1.3 Social and Emotional Learning: Basic Choices

Using student-centered teaching methodology specific SEL methods are developed and used. Students are involved in activities where they practice engagement, communication, collaboration, etc. They demonstrate social and emotional competencies in a classroom setting. These methods can be presented in two ways. The first way is to dedicate a lesson to the topic of developing social and emotional competencies. Learning time is allocated on a regular basis each week, during which students deepen and practice social and emotional competencies in the classroom. The second way is to integrate the content of social and emotional education and the content of the subject. In this case, students perform tasks that require subject knowledge, but successful completion of the task requires the demonstration of social and emotional competencies.

It allows the student to feel a constant care for his or her well-being.  In the atmosphere of care and consideration students are motivated to transfer the knowledge gained in the classroom environment and apply it in a variety of activities and settings. Without feeling stressed and emotionally vulnerable, students feel free to demonstrate social and emotional competencies. Only by feeling safe students transfer the social and emotional competencies acquired during lessons outside the classroom and develop appropriate behavioral skills.

The level of engagement in local community, the leaders of the community, determines whether the student will apply social and emotional competencies after school. Social and emotional learning outside school takes place only when the school, families and informal community leaders are united by the same philosophy of the importance of social and emotional learning.