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Social and emotional learning teacher support material

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Social and emotional learning teacher support material

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Approaches to learning

The development of skills such as thinking skills and communication skills is frequently identified as a crucial element in preparing students effectively for life beyond school. A 2007 survey of 400 hiring executives of major US corporations identified their top four requirements of new recruits as being oral and written communication skills, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, professionalism and work ethic, and teamwork and collaboration skills (Trilling and Fadel 2009). Similar skills lists have been developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and are also the subject of numerous books such as The Global Achievement Gap (Wagner 2010). Yet many students struggle with some of the basic skills of effective learning. For example, good note-making has been positively correlated with academic achievement, yet research suggests that many university students have difficulty even with the fundamental skill of making notes from lectures or texts (Kiewra 1985, O'Donnell and Dansereau 1993).

Developing students' ATL skills is about more than simply developing their cognitive skills. It is also about developing affective and metacognitive skills, and about encouraging students to view learning as something that they "do for themselves in a proactive way, rather than as a covert event that happens to them in reaction to teaching" (Zimmerman 2000: 65). By developing ATL skills and the attributes of the learner profile, DP students can become "self-regulated learners" (Kaplan 1998). Self-regulated learners have learned how to set learning goals, ask good questions, self-interrogate as they learn, generate motivation and perseverance, try out different learning processes, self-monitor the effectiveness of their learning, reflect on achievement, and make changes to their learning processes where necessary (Zimmerman and Schunk 1989, de Bruin et al. 2011, Wolters 2011).

The term "skill" is therefore used in a broad sense in the DP to encompass cognitive, metacognitive and affective skills. Cognitive skills include all the information-processing and thinking skills, often called "study skills" in a school environment. Affective skills are the skills of behaviour and emotional management underpinning attitudinal factors such as resilience, perseverance and self-motivation, which often have a large role to play in educational achievement. Metacognitive skills are the skills that students can use to monitor the effectiveness of their learning skills and processes, to better understand and evaluate their learning. Although these skills may be in use when manifesting a certain natural ability or talent, they are different to both of these because proficiency in any skill can be increased through the deliberate use of techniques and strategies, feedback and challenge. Skills are therefore highly teachable.

In the DP, as well as in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP), these cognitive, metacognitive and affective skills are grouped into the same five ATL categories.

Figure 1

Although these skills areas are presented as distinct categories, there are obviously close links and areas of overlap between them, and it is intended that these categories should be seen as interrelated. It is also the intention that these ATL skills should be seen as linking closely with the attitudes and dispositions identified in the IB learner profile. The learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century. It is an easily communicated set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of schools and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose.

The next five sub-sections of this document will explore each of the five ATL skills categories in turn. They will identify some of the specific skills that make up these categories, discuss what these skills look like in students, and discuss strategies for their development.

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The development of skills such as thinking skills and communication skills is frequently identified as a crucial element in preparing students effectively for life beyond school. A 2007 survey of 400 hiring executives of major US corporations identified their top four requirements of new recruits as being oral and written communication skills, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, professionalism and work ethic, and teamwork and collaboration skills (Trilling and Fadel 2009).

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We work together with Ontario school districts to support student mental health.

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The development of social-emotional learning (SEL) skills helps students foster overall health and well-being, positive mental health, and the ability to learn, build resilience, and thrive. Social-emotional learning skills are an explicit component of learning in the elementary health and physical education curriculum.

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Foster knowledge, skills, and attitudes across five areas of social and emotional competence;

Establish equitable learning environments and coordinate practices across four key settings that support students' social, emotional, and academic development.

Download more information on the framework (available in and Spanish).

Use our reflection protocol to facilitate a discussion on implementation efforts in your school, district, or other setting.

Read more about the 2020 update to our framework, which highlighted the potential of SEL in promoting educational equity and excellence.

