Social Emotional Learning: What do we know, what do we need to know and how do we contextualize it? David Osher, Ph.D. October 18, 2012

Overview  What is (and is not) Social Emotional Learning and What Are Social Emotional competencies?  Why is it important?  What is the relationship between SEL, School Climate, School Culture, and the Conditions for Learning.

WHAT IS (AND IS NOT) SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND WHAT ARE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES?

What Is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?  SEL is a process for helping children and adults develop the basic skills necessary for a safe and happy life.  SEL teaches the skills we all need to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work effectively and ethically. 4

Emotional Intelligence Framework Self Awareness Social Awareness Self Management Relationship Management Based on Daniel Goleman and Linda Lantieri

What Is, Is Not, and Can Be SEL?  Executive Function- yes  Grit-yes  Mindfulness-yes  Emotional Intelligence-yes  Character Education-sometimes  Effective character education incorporates SEL, e.g.,  Caring School Communities  PATHS  Positive Action  Lion's Quest

What Is, Is Not, and Can It Be SEL?  Providing Children and Youth With Social and Emotional Support-no  Can support SEL and be supported by SEL  Educational Mindsets-no  SEL can be foundational to developing mindsets  E.g., self-regulation, attentional control  Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports-no  PBIS and SEL can be aligned  Restorative Practices-yes/no  SEL can be foundational for restorative practices  Restorative Practices can teach and reinforce SEL

Where Can and Does SEL Take Place?  All Settings  Intentional  Modeling and Reinforcement

How Do We Conceptualize SEL and Social Emotional : CASEL’s Approach Resource:

Individuals Who Are Self- Aware Have the ability to:  Accurately assess their feelings, interests, values, and strengths; and  Maintain a well- grounded sense of self-confidence. Demonstrate it by:  Recognizing and accurately labeling simple emotions such as sadness, anger, and happiness.  Analyzing factors that trigger their stress reactions.  Analyzing how various expressions of emotion affect other people.

Individuals Who Self- Manage Have the ability to:  Regulate their emotions to handle stress, control impulses, and persevere in overcoming obstacles;  Set and monitor progress toward personal and professional goals; and  Express emotions appropriately. Demonstrate it by:  Describing the steps of setting and working toward goals.  Making a plan to achieve a short-term personal or professional goal.  Identifying strategies to make use of available resources and overcome obstacles in achieving a long-term goal.

Individuals Who Are Socially Aware Have the ability to:  Take the perspective of others and empathize with others;  Recognize and appreciate individual and group similarities and differences; and  Recognize and use family, school, and community resources. Demonstrate it by:  Identifying verbal, physical, and situational cues indicating how others feel.  Predicting others’ feelings and perspectives in various situations.  Evaluating their ability to empathize with others.

Individuals Who Have Good Relationship Skills Have the ability to:  Establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships based on cooperation;  Resist inappropriate social pressure;  Prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflict; and  Seek help when needed. Demonstrate it by:  Describing approaches to making and keeping friends.  Being cooperative and working on a team to promote group goals.  Evaluating the uses of communication skills with peers, teachers, and family members.

Individuals Who Make Responsible Decisions Have the ability to:  Make decisions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, appropriate social norms, respect for others, and likely consequences of various actions;  Apply decision-making skills to academic and social situations; and  Contribute to the well-being of their school and community. Demonstrate it by:  Identifying a range of decisions they make at school.  Evaluating strategies for resisting peer pressure to engage in unsafe or unethical activities.  Analyzing how their current decision making affects their college and career prospects.

What is Emotional Literacy? (Brackett & Rivers, 2011) R Recognizing U Understanding L Labeling E Expressing R Regulating

Spectrum of Program Theory Direct Instruction Co- construction

Different Approaches to Social and Emotional Learning Programs Direct Instruction  Emphasizes highly scripted teacher led lessons.  Requires the teacher to become fluent with a specific lesson protocol and packaged teaching materials. Constructivism  Focuses on taking advantage of the spontaneous interactions that take place the school.  Requires teachers to create ways for the learning to take place.

Different Approaches to Social and Emotional Learning Programing  Levels of Intervention  Universal  Early Intervention  Intensive Intervention  Setting Level  Programs  Infusion  Kernels (Biglan & Embry)  District, State, Ministry  Social Emotional Learning Standards  Common Programs

WHY IS SEL IMPORTANT?

