What Is SEL?

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“Emotional Intelligence  is one way to reconceptualize the relation between reason and emotion.”1

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“Emotional intelligence involves the capacity to carry out reasoning in regard to emotions, and the capacity of emotions to enhance reasoning.”2

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“Emotional Intelligence is said to involve the ability to perceive and accurately express emotion, to use emotion to facilitate thought, to understand emotions, and to manage emotions for emotional growth.”3

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“Many classroom environments fail to engage students academically, leave learning potential untapped, and provide little structured opportunity for building pro-social skills. In the worst cases, student-teacher conflict and peer bullying are high and academic failure common.”4

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“A positive social-emotional classroom climate meets youths’ basic developmental needs for caring and supportive relationships coupled with the experience that their opinions count and are respected. When these needs are met, students are more motivated to learn and feel safe to engage with more challenging academic tasks and new material. In turn, students are more receptive to teachers’ instructions and expectations, which further fosters a classroom environment that is conducive to high quality instruction and effective classroom organization.”5

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“Achieving challenging goals – such as school success – requires willingness to control impulses and work hard, as well as the ability to manage emotions associated with goal pursuit.”6

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“School success requires the ability to regulate emotions associated with social interactions and achievement-related experiences.”7

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“SEL programs are designed to complement existing school curricula by teaching the social and emotional skills that contribute to better social and emotional adjustment and higher academic achievement.”8

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“A meta-analysis of 213 studies shows that students in schools that use universal SEL programs have improved social, emotional, and academic skills (i.e., an 11-percentile point increase in achievement as indicated by grades and standardized test scores) and exhibit more pro-social behavior and less emotional distress.”9

teach-sel-small-lightbulb“A meta-analysis examining the effects of SEL programs revealed that students enrolled in such programs perform significantly better in school and on standardized tests compare to non-participating students.”10

1(Brackett, M. A., Lopes, P., Ivcevic, Z., Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (2004). Integrating emotion and cognition: The role of emotional intelligence. In D. Dai & R. Sternburg (Eds.), Motivation, emotion, and cognition: Integrating perspectives on intellectual functioning (pp. 175-194). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum)

2(Brackett, M. A., Mayer, J. D., & Warner, R. M. (2004). Emotional intelligence and its relation to everyday behaviour.Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 1387-1402. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00236-8)

3Brackett, M. A., Mayer, J. D., & Warner, R. M. (2004). Emotional intelligence and its relation to everyday behaviour.Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 1387-1402. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00236-8

4(Hagelskamp, C., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., & Salovey, P. (2013). Improving classroom quality with the RULER approach to social and emotional learning: Proximal and distal outcomes.American Journal of Community Psychology, 1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10464-013-9570-x)

5Hagelskamp, C., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., & Salovey, P. (2013). Improving classroom quality with the RULER approach to social and emotional learning: Proximal and distal outcomes.American Journal of Community Psychology, 1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10464-013-9570-x

6(“Ivcevic, Z., & Brackett, M. (2014). Predicting school success: Comparing Conscientiousness, Grit, and Emotion Regulation Ability. Journal of Research in Personality. 52, 29-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2014.06.005”)

7(“Ivcevic, Z., & Brackett, M. (2014). Predicting school success: Comparing Conscientiousness, Grit, and Emotion Regulation Ability. Journal of Research in Personality. 52, 29-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2014.06.005”)

8(Brackett, Marc A., Susan E. Rivers, Maria R. Reyes, Peter Salovey (2012), “Enhancing Academic Performance and Social and Emotional Competence With the RULER Feeling Words Curriculum.” Learning and Individual Differences 22(2): 218–224.)

9(Hagelskamp, C., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., & Salovey, P. (2013). Improving classroom quality with the RULER approach to social and emotional learning: Proximal and distal outcomes.American Journal of Community Psychology, 1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10464-013-9570-x). 4

10(Brackett, Marc A., Susan E. Rivers, Maria R. Reyes, Peter Salovey (2012), “Enhancing Academic Performance and Social and Emotional Competence With the RULER Feeling Words Curriculum.” Learning and Individual Differences 22(2): 218–224.)