PRIORITY TOPIC: SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
WHY IS SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING IMPORTANT?
Episodes of school violence and schoolyard bullying have focused attention on quick-fix solutions to keeping children safe. The answer doesn't lie in equipping schools with metal detectors. We must help students develop the skills to manage their emotions, resolve conflict nonviolently, and make responsible decisions. Research shows that teaching emotional intelligence and character development will lead to
• Reduced violence and aggression.
• Higher academic achievement and test scores.
• Improved ability to function in schools and in the workplace.
NEW TO SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING?
Essential reading: the why, what, and how of effective social and emotional learning and character development:
Emotional Intelligence: The Missing Piece
Social and emotional learning can help students successfully resolve conflict, communicate clearly, solve problems, and much more.
Emotional Intelligence Research
A summary of research on the effectiveness and workplace benefits of social and emotional learning programs in schools.
Ten Tips for Creating a Caring School: Raise Your Students' Emotional Intelligence Quotient
Implement these strategies at your school to promote social and emotional intelligence.
FEATURED
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The effect of bullying goes beyond simple schoolyard scuffles to cause lasting emotional wounds.
"She Used to Be Pretty": Schoolyard Harassment Goes Online
The wounds cyberbullies cause can run deep.
An Ounce of Prevention: It's Worth Much More Than a Pound of Cure
The Resolving Conflicts Creatively Program strives to instill empathy and positive values in children.
"We're Here to Raise Kids": Character Development Is Key
Social and emotional learning is infused into all subject areas and into extracurricular activities at this middle school.
Scared Not to Be Straight: Harrassment of LGBT Teens Prompts Antibullying Initiatives
Gay students seek protection from bullies.
ARCHIVE
View our complete library on social and emotional learning and character development, which includes articles, media clips, and interviews.
TOP RATED VIDEOS
Smart Hearts: Social and Emotional Learning Overview
In school districts from New Haven to Anchorage, social and emotional skills are being taught and assessed just like skills in math and reading.
Running Time: 13 min.
More media:
Video: Peace Helpers: PS 24
At this elementary school in Brooklyn, fourth and fifth graders help younger students resolve conflicts.
Video: Educating Hearts: Anchorage School District
The school system's investment in social and emotional learning is paying off both socially and academically.
Video: The Forum: Students Learn the Skill of Conflict Resolution
An elective class in Seattle's AS-1 school where students from every grade come together to discuss and resolve their differences.
Video: Michael Pritchard: Lessons from the Heart
A former probation officer and award-winning stand-up comic believes that "no matter what we teach kids, love is more important than any knowledge we give them."