Whole-Hearted Learning 
Working to promote long-term development and success for students and their families
"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

Click on links below to view answers and information regarding Whole-Hearted Learning

• What is Whole-Hearted Learning (WHL)?
• What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?
• What are the components of SEL/WHL?
• Why is WHL and SEL important?
• Whole-Hearted Learning in Practice
• Spiritual Foundations of WHL/SEL
• How can I learn more about Whole-Hearted Learning?

What is Whole-Hearted Learning?

Whole-Hearted Learning (WHL) in our St. John’s community aims to intentionally educate students and families in the area of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with God’s Word of grace and truth as our foundation.  In the context of this foundation WHL is learning about emotions/growing in awareness of emotions, managing emotions, promoting empathy for others, learning relational skills, setting and achieving goals, making responsible decisions and using mishaps and using failures as opportunities for growth.  Whole-Hearted Learning is an integral part of being a beloved child of God and we invite you to join us in the conversation and process. 

What is Social Emotional Learning?

 “Social and emotional learning is the process through which children and adults

• understand and manage emotions, 
• set and achieve positive goals, 
• feel and show empathy for others, 
• establish and maintain positive relationships, 
• and make responsible decisions” 

(according to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). 

Despite the recent rise in SEL curriculum and terminology awareness, SEL is not something new under the sun.  It’s been an integral part of God’s creating us in body, mind and spirit and His intent for us to live in community from the beginning.

He replied, “Your must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Matthew 22:37-39

Another resource defines SEL as "transforming children's lives by providing vital social and emotional learning programs to reduce stress and aggressive behavior, improve focus and academic performance and increase resiliency for success in school and in life." (MindUP at http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/)

What are the components of SEL/WHL?

The five components of social-emotional learning are:

• self-awareness, recognizing thoughts and feelings (& being able to lift these feelings in prayer to God), and how their feelings relate to behavior ---also identifying their own strengths and limits-recognizing their uniqueness as God’s child and other’s uniqueness in the body of Christ
• self-management, helps children lift their emotions to God, control their emotions thoughts and behaviors with the power of the Holy Spirit
• social awareness, this helps children understand and relate to other people’s feelings, and learn what behaviors are OK/God pleasing and not OK/God pleasing in different situations
• relationship skills, these include communication, cooperation and conflict-resolution skills, in the light of God’s word 
• responsible decision-making, these help children find positive godly solutions to problems and make healthy, safe choices with integrity

Why is WHL and SEL important?

Social Emotional Learning Importance:

Copious research has shown that the impact of social-emotional learning (SEL) runs deep. SEL programs are shown to increase academic achievement and positive social interactions, and decrease negative outcomes later in life. SEL helps individuals develop competencies that last a lifetime. July 25, 2018

Students who receive social-emotional interventions early and throughout their learning careers demonstrate impressive and measurable benefits later on in life. The research is hard to ignore: The development of social-emotional skills in kindergarten leads to the higher likelihood of obtaining a college degree, adult employment, and lessens one’s chance of substance abuse or getting into trouble with the law as an adult (Jones, Greenberg, & Crowley, 2015). A Teachers College Study showed that, on average, for every dollar invested in SEL, there is a return of eleven dollars — a return on investment most investors would envy.

https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/leaders-link/social-emotional-learning-defined/ 

Whole-Hearted Learning is spiritually rooted and biblically based. 

We are called to guard our hearts:

Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  Proverbs 4:23

For more on the five areas of SEL/WHL see section titled:  Spiritual Foundations of WHL/SEL

Whole-Hearted Learning in General Practice (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

• Digital/Tech responsibility and ownership
• Following home, school and classroom guidelines
• Respectful, empathetic and compassionate communication with others
• Anger management
• Working through failures academically, socially, personally
• Problem solving
• Making responsible decisions
• Valuing oneself (self-worth) and others
• Setting goals for school and personal achievement 
• Reaching Goals
• Understanding failure is a launchpad for growth

Spiritual Foundations of WHL/SEL

Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  Proverbs 4:23

Just as our hearts are important so are the hearts of our children.  Together, as parents and educators, we work to cultivate Whole-Hearted Learning in our children.  As we venture in what is termed “social and emotional learning” we look to God’s Word to guard and guide us.  The following are foundations on which we build our Whole-Hearted Learning and cultivate it’s growth.

Self-Awareness/Self-Management

We are incredible human beings:

• We are wonderfully made, Psalm 139, Psalm 119:87
• We are made in God’s likeness/image, Genesis 1:26a

We are deeply and lavishly loved:

• With an incredible love, He embraced us, Ephesians 2:3-6
• We were still sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8
• God covers us with His wings, Psalm 91:4
• Out of love God gives us His only Son, Jesus, John 3:16
• We are called the children of God, I John 3:1a-b

We are broken:

• in sin I was conceived, Psalm 51:5
• All have sinned,  Romans 3:23

We are restored in Jesus:

• Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not die but have eternal life, John 3:16
• In Christ we are a new creation. The old has passed; the new has come, 2 Cor. 5:17

We have gifts/resource for self-management:

• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, Galations 5:22-23

Social Awareness/Relationship Skills

Cultivating a heart for others:

• Love one another. As I have loved you, John 13:34
• 59 One Another’s in God’s Word (encourage, accept, forgive…) https://www.smallgroupchurches.com/the-59-one-anothers-of-the-bible/
• Whoever is kind to the needy honors God. Proverbs 14:31
• Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 

Relationship Skills:

• Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, James 1:19
• be at peace with each other, Mark 9:50

Responsible Decision Making Skills: 

• Trust God from the bottom of your heart; 
• Don’t try to figure out everything on your own. 
• Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; 
• He’s the one who will keep you on track. 
• Don’t assume that you know it all. 
• Run to God! 
• Run from evil! *

*All bullet points taken from The Message Translation of Proverbs 5:3-5

How can I learn more about Whole-Hearted Learning?

• Go to the parent resource page: http://sjdenver.org/k8/whl
• Use the Parent’s Handbook:  Creating a Positive School Environment (a copy was give to each SJ family)
• Watch for information from SJ about WHL
• Ask your student’s teacher about their view of self, interactions with others, responsible decision making and other areas of WHL
• Join the conversation by speaking with a member of the Whole-Hearted Learning Team