Social-emotional learning (SEL, also known as socio-emotional learning or social and emotional learning) is a common educational approach. It aims to provide students with the skills and opportunities to reflect on their learning and how to apply it to their own lives, manage emotions, be empathetic, and think critically.
In this post, I’ll explore the approach in more detail and share some ways to incorporate it into the classroom.
What exactly is social-emotional learning?
SEL is an approach to learning that aims to help all learners succeed. It equips them with essential skills and provides a supportive learning environment and community to help them do this.
When we think about what helps us succeed, we might consider skills, confidence, motivation, support networks, and a positive mindset. SEL incorporates these into the classroom by allowing students to interact with new information in a variety of ways.
What are the five main components of SEL?
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) aims to make SEL a key educational approach.
The CASEL Framework has five key competencies at its core. These are:
Let’s look at each one a little more closely.
Self-awareness
This competency relates to the ability to recognize and understand our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. In terms of language teaching, this could be introducing feelings vocabulary, doing a lesson on mindfulness, or exploring mental health or personality types.
Ellii has a collection of Self-Awareness content here.
Self-management
Self-management refers to the ability to control our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. For example, having an awareness of how certain situations make us feel and how we can adapt and control our behaviors can help us succeed.
Some suitable topics for the language classroom might be:
- imposter syndrome and how to overcome it
- stress, its triggers, and how to manage it
- bad habits and advice to stop them
- study skills and avoiding procrastination
- road rage and how to prevent it
Check out these Self-Management resources on Ellii.
Social awareness
This strand focuses on having an awareness of the diverse beliefs, cultures, and backgrounds of people around the world. It also aims for a shared empathy, tolerance, and understanding of these differences. To do this, you can include topics about diversity, equity, and inclusion such as neurodiversity, LGBTQ+, age, gender, race, disability, and religion.
Here are some suggested Social Awarness materials compiled by Ellii.
Relationship skills
This fundamental aspect of SEL aims to support learners to initiate, build, and maintain trusting, strong, and positive relationships. These relationships can be from a range of diverse backgrounds and include friends, family, coworkers, community, and other social connections. Students can be supported to communicate confidently, listen actively, collaborate effectively with others, and solve problems and conflicts amicably.
This compilation of Relationship Skills resources provides a variety of options for your classroom.
Responsible decision-making
Making responsible decisions is crucial to being a kind and respectful member of any community. In SEL, students can be given various scenarios and case studies to evaluate and consider the ethical implications and solve problems using critical thinking skills. To support learners to make responsible decisions, we can offer them information to analyze, facts to consider, and opinions to discuss. We can also encourage them to find creative, open-minded solutions to real-world problems.
In this Decision-Making collection, you’ll find news stories, projects, debates, and discussion starters covering a range of global issues including Pandemic Puppies, Vaccine Skeptics, Cancel Culture, Tearing Down Statues, Surveillance, and Taking a Knee.
What are the benefits to SEL?
Over the years, research has found many benefits to social-emotional learning for students of all ages. It has been found to increase academic attainment as well as student empathy, relationships, confidence, and the ability to manage mental health. It also encourages lifelong learning and participation in local community activities and causes. This in turn can build stronger communities and give individuals more fulfilled lives.
Overall, incorporating SEL into the curriculum is a simple and effective way to develop well-rounded individuals and support students to succeed academically and in life.
You may also be interested in this post about SEL:
Rose, Bud, Thorn: A Warm-Up Activity That Promotes SEL
For more on SEL, check out CASEL.
How do you incorporate SEL into your classroom? Have you tried any of the resources recommended here? We’d love to hear from you.
