A Social Emotional Learning Specialist (SELS) teaches essential skills students can use through childhood and beyond that include:
Emotional recognition
Emotional recognition helps learners identify and manage difficult emotions such as jealousy and frustration. When students know how to control overwhelming emotions, they can get through tough situations, make sensible choices, maintain relationships and enjoy greater well-being.
Self-regulation
Students learn to stay calm through self-soothing and gain an awareness of their physical and mental states so they can apply calming techniques and resist impulsive behaviors. Self-regulation is a vital skill for clearing one's mind and handling changes.
Behaviors
SEL teaches students how to replace negative communication habits and behaviors with positive ones. Behavior skills help students bond with others and form healthy relationships.
Play skills
Students learn a variety of play skills, such as how to ask others to play, how to share and how to be a good sport. Play skills keep the atmosphere fun and encourage students to participate and make friends.
School rules
School rules skills help students feel comfortable with classroom routines. Students also learn strategies for following directions and why it's important. These skills help create a learning-friendly environment and reduce disruptive behavior.
Perspective-taking
Through SEL, students build empathy skills and learn how to understand other viewpoints. When students can understand how others feel, they can react to problems and misunderstandings with compassion and respect.
Basic conversation skills
SEL teaches students how to start and end conversations smoothly. They learn when to stop talking and listen to the other person. Conversation skills help students connect with others.
Conversation topics
Students learn how to maintain topics in conversation by asking questions and commenting. They also learn how to consider their conversation partner and tell when it's time to change the topic. Topic skills teach students to think before they speak.
Advanced conversation skills
Advanced conversation skills teach students how to tell a narrative effectively. They also learn how to understand nonliteral language and detect humor and sarcasm. Advanced conversation skills help eliminate misunderstandings and conflict.
Nonverbal communication
Nonverbal communication skills teach students the importance of personal space and active listening. Students also learn the value of making eye contact and understanding tone of voice and body language. These skills help students feel comfortable and connected.
Situational awareness
Students learn to consider the needs and feelings of others in different situations. This includes learning how to read a room and how to be polite when sharing meals with others. Situational awareness skills enhance shared experiences and strengthen relationships.
Problem-solving
Students learn the importance of compromising and how to use cognitive skills to analyze a problem and determine a logical solution. Problem-solving skills help students overcome challenges in school, relationships and life.
Friendship
SEL lessons teach students how to seek friends and build relationships over time. They learn how to give and receive compliments, handle conflict and make fair decisions. Students can use friendship skills throughout their lives to form and maintain rewarding relationships.
Self-esteem
Students learn how to break negative thinking cycles and set positive goals. They also learn how to handle rejection in a healthy way and how to respond to various forms of teasing and bullying. Students need self-esteem to get through difficult situations and reach their goals.
Hygiene
SEL teaches students general hygiene practices and good manners. Students learn the importance of improving hygiene and how personal appearance makes an impact.
