Social-Emotional Learning
(SEL & States of Mind)
“You have to Maslow before you can Bloom"
What Is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success and is an integral part of education and human development.
SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
Well-implemented SEL programs positively affect students’ success in school. Studies show that social-emotional skills—such as problem-solving, self-regulation, impulse control, and empathy—help improve academics, reduce negative social behaviors like bullying, and create positive classroom climates.
Social-emotional skills also help children successfully manage everyday life. They help students focus, make good decisions, and become supportive members of their community well beyond school.
Sources: Committee For Children; CASEL Website; UNESCO MGIEP
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**SEL Research: List of Articles; How SEL Helps Children Succeed; The Case for a Holistic Approach to SEL; What Does Social Emotional Learning Really Mean?
**Also see: What Is Social Emotional Learning? |Thought Stretchers Education | Oct 23, 2023.
Five SEL Competencies
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has identified five interrelated sets of cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies (see more about CASEL below). The definitions of the five competency clusters for students are:
Self-Awareness
The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior. The ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a "growth mindset."
Self-Management
The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations — effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.
Decision-Making
The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms. The realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.
Relationship Skills
The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. The ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.
Social Awareness
The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
Source: Empowering Education Website
What Is SEL and Why SEL Matters
What Is Social-Emotional Learning
What is SEL
What is Social & Emotional Learning
nftb-karenvanausdal-v1.mp3In this podcast from the National PTA Website Karen Van Ausdal talks about Social and Emotional Learning. She discusses what life skills do children need to thrive? There’s a lot of learning happening in schools that goes beyond academics. Karen shares what Social and Emotional Learning looks like, why it’s important and how families can support.
CASEL
(Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)
The CASEL website is full of SEL fundamentals, implementation strategies and resources.
Social and Emotional Learning Fundamentals: SEL 101 with CASEL | Run Time: 25:09 | Oct 11, 2021 | This is a CASEL webinar presentation on the definition of SEL and CASEL framework for those seeking to learn more about the competencies and key settings.
The CASEL Guide to Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning | CASEL’s process helps schools coordinate and build upon SEL practices and programs. Schools can use the Guide to Schoolwide SEL to create an environment that infuses SEL into every part of students’ educational experience and promotes equitable outcomes for all.
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Social and Emotional Learning Video Library | Categories and links to high quality videos you can use to learn more, share, and generate discussion with your school community.
CASEL Website Links
Newsletters (past and a way to subscribe for free)
The CASEL Framework (Wheel)
Research
Social and Emotional Skills: Latest Evidence on Teachability and Impact on Life Outcomes
Education systems worldwide are increasingly acknowledging the crucial role of social and emotional skills (SES) in the development of both students and societies. The OECD has been actively involved in advancing the understanding and assessment of SES through the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES). This working paper contributes to the broader initiative of rethinking the assessment of social and emotional skills by addressing conceptual and empirical challenges.
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Education systems worldwide are increasingly acknowledging the crucial role of social and emotional skills (SES) in the development of both students and societies. The OECD has been actively involved in advancing the understanding and assessment of SES through the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES). This working paper contributes to the broader initiative of rethinking the assessment of social and emotional skills by addressing conceptual and empirical challenges.
As part of the project, the paper seeks to enhance clarity on various aspects related to SES. Firstly, it delves into the origins of the SSES framework for SES, addressing criticisms and responding to concerns, including those related to the utilization of the Big Five personality model. Secondly, the paper explores the teachability of SES and compares different skills in terms of their educability. Thirdly, it compiles recent evidence that sheds light on the association between SES and key life outcomes. Finally, the paper strives to bridge conceptual gaps within the literature by updating the overarching definition of SES, highlighting disparities in the definitions of specific skills, and pinpointing teachable skills with substantial predictive value. This comprehensive approach aims to strengthen the foundation for understanding and assessing SES, contributing to a more nuanced and effective educational paradigm.
**Also view the OCED webinar: Social and Emotional Learning: does it make a difference in children's lives? |59:00 | January 2024 | Watch the OECD webinar to explore the teachability of social and emotional skills (SES) and their impact on children's lives. Discover how educational interventions effectively impart SES, influencing academic success and mental well-being. Learn about reliable assessment tools vital for evaluating SES programs. Join us to empower young learners!
Source: OECD iLibrary, OCED Webinars
Social Emotional Learning Video Series
SEL is Essential to Success in PBL
- All teachers, but PBL practitioners in particular, should take notice of a published paper by Lucas Educational Research. This white paper affirms that SEL is essential to success not just in school, but in PBL specifically for a number of reasons.
- A comprehensive review of hundreds of studies confirmed that SEL raises academic performance, improves classroom behavior, and bolsters the ability of students to resist stress, depression, and other emotional challenges that, due in part to the ongoing pandemic, continue to persist at high levels.
SEL for Students
This Spotlight from Education Week will help you understand what kinds of teaching and curriculum can be classified as social-emotional learning; consider the challenges of weaving SEL into academics and strategies for overcoming them; examine expert advice on how much class time should be dedicated to SEL; learn how SEL can provide necessary support to English- learners; and more.
