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changed. As the first Covid-19 semester continued, we became increasingly
concerned with the effectiveness of our instructional practice and the experience
opportunities we were providing for our students. Were we evaluating whether our
assignments accomplished our desired goals? Were we actively reflecting on our
own instructional practice? As Mason and others have stated (2019), “instructors
need to recognize the power dynamics of a classroom” (p. 407). We agreed with that
statement and made sure to take special consideration with our power dynamic as we
crafted changes to our curriculum. We also agreed that, in order to be good teachers Dr. Amber J. Godwin,
(Palmer, 1990), we needed to act as critical instructors by practicing “intentional and an assistant professor
continual scrutiny of the assumptions that inform our teaching practice” (Brookfield, at Sam Houston State
University, earned her
2017, p. 19). To accomplish this, we decided the most effective approach would be PhD in Curriculum and
to seek feedback about the course directly from our students. Conducting this type of Instruction from Texas
action research allowed us to see whether or not our assignments were accomplishing A&M University and
what we wanted. Moreover, action research contributes to teachers reflecting on joined SHSU in 2018. She
their practice so they can make needed changes to their curriculum to become better previously worked in both
teachers (Gore & Zeichner, 1991; Hagevik et al., 2012). Florida and Texas schools
as a teacher. A member
Teaching is an increasingly stressful and challenging profession. It requires a of Upsilon Chapter in
wide range of skills and knowledge, including pedagogical and content knowledge, Texas State Organization,
but it also requires effective social and emotional competencies. However, the Godwin has also worked
role of teachers’ social and emotional capabilities is often neglected (Jones et with AP College Board,
al., 2013) even though both students and teachers are greatly influenced by these Albert.io, and McGraw-Hill
competencies. Students are faced with a number of stressors in school, such as being and currently contracts
with York and National
bullied by their peers or having disagreements with friends. Students may also have Geographic Learning. Her
negative feelings toward their school environment. Teachers’ social and emotional research interests include
competence impacts students in many ways: “These educators and students know helping develop critical
intuitively what research has shown: Social and emotional competencies influence thinking experiences for
everything from teacher-student relationships to classroom management to effective all learners, exploring
instruction to teacher burnout” (Jones et al., 2013, p. 62). interventions that enhance
social studies education,
Developing the social and emotional competencies so necessary for teaching informing instructional
requires time and support. This is particularly true for novice teachers, as they are practices that promote
often overwhelmed when they enter the classroom by such realities as their students’ empathy, awareness, and
diverse backgrounds and the pressures of high-stakes testing. New teachers often advocacy, and creating
face classroom management challenges and do not feel prepared to handle those and informing practices
challenges (Intrator, 2006). that support neuro-
diversity, including gifted
Furthermore, the pandemic shed even more light on the social-emotional needs of learners.
students (Ladson-Billings, 2021). We found that, when checking in with our students
during the immediate time after the lockdown of March 2020 until at least the end agodwin@shsu.edu
of the spring semester in 2021, students were self-reporting on their progress in our
course and in their degree work in a way that alluded more to social and/or emotional
needs than to academic ones. Therefore, we approached this article through the lens
of critical pedagogy regarding reflective teaching with social emotional learning
(SEL) considerations in mind.
Critical pedagogy allows that schools have both hidden (Shyman, 2020) and
direct curriculum goals that are social constructs that may reinforce previously
constructed power, historical contexts, and social relations (McLaren, 2018). SEL has
been defined in a variety of ways, including concepts such as emotional intelligence,
social competence, and self-regulation. For example, the National Center on Safe
Supportive Learning Environments defines SEL as
…the processes through which children and adults acquire and effectively

Promoting Professional and Personal Growth of Educators and Excellence in Education 17