Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom: Skill-Based Training for Teachers and Students

Successful schools ensure that all students master basic skills such as reading and math and have strong backgrounds in other subject areas, including science, history, and foreign language. Recently, however, educators and parents have begun to support a broader educational agenda – one that enhances teachers’ and students’ social and emotional skills. Research indicates that social and emotional skills are associated with success in many areas of life, including effective teaching, student learning, quality relationships, and academic performance. Moreover, a recent meta-analysis of over 300 studies showed that programs designed to enhance social and emotional learning significantly improve students’ social and emotional competencies as well as academic performance. Incorporating social and emotional learning programs into school districts can be challenging, as programs must address a variety of topics in order to be successful. One organization, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), provides leadership for researchers, educators, and policy makers to advance the science and practice of school-based social and emotional learning programs. According to CASEL, initiatives to integrate programs into schools should include training on social and emotional skills for both teachers and students, and should receive backing from all levels of the district, including the superintendent, school principals, and teachers. Additionally, programs should be field-tested, evidence-based, and founded on sound