What it is and why it matters and why it is more important than traditional school topics such as STEM and humanities!
Beyond learning Math, English, Science, history, art, music, and other technical skills, it is very important for students to learn how to conduct themselves emotionally and socially. This form of intelligence (called EQ or emotional intelligence as opposed to IQ) is critical for forming relationships and adapting to society. When your student reaches adulthood, having strong emotional and social intelligence is very important for them to achieve happiness and success in life. So what exactly constitutes Social and Emotional intelligence and why is each piece important to the emotional development of your student?
Self-Awareness:
The ability to form and understand one's emotions, values, thoughts, and abilities in order to deeply understand one's self. This piece of emotional intelligence is essential for students because it allows them to form goals based on one's strengths and limitations with a degree of confidence and purpose.
Self-Management:
The ability to manage one's emotions and behaviors in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. Self-management is essential in every successful individual because it allows those individuals to conduct themselves in positive ways despite negative or passionate emotions. Instead of seeking instant gratification, self-management allows one to delay the gratification now for the good of future goals. Moreover, self-management gives one the motivation and urgency to seek out and accomplish defined goals.
Relationship Skills:
The ability to make and retain relationships, whether platonic or romantic. The capacity to resolve conflicts through communication, cooperation, and collaboration. This skill allows individuals to form healthy friendships and social circles with others and find significant others to start families. Since we are social people, relationship skills are critical to establishing and maintaining a healthy and successful lifestyle.
Responsible Decision Making:
The ability to make decisions based on logic and reason as opposed to brashness, emotions, and other non-rational factors. Beyond simple logic and reason, a decision-maker must also take into account the ethical and social consequences of a decision and adjust their decision accordingly. Moreover, in order to make a decision that makes everyone happy, said individuals must be able to compromise with others, which requires emotional and social intelligence. With all of these in mind, the decision can be made.
Social Emotional Learning trains your student in all 5 factors mentioned above, making them better individuals in school, at workplace, and in their life. Math and Science can only take you so far in life, but a good understanding of social emotional can take you all the way from the start to the finish.
Learn more about SEL through this article and register for CAM Ed's virtual social-emotional learning class here!