Lesson 2: Social Literacy

The school is a social institution established for the contemplation of reality in a

profound, personal, informal and unstructured way Teachers facilitate learning, teach
students and model certain types of acceptable behavior while developing them in all
aspects: academically, physically, emotionally and socially. In performing such task,
teachers also relate to parents and other stakeholders. That is why understanding and
attaining social literacy is imperative among them.
Social Literacy
Social literacy entails the development of social skills, knowledge and positive
human values toward desire and ability in human beings to act and react positively and
responsibly in a wide range of complex social settings. It can be acquired through social
process of inquiry, values exploration and social decision-making that relate to the
acquisition of knowledge and understanding (Arthur, Davison and Stow, 2000).
In school, social literacy can be demonstrated by teachers in dealing with their
superiors, colleagues, parents, students and others, while for students, by way of interaction
and interrelation with the surroundings around them—their peers, the media and political
influencers, technology agents, religious groups, school staff, family members, etc.
Social Skills
Social skills are aspects of social literacy. As such, these are an integral part of
functioning in society. It involves good manners, communicating effectively with others,
being considerate of other’s feelings and expressing personal needs. In fact, children gain
social skills through playing while adults obtain it by interrelating with others, both
verbally (spoken language) and non-verbally (gesture, body-language, facial expressions,
eye contact and appearance).
Social skills are also important in schools because they help build, maintain and
grow relationships of students with classmates, peers, teachers, students, and others, while
for teachers, with their superiors, colleagues, parents, students, and others. These can be
attained through: (1) gaining ideas, information, techniques and perspectives from people
with different areas of expertise; (2) providing their own perspective for the benefit of the
others; (3) accomplishing tasks and working together toward shared goal; (4) providing
mutual support for difficult situations; (5) expanding network to learn about and pursue
new opportunities; (6) gaining feedback and referrals from people who can personally
attest to work, skills and qualities; and (7) making the school truly a healthy and conducive
learning environment.
Types of Social Skills
There are types of social skills that teachers can demonstrate among students to
attain a harmonious relationship with them.
1. Effective communication. It is the ability to communicate effectively and share
thoughts and ideas with students through group conversations, discussions, etc.
2. Conflict resolution. It is the ability to get to the source of the problem and find
a workable solution by weighing both sides from those involved with the goal of mediating
for reconciliation.
3. Active listening. It is the ability to pay close attention to a student in times of
counseling, introspection and consultation.
4. Empathy. It is the ability to understand and identify the feelings of students in
times of difficulty and trouble.
5. Relationship management. It is the ability to maintain relationships and build
key connections with school stakeholders for the student’s development.
6. Respect. It can be done by knowing when to initiate communication and respond
during interactions or even in times of heated arguments and confrontations.
7. Problem-solving skills. These involve seeking help, making effective decisions
and accepting consequences to derive better solutions to the problem.
8. Interpersonal skills. These include the abilities of sharing, joining activities,
asking for permission and waiting for one’s turn in every facet of school undertakings.
Improving social skills. Social skills can be improved by focusing on sustaining
desirable attitudes and eliminating those undesirable ones through modeling, role-playing
and performance feedback mechanisms.
In addition, one may consider: (1) maintaining eye contact; (2) using proper body
language; (3) knowing the difference between being assertive and being aggressive; (4)
selecting effective communication channels; (5) being flexible; (6) accepting criticism
without being defensive; (7) remaining positive at all times; and (8) being teachable and a
good student in most instances (https://www,skillsyouneed.com/ips/social-skills.html).
Likewise, other ways that may help are as follows: (1) Behave as a social person;
(2) Start small if necessary; (3) Ask open ended questions; (4) Encourage others to talk
about themselves; (5) Create goals for yourself; (6) Offer compliments generously; (7)
Read books about social skills; (8) Practice good manners; (9) Pay attention to your body
language; (10) Join a social skills support group; (11) Stay up to date on current events;
and (12) Identify and replace negative thoughts.
Impact of Social Skills. Possessing social skills results to: (1) better relationships;
(2) better communication; (3) greater efficiency; (4) advanced career prospects; and (5)
increased over-all happiness (https://www.masters-in-special-education.com/list/5-types-
of-social-skills-deficit/).
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Emotional intelligence can bring about maintaining a healthy and purposeful
relationship with others that may best depict a socially literate person.
Goleman (1996) defines Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as the ability to: (1)
recognize, understand and manage own emotions; and (2) recognize, understand and
influence the emotions of others.