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Communities

Communities. Community partners often provide safe and developmentally rich settings for learning and development, have deep understanding of community needs and assets, are seen as trusted partners by families and students, and have connections to additional supports and services that school and families need. Community programs also offer opportunities for young people to practice their social and emotional skills in settings that are both personally relevant and can open opportunities for their future. To integrate SEL efforts across the school day and out-of-school time, school staff and community partners should align on common language and coordinate strategies and communication around SEL-related efforts and initiatives.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL - Community Partnerships

Families & Caregivers

Families & Caregivers. When schools and families form authentic partnerships, they can build strong connections that reinforce students' social and emotional development. Families and caregivers are children's first teachers, and bring deep expertise about their development, experiences, culture, and learning needs. These insights and perspectives are critical to informing, supporting, and sustaining SEL efforts. Research suggests that evidence-based SEL programs are more effective when they extend into the home, and families are far more likely to form partnerships with schools when their schools' norms, values, and cultural representations reflect their own experiences. Schools need inclusive decision-making processes that ensure that families-particularly those from historically marginalized groups-are part of planning, implementing, and continuously improving SEL.

Schools can also create other avenues for family partnership that may include creating ongoing two-way communication with families, helping caregivers understand child development, helping teachers understand family backgrounds and cultures, providing opportunities for families to volunteer in schools, extending learning activities and discussions into homes, and coordinating family services with community partners. These efforts should engage families in understanding, experiencing, informing, and supporting the social and emotional development of their students.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL - Family Partnerships

Schools

Schools. Effectively integrating SEL schoolwide involves ongoing planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement by all members of the school community. SEL efforts both contribute to and depend upon a school climate where all students and adults feel respected, supported, and engaged.

Because the school setting includes many contexts-classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, playground, bus-fostering a healthy school climate and culture requires active engagement from all adults and students. A strong school culture is rooted in students' sense of belonging, with evidence that suggests that it plays a crucial role in students' engagement. SEL also offers an opportunity to enhance existing systems of student support by integrating SEL goals and practices with universal, targeted, and intensive academic and behavioral supports. By coordinating and building upon SEL practices and programs, schools can create an environment that infuses SEL into every part of students' educational experience and promotes positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL

Classrooms

Classrooms. Research has shown that social and emotional competence can be enhanced using a variety of classroom-based approaches such as: (a) explicit instruction through which social and emotional skills and attitudes are taught and practiced in developmentally, contextually, and culturally responsive ways; (b) teaching practices such as cooperative learning and project-based learning; and (c) integration of SEL and academic curriculum such as language arts, math, science, social studies, health, and performing arts. High-quality SEL instruction has four elements represented by the acronym SAFE: Sequenced - following a coordinated set of training approaches to foster the development of competencies; Active - emphasizing active forms of learning to help students practice and master new skills; Focused - implementing curriculum that intentionally emphasizes the development of SEL competencies; and Explicit - defining and targeting specific skills, attitudes, and knowledge.

SEL instruction is carried out most effectively in nurturing, safe environments characterized by positive, caring relationships among students and teachers. To facilitate age-appropriate and culturally responsive instruction, adults must understand and appreciate the unique strengths and needs of each student and support students' identities. When adults incorporate students' personal experiences and cultural backgrounds and seek their input, they create an inclusive classroom environment where students are partners in the educational process, elevating their own agency. Strong relationships between adults and students can facilitate co-learning, foster student and adult growth, and generate collaborative solutions to shared concerns.
Learn more: CASEL Guide to Effective SEL Programs

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness: The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one's strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

Such as:

Integrating personal and social identities

Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets

Identifying one's emotions

Demonstrating honesty and integrity

Linking feelings, values, and thoughts

Examining prejudices and biases

Experiencing self-efficacy

Having a growth mindset

Developing interests and a sense of purpose

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Self-Management

Self-management: The abilities to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacities to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.

Such as:

Managing one's emotions

Identifying and using stress management strategies

Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation

Setting personal and collective goals

Using planning and organizational skills

Showing the courage to take initiative

Demonstrating personal and collective agency

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Social Awareness

Social awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

Such as:

Taking others' perspectives

Recognizing strengths in others

Demonstrating empathy and compassion

Showing concern for the feelings of others

Understanding and expressing gratitude

Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones

Recognizing situational demands and opportunities

Understanding the influences of organizations and systems on behavior

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible decision-making: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacities to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.

