Connecting Social and Emotional Learning to Effective Teaching

Great teachers do more than promote the student's academic learning–they teach the whole child. Social and emotional learning (SEL) helps students develop the skills necessary to recognize and manage emotions, build relationships, solve interpersonal problems, and make effective and ethical decisions. SEL can help improve students academic and life-long outcomes. 

The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) has created several tools to help teachers connect social and emotional learning to effective teaching.

• Self-Assessing Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies: A Tool for Teachers: This self-assessment tool is designed to help educators reflect upon (1) their current teaching practices that impact student SEL, and (2) their own SEL competencies to implement those teaching practices.
• Instructional Practices That Integrate Equity-Centered Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning: When students engage in SEL, they develop the social and emotional competencies (i.e., skills, attitudes, and knowledge) needed to be ready for and successful in college, careers, and life. This brief refines pioneering work on the integration of SEL with academics and specifically addresses 10 educator practices that promote social, emotional, and academic development.

The GTL Center is committed to working at all levels of policy and practice to ensure that social and emotional learning is integrated into existing educator talent management policies.