Student Well-Being

Does SEL Make Students Ready for Work? We Asked Educators

By Lauraine Langreo — November 21, 2022 | Corrected: February 22, 2023 2 min read
A diverse group of students wearing book bags and climbing ladders and books to assemble a large puzzle
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Corrected: A previous version of this article should have said the EdWeek Research Center survey was conducted Sept. 28 to Oct. 17.

Educators overwhelmingly say that teaching social-emotional skills in the classroom is helpful for students’ career readiness.

Eighty-four percent of teachers, principals, and district leaders said they believe the social-emotional learning conducted in their schools has a “positive” impact on students’ “soft skills,” according to an EdWeek Research Center survey of 824 educators conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 17.

The survey results suggest that even though SEL has run into political pushback in some communities, educators still believe that it’s important to teach students how to control their emotions, empathize with others, set goals, persist through challenges, and think creatively.

“Whenever we speak to what SEL is, and as we define SEL for our teachers, we are explaining that SEL skills are essential to success in school, work, and in life,” said Juany Valdespino-Gaytán, the executive director of engagement services for the Dallas Independent school district. “And we explain that when employers are looking for potential employees, they are looking for these skills that they know that they need in order to be successful when working with others.”

Some business leaders say that these “soft skills,” or interpersonal attributes, are arguably more important than “hard skills,” or job-specific knowledge.

“It’s the soft skills, like thinking critically or problem-solving analytical skills, the ability to work in teams, communication—those are all the top skills that employers say that they most value and need in their workers,” said Maud Abeel, associate director for the nonprofit Jobs For The Future.

See also

conceptual illustration of a ladder leaning against the wall of a maze.
akinbostanci/iStock/Getty

In Dallas ISD, where SEL has been an intentional classroom practice since 2016, Valdespino-Gaytán said teachers have recognized that teaching SEL skills has been really helpful, not only because it makes student interactions better, but also because they’ve seen improvement in students’ academic achievement.

Still, not all educators are on board. Fourteen percent said teaching SEL in the classroom has a “neutral” impact on students’ soft skills and 2 percent said it has a “negative” impact, according to the EdWeek Research Center survey. About a dozen of 270-plus comments in the open-ended response section of the survey were also critical of teaching social emotional learning skills in the classroom.

“SEL is a waste,” said a high school history and social studies teacher in Arizona in the open-ended response section of the survey. “We continue to teach students to be sensitive and soft. Young people no longer know how to overcome obstacles. They cry about it, ask someone else for help, or act out irrationally.

“If we, as educators, stopped holding these kids’ hands, stopped allowing them to retake, make up, and pass just for showing up, maybe we would see a more hardworking, self-reliant generation,” the respondent continued. “Failure is failure, learn to recover.”

For Abeel, it’s surprising to hear that educators would hold that view on SEL. Both she and Valdespino-Gaytán reiterate that SEL skills are vital.

“It’s imperative to help people understand that we’re not talking about teaching a separate set of ‘woke’ skills,” Abeel said. “We’re really talking about foundational inter- and intrapersonal skills that are essential to human development.”

See also

A student in Stephanie Brugler, during the educational development of SEL with her students of Jefferson PK-8 school.
A student in Stephanie Brugler 3rd grade class participates in an SEL lesson on emotions at the Jefferson PK-8 school in Warren, Ohio, on Nov. 1, 2022.
Daniel Lozada for Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum How to Build and Scale Effective K-12 State & District Tutoring Programs
Join this free virtual summit to learn from education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts on the topic of high-impact tutoring.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being How a School Nurse Convinced Parents to Vaccinate Their Kids Against Measles
“We know that parents trust not only nurses, but especially school nurses," said Kate King, a school nurse in Columbus, Ohio.
6 min read
Vials of the MMR measles mums and rubella virus vaccine are displayed Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.
Vials of the MMR measles mums and rubella virus vaccine are displayed Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. As the West Texas measles outbreak grew, a school nurse in Columbus, Ohio, persuaded parents of unvaccinated children at her school to get immunized.
Julio Cortez/AP
Student Well-Being Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Student Mental Health & Well-Being?
Answer 7 questions about the state of student mental health & well-being.
Student Well-Being Opinion After 57 Years in Education, Here’s How I’ve Learned to Build Community
Here are my favorite rituals for creating a positive classroom climate.
Roberta Benjamin-Edwards
4 min read
Children and a book of imagination. Concept idea art of kid, learning, adventure, education, freedom, inspiration and dreaming. Conceptual artwork. surreal painting. fantasy 3d illustration. Building Community.
Jorm Sangsorn
Student Well-Being Interactive Tips for Turning a School Garden Into a Rich Learning Opportunity
School gardens boost learning by blending academics with hands-on skills like SEL, finance, and community involvement.
1 min read
Photograph of middle school students and their female teacher planting in their school's garden.
E+