Five Myths About SEL
Connecting Emotional and Social Well-Being with an Academic Mindset
[Dr. Bena Kallick & Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacob]
Run Time: 1:05:50
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This podcast with Dr. Bena Kallick and Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacob helps to answer how can we help our students with social and emotional learning as we concurrently build their academic mindset? Based on decades of implementation throughout the world, the Habits of Mind, a set of 16 dispositions for efficacious thinking, lift the lives of learners as it shifts a school’s culture. The Habits, when started in the early years, grow and become a compass for everyone in the school community to be thoughtful-full of thought and sensitive and caring.
How Can Schools Better Support Neurodiverse Students?
[Dr. Temple Grandin]
Run Time: 55:25
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In this Toddle Leadership video, Dr. Temple Grandin discusses the importance of understanding and valuing the different ways people think in both education and the workplace.
She emphasizes the need for schools to adapt their teaching methods to be more inclusive of all students, including those who may have unique learning strategies.
Dr. Grandin is an advocate for early intervention and encourages educators to recognize and work together with different thinkers to achieve more effective learning outcomes.
By embracing the diverse ways people learn and think, schools can create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all students.
Why Skills Like Empathy are so Important in Education
[Professor Stephanie Jones]
Run Time: 29:25
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‘A focus on social & emotional skills is fundamentally about high quality teaching’
Professor Stephanie Jones from Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) talks to Duncan Crawford, Senior Content Manager at the OECD, about the challenges to teaching these skills, practical tips and Sesame Street.
Learn About Open Dialogue
[Barbara Fitzgerald & Sarah Farrell-Whelan]
Run Time: 34:01
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What happens when everyone involved in a child or young person’s life assembles around them to hear them speak, with no adult agenda? Human connection. This is the first principle of Open Dialogue, a beautiful initiative at Korowal School in the Blue Mountains of Australia.
When there is an issue, a network meeting is called where everyone (including family, teachers, mental health practitioners and friends) sit together and listen to the young person. They talk through what is happening and together form a plan which the young person is in agreement with.
This process has been transformational for the school, and also economical in terms of reducing complex communications between parties. Everyone brings their energy to the room in that moment, for that young person who feels heard and cared for.
This introduction to Open Dialogue is revolutionary for not only schools but for all of us in our complex web of relationships.
Learning to Measure the Size of a Problem to Foster Self-Regulation
[Edutopia]
Run Time: 3:15
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When elementary students compare the relative importance of a range of problems, they learn to take charge of their reactions. Teachers at Lister Elementary School, in Tacoma, Washington, help students compare and contrast the sizes of problems by having them fill out a Big vs. Little Problems worksheet with actual examples which in turn helps students better understand self-regulation and emotional control.
Also check out the book: The Zones of Regulation and this explanatory webinar about the book.
This podcast with Dr. Bena Kallick and Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacob helps to answer how can we help our students with social and emotional learning as we concurrently build their academic mindset? Based on decades of implementation throughout the world, the Habits of Mind, a set of 16 dispositions for efficacious thinking, lift the lives of learners as it shifts a school’s culture. The Habits, when started in the early years, grow and become a compass for everyone in the school community to be thoughtful-full of thought and sensitive and caring.
Children As Leaders
"Children are Leaders", developed by CASEL and supported by The Allstate Foundation, provides SEL conversation guidance to help children build on their interests and strengths. This guidance is organized by grade bands with the hope that it will inspire rich discussions to help children to see how they can lead. Also check out SEL Guidance: Leading Today for Tomorrow
SEL Videos for Children
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The following are lists of SEL videos for elementary students.
Responsible Decision Making (scroll past the ads)
Self-Awareness (scroll past the ads)
Social Awareness (scroll past the ads)
Self-Management (scroll past the ads)
Relationship Skills (scroll past the ads)
Responsible Decision Making (scroll past the ads)
SEL Resources
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Beginning the School Year With SEL | Edutopia | Aug 10, 2023 | An elementary classroom’s layout and routines that begin on day one can help start the year with a focus on social and emotional learning.
Using an SEL Tool Called the Mood Meter in Elementary Math | Edutopia | May 19, 2023 | With these examples for grades 1 to 5, students can develop social and emotional skills while they learn to analyze data through graphing.
6 Ways To Empower Students With SEL | TeachThought | Mar 12, 2022 | An important question for educators to ask is, “How can we empower educators and students to a better well-being with a framework that cultivates humanity’s most positive traits both intrapersonal and interpersonal?”
What Is Social-Emotional Learning? | Teachthought | February 21, 2022 | Social-Emotional Learning is a significant step forward in making 'school' more humane and whole. It both helps promote the ability to think and do things that lead to well-being and healthy relationships while also using the significant presence each of these naturally plays in the lives of students to also promote academic growth.
Socio-Emotional Learning, Well-being, and the Global Competencies: Five things we know | New Pedagogies for Deep Learning | Also see: Webinars and Videos
What Is Social-Emotional Learning? | Committee For Children Website | Information about SEL teaching and learning
How to Choose an SEL Program for Your School | Edutopia | October 5, 2021 | A few pointers for school leaders seeking a social and emotional learning program that is a good fit for their students and staff.
