SEL for Students: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills
What Are They?
According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional, Learning (CASEL), social-emotional learning (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 positive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”
Social awareness and relationship skills are two of the five components that make up CASEL’s model of SEL.
Social awareness involves the ability to understand and empathize with others, particularly with people from different backgrounds than one’s own.
A history teacher cultivates students’ empathy by encouraging them to “put themselves in the shoes” of people on opposing sides of history to help them understand both how they came to their views in the first place and why certain decisions were made.
Skills that develop social awareness include:
- Identifying social cues (verbal, physical) to determine how others feel
- Taking others’ perspectives
- Demonstrating empathy and compassion
- Showing concern for the feelings of others
- Understanding and expressing gratitude
- Recognizing strengths in others
- Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones
- Recognizing situational demands and opportunities
- Caring about and being motivated to contribute to the well-being of one’s family, friends, school, community, the environment, and the greater good
“Relationship skills” is the ability to build positive relationships, especially with diverse individuals and groups, using a variety of methods such as active listening, and communication and conflict resolution skills. These skills also include the ability to resist pressure and to seek out and offer help.
To encourage teamwork in lab groups at the beginning of the year, a chemistry teacher has students practice positive communication skills such as listening, conflict resolution, and cooperation.
Relationship skills include:
- Initiating contact with others and cultivating friendship
- Sharing one’s thoughts and feelings (appropriately)
- Communicating effectively
- Developing positive relationships
- Demonstrating cultural humility
- Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving
- Resolving conflicts constructively
- Approaching relationships with positive presuppositions
- Resisting negative social pressure
- Resisting stereotypes
- Standing up for the rights of others
- Showing leadership in groups
- Seeking or offering support and help when needed
Ultimately, social awareness and relationship skills are closely linked. For example, when students attempt to resolve a conflict between themselves (relationship skills), the process is made easier when both are able to empathize with each other (social awareness).
Why Are They Important?
Overall, research reveals time and again that students with social and emotional skills perform better academically, have stronger relationships with peers and teachers, experience greater well-being, and engage in less risky behavior. In addition, SEL skills positively impact education, employment, and mental health outcomes into adulthood.
More specifically, several components of social awareness and relationship skills show the following outcomes:
Empathy benefits students, both relationally and academically.
- Students who are empathetic are more cooperative in class, have better relationships with their teachers, and are more engaged in school.
- Increased empathy can also decrease bullying and aggression among kids and make them kinder and more inclusive toward classmates.
- Students with more empathy also tend to have higher GPAs and, eventually, greater success in college.
Cooperative learning begets cooperation.
- One study found that students who participated in more cooperative learning exercises were more likely than their peers to say they liked cooperating with other students; whereas, students who said they liked competing were significantly more likely to act aggressively toward their peers and try to do them harm.
- Students who engage in more frequent cooperative learning are more likely to report performing prosocial (kind, helpful) behavior toward their classmates.
Cross-group friendships among students can make the world a better place.
- Students with friends from different racial groups may reduce prejudice, both immediately and in the long-term.
- Positive interactions between diverse students may reduce anxiety and increase the willingness to empathize with each other.
Social learning practices are good for students.
- When students learn social skills through pedagogical methods such as cooperative learning and joint decision-making of classroom rules, they are more successful academically, show greater engagement and enjoyment in learning, and have stronger interpersonal skills.
Teaching students to resolve their own conflicts works.
- A review of the research found that conflict resolution and peer mediation programs may lead to fewer office referrals, decreased violence, and lower drop-out and suspension rates. Students who engage in these programs show greater academic achievement, a more positive perception of the school climate, increased social support, self-esteem, and well-being, and decreased victimization, anxiety, and depression.
Practices
A fun, fast way for students to develop close friendships
Foster a sense of belonging through peer interviews and by integrating the collected data into math instruction.
Foster well-being and inspiration through nature
Students identify the many ways that exist to express gratitude.
Students define gratitude and give an example of a time they felt grateful.
