Social and emotional learning occurs when teachers and school staff help students develop the interpersonal skills they need to succeed in school and work. This skill-building happens in the course of everyday instruction, when teachers pause to encourage students to pose a question in a more respectful tone, imagine how others feel, take a deep breath to calm themselves down, break a goal into manageable pieces and more. Social and emotional self-management is thought to set the stage for productive, cooperative learning.
