What is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and How Does It Connect to the Arts?

After entering the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are seeing the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in classrooms. Students are experiencing rapidly growing signs of stress and trauma. The COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified these issues due to increased isolation and delayed or missed milestones within students' lives. With the mental health crisis in our schools and society, the need for SEL becomes a priority.

What is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is a process that allows the development of interpersonal skills, management of emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and the ability to make responsible and caring decisions in both young people and adults.

Five Social-Emotional Learning Competencies

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), an organization devoted to helping children and adults become self-aware, caring, responsible, engaged, and lifelong learners, there are five social-emotional learning competencies.

- 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.

- 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.

- Socially 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.

- 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.

- Responsible decision-making. The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.

How does Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) connect with Arts Integration?

Combining SEL with arts integration allows students to create projects that include their own perspectives and life experiences. On its own, arts integration has been known to promote a positive school atmosphere. It heightens students' relationships and communication skills with their teachers and peers and they make decisions through creative activities. It also allows students to develop self-awareness and learn to manage their emotions throughout the creative building process.

What are ways to incorporate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the classroom?

- Have students write in journals every day.

- Hold a classroom meeting once a day to elevate the classroom community.

- Create a separate calm down area within the classroom for students to have a safe space to sit, explore their own coping strategies, and return to class when they are calm again.

- Encourage expression through art.

- Start your day off with a daily greeting.

- Practice respectfully disagreeing.

- Give students individual responsibilities within the classroom.

- Talk about managing emotions.

- Discuss empathy.

- Practice active listening skills.