Students draw and write about ways they have acted with kindness towards others.
Expand students’ thinking through awe
Students learn to say “thank you” in American Sign Language and brainstorm non-verbal ways to express gratitude.
Experience awe through visual design.
Students identify ways they can practice “random acts of kindness.”
Students express gratitude through singing.
Introduce students to “Focus Power,” or the ability to sustain attention and ignore distractions when needed.
Introduce students to “Remember Power,” or the ability to keep track of, update, and use information over short periods of time.
Introduce students to “Stop and Think Power,” or the ability to control impulses and to “think before you act.”
Students practice and build executive function skills in whole-class games.
Students co-create norms to foster a safe and welcoming class environment
Students consider the intentions of characters in a story who are kind to others.
Students will identify the stereotypes they hold and consider the impact those stereotypes have on the fair treatment of athletes.
Use the Circle process to encourage students to safely and respectfully share their level of understanding on an academic topic.
Use the Circle process to build a sense of connection among students and staff by sharing moods, feelings, and moments of joy and pain.
Students develop courage by evaluating an idea or proposition and taking a stance on it.
Students will identify their personal biases and consider how those biases influence their ability to treat others fairly.
Experience the vast interconnectedness of our world
Students read a text slowly and reflect on its personal meaning for them.
A routine for celebrating each student in your class
A routine for celebrating each student in your class
A routine for celebrating each student in your class
A routine for celebrating each student in your class
A routine for celebrating each student in your class
A routine for celebrating each student in your class
A routine for celebrating each student in your class
Recognize and name emotions that can lead to acts of courage.
Students explore and enact the character strengths that undergird courage: honesty, zest, perseverance, and bravery.
Students use their creativity to explore what courage can look like and feel like.
Students foster courage to collectively problem solve.
Experience music together to inspire awe, cultivate an awareness of emotions, and craft connection in the classroom.
Students brainstorm ideas for coping with anger as a first step to forgiveness.
A game involving balance and teamwork that helps build trust.
Help students (or staff) understand that mistakes are important for learning and growing our intelligence.
A discussion that uses scenarios to explore character and citizenship.
A discussion that uses scenarios to explore character and citizenship.
A discussion that uses scenarios to explore character and citizenship.
A discussion that uses scenarios to explore character and citizenship.
A discussion that uses scenarios to explore character and citizenship.
A discussion that uses scenarios to explore character and citizenship.
A discussion that uses scenarios to explore character and citizenship.
Students shift their beliefs about people’s ability to change.
Reduce student anxiety by changing students’ beliefs about social challenges.
Foster moral courage by reflecting on when and how to speak up against prejudice.
Teachers and students converse with each other through letter writing.
Teachers and students converse with each other through writing.
Teachers and students converse with each other through writing.
A short but powerful number sense activity that shows students the visual nature of math, creativity in math, and that there are many different ways people see math.
Students reflect on what it means to "bear witness" to something.
Students reflect on how the Earthrise photograph offered humans a new way to see the Earth: without borders or boundaries.
Students reflect on how the Earthrise photograph instills a sense of awe and wonder towards our planet.
Teachers will foster students’ moral identity through selective use of language in the classroom.
Students engage in prosocial (kind, helpful) actions for ten days and reflect on the impact of their actions on themselves and others.
Inspire students to practice intellectual humility by introducing them to what intellectual humility is, what it looks like, and why it is valuable.
Students reflect on the power of intellectual humility to shape our view of the world.
Students reflect on why another person acted kindly towards them, and practice gratitude both verbally & in writing.
Educators prepare to facilitate “bridging differences” discussions about justice and equity in the classroom.
Teachers and students create a safe space to develop strong relationships.
Students think about a time when they felt close to someone in order to foster a sense of belonging and well-being.
In a group meeting, students share their feelings while also building their feelings vocabulary and emotion knowledge.
In a group meeting, students share their feelings while also building their feelings vocabulary and emotion knowledge.
In a group meeting, students share their feelings while also building their feelings vocabulary and emotion knowledge.
