Essentials of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Donna Lord Black

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СКАЧАТЬ the selection process, schools are vulnerable to these attractive claims and may expend valuable resources without thoroughly reviewing whether the product complements and supports their existing efforts or if it duplicates (in whole or in part) those efforts. Questions—about how the product was developed, whether the developer applied scientific methods and principles in its development, and if field testing included a broad and diverse group of students—often go unanswered.

      If this weren’t challenging enough for schools, they also must face other obstacles to implementation, such as gaining buy‐in and support from administration or staff who may not understand the full benefits of SEL. Many educators believe that adding SEL to a teacher’s plate of responsibilities is more than should be expected, given the numerous demands and accountability measures already required of them. What they struggle to recognize is that SEL is not another “add‐on” program. Rather, it is a systemic process that can ultimately strengthen the teachers’ plates.

      SEL is not and never has been touted as a program that takes away from or supplants academic instruction. On the contrary, it has always been promoted as a process for enhancing instruction and improving the learning environment, and when implemented with fidelity, it contributes to improved outcomes for students and for the systems that serve them. Until educators recognize and accept that the benefits of SEL far outweigh the challenges of implementation, there will continue to be resistance.

There also may be obstacles to acquiring funding and resources, as well as to developing a SEL curriculum. Perhaps one of the most critical and often less recognized obstacles, however, is the need for staff training in SEL. Staff knowledge and skills in SEL are fundamental to a sustainable approach to implementation, but these are areas that are frequently overlooked. What are the knowledge and skills needed by staff? While there are a multitude of frameworks identifying critical social and emotional skills, the framework developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL 2017) is the framework most widely adopted by schools. The competencies identified by CASEL address five key areas: self‐awareness, self‐management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. A graphic illustration of the framework and a detailed description of the competencies are provided in Rapid Reference 1.1.

Rapid Reference 1.1 CASEL’s SEL Framework

      Source: Core SEL Competencies, from CASEL. © 2017, CASEL.

The CASEL 5:

      Self‐awareness

      The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well‐grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

      Examples:

       Integrating personal and social identities

       Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets

       Identifying one’s emotions

       Demonstrating honesty and integrity

       Linking feelings, values, and thoughts

       Examining prejudices and biases

       Experiencing self‐efficacy

       Having a growth mindset

       Developing interests and a sense of purpose

      Self‐management

The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.

      Examples:

       Managing one’s emotions

       Identifying and using stress management strategies

       Exhibiting self‐discipline and self‐motivation

       Setting personal and collective goals

       Using planning and organizational skills

       Showing the courage to take initiative

       Demonstrating personal and collective agency

      Social awareness

      The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

      Examples:

       Taking others’ perspectives

       Recognizing strengths in others

       Demonstrating empathy and compassion

       Showing concern for the feelings of others

       Understanding and expressing gratitude

       Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones

       Recognizing situational demands and opportunities

       Understanding the influences of organizations and systems on behavior

      Relationship skills

      The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

      Examples:

       Communicating effectively

       Developing positive relationships

       Demonstrating cultural competency

       Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem solving

       Resolving conflicts constructively

       Resisting negative social pressure

       Showing leadership in groups

       Seeking or offering support and help when needed

       Standing СКАЧАТЬ