A*0(&-#&"9#$'*)(*"&-#5.&/"("2#)4/*=24# 64(-9/."K3#5()./&)=/.# by Allyssa Richardson Allyssa Richardson is a recent graduate of Bridgewater State University. She majored in elementary education and biology. In the future, she plans to teach in an elementary school classroom while working toward a Master of Education degree with a concentration in STEM education.
What Is Social and Emotional Learning?
2017).
S
ocial and emotional competencies are crucial
process through which someone builds social and
for success in modern society. These include
emotional
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the competencies
(Collaborative
for
both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, such as
Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008).
making responsible decisions, managing emotions,
These competencies can be broken down into five
and
relationships
categories: self-management, self-awareness, social
Social,
and
awareness, relationship skills, and responsible
Teachers and
decision-making (Collaborative for Academic,
employers alike realize the importance of these
Social, and Emotional Learning, 2008). Self-
competencies, and advocate for their promotion in
management skills include perseverance, delayed
education (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017). In
gratification,
recent years, school districts have begun to include
management (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017).
social and emotional learning, or SEL, in the
Individuals that have developed self-management
classroom. In the United States, benchmarks for
skills will be able to set goals for themselves and
social and emotional learning are even being set at
work towards achieving those goals. Self-
the state level (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017).
awareness means an individual will be able to
SEL has been shown to be an invaluable addition
accurately analyze their own feelings and maintain
to the school environment, as it leads to both
a growth mindset (Dusenbury & Weissburg, 2017).
short-term and long-term positive outcomes for
Social awareness competency includes empathizing
students (Taylor, Oberle, Durlak, & Weissburg,
with others and understanding social norms
maintaining
(Collaborative
for
positive Academic,
Emotional Learning, 2008).
66
impulse
control,
and
stress