In a group meeting, students share their feelings while also building their feelings vocabulary and emotion knowledge.
In a group meeting, students share their feelings while also building their feelings vocabulary and emotion knowledge.
In a group meeting, students share their feelings while also building their feelings vocabulary and emotion knowledge.
In a group meeting, students share their feelings while also building their feelings vocabulary and emotion knowledge.
Students identify emotions related to gratitude.
Sharing stories of kindness and courage to inspire awe, hope, and belonging in the classroom.
Inspire students to kindness through the “collective effervescence” of animals
Students discover what is meaningful to them and how it connects to their learning.
Tune into your sense of awe by slowing down and being receptive to your surroundings.
Students “finish” math problems by making connections between solutions to problems and everyday life.
Students practice turning complaints into gratitude statements.
In this circle activity, students practice mindful speaking and mindful listening.
A list of discussion questions to help cultivate students’ empathy.
A list of discussion questions to help cultivate students’ empathy.
An opening math activity that provides students the opportunity to appreciate different ways of achieving the same answer.
Students think about the factors that encourage and discourage people to act when they confront suffering or injustice.
Spend quality time with people you care about.
Students define gratitude and name things they’re grateful for.
Students cultivate moral reasoning skills and humility through a peer-feedback process focused on P.E. skills.
Students reflect on acts of kindness and how they often require intention and effort on the part of the person who does them.
A norm-setting activity to help create an environment for productive, positive, and equitable group work in math class
Students cultivate greater humility by practicing good listening skills.
Students interview an older person about gratitude, deepening their own understanding of gratitude.
Students write a letter of thanks and deliver it in person.
Students deepen their understanding of gratitude by “embodying” it.
Students take a mindful walk in nature, noting what they are grateful for, and create a collaborative art piece of their experience.
Students interpret and role-play a variety of quotes about gratitude.
Students express gratitude towards the many people whose efforts have brought them food.
A game to cultivate students’ focus and attention by listening carefully and remembering the right motion
Strategies to encourage and help students practice honesty
A game to develop students' memory and attention by remembering what you're supposed to do while doing a different motion.
Acknowledge the faces of everyone in your classroom or meeting to deepen a sense of group connection.
A game to build students’ focus and attention by practicing careful looking to find the object that another person is thinking of
Students reflect on various definitions and acts of courage—and consider why they think courage is important.
Mentally cultivate kindness toward yourself and consider how you might be of service to others
Play sound in a circle to synchronize and create a harmonious vibe among students
Broaden students’ thinking and connection to something larger than themselves.
Students consider the impact of climate change on something they love in nature.
Use language that sparks helpfulness in students.
Students reflect on examples of the goodness of humanity.
Students explore what forgiveness is and what it is not.
Students hear and share inspiring stories compassionate risk-takers and then develop their own service project.
Foster pride and respect in and between students by dismantling assumptions.
Making art about kindness inspires students to be caring and generous.
Students get a secret kindness buddy to do a kind act for during the week.
Students learn about forgiveness from book characters.
Students connect with each other through awe-eliciting music experiences.
Foster our shared humanity by reflecting on the human life cycle.
Develop listening and questioning skills to build accountability to your community
Students bridge differences through deep listening skills.
Use stories to encourage students’ courageous behavior in school and at home
Foster students’ sense of interconnectedness through awe
Students walk silently around school, noticing people they are grateful for and telling them so.
Students extend kindness to themselves and others.
Mentally cultivate kindness toward yourself and others.
Students mentally send good wishes to someone who is important to them.
A magical game of tag that promotes inclusion and teamwork.
Students establish and build friendships with classmates in a safe way.
Students learn that when someone does something kind, it takes time and effort.
Students experience awe and create meaning when mindfully focusing their attention on nature.
Make music together to encourage generosity and helping behavior in young children.
A game to build students' focus and attention by remembering when to use motions instead of words.
A game to develop student's memory and attention by remembering what each person has said and repeating it in the correct order
Students collaborate on the development of classroom norms.