It is being aware that emotions can drive behavior and impact people (positively
and negatively), and learning how to manage those emotions, both one’s own and others’
when under pressure, especially in times of: (1) giving and receiving feedback; (2) meeting
tight deadlines; (3) dealing with challenging relationships; (4) not having enough
resources; (5) dealing with change; and (6) experiencing setbacks and failure.
Strategies for Enhancing Emotional Intelligence
Goleman (1995) laid down ways of enhancing emotional intelligence in the light of
understanding and managing emotions that teachers need to know and understand.
1. Think about feelings. A person has to be sensitive to one’s and other’s feelings
to come up with the right manner of approach or appropriate response. For example, a
teacher has to be aware of his/her students’ background or situation that may trigger
negative emotions. In that case, he/she would know the right approach when dealing with
sensitive issues in class.
2. Pause. This is about taking a moment to stop and think before doing anything to
refrain from resorting to an unsound decision at the height of anger. For example, at the
peak of anger with a student who commits violations, a teacher may gently pause for a
while and take a moment of silence to rethink and cool down before jumping to any
decision in order to avoid untoward consequences.
3. Strive to control one’s thoughts. This is controlling the reaction to emotions by
focusing on one’s thoughts in harmony with goals and values. For example, instead of
overreacting to a certain incident or situation in class, try to control negative thoughts to
see a myriad of colors at the end of the rainbow among students. As such, try to find beauty
in all things despite not-so-good circumstance that may happen.
4. Benefit from criticism. Criticism, even not delivered in a favorable way, is an
opportunity to learn and it gives idea on how others think about you. For example, when a
senior teacher gives negative feedback on your work, instead of taking it personally against
him/her, gratefully accept it with humility and appreciation, just think it is for your
improvement.
 5. Show authenticity. This is saying what we mean with what we say, and we have
to stick on to our values and principles. For example, in times of confrontation with parents,
as teachers, we should clearly express our side with respect and sincerity while consistently
upholding on to the principle and truth behind the issue in order to avoid resorting to heated
argument and conflict at the end.
6. Demonstrate empathy. Whenever we show empathy to others, such as
understanding their thoughts and feelings, we can easily establish a connection with them.
As teachers, we should reach out to students who are in their worse situations and try to
understand them and feel as if we were in the same boat.
7. Praise others. This is by way of acknowledging and appreciating others toward
attaining self-fulfillment and building trust. For example, teachers should give
acknowledgement and praise to students for their deeds that are worth commending.
8. Give helpful feedback. Although negative feedback may hurt one’s feelings, at
some point, it can be turned constructive for one’s improvement. For example, when we
receive negative feedback from our superiors, we have to take it as a challenge toward
becoming a better and stronger person.
9. Apologize. Saying sorry demonstrates humility, a quality that will naturally win
others as you value the relationship more than the ego. For example, whenever we commit
mistakes in teaching, whether big or small, there is nothing to lose when we apologize,
even at times, doing it may seem to be very difficult.
10. Forgive and forget. Forgiving and forgetting prevents others from holding
emotions and allowing one to move forward. For example, when a student or a colleague
hurts us, we should be ready to forgive and let go of the pains that somehow caused us.
11. Keep our commitments. The habit of keeping one’s word in things, either big
or small, develops a strong reputation for reliability and trustworthiness. For example,
when we are given tasks in school, make sure that we commit ourselves, our time and
efforts into it. Remember, opportunities may only come once, therefore, grab every
opportunity that may come along our way for it may never come again.
12. Help others. One way to positively win others is through helping them because
listening to and helping them can build trust and inspire them to follow. For example, in
every school activity, we have to find ways to help others accomplish their tasks
successfully. In return, they will be grateful to us.
13. Protect ourselves from emotional sabotage. This is being wise enough in
protecting ourselves when others attempt to manipulate our emotions for personal sake.
For example, when we feel that someone has been excessively or wrongly controlling our
actions, feelings and decisions in school, stop it in any right but subtle and courteous way
possible.
Recommended Tools in Enhancing Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence can be enhanced in school with the help of the following
tools and strategies.
1. Emotional Literacy Workshop. This will help teachers to communicate with
students, recognize and manage emotions and increase self-awareness.
2. Emotional Literacy Museum. It is a self-directed learning experience that teaches
about the physiology of emotions, emotional regulation, and emotional literacy.
3. Mixed Emotion Cards. It is a beautiful deck of “tarot-like” cards of feelings
(labeled with feelings and synonyms).
