Emotional intelligence plays a key role in students’ academic performance and emotional regulation, contributing to differences in academic success.
Programs like RULER, developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, focus on teaching emotional intelligence skills such as recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions. RULER has been successfully integrated into over 500 schools, leading to decreased anxiety and better behavioral management.
In this article, we’re discussing how SEL is used to encourage emotional regulation in schools, including:
- Different strategies for implementing SEL
- Examples of effective SEL implementation
- The challenges that come with teaching emotional regulation through SEL.
An Introduction to SEL
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) helps children to build essential skills such as self-awareness and self-regulation. These are key for managing emotions, particularly for students with psychological and learning challenges or those who have experienced trauma.
According to a 2017 study in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, SEL enhances abilities related to emotional recognition and management, improving emotional and academic outcomes.
The connection between SEL and reduced aggression, increased empathy, and better emotional handling is well-documented. Empathy, a key part of SEL, helps students understand and manage their emotions. It also allows them to recognize how others feel, which encourages self-regulation and positive actions, leading to a better school environment.
Strategies for Implementing SEL to Enhance Emotional Regulation
There are several strategies that have been proven effective for implementing SEL to enhance emotional regulation.
Name it to Tame it
The “Name it to Tame It” approach is a practical method to help students manage their emotions effectively. This makes it easier for them to handle their emotions, seeing them as temporary.
Name it to Tame it also helps students expand their emotional vocabulary, which is key for their self-understanding and emotional control.
Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning (PBL) is another effective approach that supports SEL by involving students in real-world problems that require negotiation, self-management, and teamwork.
PBL promotes emotional regulation by giving students control over their projects, encouraging self-regulation. For example, focusing on ethical issues in a PBL unit helps students express their emotions and think critically, supporting their emotional and cognitive regulation.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation & Mindfulness
Emotional regulation activities like progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness are being used increasingly in schools to help students manage stress. These techniques teach students to focus on breathing and muscle tension, reducing their stress and anxiety.
As an example, progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups, helping students better manage their emotional responses.
Emotional Regulation Tools
Tools such as the Mood Meter and the Zones of Regulation offer structured methods for students to monitor and regulate their emotional states.
These tools use visual scales to help students identify their feelings, improving their self-assessment and emotional awareness.
SEL Kernels
SEL kernels, developed by Harvard’s EASEL, offer simple exercises for emotional regulation.
Activities like “belly breathing” and “feeling circles” help students focus on their emotions or breathing, promoting self-awareness and a calm learning environment. Regular practice helps students independently manage their emotions in tough situations.
Ready to support emotional regulation in your school with SEL? Request a demo for our SEL curriculum here.
Storytelling & Empathy
Storytelling and empathy mapping also support emotional regulation.
Through writing personal stories, students reflect on their emotions, which encourages self-awareness. Empathy mapping, where students imagine others’ perspectives, builds social awareness and improves their interpersonal skills.
SEL Practices and Their Impact on Emotional Regulation
Engaging SEL practices like gratitude circles and setting collaborative expectations help create a supportive classroom that promotes emotional regulation:
- Stephanie Jones from Harvard’s EASEL Lab notes that using SEL in daily interactions can greatly improve student behavior and classroom dynamics. Kernels have been successfully used in schools, leading to fewer suspensions and better behavior and emotional regulation.
- One effective approach, as implemented in William Wirt Middle School’s youth empowerment program, involves bi-monthly sessions where students engage in activities like writing personal narratives and empathy mapping. These exercises help improve students’ self-awareness and help them develop empathy by considering different perspectives.
- Morning rituals and optimistic closures, like emotion identification with tools such as the Zones of Regulation or Mood Meter, help to reinforce students’ emotional skills. CASEL’s SEL practices recommend starting every learning session with activities that encourage kindness and setting intentions, helping integrate social awareness into students’ daily routines.
- Empathy mapping helps students understand their emotions and those of their peers, encouraging mutual respect and a positive classroom environment. Similarly, movement breaks and reflective practices, like mindful breathing exercises, support self-regulation by reducing stress and refreshing students’ mindsets.
Consistently using these practices creates an environment of emotional openness, helping students manage academic and social stress while embedding emotional learning across the curriculum.
Examples of SEL Implementation for Emotional Regulation
A number of examples demonstrate the effectiveness of implementing SEL for emotional regulation in classrooms.
One example is the ECSEL framework, established at Beginnings School, which integrates Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to build emotional competence from an early age. It focuses on emotional self-efficacy, helping children manage their emotions effectively in a supportive environment.
Integrating SEL in high school environments is essential, particularly as standalone programs often decrease at this level. At Jason Lee Middle School, the focus on developing a “Whole Child” approach has facilitated the teaching of self-regulation and emotional control among students. This method has been shown to improve students’ behavior and learning outcomes.
SEL & Emotional Regulation: Next Steps
Using SEL to address trauma and mental health can be highly effective in encouraging long-term emotional and academic growth. SEL creates supportive environments that reduce mental health issues and help students manage the effects of trauma or violence.
SEL also builds executive function skills, like self-regulation, which are essential for personal and academic success. Programs like project-based learning (PBL) integrate SEL by engaging students with real-world challenges, building their self-management skills and emotional intelligence.
The 2017 study in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy referenced earlier further supports this, noting that children who learn these skills early become more sociable, empathic, and competent in communication
Self-regulation-focused SEL programs have numerous benefits, including their ability to reduce behavioral problems and improve classroom environments. Research shows that the RULER program lowers anxiety and improves students’ problem-solving skills, creating a better school atmosphere.
Expanding SEL beyond academics, as seen with the Every Student Succeeds Act, improves outcomes. Including non-academic measures of SEL helps schools prepare students for real-world challenges. This moves beyond test scores to focus on emotional and social skills.
Building emotional self-efficacy supports better behavior and academic confidence. Using frameworks like CASEL’s signature practices ensures students develop the resilience needed for school and life beyond.
Looking to implement an effective SEL program in your school? Request a demo of our ready-to-teach SEL curriculum to support the emotional well-being and regulation of students in grades 6–12.
