What is Social and Emotional Learning?

Students learn best in a productive learning environment that supports positive relationships that enhances students’ social, emotional and physical well-being. One of the best ways to achieve a healthy school culture is by promoting social and emotional learning.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process by which children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

SEL is a universal intervention, meaning that it can be used with all students in all schools.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has identified five SEL core competency clusters: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Each of these areas is associated with specific knowledge, skills and dispositions.

Self-awareness is the ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior. It also includes the ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism and a “growth mindset.”

Self-management is the ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations – effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. It includes the ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.

Social awareness is the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It includes the ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Relationship skills includes the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.

Responsible decision-making is the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. It includes the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.

There are three key levels of support necessary for the implementation of schoolwide SEL: SEL curriculum and instruction, schoolwide practices and policies, and family and community partnerships.

SEL curriculum and instruction includes:

• Integrating SEL with state standards and instructional practices

• Explicit instruction of SEL skills

• Integrating tenets of SEL in assessment practices

Schoolwide practices and policies include:

• Implementing approaches and strategies that promote SEL throughout the school

• Building a safe and supportive climate

• Adults modeling SEL competencies

Family and community partnerships include:

• Engaging and partnering with families and the community around SEL

Join us for our next blog as we explore the rationale for spending school time on social and emotional learning.