A Conversation With Casey O’Brien Martin

Why do you believe SEL and EQ are important?

Frederick Douglass said that “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” I believe if we focused on SEL and EQ we could positively impact the world in just one generation. Just imagine what our society would be like in twenty years if every child was taught self-awareness, social-awareness, self-management, relationship, and responsible decision-making skills!

Do you have any personal anecdotes about how SEL/EQ has brought you success in your personal life/career?

I am so passionate about social-emotional learning because I get to be the person I needed when I was a kid. I was raised, by a single parent who had schizoaffective disorder. The educators around me didn’t realize what I was struggling with. Once I discovered mindfulness, the arts, and the fact that I had the power to change my thoughts and influence my feelings, it was a huge game-changer for me.

What do you believe to be one or two of the main challenges in education (K-8) today?

With standardized testing there is a lot of pressure on educators to focus 100% of class-time on the core subjects which are being tested. A lot of educators feel burnt out and don’t feel like they have a lot of autonomy in designing their own lessons, because they feel like they have to teach to the test.

Conversely, what do you believe to be one or two of the biggest opportunities in education (K-8) today?

I think educators truly know the value and power of building positive relationships with children. Most educators I know want to spend time building relationships, and focus on social-emotional learning.

Right now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a chance to pivot in how schools prepare children for the future, we can shift to prioritizing a whole-child perspective, with a larger emphasis on social-emotional learning.