2. Focus Question #2
How can teachers apply social emotional learning
and educational equity?
3. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
What is social and emotional learning (SEL)?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human
development.
SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the
knowledge, skills, and attitudes to 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.
(https://casel.org/faq/)
4. Three important points of Social and Emotional Learning:
1. Social and emotional learning is a foundation for many of our most pressing
priorities: SEL helps young people – and adults – learn and practice skills that set
them up for academic success, fulfilling careers, healthy relationships, and
responsible civic engagement.
2. The research is clear: Social and emotional learning in schools leads to positive
outcomes, including better academic performance, and decreases in stress and
anxiety.
3. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach: Social and emotional learning brings families,
schools, and communities together to make sure every child has caring relationships
and what they need to learn, grow, and thrive. (https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/)
5. In what ways does SEL advance equity and excellence?
SEL can be a powerful lever for creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy
schools that support all young people in reaching their fullest potential.
In the context of SEL, equity and excellence refers to every student—across race,
ethnicity, family income levels, learning abilities, home language, immigration status,
gender identity, sexual orientation, and other factors—engaging in high-quality
educational opportunities and environments that best promote their healthy social,
emotional, and academic development. (https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/how-does-sel-support-educational-equity-
and-excellence/)
6. Social and Emotional Learning & Educational Equity
SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-
community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that
feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and
instruction, and ongoing evaluation.
SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults
to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.
(https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/how-does-sel-support-educational-equity-and-excellence/)
7. Four Ways SEL Advances Educational Equity & Excellence:
1. Supporting authentic school-family-community partnerships where young people, families, educators,
and community partners work together to plan, implement, and continuously improve strategies and
programs to best serve all students in their local context. SEL helps stakeholders develop the skills and
relationships to communicate and collaborate effectively across different perspectives and
backgrounds.
2. Fostering trusting and collaborative relationships where educators can attune to and appreciate
students’ developmental needs and unique strengths; develop deeper awareness of students’ cultures,
backgrounds, and learning differences; and create classroom environments that are inclusive of all
learners. SEL helps young people and adults learn and practice empathy, perspective taking, and active
listening to build deeper connections with one another. (https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/how-does-sel-support-
educational-equity-and-excellence/)
8. Four Ways SEL Advances Educational Equity & Excellence:
3. Promoting rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction that sets high standards and expectations for
all students and actively engages them in developing academic, social, and emotional skills to achieve their
goals and contribute to their communities. Evidence-based SEL programs and approaches help ensure all
students have consistent opportunities to learn and practice developmentally-appropriate skills that help
them thrive.
4. Applying ongoing evaluation of policies, practices, and outcomes to ensure all students are treated fairly,
have access to supportive learning environments, engage in high-quality educational opportunities and
programs, and achieve excellence in academic, social, and emotional outcomes. SEL implementation
grounded in research and continuous improvement helps drive efforts toward equitable and optimal
outcomes. By prioritizing SEL, educators, families, communities, and students can work together to develop
skills and create learning environments and experiences that more fully nurture the development of all young
people so that they can thrive. (https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/how-does-sel-support-educational-equity-and-excellence/)
9. Equity and Excellence is Essential
To learn best, young people need to be surrounded by trusting relationships and environments where they feel motivated
and engaged, emotionally and physically safe, and a sense of belonging among adults and peers.
To fully support all students’ SEL, adults need to:
understand their own biases and expectations
develop awareness of students’ cultures and backgrounds
acknowledge and challenge any inequitable practices and/or policies that can limit or harm the development of
children.
(https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/how-does-sel-support-educational-equity-and-excellence/)
10. CASEL Interactive Wheel of SEL
Engage with CASEL interactive wheel by selecting a competency or setting to learn
more.
https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/#social-emotional-learning
11. Ideas for How to Implement SEL
Check out this list of ways to implement SEL in your classroom from the website,
We Are Teachers
https://www.weareteachers.com/21-simple-ways-to-integrate-social-emotional-learning-
throughout-the-day/
12. Sources:
All of the information in slides 3-10 has been taken directly & verbatim from the
CASEL website.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
https://casel.org/
Information in slide 11 is from the website We Are Teachers:
https://www.weareteachers.com/
