The social-emotional well-being of children is an important aspect to consider when working within the Early Childhood field. Three aspects relate to mental health in schools: social, emotional, and behavioral health (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). The social domain addresses how one relates to others, while the emotional domain addresses how one feels, and the behavioral domain regards how one acts (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). Since the COVID-19 pandemic, students have experienced a decrease in social-emotional well-being, requiring additional consideration and resources from the teachers that they trust (U.S. Department of Education, 2021).

Social-emotional well-being affects the overall well-being and learning of a child. Children's health and wellness are often impacted by their social-emotional well-being, which directly impacts their development and learning abilities. Students should have access to safe adults and mental health resources to help with coping skills, self-regulation, attention, and other aspects that impact learning.  

Social-emotional wellness can positively impact children's attitudes and motivation toward school and learning. Children with poor social-emotional well-being tend to perform lower in school and have difficulties with attention, following directions, and engaging in positive/good behaviors. In turn, children with poor social-emotional health have a higher correlation with suspensions.

To best promote children's social-emotional well-being, professionals can organize environments that stimulate and encourage positive social interactions between children. The two most important practices of social-emotional well-being are building trusting relationships with children and conducting intentional teaching. Teachers and professionals in the Early Childhood field are responsible for creating positive environments and relationships, building rapport with children, and practicing intentional teaching strategies. When teachers engage in these practices to ensure the social-emotional well-being for all children under our care.

Throughout this semester (Fall 2023), I have learned several aspects of Early Childhood Professionalism. The first section of our class focused on learning the foundations of Early childhood education. Such as, my roles as a Teacher-Education Student and Early Childhood Professional, and the historic people and beliefs that have shaped the field of ECE.

The second section covered the early education models and approaches. The approaches that stood out to me were The Project Approach, the Reggio Emilia model, and Montessori Education. These three approaches have many similarities, i.e., each of these models is child-led (Meaning that the child guides the teachers to what they want to learn about).

My goals and aspirations in the early childhood field are: to encourage a love for learning within the children I teach, support children and families in need, and to allow children to have freedom to learn what they are interested in.