A key element of learning during the middle school years is social-emotional.

While this is not new information, emphasizing social-emotional learning has recently come back into the educational spotlight. According to expert research, our children are physically safer than ever before, however the proliferation of social media is one reason an increasing number of students around the world are living with anxiety and depression and are struggling with self-image.

“That is why we made the decision to increase the rigor of our social-emotional learning curriculum and offer more direct instruction in our advisory periods,” WAB’s Middle School Principal Marina Frias said. “This is our school’s proactive approach to ensuring that our students are healthy, happy, and efficient learners.”

In line with the IB Learner Profile and WAB’s commitment to a student-centered, holistic approach to teaching and learning, the multinational team of Middle School counselors writes the curriculum covering the skills and knowledge students will need to succeed that may not be distinctly covered in “traditional school subject” curriculums. Topics include communication, culture, identity, tolerance, gender, sexual health, media literacy, physical and emotional health, and transitions.

“We should keep talking about important social issues that affect us all, so we can be educated and understand them,” one student said about advisory.

The current advisory structure is one of several initiatives WAB has undertaken to enhance our focus on social-emotional learning. It came into effect at WAB in the 2018-19 school year, and the program is constantly being adjusted and updated based on feedback from parents, students, and teachers. The classes meet three times a week for forty minutes each, covering eight units over the course of the school year. Students can choose which teacher they’d like to work with, the mix of grade levels and students, as well as what level of readiness they are to discuss certain topics. Offering students these options also encourages reflection and self-awareness while learning about personal, social, and emotional topics.

“We have found that students like to choose who they learn with, and they are actively seeking out lessons from teachers with whom they feel safest,” Marina said. “Taking them out of their established homeroom dynamic allows students to take on different roles, break free of social expectations, and engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations, which pushes their learning even further.”

Stay tuned to WAB’s news channels for more information about our school’s efforts to improve social-emotional learning and teaching at WAB.