Social

Emotional
Learning
Alexandria Burzlaff
 Presentation Outline

01 What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)? Definition, key settings

02 What are the benefits of SEL? Positive outcomes for students

03 What are the five core competencies?

Overview and strategies for building
each competency

Description of Transformative SEL,

04 How does SEL promote equity & inclusion? support among marginalized
students and in educational practices
 According to CASEL, SEL is the process
What is SEL? through which all young people and adults
acquire and apply the knowledge, skills,
and attitudes to:
Social ● develop healthy identities
Skills that enable students to navigate social ● manage emotions and achieve
situations with peers and adults, advocate personal and collective goals
for oneself, and work effectively on a team. ● feel and show empathy for others
● establish and maintain supportive
Emotional relationships
● make responsible and caring
Skills that enable students to understand
decision
their emotions and demonstrate respect and
empathy toward others.
Learning “The promotion of social, emotional,
The process of learning and applying these and academic learning is not a
skills across contexts and aligned with shifting educational fad; it is the
students’ developmental level. substance of education itself”
- National Commission on Social, Emotional, & Academic Development
 Key Settings for SEL

Classrooms Families & Caregivers

● Explicit instruction of ● Authentic partnerships
SEL skills with two-way
● Strong relationships communication
● Integration of SEL into ● Including families in
academic curriculum decision-making
processes
● Extending SEL programs
into the home

Schools
Communities
● Respectful and supportive
school climate ● Align with community
● Active engagement of all partners on language and
school members goals
● Integrating SEL goals into ● Opportunity to practice
school policies and SEL skills across settings
procedures ● Create a supportive
network
 Benefits of SEL for students
Social and emotional skills
are positively correlated with Improved academic
positive reading and math performance
scores.
Social emotional skills help
students develop positive
Better health outcomes relationships and avoid risk-
Meaningful relationships taking behaviors.
built between students and
staff through SEL practices
leads to fewer disciplinary Positive school climate
problems and more student
engagement. SEL can improve stress
management, provide
Mental health support protective factor against
depression and anxiety, and
promote student self-efficacy.
 5 Core Competencies
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has defined 5 cores areas
of knowledge, skills and attitudes that help individuals succeed academically and beyond.

Self Awareness Social Awareness

Understanding of how emotions and Recognizing diverse perspectives and
identity influence behavior and social norms in order to demonstrate
motivation across contexts empathy and compassion towards others

Self Management Relationship skills

Managing emotions, thoughts, and Establishing, developing, and navigating
behaviors in order to accomplish healthy relationships, especially during
personal and collective goals collaboration and conflict resolution
Ability to evaluate
Responsible outcomes of actions
Decision Making and make thoughtful
choices that promote
the well-being of self
and other
 Transformative SEL
Educational Equity Transformative SEL
“a process whereby students and teachers build strong,
“every student has access to the resources and respectful relationships founded on an appreciation of
educational rigor they need at the right moment in their similarities and differences, learn to critically examine root
education, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, language, causes of inequity, and develop collaborative solutions to
disability, family background, or family income” community and societal problems”
(Jagers, Rivas-Drake, & Borowski, 2018, p. 1).
(Jagers, Rivas-Drake, & Borowski, 2018, p. 3).

● SEL and educational equity have a reciprocal relationship (Ramirez, et al., 2021)
○ “SEL can advance the aims of educational equity by supporting all students to feel welcome, seen, and
competent at school.”
○ “An intentional focus on equity enhances SEL practice by ensuring that SEL is relevant, accessible, and
beneficial for all students.”

● Asset-based perspective: SEL should not be used to “fix” individual students, but instead to improve
the conditions of learning (National Equity Project, n.d.).

● Grounding SEL in equity creates conditions where all children can build on their unique skills to reach
their full potential (Regional Educational Laboratory, n.d.).
 How can SEL promote equity?
(among marginalized students)

Related SEL Problem/barrier to

Impact of barriers Solutions
Competencies developing competencies

Self Awareness, Stress among minority Stress associated with Use SEL practices “to facilitate
Self Management students over demand for maladaptive behaviors and healing from the effects of systemic
acculturation and from mental health problems oppression, build cross-race
discrimination alliances, and create joyful,
liberatory learning environments.”

Self Management, Exposure to trauma or poverty Increased risk of difficulties Use SEL practices to “reduce
Relationship Skills can impact brain functioning with executive functioning, poor triggers, promote healing, and foster
related to stress regulation and peer relationships, mental a sense of security for students”
emotion processing health struggles, and lower
academic achievement

Self Awareness, Students lack a sense of Become disconnected, Exploration into ethnic racial identity
Social Awareness belonging in school community decreases in self-efficacy allows students to discover the
importance of cultural identity to
their sense of self and experience
positive and affirming group
membership
 How can SEL promote equity?
(within education practices)

Related SEL Problem/barrier to

Impact of barriers Solutions
Competencies developing competencies

Self Awareness, Implicit bias among teachers Contributes to Increase opportunities for teachers
Relationship Skills, about the behavior and abilities “disproportionate rates of to build cultural competence
Social Awareness, of minority students - exclusionary discipline,
Self Management mislabeling different cultural academic failure, and school
communication styles as poor disengagement for students of
“self-management skills” color”

Self Management, Teacher stress and burnout Teachers are unable to model Increase SEL supports for teachers
Relationship Skills positive self-management (ex: mindfulness trainings)
skills, more likely to disengage

