The Inspiration and Rationale Behind the Focus of My Capstone Project
As a parent and a wife I knew I wanted to make some changes in the way I was reacting to stressful situations and how I was responding to both my son and husband at these times. In my professional role as an Infant and Child Development Consultant and Community Educator I also found myself challenged to support the families with whom I work, as they identified their concerns around understanding and supporting stress behaviors in their own families.
The rich learning opportunities that I have enjoyed throughout the course of the M.Ed. program have further informed my understanding of these needs. Our coursework has focused on social and emotional learning (SEL), which we understand as a collection of abilities allowing one to be aware of and manage emotions, to consider the feelings of others and build relationships, to problem solve and make responsible decisions (Collaborative of Academic and Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), 2019). Of specific relevance to my area of interest is one's ability to be aware of and manage or adapt their emotions, thoughts and behaviors; the concepts of self-awareness and self-management (CASEL, 2019).
With the needs being recognized and the referrals for support in the area of social and emotional development increasing each year, the opportunities to acquire more knowledge in this area increased. The community I practice in responded by creating programs to address these needs, and the region as a whole began to provide educational opportunities focusing on this area. I gathered valuable insight while collaborating in the creation of the SEL framework and the facilitation of programming offered by our organization. It was however, through the personal and professional growth fostered in this master's program that I recognized a recurring theme, one that sparked a tension and a curiosity in me.
I began to identify and understand the changes I wanted to see in myself, and perhaps the changes and growth desired for the families and children I was supporting. I needed to begin by helping each adult (parent, family member, caregiver and educator) to get in touch with their own social and emotional health, and to begin nurturing their ability to self-regulate. Providing classrooms or homes with even the most well acclaimed, evidence based social and emotional programs was not enough if the adult implementing the strategies, activities or practices was not doing so from a place of strong social and emotional well-being and self-awareness. I found encouragement and validation in the teaching of Dr. Schonert-Reichl (2019). "The only way you can truly help children is by promoting your own inner growth and social and emotional well-being"("Social and Emotional Well-Being and Belonging in the Early Years: Science and Practice",slide 10, para 3). It was from this place of understanding that my Learning Metaphor took root.