Social and Emotional Learning: More Than Just ABCs

Here’s why teaching social skills is just as important as academics.

We know teachers need mentors. (Just ask this handful of successful educators!) But mentoring isn’t just about suggesting classroom management strategies, offering up helpful lesson plans, or even helping navigate testing standards.

Mentors must also help their fellow teachers cultivate social and emotional learning (SEL) in their students. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, SEL provides children the requited tools to “understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” Promoting SEL in classrooms creates better citizens — ones who create meaningful relationships and interactions.

And SEL has monetary benefits, too. According to research from Columbia University, every dollar invested in SEL gets $11 in long-term benefits back. (Read more about the study here.)

That’s why Arizona Master Teachers, like Shonti Land of Somerton Unified School District, focus both on instructional mentoring and SEL. Learn more about Land and other Master Teachers in the article Sustained Mentor Training Advances Teacher Support.