Social Emotional Learning Competencies | Bite-Sized PD for Educational Equity

Today’s Bite-Sized PD for Educational Equity was inspired by:

The Impact of Enhancing Students Social Emotional Learning: A Meta-analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions

CASEL

I have a confession. I post a lot of great books and articles...that I don’t always read. Yes, I said it and I know many of you can relate because you, like me, are short on time and you likely work for a school that is short on minutes and money for quality PD.

Photo by Marisa_Sias

I know my PD is up to me, so this year, I am committing to read and write more. And I am going to post what I write to hold myself accountable -- in public. I know this may not work, but I believe in failing hard. It’s my version of 'go big or go home'.

I often get inspired by research and big ideas.     

So, I am going to read daily….okay, okay, that was a lie. I am going to read weekly and share my top five takeaways from that reading. This way, if you don’t have time to read what I read, you can at least sound like you did! you can read my highlights and determine if they are useful to you. And don't worry, I will not fill your inbox. My goal is to publish 1 to 2 times a week month.

Why Social Emotional Learning Competencies matter?

Social Emotional Learning Competencies are foundational to understanding how to implement social emotional learning programming. If you don’t love reading meta-analyses, then you might not enjoy this article. Hopefully, you will get something out of my top five takeaways.

Top Five Takeaways for Equity in Education

1. Teachers can successfully implement Tier 1 or Universal level social-emotional learning programs (p. 13).
2. SEL programs are generally designed around these five competencies -- self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making (p. 2).
3. The most effective strategies for equipping students with SEL skills are teaching, modeling, practicing, and applying these skills in diverse contexts (p. 3).
4. SEL Programs are most successful when their implementation is SAFE - Sequenced, Active, Focused, Explicit (p.14).  
5. Students participating in Universal SEL Programs experienced an 11% increase in academic outcomes and emotional intelligence (p.13).

DO NOW - Familiarize yourself with CASEL's five SEL Competencies.