Social emotional learning (SEL) is one of the trendiest topics in education circles today. The focus of SEL is more than just the transfer of knowledge. It is about the holistic development of students and cultivating essential life skills outside of the curriculum and classroom.
But what in the world is social emotional learning or SEL? Let’s delve deeper into the fundamentals of SEL and explore the benefits it offers to both students and teachers. We’ll also briefly discuss how you can incorporate SEL into your classroom. Keep reading!
TL;DR
- Social emotional learning (SEL) is made up of five core competencies: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Responsibl Decision-Making, Relationship Skills, and Social Awareness.
- SEL provides students with a solid foundation for holistic development, fostering well-being, academic excellence, and lifelong success.
- SEL programs are equally good for teachers. With SEL skills, teaching becomes easier, they can create a welcoming environment for all students, and better manage their own emotions and stress.
- To incorporate SEL into your classroom, you can do various things like starting the day with a student check-in, encouraging role-playing, and creating a “calm-down” corner.
What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social emotional learning (SEL) refers to an educational methodology that aims to build social and emotional skills among students, helping them to:
- Understand and manage their emotions
- Foster positive relationships
- Make responsible decisions
- Exhibit empathy for others
- Work toward their personal goals
In general, SEL places equal emphasis on social and emotional skills as it does on other subjects like math and science. It equips students of all ages with the abilities that are crucial for success in school, work, and life.
Let’s break it down a bit further.
5 Key Components of Social Emotional Learning
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a leader in the field of social emotional learning (SEL). CASEL has outlined 5 core competencies that constitute SEL:
i) Self-Awareness
ii) Self-Management
iii) Responsible Decision-Making
iv) Relationship Skills
v) Social Awareness
Let’s examine each SEL component in more detail.
i) Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the first pillar of social emotional learning (SEL). It is about helping students identify their emotions, recognize strengths and needs, and develop a growth mindset.
ii) Self-Management
We as humans are born weak. We all experience emotional stress from time to time. So, self-management is about developing such abilities in students that they can regulate their emotions, impulses, and behaviors.
iii) Social Awareness
This is another core component of SEL. It involves being aware of other people’s perspectives, acting with empathy, and respecting diversity.
iv) Relationship Skills
Relationship skills include effective communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, and empathy. These skills enable students to develop healthy relationships with people from various backgrounds.
v) Responsible Decision-Making
It includes making caring and ethical choices while being considerate about your own and other people’s well-being. When taught these skills, students feel more confident in evaluating their options and making decisions that are consistent with their values and goals.
Why Students Need Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
SEL or social emotional learning provides students with a solid foundation to succeed in school, life, and careers. Here are the top 4 reasons why SEL is essential for students:
1) Holistic Development
If you prioritize SEL in your school or classroom setting, this ensures your students are participating in lessons and games that help build self-reflection and consideration of others.
The students learn about themselves, appreciate diversity, and become more responsible through projects, discussions, and role-playing activities that foster an inclusive, positive environment for everyone in school.
That’s the beauty of social emotional learning (SEL) programs. These programs provide a holistic approach to teaching and grooming students.
2) Student Well-Being
The students’ well-being and happiness are at the core of SEL programs. The programs focus on the social and emotional development of students by prioritizing their personal growth, autonomy, and mental health.
The integration of SEL into the daily practices of your classroom means students get the opportunities to engage in self-care activities and understand how to manage their emotions. Thus, students of all backgrounds are able to flourish and thrive.
3) Better Academic Performance
Yes, the performance of students improves a lot when they take part in SEL programs. Even the research studies prove that. As per research, the SEL not only improves the personal behavior of students but there is also an 11% improvement in their test scores.
4) Lifelong Benefits
The benefits of SEL aren’t just limited to schools and classrooms. In fact, social emotional learning (SEL) programs help students grow into fulfilled and healthy adults.
Students develop skills like teamwork, communication, and resilience which help them in future educational and career goals as well as in building supportive relationships with peers, colleagues, and other people they interact with. Ultimately, their chances of success increase wherever they go.
What Does SEL Mean for Educators?
Social-emotional learning is a win-win for both students and teachers. Here’s how SEL helps educators:
a) Teaching Becomes Easier
With SEL deployed in the classroom, students are happier and there are fewer disciplinary incidents. This means that teaching becomes an easy job for educators.
b) Teachers Can Teach All Students
If teachers are equipped with SEL skills, they can create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. This also helps them understand and address the impact of individual and systematic oppression, bias, or racism toward students.
c) Teachers Feel Happier
The data shows that teachers and principals are performing well due to burnout and emotional stress. Educators are increasingly at the point where they think leaving the teaching profession would be good for their lives. With SEL skills, district schools can support their teachers and give them the ability to better cope with anxiety, depression, and stress.
How to Incorporate SEL into Classrooms
There are many ways you can incorporate social emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. A few tips are as follows.
i) Start With a Student Check-in
You can start your day by checking in with your students. This will help you understand how they feel about the classroom. For example, you can use an emoji chart or different colors (green for good, yellow for okay, red for needing more attention or break) for students to indicate their feelings as they enter the door.
ii) Encourage Role-Playing and Group Activities
You can ask your students to role-play before the class. The role-playing will allow them to practice handling challenging scenarios in a supportive and controlled environment. Similarly, you can incorporate group activities so students can learn how to collaborate with each other and tackle different situations by working as a team.
iii) Create a “Calm-Down Corner”
Make sure there is a place where students can step away, take a deep breath, and calm themselves down before returning to the group environment. Having such space will allow students to reflect and self-regulate their emotions.
Final Remarks
Social emotional learning (SEL) is a unique educational approach that focuses on building vital life skills and helping students thrive in academic goals, careers, and beyond. The approach is equally rewarding for teachers and instructors.
By including SEL programs in your curriculum, you can foster a more supportive and emotionally intelligent environment that transforms the lives of students as well as your teaching experience. So what’s stopping you from implementing SEL programs and resources?
