Social & Emotional Competence

Contributing Editor: Dr. Herb Turner, Principal Scientist at CRS

As you begin reading, you will embark on a journey with us as we explore the role of social and emotional learning and its potential impact on the lives of students and educators in the US and around the world. While you see the significance on a daily basis, it is important to acknowledge that the growing role and impact of social and emotional learning (SEL) on student success has accelerated beyond what even the originators of the term envisioned when they first coined it in 1994 (Weissberg et al., 2015).

With this in mind, our first issue focuses on social and emotional competence: the principles of how to explicitly teach it, the conditions needed to develop it in students, and the potential benefits based on the research. And, while the growing body of SEL research clearly converges to the conclusion that SEL benefits students, we present our exploratory research on how using an SEL approach to teaching can benefit teachers too.

Through this journey we’re about to embark on, we’ll deepen and expand our shared passion and commitment, informed by research, that builds the social and emotional competence of students so they can be successful in learning, play, work, and life.