Social, Emotional Learning and TAB

3rd grade boys collaborate, negotiate and communicate their ideas in real time during the creation of a large chalk drawing.

Within the context of NCLB and RttT high stakes testing accountability legislation and standardization of educational activities, current approaches to education reform efforts do NOT provide adequate social and emotional learning (SEL) experiences in American schools. If RttT and NCLB did support these vital domains of learning, then organizations like CASEL would not be necessary. The research is quite clear. When children are socially and emotionally connected to their learning activities, there is engagement and efficacy to the learning activities they engage in. TAB easily provides for social and emotional learning by virtue of it's subject matter and the emphasis on self regulation, collaboration, responsibility, problem solving, communication, negotiation and respect. In fact, TAB exceeds the goals of CASEL because social and emotional learning is a foundation of TAB. SEL does not have to be mandated or objectified within a TAB art program because the TAB approach to learning at a fundamental level works from social and emotional learning domains.

Children collaborate, cooperate and congratulate each other after the successful completion of a large marble run structure in an outdoor TAB setting.