learners
(employeeism)
Loss of purpose/meaning
Dehumanizing/devaluing of
exploited people
Lock-down drills & school
shootings
Condescending teachers
Reductive, decontextualized,
irrelevant learning
Trauma-Informed or Traumatizing?

13. What is missing from RULER and CASEL?

14. What is missing from RULER and CASEL?

15. Sustainability
(external stability)
Well-being
(internal stability)

16. Sustainability
(external stability)
Well-being
(internal stability)
Currentlyseenasseparate

17. Well-being (internal stability) + Sustainability (external stability) = Thriving
Thriving
needs us to
have an
integrative view
of well-being and
sustainability

18. Ideology of greed
(exploitation for wealth concentration)
Well-being
(limited to the role of “pre-
employee”)
Current
push in
public
schools as
“social
justice” and
“equity”

19. Legalized exploitation
(exploitation for wealth concentration)

21. Ideology of greed
(exploitation for wealth concentration)
Well-being
(student = “pre-employee”)
Current
push in
public
schools
as “social
justice”
and
“equity”Legalized exploitation
(exploitation for wealth concentration)
U.S. Department of Education Mission Statement:
ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational
excellence and ensuring equal access.
Societal Impact on Well-being of Students

22. To What Extent Do Schools Mirror
Stresses of Upper Middle Class Employees?
Testing & anxiety
Tracking (internal re-
segregation by race/class)
Bullying
ISS/OSS/expulsion
Culturally biased curriculum
Over-identification of students
of color for SPED
Globally competitive, 21st
Century Learners
(employeeism)
Loss of purpose/meaning
Dehumanizing/devaluing of
exploited people
Lock-down drills & school
shootings
Condescending teachers
Reductive, decontextualized,
irrelevant learning
Is this the social justice that we want?
Anxiety-disorder
Segregation by race/class in the
workplace
Hostile workplace environment
Being fired or retaliation
Culturally biased workplace
Over-identification of
employees of color for
performance evaluation
Globally competitive, 21st
Century employees
Loss of purpose/meaning &
depression
Dehumanizing/devaluing of
exploited people
Workplace violence
Condescending supervisors
Reductive, decontextualized,
unrewarding work

23. “Self” cannot fully thrive in a place that is socially
and environmentally exploited.
“Community” health affects “self” health and vice
versa.
Contributing to exploitation denies us well-being.
Public schooling is designed to make students
contribute to exploitation (consumerism, wealth
concentration, exploiting people around the planet)
not towards thriving.
CASEL and RULER (similarly with restorative
justice), by themselves, may do more harm than
good because they are creating expectations of
“regulation” in contexts of exploitation and loss
of meaning/purpose.
Partial (Implicitly Biased) View of SEL in Schools
SEL Bias Towards “ProuDociletarianism”
Self-regulate as a greed-oriented, pre-employee
who measures success against “American”
affluent consumerism -- which creates
depression, lack of purpose, and exploitation
mindsets.

24. “Emotional equity” with an eye on the external stability is a more meaningful,
complete way to support both well-being and moving towards sustainability.

25. Step 1: Recognize and be open
Step 2: Envision a thriving community
Step 3: Social injustices and relentless stress
Step 4: Transition from “bad” to “good” stress
Step 5: Humanize before extreme emotion
Step 6: Humanize after extreme emotion
Step 7: Strategies for growth
Step 8: Purpose, relationships, growth
Integrative Emotional Equity in 8 Steps
Schools should be spaces
for joyfulness and
intentional growth

26. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #1
Legalized and Intentional Exploitation
Acknowledge the past openly and willingly. The U.S.
has been a punishing place for people of color and
remains so. And, that’s just racism! Providing
emotional support is tied to historically created
identities.
Recognize history, implicit
bias, and current
conditions of exploitation

27. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #2
Working for Foundational Societal Change
Are we truly in favor of a new human paradigm?
Have some solid views of that possible existence.
How are currently exploited people living in that
existence? How are you responsible for supporting
change? Start by having a mindset of thriving people
and nature. You can’t change everything, but you
can change your treatment of people.
Envision a thriving
community where we
are responsible to each
other and nature.

28. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #3
Teachers as Emotional Stabilizers
Students in chronic stress due to social injustices
and exploitation need adults who believe in them
and give them more emotional supports to get to the
high bar. Don’t give up on them. They need you.
Aim to be a strong emotional stabilizer in their lives.
Social injustices are
sources of chronic,
relentless stress.

29. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #4
Challenge, Accomplishment & Recovery
We cannot grow into our fully actualized selves
without challenges, but they need to be coupled with
accomplishment and recovery. Know your students
relationship with “bad” chronic stress before
challenging them with “good” stress. Students with
high levels of “bad” chronic stress first need caring
adults who have a stabilizing effect on them.
Transition from
“bad” stress to
“good” stress.

30. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #5
Before an Extreme Emotion
Understand that high levels of chronic stress make
for more extreme emotions when new stress is
added. Be aware of students who are “hitting the
wall” emotionally before an extreme behavior
arrives. Give students breaks. Talk with them. Let
them know that you have their back. Do that
BEFORE an extreme emotional response.
Humanizing
students and
preventing extreme
emotions

31. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #5
Teachers As Emotional Analyzers
Ask if you’re adding stress into the classroom that is
adding to “bad” stress even if you think that it is
“good” stress. Are your students “calm,” “alert,” or
“alarmed?” Look for students in the “alert” stage.
Emotionally stabilizing comes with reassurance that
they can make mistakes, but still rely on you and
trust that emotional recovery is always possible.
Return to emotional
calm is needed prior
to cognitive activity
(“good” stress)

32. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #6
After an Extreme Emotion
Chronic stress will make anyone have more extreme
moments. Provide understanding and sympathy.
Address the source of the emotion BEFORE
discussing any problematic behavior. Problematic
behaviors are a symptom of insecurities and
emotional wounds. Attend to those first. Kids with
chronic stress need solid strategies going forward.
Humanizing
students and
addressing extreme
emotions

33. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #7
Strategies for Life
Growth over punishment. Schools provide students
with formal learning experiences addressing sources
of stress and specific strategies for living with them.
Schools should be emotions-oriented (personal
growth and stability), not behavior-oriented (no
ISS/OSS/expulsion).
Strategies for stability
Strategies for growth
Strategies beyond school

34. Integrative Emotional Equity - Step #8
Well-being and Sustainability
Teaching towards happiness is at the core of social
emotional learning. A thriving society needs people
who are well equipped to work with each other,
connect their purposes with mindsets of
responsibility, not greed. Deep growth happens in
the context of purpose, not just for its own sake.
Creating a more thriving society is a worthy context.
Purpose
Relationships
Growth