What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL) ?
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
- make responsible decisions
Why SEL at school?
- How we feel and interact with others affects how we learn and use what we learn
- Emotions help us develop active interest in learning and sustain engagement
- unmanaged stress/dysregulation interferes with attention and memory and contributes to behaviors that disrupt learning
- learning is a social and interactive process and requires collaboration with teachers and peers.
SEL Research indicates:
- significantly improved academic preformance
- better school attendance
- improved positive attitudes toward self and others
- increased helping behaviors
- students like school more
- less disruptive classroom behavior
- reduced aggression, substance abuse, and emotional distress
- lower need for disciplinary actions
