You might not expect an expert on social and emotional learning to turn to “Supernanny,” a reality television program, for parenting advice, but that’s what Harvard University’s Stephanie Jones, a professor of education, found herself doing late one night.
A busy working mother, Jones identified with the show’s stressful situations. She happened to catch the Supernanny advising a mom with a similar challenge at the end of each day.
“She said, ‘When you come home, force yourself to ignore the demands that prevent you from reconnecting with your children. Let them fall all over you and have their moment of crying, needing you, whatever. Then you’ll have the entire evening to get things done,’” Jones said. “I tried it, and it made a big difference.”
Jones and her team, as you may recall, are the authors of Wallace's runaway hit publication, Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out, a first-of-its kind consumer guide to 33 top SEL programs. Here she speaks to the School Administrator about supernannies, yes, and all things SEL related.
The above paragraphs are reprinted with permission from the September 2018 issue of School Administrator magazine, published by AASA, the School Superintendents Association.
