EDUC 184: Schoolwide and Classroom Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering CASEL frameworks, 10 schoolwide implementation indicators, multi-tiered supports, and classroom SEL strategies from EDUC 184.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL, 2020).

CASEL 5 Core Competencies

A framework organizing student-centered social and emotional competencies across three domains: the Intrapersonal Emotional Domain (Self-Awareness, Self-Management), the Interpersonal Social Domain (Social Awareness, Relationship Skills), and the Cognitive Domain (Responsible Decision-Making).

Self-Awareness

The ability to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts; includes identifying emotions, assessing personal, cultural, and linguistic strengths, exhibiting self-efficacy, and maintaining a growth mindset.

Self-Management

The ability to monitor and manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations to achieve personal goals; includes regulating emotions, stress management, impulse control, self-discipline, and goal-setting.

Social Awareness

The ability to understand other people's perspectives and emotions, empathize with and respect individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, recognize communal strengths and assets, and identify social norms.

Relationship Skills

The ability to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and effectively navigate diverse settings; includes clear communication, active listening, collaborative cooperation, cultural humility, and constructive conflict resolution.

Responsible Decision-Making

The ability to make caring and constructive choices regarding personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations by considering ethical standards, safety concerns, and the consequences of actions.

SAFE Acronym

Four evidence-based elements of high-quality classroom SEL instruction: Sequenced (a coordinated set of training approaches), Active (emphasizing active learning to practice skills), Focused (intentionally targeting SEL competencies), and Explicit (defining and targeting specific skills and attitudes).

Schoolwide SEL

A systemic approach to infusing social and emotional learning into every part of students' educational experience across all classrooms, during all parts of the school day and out-of-school time, and in authentic partnership with families and communities.

Explicit SEL Instruction

Dedicated, consistent time providing developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive free-standing lessons with step-by-step guidance to cultivate, practice, and reflect on SEL competencies.

Academic Mindsets

Beliefs or perceptions of oneself in relation to learning that lay the groundwork for academic and social-emotional success, consisting of four beliefs: 'My ability and competence grow with my effort,' 'I belong in this academic community,' 'I can succeed at this,' and 'This work has value for me.'

Sense of Agency

A student's belief in their ability to make choices and take actions that meaningfully impact their own educational trajectory and influence the wider school community and world.

School Climate

Defined by the National School Climate Center as the 'quality and character of school life,' representing the extent to which students and adults feel connected, safe, respected, and supported.

Schoolwide Norms

Agreed-upon expectations of behavior and interaction co-created and upheld by the school community, distinct from traditional rules set solely by authority figures, establishing a common language for a positive climate.

Adult SEL

Fostering a supportive staff environment through structures like Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and peer mentoring to cultivate the social-emotional competence, well-being, and modeling capacity of educators.

Supportive Discipline

Discipline practices centered on student learning and restorative justice that replace exclusionary zero-tolerance policies by addressing root causes, repairing harm, restoring relationships, and engaging student voice in decisions.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

A systemic, prevention-focused framework addressing academic and behavioral needs across three tiers: Tier 1 (Universal interventions for $80\text{--}90\%$ of students), Tier 2 (Secondary targeted supports for $5\text{--}10\%$ of at-risk students), and Tier 3 (Tertiary intensive, assessment-based supports for $1\text{--}5\%$ of students).

Authentic Family Partnerships

Bidirectional collaboration recognizing families and caregivers as children's primary teachers, shifting away from unidirectional school-to-home information sharing toward shared goal-setting, surveys, and collaborative decision-making.

Aligned Community Partnerships

Strategic school-community collaborations with afterschool providers, nonprofits, and healthcare organizations to align common SEL language and provide opportunities like mentoring, cross-age tutoring, and service learning.

Systems for Continuous Improvement

A structured, deliberate process of ongoing data collection, progress tracking, outcome evaluation, and rapid learning cycles to make real-time adjustments and enhance schoolwide SEL implementation.

Phases of Systemic Implementation

A non-linear, overlapping $3\text{ to }5$-year implementation model described by Gueldner et al. consisting of: Readiness (needs assessment, buy-in, team building, planning), Initial Implementation (high-fidelity delivery, coaching, reflection), and Sustained Implementation (embedding into routine culture, ongoing PD).

Implementation Buy-In Benchmark

The recommended guideline of securing at least $80\%$ commitment and buy-in from staff and the school community during the readiness phase before initiating systemic SEL programming.

Implementation Fidelity

The degree to which an evidence-based SEL program, curriculum, or intervention is delivered exactly as intended and designed by its creators, without omitting core instructional components.

Attachment (Classroom Context)

The relational expectations and bonds students form with adult educators, serving as a safe and secure base that fosters trust, security, and the capacity for self-regulation.

Attunement

An adult's prompt responsiveness to a child's needs achieved by observing their emotional, behavioral, and physical cues, inferring what is required, and providing appropriate support.

$5:1$ Praise-to-Correction Ratio

A proactive behavioral strategy of delivering at least five positive reinforcement or praise statements for every one redirection or corrective phrase given to students.

Positive Greetings at the Door

A four-step SEL classroom procedure from Riverside Unified School District (RUSD): 1. Stand at or around the door; 2. Positively interact (verbally or nonverbally); 3. Deliver pre-correct statements; 4. Remind students to check the schedule and of the instructional start time.

Pre-Correct Statements

Proactive statements delivered to an individual student or the whole class before any challenging behavior occurs to remind them of behavioral expectations and offer encouraging guidance.

Classroom Shared Agreements

Class-wide agreements co-created, signed, displayed, and regularly revisited by students and teachers that establish shared norms of mutual respect, responsibility, and community care.

Community Building Circles

Structured class meetings that foster belonging, equity of voice, and trust through a defined circle process: opening, introduction, circle norms, check-in, discussion, check-out, and closing.

Affirming Student Identities

Instructional practice wherein educators honor and incorporate students' diverse backgrounds, extracurricular interests, cultures, and life experiences as essential assets within the classroom community and curriculum.

Calming Space

A designated physical area within a classroom equipped with de-escalation tools, calming kits, and sensory materials where students can take a break, breathe, center their emotions, and return ready to learn.

Three Levels of Effective SEL Teaching

A pedagogical progression for SEL instruction: Level 1: Providing Information (explaining the skill and its utility); Level 2: Providing Opportunities for Practice and Feedback (role-playing and reflection); and Level 3: Real-Life Application (generalizing skills to unstructured settings).