Social Emotional Learning: What
do we know, what do we need to
know and how do we
contextualize it?
David Osher, Ph.D.
October 18, 2012
Overview
What is (and is not) Social Emotional Learning and
What Are Social Emotional competencies?
Why is it important?
What is the relationship between SEL, School
Climate, School Culture, and the Conditions for
Learning.
WHAT IS (AND IS NOT) SOCIAL
EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND WHAT
ARE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL
COMPETENCIES?
What Is Social and Emotional
Learning (SEL)?
SEL is a process for helping children and adults
develop the basic skills necessary for a safe and
happy life.
SEL teaches the skills we all need to handle
ourselves, our relationships, and our work effectively
and ethically.
4
Emotional Intelligence Framework
Self Awareness
Social Awareness
Self Management
Relationship Management
Based on Daniel Goleman and Linda Lantieri
What Is, Is Not, and Can Be SEL?
Executive Function- yes
Grit-yes
Mindfulness-yes
Emotional Intelligence-yes
Character Education-sometimes
Effective character education incorporates SEL, e.g.,
Caring School Communities
PATHS
Positive Action
Lion's Quest
What Is, Is Not, and Can It Be SEL?
Providing Children and Youth With Social and
Emotional Support-no
Can support SEL and be supported by SEL
Educational Mindsets-no
SEL can be foundational to developing mindsets
E.g., self-regulation, attentional control
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports-no
PBIS and SEL can be aligned
 Restorative Practices-yes/no
SEL can be foundational for restorative practices
Restorative Practices can teach and reinforce SEL
Where Can and Does SEL Take
Place?
 All Settings
Intentional
Modeling and Reinforcement
How Do We Conceptualize SEL and Social
Emotional :
CASEL’s Approach
Resource: http://casel.org
Individuals Who Are SelfAware
Have the ability to:
 Accurately assess
their feelings,
interests, values,
and strengths; and
 Maintain a wellgrounded sense of
self-confidence.
Demonstrate it by:
 Recognizing and accurately
labeling simple emotions such as
sadness, anger, and happiness.
 Analyzing factors that trigger their
stress reactions.
 Analyzing how various expressions
of emotion affect other people.
Individuals Who SelfManage
Have the ability to:
Demonstrate it by:
 Regulate their emotions
 Describing the steps of setting
to handle stress, control
and working toward goals.
impulses, and persevere
 Making a plan to achieve a
in overcoming obstacles;
short-term personal or
 Set and monitor progress
professional goal.
toward personal and
 Identifying strategies to make
professional goals; and
use of available resources and
 Express emotions
overcome obstacles in
appropriately.
achieving a long-term goal.
Individuals Who Are
Socially Aware
Have the ability to:
 Take the perspective of
others and empathize with
others;
 Recognize and appreciate
individual and group
similarities and differences;
and
 Recognize and use family,
school, and community
resources.
Demonstrate it by:
 Identifying verbal, physical,
and situational cues
indicating how others feel.
 Predicting others’ feelings
and perspectives in various
situations.
 Evaluating their ability to
empathize with others.
Individuals Who Have
Good Relationship Skills
Have the ability to:
 Establish and maintain
healthy and rewarding
relationships based on
cooperation;
 Resist inappropriate social
pressure;
 Prevent, manage, and resolve
interpersonal conflict; and
 Seek help when needed.
Demonstrate it by:
 Describing approaches to
making and keeping friends.
 Being cooperative and
working on a team to
promote group goals.
 Evaluating the uses of
communication skills with
peers, teachers, and family
members.
Individuals Who Make
Responsible Decisions
Have the ability to:
 Make decisions based on
consideration of ethical standards,
safety concerns, appropriate social
norms, respect for others, and
likely consequences of various
actions;
 Apply decision-making skills to
academic and social situations; and
 Contribute to the well-being of
their school and community.
Demonstrate it by:
 Identifying a range of
decisions they make at
school.
 Evaluating strategies for
resisting peer pressure
to engage in unsafe or
unethical activities.
 Analyzing how their
current decision making
affects their college and
career prospects.
What is Emotional Literacy?
(Brackett & Rivers, 2011)
Recognizing
Understanding
Labeling
Expressing
Regulating
Spectrum of Program Theory
Direct
Instruction
Coconstruction
Different Approaches to Social and
Emotional Learning Programs
Direct Instruction
 Emphasizes highly scripted
teacher led lessons.
 Requires the teacher to
become fluent with a
specific lesson protocol and
packaged teaching
materials.
Constructivism
 Focuses on taking
advantage of the
spontaneous interactions
that take place the school.
 Requires teachers to create
ways for the learning to take
place.
Different Approaches to Social and
Emotional Learning Programing
Levels of Intervention
Universal
Early Intervention
Intensive Intervention
Setting Level
Programs
Infusion
Kernels (Biglan & Embry)
District, State, Ministry
Social Emotional Learning Standards
Common Programs
WHY IS SEL IMPORTANT?