Such as:

Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness

Learning how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and facts

Identifying solutions for personal and social problems

Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one's actions

Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school

Reflecting on one's role to promote personal, family, and community well-being

Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Relationship Skills

Relationship skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

Such as:

Communicating effectively

Developing positive relationships

Demonstrating cultural competency

Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving

Resolving conflicts constructively

Resisting negative social pressure

Showing leadership in groups

Seeking or offering support and help when needed

Standing up for the rights of others

Check out this video from PBS Learning Media for more information.

Social & Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.

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Our SEL framework, known to many as the "CASEL wheel," helps cultivate skills and environments that advance students' learning and development.

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CTL 5703 - SEL skills to support learning engagements and assessment tasks

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Social skills: Collaboration (Ho Chi Minh City)

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Build social and emotional skills into any class.

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OME - Health and Physical Education (Grade 1-8)

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OME - Health and Physical Education (Grade 1-8)

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Some highlights of Ontario's 2019 elementary Health and Physical Education ( HPE) curriculum include:

more learning about mental health including a new section on social-emotional learning (SEL) skills

new and updated learning about body image, consent and online safety

new learning about concussions

sexual health education that is age-appropriate

The 2019 elementary curriculum at a glance

The new HPE curriculum helps students learn the skills and knowledge they need to lead healthy, active lives and make healthy and safe choices.

This learning relates to the everyday experiences of students - at home, at school, and in the community - and helps students develop skills and habits that will enhance their physical, social-emotional and mental well-being for the rest of their lives.

There are four parts to the curriculum:

1. Social-Emotional Learning Skills

2. Active Living

3. Movement Competence

4. Healthy Living (includes a new topic on mental health)

In the Healthy Living section, students learn the skills and knowledge that can help them to make healthy decisions about:

healthy eating

safety at home, school, online and in the community

drugs, alcohol and other substances and habits

human development and sexual health

mental health

Note: The Grade 9-12 Health and Physical Education Curriculum has not changed since 2015. See what high school students learn.

What has changed

Following the province's largest consultation on education in the fall of 2018, the elementary Health and Physical Education ( HPE) curriculum has been updated to reflect public feedback, research and advice from experts.

The 2019 HPE curriculum for Grades 1-8 will make Ontario a leader in teaching students about:

Mental Health, including Social-Emotional Learning Skills

Concussions

The effects and risks of vaping, and cannabis

Cyber safety, including bullying prevention and digital privacy

Healthy body image

Healthy relationships, including consent

The enhanced curriculum relates to the everyday experiences of students and provides them with the skills and knowledge they need to lead safe, healthy and active lives.

It also takes a more comprehensive approach to learning about mental health. This contributes to students' overall health and well-being, positive mental health, and the ability to learn, build resilience and thrive.

The 2019 curriculum remains focused on physical activity, and movement that build students' skills, abilities, confidence and commitment to life-long healthy, active living.

It also responds to the realities affecting students' lives today. That's why it includes new learning about vaping, the effects and risks of cannabis, body image, concussions, respect for diversity (including sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression), consent, online safety and bullying prevention.

Young people now have widespread access to the Internet and social media, giving them easy access to both helpful and potentially harmful and incorrect information.

It's important for students to learn accurate and current information. This way, as they navigate the digital world, they can develop skills and strategies that help them to stay safe and healthy.

Exemption policy

The government has issued a Policy/Program Memorandum that requires school boards to develop a policy/procedure allowing parents to exempt their child from instruction of the human development and sexual health education component of the elementary Health and Physical Education curriculum. Currently, not all school boards across Ontario have policies in place to address the exemption of children from sexual health education. School board policies/procedures must be in place by November 30, 2019.

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Health and Physical Education in Grades 1-8

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Some highlights of Ontario's 2019 elementary Health and Physical Education ( HPE) curriculum include: more learning about mental health including a new section on social-emotional learning (SEL) skills new and updated learning about body image, consent and online safety new learning about concussions sexual health education that is age-appropriate The new HPE curriculum helps students learn the skills and knowledge they need to lead healthy, active lives and make healthy and safe choices.

