Teachers have so much to teach and students have so much to learn. Add to that the many initiatives that have to be implemented and you might be left wondering if it’s really worth it to spend instructional time on social and emotional learning (SEL)?

The answer is a resounding yes! SEL not only improves student behavior, it also improves learning and provides a coordinating framework through which other initiatives can be aligned. Following are the six biggest reasons for spending school time on SEL:

Relationships provide a foundation for learning. Brain research shows that when we feel connected to the learning community, known and valued by others, and actively engaged in the subject matter, we learn in a state of relaxed alertness – our highest state for learning.
Emotions affect how and what we learn. The brain seeks relationships with people, nature, things, and ideas in order to make meaning of the subject matter to be learned. Learning thrives in a relationship-centered environment that acknowledges and draws upon a full spectrum of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and ethical experiences that we experience daily. To optimize learning, the school and classroom must be places where teachers and students are meaningfully involved in a safe and nurturing environment that creates relationships between the subjects learned and the real world.
Social and emotional skills can be taught through explicit skills instruction, just like any other content area.
SEL has a positive impact on academic performance, health, relationships, and citizenship. In our next blog post, we will explore the research supporting SEL.
SEL skills and dispositions are demanded by employers. 21st century workplace skills are social and emotional competencies that focus on higher-order thinking skills and the social-emotional skills of working cooperatively toward common goals, self-management, responsible decision making, and creative problem-solving.

SEL provides a coordinating framework to overcome fragmentation of prevention and positive youth development programs. SEL can become the umbrella for teaching the five SEL competencies throughout the district and schools.

Why should we spend school time on SEL?