What is SEL?
According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), an organisation that works toward integrated social-emotional learning for preschool through High school in the USA and Canada, "social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions."
The Five Components of SEL
Self-Awareness
The ability to accurately recognise one's emotions and throughs and their influence on behavior. This incluses accurately assessing one's strengths and limitations and possessing well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism
Self-Management
The ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.
Social Awareness
The ability to take perspective of and empathise with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to understand social and ethical norms for behavior, and to recognise family, school, and community resources and supports.
Relationship skills
The ability to establish and maintain healthy, rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes clear communication, active listening, cooperation, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking/offering help when needed.
Responsible decision. making
The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions and the well being of self and others.
How is this applied at Mésanges?
Our approach reflects the values and principles of the school, which can be found throughout each aspect of the Mésanges community. We work closely with the parents in order for the children to benefit from a coherent and congruent framework which parallels home and school.
Our commitment to the development of the child's potential expands beyond the Montessori Method. Our trained staff members use their training in Non-Violent communication (NVC®) to guide the children in their emotional development, in order to create a socially responsible classroom taking into account each of the components of SEL in our work.
It starts in the 3-6 classroom and grows into the 6-12 program. The results are noticeable, not only at school but also at home.
Come for a visit to learn more!