How to integrate social-emotional learning in the classroom

Social-emotional learning helps children develop positive self-esteem, manage their emotions, set and achieve goals, show empathy for others, and handle stress.

Strategies of integrating social-emotional learning

Building self-concept

A person’s self-concept relates to resilience, shortcomings, and self-esteem. Presenting activities that let students get to the heart of who they are, what they believe, and how they feel about themselves forms the bedrock of Social Emotional Learning in the classroom.
Teachers can also include activities that can integrate self-concept

Through mindfulness

Mindfulness is: paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.
We are hearing more and more about the benefits of mindfulness for children. Increased attention leads to better performance academically and increased emotional and social intelligence. Children are better able to learn, nurture themselves, and be aware of their own emotional needs.

Practice empathy

Put another way, listen to be surprised.
Part of Social Emotional Learning is an understanding of the importance of positive relationships. To have these relationships we need to have and teach empathy. Teachers have a wonderful ability to model empathy. Encourage students to listen to others, then ask them to listen to be surprised, and try to understand how other students might be feeling. What opportunities do you have each class to find ways for students to help each other and learn something new about other people’s ideas?

Emphasize gratitude

Once again research is showing us that a really important aspect of well-being is gratitude. This research indicates those who regularly express gratitude have more energy and enthusiasm, less stress, and better physical wellbeing. There are some very simple ways to increase your experience and expression of gratitude; however, this may require that we train ourselves to think differently.