What Affects Learning Outcomes TeachingLearning Competencies Conditions Better Outcomes

What Affects Performance Such As Staff in an Organization SupervisorsStaff Competencies Conditions Higher Job Satisfaction & Productivity

Why SEL: Some Reasons  Addressing Trauma & the Adversities of Poverty  Compromised attachment  Compromised ability to self-regulate  Can buffer the response to stress, toxic stress, and adversity  Developing Portable Assets in an evolving world  Empowering learners  A prerequisite to academic mindsets  Tools for cooperative learning  Self-regulated learning

Why SEL: Some Reasons  Helping students stay our of harm’s way  Avoid school-reloaded unsafe & antisocial behavior  Avoid community-related unsafe antisocial behavior  Making values real  Moral education is not enough  Building as well as building upon compassion  Support active citizenship and drive for social change

How To Use Social Emotional Learning In Building Human Capacity Facilitation Coaching Mentoring – mentor has to be SEL sensitized; be aware of the mentee’s point of view & feelings Being learner centered Believing in human potential and capacity

SEL Program Impacts: Evidence from One Program—Seattle Social Development Program  Lowered teacher-rated aggressive behavior in boys and self destructive behavior in girls Improved bonding to family and school  Students less likely to use alcohol and engage in delinquent behavior  Reduced involvement in sexual activity, violent delinquency, drunkenness, and drinking  Improved Long Term Academic Results

Social Emotional Competencies Can Be Learned  They can be  modeled  nurtured  taught  practiced  and reinforced

Nurturing Environments Richly Reinforce Prosocial Behaviors Minimize Toxic Conditions Promote Psychological Flexibility Limi t Opportunities for Problem Behav ior Implications of Various IOM and NRC Studies

Social & Emotional Competencies Can Be Developed: Evidence of Success with SEL  23% increase in skills  9% improvement in attitudes about self, others, and school  9% improvement in prosocial behavior  9% reduction in problem behaviors  10% reduction in emotional distress  11% increase in standardized achievement test scores (math and reading) Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Taylor, R.D., & Dymnicki, A.B. (in press, Child Development). The effects of school-based social and emotional learning: A meta-analytic review.

Meta-analysis: SEL Promotes Success in School Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger (2009) SEL Learning Environment SE Skills Instruction Positive Social Behavior Coordinated School, Family, and Community Programming SE Skill Acquisition Improved Attitudes Fewer Conduct Problems Less Emotional Distress Academic Success

SEL Can Be Adapted and Adopted.

Cambodian SEL VISION Teachers and students who care, respect each other and who are able to make responsible decisions. 31

SEL Around the World: Some Examples  Canada--BC  United States- Collaborating Districts Initiative  Singapore-social emotional learning standards  Cambodia-teacher “stop and think”  Thailand-SEL in Basic Education  China-Child Friendly Schools for Vulnerable Children  UK-SEAL; Meta Analysis  Bangladesh-BRAC schools for first generation students

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEL, SCHOOL CLIMATE, SCHOOL CULTURE, AND THE CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING?

 Self-Control/Emotion Regulation  Cognitive Abilities – Problem Solving Skills  Building Attention and Learning Capacity  Healthy relations with peers and adults  Safe, Welcoming, Caring Classrooms School-Based Prevention Focuses on Nurturing Resilience (Mark Greenberg, 2012)

Supporting Effective Social and Emotional Development Teacher Well- Being and Awareness Social and Emotional Skill Development Effective Conditions for Learning

Conditions for Learning: Key Aspects of School Climate Page  36 Students are safe Physically safe Emotionally and socially safe Treated fairly and equitably Avoid risky behaviors School is safe and orderly Students are supported Meaningful connection to adults Strong bonds to school Positive peer relationships Effective and available support Students are challenged High expectations Strong personal motivation School is connected to life goals Rigorous academic opportunities Students are socially capable Emotionally intelligent and culturally competent Responsible and persistent Cooperative team players Contribute to school community

Address Variation of Impact

Why Are Social Emotional Competencies & the Conditions For Learning Important - The Neurochemistry and Neurobiology of Learning  Attending  Concentrating  Using working memory  Memorizing  Handling Emotions

Why SEL?  Life success  Individually  Relationallly  School success  Individually  Collectively  Doing more good and healthy things  Avoiding bad and unhealthy things  E.g., Drugs  Implicit bias

Why SEL? A Vision  Portable assets in an evolving world  Making values real  Moral education is not enough  Building as well as building upon compassion  Resilience and recovery  Emotionally literate and competent adults raising the next generation of children  Emotionally competent adults collaborating to create a just world  Thriving, Flourishing, Well-being