Social-Emotional Learning

How schools can help children learn to understand and manage their emotions, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions

See also: Life Skills

Students creating programs while using laptop. Boy and girl learning coding in school. They are at desk in classroom.
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Mathematics Q&A This Educator Uses Coding and SEL to Make Math More Engaging
The idea is to help kids learn how to think, not just memorize, and collaborate with their peers.
Lauraine Langreo, November 14, 2023
4 min read
Human and robot hands forming a heart shape together.
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Student Well-Being Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning Are on a Collision Course
Artificial intelligence is poised to dramatically change how kids develop their sense of self and interact with other people.
Arianna Prothero, November 13, 2023
8 min read
Vector illustration of diverse children, students climbing up on a top of a stack of staggered books.
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Special Education What We Know About Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS), in Charts
More districts and schools are using a tiered system of supports for students, with a focus on social-emotional learning, a survey found.
Eesha Pendharkar, November 9, 2023
5 min read
Collage illustration of a leader thinking about something surrounded by images and iconography representing emotional intelligence
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
School & District Management Video Video: Emotional Intelligence, Explained
A look at what emotional intelligence is and why it matters for educational leaders.
Kaylee Domzalski, November 6, 2023
4:56
Collage illustration of an empathetic looking leader among images and iconography representing emotional intelligence
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
School & District Management From Our Research Center How Emotionally Intelligent Are School and District Leaders? We Asked Teachers
Asked about traits like empathy, teachers rated principals higher than they rated district leaders.
Evie Blad & Vanessa Solis, November 6, 2023
1 min read
Collage illustration of a leader in thinking about something surrounded by images and iconography representing emotional intelligence
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
School & District Management Download Downloadable: Tips to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence
Tips from education leaders on building skills like empathy and motivation.
Evie Blad, November 6, 2023
1 min read
Collage illustration of a leader in thinking about something surrounded by images and iconography representing emotional intelligence
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Emotional Intelligence?
What are the traits of emotionally intelligent school and district leaders? Take this quiz to find out.
Evie Blad, November 6, 2023
1 min read
Suzan Harris, principal of Henderson Middle School, works with teachers during a planning period at the school in Jackson, Ga., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Suzan Harris, principal of Henderson Middle School, works with teachers during a planning period at the school in Jackson, Ga., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week
A woman sits alongside students in rows of classroom desks. She raises her hand alongside several students as if they are ready to answer a question.
Suzan Harris, principal of Henderson Middle School, makes her morning rounds greeting students and speaking to teachers at the school in Jackson, Ga., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week
School & District Management School Leaders Need Emotional Intelligence. Here's How They Build It
The stress of the last few years has made emotional intelligence a crucial trait for educational leaders.
Evie Blad, November 6, 2023
9 min read
Children drawing images of faces with emotions.
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Student Well-Being What 1 State's Saga Shows About the Status of Social-Emotional Learning
Missouri's board of education chose to redefine SEL standards as an optional framework for districts, citing confusion and division.
Libby Stanford & Arianna Prothero, October 31, 2023
7 min read
Closeup of child's hands painting pumpkin with spooky face.
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School Climate & Safety How to Stop Students From Ghosting (and More Halloween Advice for Educators)
Our guide will help you keep attendance, student engagement, and classroom routines from getting thrown out of whack (o' lantern).
Evie Blad, October 25, 2023
5 min read
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Student Well-Being Opinion What Data-Driven SEL Has Done for My District
Here’s how data can transform social-emotional learning, writes an SEL district coordinator.
Michael Mallery Jr., September 29, 2023
4 min read
Image of happy and unhappy face symbols.
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Student Well-Being States Look to Social-Emotional Learning to Combat Student Misbehavior, Poor Mental Health
Experts say SEL can be a first line of defense against youth mental health problems and misbehavior, but political resistance continues.
Libby Stanford, September 15, 2023
6 min read
Image of young students in a classroom
Parker Davis and Alina Lopez, right, talk about words and acts that cause happiness during morning circle in teacher Susannah Young's 2nd grade class at Lincoln Elementary School in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, May 4, 2017. Social-emotional learning has been found in research to have a positive effect on students' behavior, but it's not a quick fix for misbehavior.
Ramin Rahimian for Education Week-File
School Climate & Safety 4 Tips to Keep Students' Misbehavior From Sapping Class Time
Students' misbehavior has become one of educators' top concerns. Schools need a more deliberate approach to handle it, an expert says.
Caitlynn Peetz, September 12, 2023
6 min read