Learning for Life
Malvern College Tokyo to offer an education that nurtures the whole child.
A balanced and engaging curriculum is a key element for ensuring that young learners develop and thrive in school, but there’s a set of skills that children need to acquire that are just as important as math or science.
They have to do with how they maintain relationships with their classmates and teachers, manage their emotions and solve problems. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, when children around the world were having to learn apart from their classmates, developing these skills is even more important. They are taught through social-emotional learning (SEL), and will be a central component of education at Malvern College Tokyo (MCT) when it opens this September.
While MCT plans to offer an education that combines the rigor and sophistication of the International Baccalaureate with the unique qualities that have made Malvern College an outstanding academic institution since the 19th century, it will also support and encourage children’s whole development.
Through a variety of SEL methods, children will discover how to take on new challenges inside and outside the classroom, make good decisions and develop empathy. And the approach is one that pays dividends. Studies have shown that students with a strong background in SEL tend to do better academically and demonstrate better attitudes and behavior in their learning environments. The approach is most effective when it begins early and continues through high school, fostering in students the capacity to blossom into confident young adults.
TAKING LESSONS TO HEART
Another element of SEL is working closely with students’ parents and involving them in the learning experience. Parents will be encouraged to ask children about their feelings and to be curious about the emotions of their classmates. They can also take part in activities that help generate a deeper understanding of how to manage emotions, such as keeping a family “kindness jar” that can be used to keep track of acts of goodwill around the house or neighborhood. Other at-home activities include helping children think about ways to respond to situations that might make them feel nervous or frustrated. In addition, parents are encouraged to talk about their own feelings with their children, so they can understand that the skills that they’re picking up at school don’t just apply to the classroom, but to the real world—and adults.
As students navigate their learning journey at Malvern College Tokyo, SEL helps them develop the skills to not only succeed in their courses, but to become active, thoughtful and sensitive members of the global community.
