Social emotional learning in the math classroom

April 12, 2021

Group of people holding hands

At some point this year, you probably have heard about or were involved in professional learning around Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in your school. You may have a type of daily classroom meeting time such as a morning meeting, circle time, etc., in the elementary setting in which it fits nicely to teach SEL skills in isolation, but what if you don’t or you teach at the secondary level where you have students for only 42 instructional minutes? How can students practice applying SEL within the content? Our Standards for Mathematical Practice offer:

  • Entry points of integrating SEL into the math classroom.
  • Engage students in mathematical discourse to build strong relationships and communication skills with their peers.
  • Construct viable arguments and learning to critique the reasoning of others.

Students build social awareness of peers by having the opportunity to listen to each others’ reasoning and then consider their own self-awareness of the content and change their own course of action through their self-management of their perseverance. The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin has excellent resources, such as their connection table between the Standards for Mathematical Practice and the Social-Emotional Competencies from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). 

 

If you would like to know more about SEL, the CASEL website offers information on their five SEL competencies and resources for integration into classrooms. Contact your Central Rivers AEA Math Consultant for more information on integrating SEL into your math classroom: