Social and emotional learning (SEL) is one component of educating the whole child.

Sample Solution

 

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, build and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. SEL is important for all learners, regardless of age, grade level, or background.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) divides SEL into five competencies:

• Self-awareness: The ability to recognize one's own emotions, thoughts, and values.
• Self-management: The ability to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that are constructive and productive.

Full Answer Section

 

• Social awareness: The ability to understand and appreciate the perspectives of others, including those from different cultures and backgrounds.
• Relationship skills: The ability to build and maintain positive relationships with others.
• Responsible decision-making: The ability to make choices that are safe, ethical, and in line with one's values.

These five competencies are interrelated and all play a role in helping children and adults thrive. For example, self-awareness is essential for self-management, which is in turn essential for social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The guidelines shared in Chapter 6 of Today's Guide to Educational Policy: Pandemics, Disasters, Nationalism, Religion, and Global Politics, under the section Social Emotional Learning During the Pandemic, highlight the importance of SEL for learners during times of crisis. The guidelines stress the need for schools to provide SEL supports to help students cope with the emotional and social challenges of the pandemic. The following are some specific ways that schools can provide SEL supports to learners during the pandemic:

• Create a safe and supportive learning environment: This includes providing students with opportunities to express their emotions, connect with peers and adults, and feel a sense of belonging.
• Teach SEL skills: This can be done through explicit instruction, role-playing, and other activities.
• Provide social-emotional supports: This can include counseling, mindfulness training, and other interventions that help students manage stress and cope with difficult emotions.
• Engage families: Families play a critical role in supporting children's SEL development. Schools can work with families to provide SEL resources and support.

In addition to these specific supports, schools can also create a culture of SEL by modeling SEL skills, creating opportunities for students to practice SEL skills, and celebrating SEL successes. In addition to schools, institutions of higher learning are also recognizing the importance of SEL for students. Many colleges and universities are now offering SEL courses and programs to help students develop the skills they need to succeed in college and beyond. The following are two examples of how K-12 school divisions and institutions of higher learning are providing methods to address the social and emotional needs of learners at these levels in education:

• The San Francisco Unified School District has implemented a comprehensive SEL program called Thrive. Thrive provides students with SEL instruction, social-emotional supports, and opportunities to practice SEL skills.
• The University of California, Berkeley has created the Berkeley Social and Emotional Learning Lab. The lab conducts research on SEL and develops SEL interventions for students at all levels of education.

SEL is an essential part of educating the whole child. By providing SEL supports to learners, we can help them develop the skills they need to succeed in school, in life, and in the workforce. In addition to the two examples mentioned above, here are some other ways that K-12 school divisions and institutions of higher learning are providing methods to address the social and emotional needs of learners at these levels in education:

• Social-emotional learning coaches: Some schools and colleges are hiring social-emotional learning coaches to provide SEL supports to students and staff.
• SEL curriculum: There are a number of SEL curriculums available that can be used in schools and colleges.
• SEL apps: There are a number of SEL apps that can be used by students and staff to learn SEL skills and practice SEL activities.
• SEL professional development: Schools and colleges can provide professional development to staff on SEL so that they can be better equipped to support students' social and emotional development.

SEL is an important investment in the future of our children and our society. By providing SEL supports to learners, we can help them develop the skills they need to thrive in school, in life, and in the workforce.