As a teacher deeply committed to nurturing the holistic growth of my students, I can’t help but reflect on the personal journey that led me to advocate for the integration of social-emotional learning (SEL) and moral education with core academic disciplines. During my own school days, moral education often felt like an isolated concept, tucked away in a curriculum labelled as “Dharma Shiksha”. Within this compartmentalized framework, I encountered several challenges that left me feeling disconnected and ill-prepared for real life. The stories of heroic figures from distant pasts seemed to lack relevance to my own experiences, presenting values as abstract ideals rather than as practical skills to navigate the complexities of everyday life.

This disconnect became increasingly apparent when confronted with moral dilemmas. Without a solid understanding of my own identity and values, I found it difficult to navigate the gray areas between right and wrong. I realized that this fragmented approach perpetuates a binary worldview, categorizing situations as either wholly good or entirely bad, neglecting the nuanced complexities in between. While prescribed rules offered some guidance, they often fell short of addressing the nuances of real-world scenarios. It was clear to me that resolving dilemmas required more than just memorization of rules, it demanded a deeper level of introspection, critical thinking, and ethical reasoning.

Compartmentalization of moral education not only makes it harder for learners to stay interested but also ignores how emotions, values, and learning are all connected. Delivered primarily through lecture-based formats, devoid of opportunities for meaningful self-reflection and critical inquiry, these lessons about morality fail to engage students in a way that resonates with their lived experiences. The “off the shelf” strategy leaves little room for personal exploration or divergent thinking, stifling the development of essential life skills such as empathy, self-awareness, and ethical decision-making.

It was while grappling with these challenges that I came to realize the importance of integrating SEL and moral education with core academic disciplines. Drawing from my own struggles and experiences, I am driven to create a classroom environment where students are not only challenged academically but also encouraged to explore their own identities, beliefs, and values. By weaving SEL principles into everyday lessons, I aim to provide students with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of the modern world with confidence and compassion.

An integrated approach of SEL with academic subjects offers a more holistic framework for nurturing learners’ socio-emotional development. By blending SEL principles into academic concepts, educators can create rich learning experiences that promote self-reflection, empathy, and moral reasoning.

Moral reasoning is all about figuring out what’s right and what’s wrong in different situations. It is like having a “moral compass” that helps you make the right decisions and resolve dilemmas. Resolving dilemmas and making just decisions demands that learners think “rationally and pragmatically”. They need to approach a situation from a scientific point of view: looking at the situation from multiple perspectives, creating and testing hypotheses, and drawing inferences from evidence. Instead of just following rules, moral reasoning encourages learners to think for themselves and consider how their actions affect others. It’s like asking questions, such as, “Is this fair to everyone?” or “How would I feel if someone did this to me?”

By thinking this way, learners learn to make decisions based on what they believe is right, even when nobody is telling them what to do. They learn to do and be good even when no one is watching. When learners learn to think morally, they become better at understanding fairness, honesty, and empathy. Moral reasoning isn’t just about being nice; it’s also about understanding people’s feelings and respecting everyone’s differences. This method helps learners understand values better by going beyond simple ideas of what’s “good” or “bad”. And so, learners become better equipped to deal with different cultures, individuals, and societies.

To make SEL part of everyday learning, educators can implement various strategies aimed at engaging learners in discussions about their values, experiences, and aspirations.