Social Awareness, Avoiding the topic of race, Denies that learning occurs Build empathy by encouraging all
Responsible assuming that only students of within a social process and can students to share their experiences
Decision making color need to talk about race, or cause academic struggles to be and engage in conversations about
taking a colorblind perspective labeled as individual failures, social power dynamics
rather than due to systemic
barriers
 4 approaches to SEL
Free standing Integration into Schoolwide
General Practices
lessons academics initiatives
● Lessons on ● Establish class ● Shaping ● Unified school
specific skills rules and norms academic wide vision and
● Often use ● Focus on mindsets and goals
discussion and relationship feelings of ● leadership team
role play building efficacy to select and
● Offer ● cooperative ● Aligning SEL integrate
opportunities to learning with lesson program
practice skills ● opportunities goals ● Careful
beyond the ● time to explore ● Using monitoring
lesson interests cooperative progress
● Follow the SAFE ● authentic learning and
procedure feedback discussion to
promote SEL
 All SEL lessons must be…

S A F E

Sequenced Active Focused Explicit

Lesson topics are
connected in order to Students practice and The lesson is clearly The SEL skills are clearly
promote skill master skills through centered around defined and targeted
development across active learning exercises. developing social and throughout the lesson.
competencies. emotional 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."
- CASEL, 2023
 Free standing lessons
Self Awareness Ex: Identifying Emotions
● Explore different emotions and
how they are expressed
● Watch video clips from Inside
Out to identify emotions
Related Skills ● Work through emotion
● Self-Reflection scenarios
● Self-Efficacy ● Reflect upon their own feelings
● Ability to identify emotions
● Growth Mindset
● Sense of purpose
● Willingness to examine biases General Practices
● Celebrate non-academic
Self Awareness is an important skill for all skills like kindness
students to develop as it motivates them ● Use consistent and
explicit routines to
through both academic and social challenges. reduce stress and
facilitate learning
 Free standing lessons
Self
Management Ex: Self-Control
● Brainstorm situations when
self-control is needed
● Participate in an interactive
read-aloud
Related Skills ● Discuss importance of
● Emotional Regulation self-control
● Planning ● Learn body-calming
● Organization techniques
● Stress Management
● Self-discipline
● Self-motivation General Practices
● Create a Calm Down
Developing self-control allows all students to Corner with resources for
participate in learning activities and be self-regulation
● Conduct daily emotional
successful in an academic environment. check Ins
● Use goal setting checklists
for academic and
non-academic tasks
 Free standing lessons
Social
Awareness Expressing Gratitude
● Play a game to identify
people students are
grateful for
● Create gratitude
Related Skills flowers
● Brainstorm ways to
● Self-reflection demonstrate gratitude
● Perspective- taking ● Select a person to
● Empathy appreciate
● Taking others’ perspectives
● Expressing gratitude
General Practices
Social Awareness promotes an inclusive ● Use Community Building
classroom environment, as it allows students to Circles to create a safe
affirm each others identities and perspectives. space for students to
share
● Communicate respect with
culturally and linguistically
diverse materials
 Free standing lessons
Relationship
Skills Ex: Being an Upstander
● Using movement and colored
scarves to tell the story of
One by Kathryn Otoshi
● Reflect on ways to be an
Related Skills upstander
● Clear communication ● Write about why being an
● Collaboration upstander is important
● Willingness to work within a team
● Leadership
● Patience
General Practices
Developing Relationship Skills is critical for ● Create shared
students to be able to work effectively in teams classroom
throughout their entire life. agreements
● Use Peer Conflict
Resolution Forms to
encourage clear
communication
 Free standing lessons
Responsible
Decision Making Ex: Community Change
● Identify a problem in their
community
● Use responsible decision-making
model to propose a solution
Related Skills ● Discuss Harlem Grown by Tony
● Curiosity Hillery
● Open-mindedness ● Collaborate in small groups to
● Reasoning create an engaging proposal
● Analysis
● Critical thinking skills
● Reflection General Practices
● Consideration of others
● Give students
classroom jobs to
Responsible Decision-Making encourages build responsibility
● Be mindful that desk
students to enact change by teaching them how arrangements support
to identify problems and create solutions. student success and
collaboration
 Conclusion
What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)? What are the five core competencies?
The process of developing skills that enable students
Self Awareness, Self Management, Social
to understand themselves and others in order to
Awareness Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision
more easily navigate social situations and academic
Making
tasks.

What are the benefits of SEL? How does SEL promote equity & inclusion?

Improved academic performance, better health

Reduces barriers to learning, promotes acceptance
outcomes, positive school climate, mental health
and empathy, creates a safe space for all students
support
References
CASEL (2023). Explicit SEL Instruction. Guide to Schoolwide SEL.
https://schoolguide.casel.org/focus-area-3/classroom/explicit-sel-instruction/
CASEL (2023). Integration of SEL and Academic Instruction. Guide to Schoolwide SEL.
https://schoolguide.casel.org/focus-area-3/classroom/integration-of-sel-and-instruction/
CASEL (2023). The case for Social Emotional Learning [PowerPoint]. Google Slides.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Tb9WundNcsURexo2RTvVGVIVlzD_q9i6Vv4jcNtqZjI/edit#slide=id.g22
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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2023, May 16). Social and Emotional Learning in
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