Students identify ways that they have acted with kindness towards others.
A brief learning activity that demonstrates the many different ways people see math and builds students’ flexibility with numbers.
Tap into students’ questions and and encourage them to wonder about the world around them.
Students explore ways to overcome what keeps us from expressing our thanks.
Challenge students to see every human’s potential for growth and change.
Students express gratitude to people whose actions have benefited society.
Review and expand your classroom or school library with books that represent diverse backgrounds.
Create class community by brainstorming ways to stop put-downs.
Build trust and understanding among students by exploring questions of wonder.
Students practice kindness to increase their happiness
Lead a brief choral reading practice that fosters community and connection.
Students cultivate practical wisdom by working through a moral dilemma and deciding on a course of action.
Students discuss the SEL skills touched upon during the activity in which they have just participated.
Foster students’ moral identity through story writing.
Students share their opinions and disagreements in healthy ways.
Use language to help orient students toward cooperation.
Students recognize the costs and benefits involved in a kind act. (Gratitude for Tweens and Teens Lesson 2)
Students look for the good in others by acknowledging each other’s strengths. (Gratitude for Tweens and Teens Lesson 3)
Foster well-being and connection by contemplating the magnitude of the universe.
Use the Circle process to encourage self-care among staff and students in all dimensions.
Students share stories about a time they felt grateful.
A game to develop students' memory and attention by remembering what motions accompany each phrase, and doing them correctly quickly
Students explore real-world examples to help them identify peaceful ways to respond to discrimination.
A list of strategies for making explicit connections to SEL skills throughout the day in order to reinforce students’ practice of skills
Ways to use SEL for cultivating youth agency and civic engagement
A values-informed process to help students make the best possible ethical choices
Students build trust and inclusion through a quick and fun game that reveals their commonalities.
Discussion questions for families to deepen their child’s experience of gratitude
Help parents/caregivers and teens develop compassionate listening skills and strengthen their relationship.
Strategies for parents and caregivers to help their children consider offering reparations as part of their apologies
Help kids rethink prejudice and connect across differences.
Students forge intergenerational relationships while strengthening their digital citizenship and troubleshooting skills.
Students learn how to think gratefully. (Gratitude for Tweens and Teens Lesson 4)
Students reflect on an ethical dilemma and consider how to prioritize their values—and respond courageously.
Students learn how the positive emotions from gratitude create a cycle of giving.
Students learn to manage their emotions in a healthy way by identifying the people and places that influence changes in their emotions.
A tool for fostering a supportive and equitable classroom and school environment and for promoting SEL.
Students define and practice “good sense,” or the will and know-how to do the right thing.
Students use dance to learn about the world and celebrate diversity.
Students cultivate courage, empathy, and compassion by sharing and listening to others comment on how others see them versus who they really are.
Use awe to inspire solutions to challenges.
Students cultivate courage by making a commitment to engage in a courageous act.
Students explore how every person has dignity and worth—even those who hurt us.
Students identify others' assumptions about them and then describe who they really are on the inside.
Students explore how groups, communities, and nations define who belongs and who does not, and how these decisions are made.
Experience awe and social connection through simple movements or dance
Students learn how kindness and gratitude strengthen friendships through Splat the Cat.
Students identify what gets in the way of expressing gratitude.
Students define gratitude and the many forms it takes.
Students learn how our different backgrounds give us different perspectives.
Students examine how they face everyday moral dilemmas and consider who and what influences their reactions when conflicts arise.
Students reflect on their individual identities and the stereotypes people might hold about them.
Through stories, discussion, and creative presentations about true heroes, students foster their compassion for others and see brave community involvement as an admirable, heroic way of life.
A game to build students’ focus and attention by listening carefully to hear who stole the honey pot
Students explore, reflect, and write about being an upstander rather than a bystander.
Students send kindness and good wishes to others.
Students respectfully discuss their stance on a current event.
A game to cultivate students’ focus and attention by knowing when it is their turn and the right thing to say
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
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