How to Improve One's Social and Emotional Intelligence

Social and emotional intelligence are lifelong acquisitions, skills that should be nurtured to cultivate well-rounded individuals who significantly contribute to society. Emotionally mature individuals and socially adept citizens don't just emerge overnight. Instead, they are the product of consistent fostering, education, and a profound understanding of social and emotional self-concepts.

The social and emotional self represent integral dimensions of one’s psychological makeup. The social self is defined by one's perception and interpretation of how one fits into society, develops relations with others, and navigates familiar or unfamiliar environments. On the other hand, the emotional self refers to one's capability to recognize, understand, manage, and healthily communicate feelings. This SEL lesson begins by defining these key concepts and establishing their importance in shaping one's self-concept.

After an interactive discussion, Grade 1 students engage in a lively SEL activity. They are tasked to find partners and practice meeting new people. Considering that social engagements can sometimes feel intimidating, this exercise utilizes a familiar environment and friendly faces to assist students in developing their early social skills.

Students then sweep the room in an exciting flurry of introductions and conversations, aiming to meet at least five new people. This activity allows the young learners to exercise taking turns in conversation, recognizing non-verbal cues, and showing empathy — major components of social competence.

The next phase of the lesson reflects on the students’ progress so far. First graders recall how they have improved socially and emotionally through the preceding units. Their learning journey includes key milestones: learning to get along well with others, becoming effective self-managers, and cultivating honesty towards themselves and others.

Now equipped with this valuable knowledge about themselves, students are then invited to complete the third row of their "Self-Improvement Chart." This chart nicely encapsulates their development thus far while encouraging a healthy discourse on continuous growth.

In the first column, they enumerate social and emotional skills that are now part of their repertoire — skills they didn't possess at a younger age. This may include abilities like keeping promises, talking about feelings articulately, and making friends on their own.

The second column of the chart is dedicated to identifying prospective actions to boost development in these areas further. Here, students list positive behaviors that would serve as vehicles for future growth.

Overall, this SEL lesson underscores the importance of ongoing self-improvement in social and emotional intelligence. As students reflect on their personal growth, they realize these skills are not static but continually develop with practice and self-reflection. With consistent nurturing, these young learners can develop into socially and emotionally intelligent individuals who positively impact the world.