4. eMotion Cards. It is an evocative, playful moon face illustration of emotions
(open-ended without labels).
5. Biodots. It is a simple reminder that emotions are part of your physiology.
6. Bingo Emotions. It is typically a classic “bingo” game played with emotions.
7. Feeling Faces. These are photos of real people and data about how survey
respondents evaluated each picture.
8. Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment. It provides feedback about the
way one uses EQ and how to improve in this area. (http://www.6seconds.org/2018/02/27)
9. The Zoo: Animal Workshop. It is an activity that intends to imitate an animal
behavior and gesture that ends with reflections and group sharing.
10. Face Workshop. It is an activity, in which partners face each other while
showing different facial expressions and qualities that ends with reflections.
Ten Characteristics of an Emotionally Intelligent Person (Connors, 2018)
1. Empathy- the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing
from within their frame of reference.
(a) Affective empathy- refers to the sensations and feelings that one gets in
response to others’ emotions including mirroring what the person is feeling.
(b) Cognitive empathy- also called “perspective empathy”, refers to one’s
ability to identify and understand other people’s emotions.
2. Self-awareness. It is the art of understanding one’s self.
3. Curiosity. It is one’s willingness to learn and improve.
4. Analytical mind. It pertains to being critical thinker that analyzes and processes
all new information.
5. Belief. It is the power of believing in one’s self, both at present and future.
 6. Needs and wants. It is something to discern between things that one needs versus
things that he/she just wants.
7. Passion. It is the natural desire, instinct, drive, ambition and motivated love for
a subject or someone.
8. Optimism. It is about maintaining a positive attitude that may increase one’s
opportunities, improve relationships and think clearly and constructively.
9. Adaptability. It is an important recognition and the ability to make or remake
decisions in one’s best interest.
10. Desire to help others succeed. It is becoming interested and appreciative of the
success and achievement of others.
People Skills
Like emotional intelligence and social skills, people skills have been widely used
in demonstrating social literacy at home, in school or anywhere that a person may be.
According to Wikipedia, people skills are patterns of behavior and behavioral
interactions. For Thompson (2009), this is an area of exploration about how a person
behaves and how he/she is perceived irrespective of his/her thinking and feeling. Honey
(2001) defines it as the dynamics between personal ecology (cognitive, affective, physical
and spiritual dimensions) and its function with other people’s personality styles in
numerous environments (life events, institutions, challenges, etc.).
On the other hand, people skills are tools used to communicate and interact
effectively with others. Therefore, individuals with strong people skills are able to predict
behavior, relate to others and socialize easily.
People skills can also be defined in three sets of abilities: (1) personal effectiveness
or about how one comes across with others; (2) interaction ability or how well one predicts
and decodes behavior; (3) intercede easily or ability to lead, influence and build bridges
between people.
Moreover, people skills are the ability to accept, appreciate and admire others on a
personal or professional level. Good people skills extend to the ability to listen and
empathize with others, as well as work toward common goals with them. Therefore, these
are sets of skills that enable a person to get along with others, communicate ideas
effectively, resolve conflicts and achieve personal or professional goals.
Educational Impact of People Skills. People skills are important for teachers in
effective classroom management. Knowing how to communicate and teach people instead
of simply teaching their subjects will help make a difference in the classroom (Bolton,
2009). Accordingly, almost 50 percent of classroom success lies on effective interpersonal
relationships, while the other 50 percent lies withing academic skills (Boyle, 2011). This
is because teachers tend to interact and relate with students. Therefore, they need to learn
how to practice these people skills effectively in order to create a healthy and conducive
learning atmosphere in the classroom.
Integrating Socio-Emotional Literacy into the Curriculum
Schools that want to teach socio-economic learning but confined with classroom
time can take a social, emotional and moral inventory of what students are currently
learning by involving: (1) a person’s emotional life; (2) an ethical dilemma; (3) a situation
calling for compassion; (4) a societal challenge; (5) the ethical use of knowledge; (6) cross-
group interactions; and (7) an implicit prosocial concept.
By integrating social literacy in the curriculum content, teachers do not only give
students opportunities to practice their social-emotional skills, but also show them how
integral these skills are in their daily lives.
Hence, reviewing curricula through social, emotional and moral lens is like a habit
of mind that the more it is done, the easier it gets. Obviously, the greatest benefit of teaching
lessons like these is that students can begin to examine their education, their decisions,
their interests and their relationships through this lens, while helping them cultivate a more
thoughtful and discerning approach to life.