2 vital components for true college, career readiness

The Critical Role of Social and Emotional Learning in 21st Century Classrooms

When preparing students to thrive in the economy and society of the 21st century, the 3R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic) are no longer enough. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a nonprofit coalition, has identified the 4C’s – critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity – as essential innovation skills to ensure that students can make an impact as workers, leaders, and citizens.

The cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills outlined by the research and policy organization CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) are grouped into five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. These capacities are a critical foundation for students in developing the 4C’s of 21st century learning:

Critical Thinking: Students must not be afraid to question their own thinking and to demonstrate social awareness to think from different people’s perspectives. They must exhibit self-awareness to recognize their own biases or cultural perspectives.

Collaboration: Students must develop relationship skills that allow them to work in groups of diverse peers. Inevitably, disagreements arise and students must exercise responsible decision making in resolving conflict.

Communication: Nearly every aspect of SEL facilitates effective communication. SEL helps students communicate their feelings, opinions, disagreements, and beliefs with others.

Creativity: Students must be able to effectively self-manage and persist through feelings of confusion, uncertainty, or frustration when faced with a difficult or ambiguous task and the need to be creative.

Social and emotional learning is an important part of students’ growth. It establishes a positive school climate, fosters citizenship amongst diverse student groups, and is essential for the development of the 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.

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