What Affects Learning Outcomes
Teaching
Learning
Better
Competencies
Outcomes
Conditions
What Affects Performance Such As
Staff in an Organization
Supervisors
Staff
Competencies
Higher Job
Satisfaction &
Productivity
Conditions
Why SEL: Some Reasons
Addressing Trauma & the Adversities of Poverty
Compromised attachment
Compromised ability to self-regulate
Can buffer the response to stress, toxic stress, and
adversity
Developing Portable Assets in an evolving world
Empowering learners
A prerequisite to academic mindsets
Tools for cooperative learning
Self-regulated learning
Why SEL: Some Reasons
Helping students stay our of harm’s way
Avoid school-reloaded unsafe & antisocial behavior
Avoid community-related unsafe antisocial behavior
Making values real
Moral education is not enough
Building as well as building upon compassion
Support active citizenship and drive for social change
How To Use Social Emotional
Learning In Building Human Capacity
• Facilitation
• Coaching
• Mentoring – mentor has to be SEL sensitized; be
aware of the mentee’s point of view & feelings
• Being learner centered
• Believing in human potential and capacity
SEL Program Impacts: Evidence from One
Program—Seattle Social Development Program
Lowered teacher-rated aggressive behavior in
boys and self destructive behavior in girls
Improved bonding to family and school
Students less likely to use alcohol and engage in
delinquent behavior
Reduced involvement in sexual activity, violent
delinquency, drunkenness, and drinking
Improved Long Term Academic Results
Social Emotional Competencies Can
Be Learned
They can be
modeled
nurtured
taught
practiced
and reinforced
Implications of Various IOM and NRC
Studies
Nurturing
Environments
Minimize
Toxic
Conditions
Richly
Reinforce
Prosocial
Behaviors
Limit
Opportunities
for Problem
Behavior
Promote
Psychological
Flexibility
Social & Emotional Competencies Can Be
Developed: Evidence of Success
with SEL
23% increase in skills
9% improvement in attitudes about self,
others, and school
9% improvement in prosocial behavior
9% reduction in problem behaviors
10% reduction in emotional distress
11% increase in standardized achievement test
scores (math and reading)
Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Taylor, R.D., & Dymnicki, A.B. (in press, Child Development). The effects of
school-based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytic review.
Meta-analysis: SEL Promotes Success in School
Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger
(2009)
Coordinated School, Family, and Community Programming
Positive Social
Behavior
SEL
Learning
Environment
SE Skills
Instruction
SE Skill
Acquisition
Improved
Attitudes
Fewer Conduct
Problems
Less Emotional
Distress
Academic
Success
SEL Can Be Adapted and Adopted.
Cambodian SEL VISION
Teachers and students who care, respect
each other and who are able to make
responsible decisions.
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SEL Around the World: Some
Examples
Canada--BC
United States- Collaborating Districts Initiative
Singapore-social emotional learning standards
Cambodia-teacher “stop and think”
Thailand-SEL in Basic Education
China-Child Friendly Schools for Vulnerable Children
UK-SEAL; Meta Analysis
Bangladesh-BRAC schools for first generation
students
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN SEL, SCHOOL CLIMATE,
SCHOOL CULTURE, AND THE
CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING?
School-Based Prevention Focuses
on Nurturing Resilience
Self-Control/Emotion Regulation
Cognitive Abilities – Problem Solving Skills
Building Attention and Learning Capacity
Healthy relations with
peers and adults
Safe, Welcoming, Caring
Classrooms
(Mark Greenberg, 2012)
Supporting Effective Social and
Emotional Development
Teacher WellBeing and
Awareness
Effective
Conditions
for Learning
Social and
Emotional
Skill
Development
Conditions for Learning: Key Aspects of School
Climate
Students are safe
Students are supported
Physically safe
Meaningful connection to
adults
Emotionally and socially safe
Treated fairly and equitably
Avoid risky behaviors
Positive peer relationships
School is safe and orderly
Effective and available
support
Students are
challenged
Students are socially
capable
High expectations
Emotionally intelligent and
culturally competent
Strong personal motivation
School is connected to life
goals
Rigorous academic
opportunities
Page  36
Strong bonds to school
Responsible and persistent
Cooperative team players
Contribute to school
community
Address Variation of Impact
Why Are Social Emotional Competencies & the
Conditions For Learning Important -
The Neurochemistry and
Neurobiology of Learning
Attending
Concentrating
Using working memory
Memorizing
Handling Emotions
Why SEL?
 Life success
Individually
Relationallly
 School success
Individually
Collectively
 Doing more good and healthy things
 Avoiding bad and unhealthy things
E.g., Drugs
 Implicit bias
Why SEL? A Vision
Portable assets in an evolving world
Making values real
Moral education is not enough
Building as well as building upon compassion
Resilience and recovery
Emotionally literate and competent adults raising
the next generation of children
Emotionally competent adults collaborating to create
a just world
Thriving, Flourishing, Well-being