Incorporating Social and Emotional Skills Into Your Classes

In order to teach the whole child, we as educators must understand that learning is also a social and emotional experiences. Knowing one’s emotions, how to manage them, and ways to express them constructively are essential life skills. These skills enable one to handle stress, control impulses, and motivate oneself to persevere when faced with personal, academic, or work-related obstacles. A related set of skills involves accurately assessing one’s abilities and interests, building upon strengths, making effective use of family, school, and community supports and resources. These social emotional skills, thought processes and behavioral strategies can be contributing factors to one’s success beyond the academic assessments.