Second Step Elementary Digital Program | The program is a US centric web-based social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that allows for consistency from classroom to classroom and easily scales across schools and districts. Its digital format enables continuous improvement based on up-to-date research and feedback. The new program is offered as a one-year, three-year, and five-year subscription. There are also culturally adapted versions of Second Step® social-emotional learning (SEL) programs for schools around the world.
CASLE SEL Publications | A series of publications hosted on the CASLE website.
Various SEL Articles from Edutopia Website | Edutopia |
How to Embed SEL Into Your Instruction | Edutopia | April 8, 2021 | Careful explanation of the ‘why’ behind social and emotional learning can prime students to build their communication and collaboration skills.
3 SEL Practices That Early Childhood Educators Can Use Every Day | Edutopia | November 29, 2021 | These simple social and emotional learning activities can make a big difference for the youngest students.
Integrating SEL Into Writing Instruction | Edutopia | November 18, 2021 | A writing unit for first grade can help develop prosocial classroom behaviors, a reliable indicator of future academic success.
The Five SEL Competencies
- Self-awareness is a vital first step for children to manage their emotions and their consequences, helping them both to feel better and learn better.
- Self-management is closely linked to self-awareness, as children who can recognize their emotions can seek support from others to navigate them.
- One of the key social and emotional skills in childhood is self-regulation skills, which involve understanding and managing your own feelings to prevent impulsive reactions.
- Relationship skills involve working in teams, getting along with others, and effectively managing conflicts, which can be challenging for some individuals.=
- Students who possess social and emotional competencies are better equipped to make good decisions and understand the impact of their actions on themselves and others.
Back to School SEL Activities
Source: TechNotes Blog
Texas Computer Education Association (tcea) has shared a plethora of SEL related activities/ideas that you could use at the beginning or throughout the school year. You will find activities for Icebreakers, Bellringers, Leadership, Library, STEM, SEL, Templates, Tools, Ideas to Try, Coaching and much more.
Podcasts
Books
Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation delves into the rising rates of anxiety and depression among young people, particularly in Western countries.
Haidt argues that this trend is not simply a result of increased access to mental health services but rather a complex interplay of societal, technological, and psychological factors.
The book explores how factors such as social media, helicopter parenting, and a culture of safetyism have contributed to a sense of fragility and hypersensitivity among young people.
Haidt also discusses the role of cognitive biases and the "availability heuristic" in shaping our perceptions of risk and danger.
Also see:
A.J. Juliani's blog post: Lessons From “The Anxious Generation” For Educators and Parents
Some Takeaways from The Anxious Generation
The Rise of Anxiety: There has been a significant increase in anxiety and depression rates among young people in recent decades.
Social Media's Impact: Social media platforms can contribute to anxiety and depression by fostering unrealistic comparisons and negative social comparisons.
Helicopter Parenting: Overprotective parenting can hinder young people's development of resilience and coping skills.
Safety Culture: A culture that prioritizes safety and risk avoidance can limit opportunities for young people to learn from mistakes and develop grit.
Cognitive Biases: Cognitive biases, such as the availability heuristic, can distort our perception of risk and danger.
The Importance of Grit: Developing grit and resilience is crucial for overcoming challenges and leading a fulfilling life.
The Role of Schools: Schools can play a vital role in fostering mental health and well-being among students.
The Need for Balance: Finding a balance between safety and risk-taking is essential for healthy development.
The Importance of Connection: Strong social connections and supportive relationships are crucial for mental health.
The Power of Gratitude: Cultivating gratitude can help reduce anxiety and improve overall well-being.
Also read: Child Psychologist, “Kids Need More Free Play.”
In a world where national and global events can disrupt our sense of safety and daily life stressors seem unending, the wellbeing of our children often feels under constant threat. Yet, there is hopeful news that isn't always in the spotlight: we can help children navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and manage adversity through the right support and guidance—from both parents and educators.
Raising Resilience is an invaluable resource for families and educators alike, offering guidance for dealing with a wide range of life's challenges, from everyday issues like peer conflicts, academic struggles, and family tensions to more significant personal and societal crises. Drawing on years of research and experience, developmental psychologist Dr. Tovah Klein introduces five essential resources that children can develop to help them face adversity, adapt, and thrive under pressure.
Dr. Klein's work is especially relevant for educators who are on the front lines of supporting children’s growth and development. Her five-point plan, grounded in clinical data and evidence-based practices, provides actionable strategies, engaging stories, and conversation prompts that can be easily incorporated into classroom practices. These tools empower educators to create environments where children learn to be resourceful, adaptable, and resilient.
With its practical insights, Raising Resilience offers educators a framework to cultivate emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and social skills in their students—key components for managing life's challenges and building a foundation for meaningful, successful lives. This guide demonstrates how educators can foster strong, supportive relationships with their students, encouraging them to become confident, motivated, and kind—traits that are essential in our rapidly changing world.