What is Social and Emotional Learning?
Social and Emotional Learning or SEL is defined by CASEL as, “…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, and make responsible decisions.”
CASEL or The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning is the leading authority in the advancement of SEL in education. Through their collaborative work with researchers and educators, CASEL has identified five core competencies that have been embraced by programs and organizations across the U.S. and abroad.
Those five core competencies are:
- Self-Awareness
- Self Management
- Responsible Decision Making
- Relationship Skills
- Social Awareness
It is through these five competencies and social-emotional development that, “People acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to:
- Understand and manage emotions
- Set and achieve positive goals
- Feel and show empathy for others
- Establish and maintain positive relationships
- Make responsible decisions.”