Social and Emotional Learning

Abstract

It is incumbent upon teachers to educate the whole student—academically, socially, and emotionally—if we are to expect students to benefit maximally from their limited time with us. Building relationships with and among students is key to holistic development. Research by the American Psychological Association suggests that student achievement in school is strongly dependent upon positive teacher-student relationships, and science itself is a communal endeavor, requiring students to build positive student-student relationships. The crux of social and emotional learning is to help students to improve their resilience as learners and to become well integrated, contributing members of society.