Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a term for the way children acquire social and emotional skills. It includes things like managing difficult emotions, making responsible decisions, handling stress, setting goals, and building healthy relationships. When children lack the skills to manage their emotions and make good decisions, they often get in trouble at school. That’s why many schools teach SEL. Studies show that SEL positively affects students’ success in school and life.
SEL at school usually includes both lessons on these skills and lots of daily practice. For example, a teacher might lead a lesson on conflict resolution. Then, when a conflict between students comes up, the teacher coaches them through it using the skills from the lesson.
