The Five Competencies of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

In my previous post about social-emotional learning, I touched briefly on why it is super important for us to teach the whole child, heart and mind. Today I wanted to give a little more background knowledge on SEL and what it entails.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is an organization centered around social and emotional learning (SEL). CASEL has established a resource, aka “The Wheel,” that serves as a framework for the five core competencies of Social-Emotional Learning. This framework is widely used in homes, communities, schools, and classrooms. I will briefly discuss what each piece means.

Self-Awareness

When children are taught self-awareness, they can:
Recognize emotions and thoughts
Identify strengths
Demonstrate self-confidence
Practice a growth mindset (seeing challenges as opportunities to grow and learn)

Self-Management

Self-management helps children:
Learn to set personal and academic goals
Manage stress effectively
Regulate and control emotions
Demonstrate self-motivation

Relationship Skills

When teaching relationship skills, we help children:
Communicate properly
Build positive relationships
Work as a team

Social Awareness

Social awareness allows children to:
See and understand different perspectives
Show empathy toward others
Show respect for others

Responsible Decision-Making

Teaching this competency enables children to:
Demonstrate problem-solving skills
Look at different solutions
Make appropriate choices
Reflect on their choices/decisions

We will continue to explore the different competencies and activities that can be used in relation to these skills. Many of the activities I will present are for younger children (elementary-aged) because that is my particular area of expertise, however some can be adjusted with simple tweaks here and there. I truly believe it is important to foster these skills and and provide strategies at a young age because our children and students are able to continue to use them throughout their school career and beyond.