Social Emotional Learning
According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional, Learning (CASEL), social-emotional learning (SEL) is “the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” Social emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages to better comprehend their emotions, to feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others. These learned behaviors are then used to help students make positive, responsible decisions; create frameworks to achieve their goals, and build positive relationships with others.SEL has five main skills: self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management, and relationship skills. Specific topics that schools often teach include identifying feelings, considering other people’s perspectives, and brainstorming solutions to problems.
Why SEL
SEL is beneficial to both children and adults. Students who participated in continuous SEL programs see an overall increase in grades and attendance. On a more individual level, the skills learned within an SEL program have been shown to help students better cope with emotional stress, solve problems, and avoid peer pressure to engage in harmful activities.Students who are equipped to deal with problems that affect them on a personal level are then better able to navigate the pressures of adult life.While it's important to teach young children the ABCs, there is more to education than academics. It’s the responsibility of adults and schools to work together to produce well-rounded young people.One of the best ways to instill the right values in children is for the adults around them to exhibit sound social and emotional skills.Adults who take the time to tend to their own social-emotional learning will find that it can improve their lives both personally and professionally.
