1. Social and Emotional Competencies for Teachers:
Teaching with Acceptance and Commitment
David Smith, PhD

2. Social–emotional competencies
SECs have many benefits:
Developing your SECs are good for you as teachers, but also personally
Students benefit from teachers with strong SECs: psychologically, socially, academically

3. SECs: What are they? Emotional processes
Understanding, labeling feelings in self and others (empathy)
Regulating emotions to guide behaviour
E.g., Expressing emotions in words instead of harmful behaviour (storm out, throw a chair)

4. SECs: What are they? Social/interpersonal skills
Understanding other’s nonverbal cues
Accurately attributing purpose of behaviour
Interacting prosocially (supportive, warm, caring)
E.g., Mary is quiet, alone, preoccupied and worried. Teacher connects to parents’ recent separation; approaches Mary inidvdiually and offers support

5. SECs: What are they? Cognitive regulation (executive function)
Maintaining attention and focus
Shifting flexibly to new tasks, as required
Inhibiting impulses that are inappropriate
E.g., Orienting attention to what’s important; being present in interactions; not acting out frustration; not speaking sarcastically

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIJqbSkb5 Jk

7. The Tri-flex Be present Psychological Do what matters Open up
Awareness of experience
Embracing experience
Non-judgmental acceptance of experience
Psychological
Flexibility
Do what matters
Know what is important
Align goals to values
Take steps to achieve goals
Open up
Detach from difficult experiences
Allow feelings to flow freely through
Detach from rigid views of self

8. Effects of Teacher SECs
High quality student-teacher relationships
Students feel teacher’s caring and support: more engaged in schooling
Teachers more satisfied and fulfilled by their work; less burnout
Students show better social, psychological adjustment and academic outcomes

9. Effects of Teacher SECs
Teachers model SECs to students
Students watch teachers (keenly!) to see how they
navigate stressful situations
regulate their emotions
interact with other students and teachers
react to and resolve conflict

10. Effects of Teacher SECs
SECs influence the organizational climate of classroom and promote learning through
Effective behaviour management
Maintaining calm, organized, well regulated environment
Permits students to develop creativity and autonomy