The five SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness, and relationship skills), are vital to the teaching and understanding of social and emotional learning at school.
The Benefits of SELSEL is helpful to both children and adults, increasing self-awareness, academic achievement, and positive behaviors both in and out of the classroom. 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.
How to Promote Social, Emotional, and Character Development
- Be a positive role model in your words and actions:
- Respond to real-life situations by:
- Read to students and use literature:
- Encourage writing as a means of expression by:
- Have conversations about character by:
- Advocate for participation and service in school and in the community by:
- Promote mindfulness in students by:
Here are 25 ways to integrate social emotional learning into your classroom:
- Use Journal Writing.
- Use Read Alouds.
- Do Daily Greetings.
- Hold Class Meetings.
- Incorporate Art Activities.
- Talk About Managing Emotions.
- Give Responsibilities.
- Practice Problem-Solving Skills.
Explicit SEL instruction refers to consistent opportunities for students to cultivate, practice, and reflect on social and emotional competencies in ways that are developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive. These opportunities provide dedicated time to focus on social and emotional competencies.
How to Effectively Develop Social-Emotional and Reflection Skills
- Introduce the skill and/or concept and provide motivation for learning; discuss when the skill will and will not be useful.
- Break down the skill into its behavioral components, model them, and clarify with descriptions and behavioral examples of using and not using the skill.
12 Activities to help your child with social skills
- Have a staring contest. Making a contest out of making eye contact with you can challenge some kids (especially if they have a competitive streak).
- Eyes on The Forehead.
- Swinging.
- Idioms, even in typical children, are very confusing.
- Books about Idioms.
- Online.
- Memory or Matching Game.
- Emotion Charades.
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. People with strong social-emotional skills are better able to cope with everyday challenges and benefit academically, professionally, and socially.
Teaching Social and Emotional Skills All Day
- Be intentional. Social and emotional skills come up all the time — at recess, in group work, in math class.
- Create a warm classroom culture.
- Focus on relationships.
- Make discipline more inclusive.
- Broaden your definition of student success.
- Advocate for change on the school and system level.
Invite Students to Use Their Character StrengthsTake time in class to have your students identify their personal strengths, such as hope, humility, honesty, kindness, and perseverance. You can begin by asking them to take a 10-minute online survey designed by positive psychology researchers.
Grant Lichtman is an internationally-recognized thought leader on the transformation of K-12 education.
- Mastering core academic content.
- Thinking critically and solving complex problems.
- Working collaboratively.
- Communicating effectively.
- Learning how to learn.
- Developing academic mindsets.
The Five Core SEL Competencies
- Self-Awareness.
- Self-Management.
- Social Awareness.
- Relationship Skills.
- Responsible Decision-Making.
In school, educators can take four primary approaches to implementing SEL: (1) direct instruction on social and emotional skills, (2) integration of SEL with academic content, (3) development of a positive learning environment, and (4) general teaching practices that support student development and application of
Social and emotional learning, or SEL, is “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and
Key components of effective SEL implementation in schools include: Instruction in and opportunities to practice and apply an integrated set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills. Learning environments characterized by trust and respectful relationships.