ISP Insights - Social and Emotional Development: Community and Chemicals

This article will discuss the complex nature of transitions experienced by young children when leaving the home setting or a previous educational setting and embarking on life at ISP for the first time. Transitions are changes that take place in individuals’ lives, and these may be not only inner psychological transitions, such as developmental growth or constructions of self-identity, but also external transitions such as moving physical spaces or moving countries and cultures. Teaching in an international setting, we are all too aware of the latter and of the impact these changes can have on children’s social, emotional, personal and cognitive development. The article will also pay homage to social chemicals and the important part they play during these physical transitions.

If Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) were to be broken down, learning is a social process as it occurs through collaboration and interaction with others and the emotional aspect comes into play when we begin to examine aspects of early years education such as attachment, adjustment, self-awareness, self-confidence, self-esteem and the management of feelings and behaviour.  

Let’s discuss how we, at ISP support children during times of physical transition and explore the activity that happens within the brain when this is navigated successfully.

Belonging

For all students entering the EYC currently, we need to remember that the pandemic has bred a cohort like no other before them. A cohort of children have never experienced isolation like our children born in the last three and a half years. It has therefore, never been so important to keep SEL and ‘together’ forefront. 

For learning to take place at any time, children need to be happy, relaxed, comfortable and have no outstanding needs…we all know this, but did we ever know just how important ‘together’ was? Every morning, our children are greeted with warm welcomes and smiling faces. It is these vital connections that help the children to feel they are a part of a group and, consequently it is at this time of connection that children begin to feel inspired. They are happy, they are motivated, and they become driven to do well for the good of the group that they now belong to. Beyond the driveway and into the classroom, we continue to build on togetherness. We check in with each other, we learn to regulate, we are mindful and we laugh…together. So what is happening within when children have feelings of connection, community and belonging?

Chemicals

We are born social animals and we need each other. We are not built to face the world alone. There are two pro-social chemicals, serotonin and oxytocin which help us to build community and togetherness and, when we come together for the good of the group we feel fulfilled, our sense of belonging grows and we build trust. Serotonin and oxytocin grease the cogs of our ISP wheel so that the ride is smooth. 

Serotonin is the feeling of pride. When our children feel they are a part of a group and other people within that group like them and respect them, they grow in strength and confidence. Our SEL outcome then is to release strong and confident individuals into life beyond the EYC once they graduate their foundation years. Think about how a child feels when they are performing and see ‘their people’ in the audience…that is serotonin. When children cross the finish line on sports day and the crowd cheer…that is serotonin. It would be no fun at all running a race in isolation. 

Oxytocin gives us something different, not pride, but something more warm and fuzzy. The feeling of love, friendship and trust is oxytocin, so when we enjoy a simple circle time with the children, singing together, chatting together and forming positive relationships, the children are feeling the benefits of a release of oxytocin. Our brains are wired to release this chemical when we are with our people, our community, and the people we trust and love. Maybe not a ‘simple circle time’ then, but a powerful means of promoting community and a sense of belonging, much like an assembly.

Children are accepted into our community every day with those smiles. The children feel this acceptance and it gives them a sense of safety and belonging, the most craved feeling by any human. The children feel connected and warm, and this brings a release of oxytocin. Once the children feel warm and accepted, they feel strong and confident and here comes the serotonin. They want to do well, they love the feeling of pride. Oxytocin is the magic and we educators are the sorcerers, the facilitators of the wand, casting spells to make strong, courageous, risk takers ready to take on the world!

Angie Hutchinson

Assistant Head (Primary) - EYC