SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR EDUCATION
What are Social Emotional Learning objectives?
Social emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages better comprehend their emotions, feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others. These learned behaviors, or social emotional learning objectives, are then used to help students make positive, responsible decisions; create frameworks to achieve their goals; and build positive relationships with others.
Definition of SEL
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is recognized for its evidence-based SEL strategies, research, and assessment in pre-K12 schools. CASEL defines social and emotional learning as "an integral part of education and human development." SEL strategies help people "develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions."
SEL IN EDUCATION
Helping students achieve their social emotional learning objectives is a crucial component of education and human growth. This involves the acquisition and application of knowledge, skills, and attitudes by individuals of all ages to foster healthy identities, emotional management, and the achievement of personal and shared objectives. It also involves demonstrating empathy, building and sustaining supportive relationships and making responsible and compassionate choices.
BENEFITS OF SEL FOR STUDENTS
Studies show that SEL positively affects students' success in school and life. Durlak et al.'s (2011) analysis of 213 rigorous studies of SEL in schools indicates that students receiving quality SEL instruction demonstrated:
- Better academic performance
- Improved attitudes and behaviors
- Fewer negative behaviors
- Reduced emotional distress
On average, students who received SEL instruction had achievement scores that averaged 11 percentile points higher than students who did not receive SEL instruction.
Social emotional learning objectives are central to the teachings of TBLS. We have seen firsthand how the promotion of SEL in schools can benefit the individual students, the staff, and the school culture as a whole. Read on to learn more about how TBLS accomplishes that.
Video Spotlight: Answering SEL Questions for Students
Listen to Instructors and Students discuss how Book Two: Becoming Self Empowered addresses core SEL questions for students.
BOOK TWO: BECOMING SELF-EMPOWERED
Creating Ongoing Positive Change
TBLS is based on the belief that to achieve the greatest degree of personal and professional success, we need to be self-empowered. This means that we recognize, utilize, and take responsibility for the power of choice we have in all aspects of our lives.
TBLS Book 2: Becoming Self-Empowered helps students to do that by promoting personal development in three key areas:
- Self-perspective
- Communication
- Goal setting.
Each of these is explored in-depth, as students are taken through a process of developing awareness, making constructive choices, and building a structure to help support ongoing, positive change in their lives.
This aspect of the TBLS program takes students through a process of self-discovery and skill development. Students learn to identify the thought patterns, styles of communication, and modes of behavior that are, and are not working for them. They learn techniques for self-motivating, creating and achieving goals, communicating effectively, starting down a well-matched career path, and staying on track with a sustainable plan of action.
Making it Relevant and Meaningful
Students utilize targeted exercises, group activities, class discussions, inspirational films, motivational games, and other creative means to make every lesson engaging and relevant to real life.
Chapter One Is devoted to helping students understand the meaning and application of self-perspective. As defined in TBLS, self-perspective means having a clear understanding of one’s character, feelings, motives, and desires. This awareness gives students insight into why they think, speak, and act the way they do, and how well these things are supporting them. As students develop their self-perspective, they learn to recognize their ability to make the kinds of informed and constructive choices that positively impact their lives, and the lives of those around them.
Chapter Two: Students learn that Communication is the means by which they convey to themselves (through their self-talk), and to others (through their self-expression), what they think, feel, desire, and believe. It is essentially the expression of their self-picture and their outlook. If, through the exercises and discussions in this chapter, students discover that their style of communication has been unhelpful or destructive, they can begin to change it immediately by using the skills they develop in this chapter.
Chapter 3: While pictures of success vary greatly, we all tend to experience it in much the same way, as a deep sense of satisfaction at having accomplished something we set out to do. It leaves us satisfied and feeling that we are capable of further fulfilling our potential. The first part of this chapter is devoted to helping students identify what success looks like for them, establishing a clear life-direction, and creating goals and a plan of action to help bring that vision to fruition. The following two sections look at how students’ can further their success by building a support system, and support themselves by reducing stress, managing their emotions, and staying motivated.