What is social and emotional

learning (SEL)?
SEL is the process through which
young people and adults acquire and
apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes
to help them understand themselves,
connect with others, achieve their
goals and support their communities.
 THE NEED FOR SEL
• Reduces risk taking behavior by
developing assets in students.
• Complies with NCLB mandates that
schools be safe and drug free, prevent
drug free, prevent drop out, and
implement evidence based prevention
programs.
THE NEED FOR SEL
Develops skills that employers want:
• Learning to learn skills
• Listening and oral communication
• Adaptability: creative thinking and problem solving
• Personal management: self-esteem, goal-setting/self-
motivation
How Can I Incorporate SEL In My Classroom?

1. Start the day with a student check-in.

For example, use the colors of a stoplight (green is good, yellow is not so good, and red means they need a break or more
attention) or an emoji chart where students point to how they feel when they walk in the door.
2. Create opportunities for partner and group work.
This gives children the opportunity to flex SEL muscles and helps the teacher figure out partner pairings, such as a more
outgoing child with a shy one, said Gass. “You’ll really start to see where they shine and maybe where they have a place
to grown.”
3. Nurture a culture of kindness.
In a competitive environment with rankings, acknowledge every student’s efforts.
4. Build social-emotional vocabulary.
Expand vocabulary out of mad, sad, and happy. Gass said she taught a 3-year-old the word “frustrated” by giving the
toddler a difficult package to open, and then asking, “is it hard to do?” When the adult says, “Oh, that must be so
frustrating,” the child understands the emotions and word meaning to then use in a different scenario.
5. Include reflective writing.
Some children and teens find verbal communication difficult, and writing prompts allow them to express themselves in a
different way.
How Can I Incorporate SEL In My Classroom?

6. Incorporate a “calm-down corner.”

“As an adult, you may have a place in your home where you tend to go, to a comfortable chair you like to read in, your
favorite blanket. There are elements that we build into our day-to-day that’s very comfortable,” Gass said. “That’s really
what we’re thinking about here for the classroom. Is there a place that they know that they can ask to step away from things
that’s a little bit visually calm or a little bit quieter that they can kind of take that moment to deep breathe, to do what they
need to do to reground before they go back into a group setting.”
7. Allow time for talking.
When you check-in with students, give the space to let them tell you how they feel in their own words.
8. Teach mindfulness.
Help children and teens be in the moment and aware of their bodies and minds through breathing exercises, sensory
activities (smelling calming lavender or energizing citrus), or how to be aware of their surroundings.
9. Encourage expression through art.
As with writing and talking, some youths are better at communicating through different forms of art. For example, ask them
to draw objects that represent how they feel and images that make them happy.
WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY
• School Performance:
• Improved math, literacy, and social studies skills
• Higher achievement test scores and/or grades and no
decreases in standardized test scores
• Improved learning-to-learn skills
• Better problem-solving and planning ability
• Use of higher-level reasoning strategies
• Improvements in reading comprehension
What Does SEL Address
Self Awareness: Knowing what we are
feeling in the moment; having a
realistic assessment of out own
abilities; and a well-grounded sense of
self confidence.
 WHAT DOES SEL ADDRESS ?
Examples of Self Awareness
1. Recognize/label emotions, distinguish intensity,
understand physical responses & describe the
situations that cause them
2. Aware of personal traits, "what I do well and
what I can work on"
3. Personal responsibility--know and understand
rules and consequences of actions, know and
understand what things are within our control
WHAT DOES SEL ADDRESS ?

Social Awareness: Sensing what

others are feeling; being able to take
their perspective; appreciating and
interacting positively with diverse
groups.
WHAT DOES SEL ADDRESS ?
Examples of Social Awareness
1. How our behavior affects others
2. Listening skills
3. Sportsmanship
4. Identifying cues as to how others are feeling
5. Demonstrate caring
6. Understanding how culture impacts
perspective
WHAT DOES SEL ADDRESS ?
Self Management: Handling our
emotions so that they facilitate rather
than interfere with the task at hand;
being conscientious and delaying
gratification to pursue goals;
persevering in the face of setbacks
and frustration.
WHAT DOES SEL ADDRESS ?
Examples of Self-Management
• Identify & use calming strategies
• Understand the difference between
a truth & a lie; act with integrity
• Use a problem-solving model
• Demonstrate ability to set and
achieve goals
WHAT DOES SEL ADDRESS ?

Social Management: Handling emotions in

relationships effectively; establishing and
maintaining healthy and rewarding
relationships based on cooperation; resisting
inappropriate social pressure, negotiating
solutions to conflict; and seeking help when
needed.
WHAT DOES SEL ADDRESS ?
Examples of Social Management
• Give & receive compliments
• Recognize difference between positive
and negative relationships
• Understand the benefits of boundaries
in relationships
• Conflict resolution skills
How Do You Incorporate Social
Emotional Learning in the
Classroom?
There are many ways to incorporate SEL in the classroom.
The main idea is to provide an ongoing SEL influence
throughout the day. In the beginning, you could start by
checking in with students to see how they feel. Another
great way is to provide students the opportunity to see how
a tricky or troubling situation is being handled. This will
give them some ideas on how to handle a tricky situation
they may encounter. Utilizing students to role-play in front
of the class would be a viable example. Make sure there is
a place for students to calm down. This safe space will
allow for the student to reflect
 Final Thoughts
Social-emotional learning can be thought of as the process of
teaching students the most critical skills and abilities they will
need for their educational journey and their working life after
that. As the term suggests, such skills assist students’
socialization and emotional development. Social-emotional
learning includes the following:
•Developing a sense of self.
•Building relationships with other people.
•Solving problems.
•Overcoming obstacles.
•Developing empathy.
•Gaining a sense of social justice and learning to manage
emotions.