Social emotional learning (SEL) is the way kids and adults understand and handle their emotions, set forth and strive to reach positive goals, feel empathy and show compassion towards others, keep positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. In using this approach, SEL is ingrained in the way students and adults interact with one another inside and outside of the classroom. Systemic SEL in classrooms makes sure to cultivate a caring, engaging, and objective learning environment. With this, it uses evidence-based practices that actively need the participation of all students in their social, emotional, mental, and educational advancement. In turn, this learning approach combines social and emotional learning into every aspect of students’ lives.
In sum, decades of research proves that SEL leads to:
- Increased educational achievement
- Improvement in behavior
- A greater understanding of emotions, thoughts, and actions
- A strong economic return on money invested