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*Approaches to Learning - Scope and Sequence (Primary/Junior)

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*Approaches to Learning - Scope and Sequence (Primary/Junior)

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Approaches to Learning Scope and Sequence & Learner Profile 'I Can' Statements(2) (5)

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Mental health in Ontario schools

Mental health is an essential component of overall health. Given that 70% of mental health problems begin in childhood or adolescence, it is important to equip our young people with the knowledge and skills they need to support positive mental health throughout their lives.

As of the 2019-20 school year, learning about mental health in Ontario schools will take place:

through the newly enhanced elementary Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum

across the curriculum, as well as in Kindergarten, and

as a part of students' everyday experience at school

The enhanced HPE curriculum takes a comprehensive approach to learning about mental health. Important new aspects include:

the development of social-emotional learning skills across the curriculum

knowledge and skills related to mental health

more opportunities to understand connections between physical and mental health

Learning about mental health fits naturally in the elementary health and physical education curriculum, where students are learning all about healthy development. In each grade, it is integrated with learning about overall health in a developmentally appropriate way.

Key learning about mental health includes helping students to:

understand that mental health is a part of overall health

understand the relationship among their own thoughts, emotions, and actions

learn ways to care for their own mental health and to be resilient in the face of challenges

recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and of common mental health problems

know about sources of support, and how and where to ask for help

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills

Throughout the curriculum, students also learn to apply SEL skills.

Because these skills are so important to students' mental health and healthy development, SEL is now also a distinct section of the updated curriculum. This new section builds on Living Skills learning from the previous curriculum to help students foster their own overall health and well-being, positive mental health, resilience and ability to learn and thrive. The table below shows what students learn about and why.

identifying and managing emotions

express their feelings and understand the feelings of others

coping with stress
develop resilience

build a sense of hope and the will to keep trying for their goals

building relationships
support healthy relationships and respect diversity

deepening their sense of self

build an understanding of their own identity and feel that they belong

thinking critically and creatively

support decision-making and problem solving

Students apply these everyday skills as part of their learning across the other three parts of the curriculum, and in their experiences at school, at home and in the community.

A few examples of how these skills could be integrated with the other three parts of the curriculum (Active Living, Movement Competence and Healthy Living) are outlined below.

Grade 1: To learn about positive motivation, students practise showing willingness to try out new skills and keep practising. (Movement Competence)

Grade 2: To practise identifying and managing emotions, students try taking a moment to breathe deeply and refocus if they are feeling anxious or upset before starting a physical activity. (Active Living)

Grade 3: To build relationships, students working in small groups practise welcoming everyone and being willing to be a partner with anyone in the group. (Active Living)

Grade 4: As they learn about coping with stress, students explain how knowing about physical and emotional changes that come with puberty can help them handle those changes when they occur. (Healthy Living)

Grade 5: To practise thinking critically and creatively, students make connections between being active, working towards personal fitness goals and mental health. (Active Living)

Grade 6: To deepen their sense of self, students think about how stereotypes affect how they feel about themselves and identify other factors, including acceptance by others, that influence their sense of themselves. (Healthy Living)

Grade 7: As they learn about coping with stress, students explain how to access various sources of support (for example, school staff, family, counselling and medical professionals) when dealing with mental health challenges or issues related to substance use. (Healthy Living)

Grade 8: To practise identifying and managing emotions, students explain how social media can create feelings of stress and describe strategies, such as connecting thoughts, feelings, and actions, that can help maintain balance and perspective. (Healthy Living)

Supporting students

There is strong evidence that developing social-emotional learning skills at school contributes to student well-being and successful academic performance. Learning about mental health can also help to reduce the stigma around problems in this area. When students understand that many people experience mental health difficulties from time to time, and that there is support available when needed, they are more likely to seek help early when problems arise.

As they develop SEL skills, students will also gain "transferable skills" (for example, self-directed learning, collaboration, critical thinking, communication and innovation) and develop "learning skills and work habits" as they learn to set goals, follow through and overcome challenges. These interconnected skills taken together, help foster overall health and well-being, and the ability to learn, build resilience and thrive. Helping students make connections among these skills is key to enhancing their learning experience in school and throughout their lives.

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Mental health is an essential component of overall health. Given that 70% of mental health problems begin in childhood or adolescence, it is important to equip our young people with the knowledge and skills they need to support positive mental health throughout their lives.