Mark Gallagher
K-12 MTSS Coordinator, MEVSD
If you were to ask one hundred professionals to define social-emotional learning, then you would likely receive one hundred different definitions. The common themes would likely include 21st century skills, noncognitive skills, soft skills, and character development - and none of these would be wrong. According to Collaborative for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (CASEL), “social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” Simple enough, right? Regardless of how you define social-emotional learning, the question quickly becomes, “Why does it matter?”