Briefly: What is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?
Azzad Mahdzir • 01 May 2024
At its simplest essence, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process of learning to understand ourselves and recognise and manage emotions, set positive goals, show empathy for others, build healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the heart of personal growth and human connection. It’s about developing emotional intelligence, leadership with compassion, and navigating relationships skillfully. SEL equips us with the tools to thrive emotionally, socially, and spiritually. It transforms education into a journey of self-discovery, empathy, and resilience, creating a world that values both heart and intellect, fostering genuine connections and understanding.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) changes the conversation from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
SEL encompasses five key competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These competencies provide a framework for educators, families, students, and community organizations to understand and implement SEL practices effectively. By focusing on these areas, individuals can develop essential skills for understanding themselves and others, managing emotions, building positive relationships, and making responsible choices.
SEL can be taught and practiced in various settings, including classrooms, schools, homes, and communities. Taking a systemic approach, SEL emphasizes the importance of establishing equitable learning environments and coordinating practices across these settings. By integrating SEL into everyday interactions and activities in these environments, we can create nurturing spaces where individuals of all ages can thrive emotionally, socially, and academically.
Throughout the years Empathy For Youth Academy has found that Nonviolent Communication (NVC), developed by Marshall Rosenberg, offers a powerful and clear framework for fostering self-awareness, a foundational and critical component of SEL. At its core, NVC emphasises empathetic listening and honest expression, facilitating a deeper understanding of oneself and others. This approach directly supports the SEL competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Azzad Mahdzir is the co-founder of Empathy For Youth Academy and currently on his pathway for Nonviolent Communication trainer accreditation.
