One of the most common concerns of teachers is finding time for “all the things”. Often when initiatives are brought to schools they are viewed as additional work- theoretically presented by Leadership as aligning to existing initiatives, while every teacher murmurs to the person sitting next to them about how they can’t add any more to their plate. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Project-based Learning (PBL) are two terms often discussed separately, but with so many commonalities it’s worth highlighting specifically where the two overlap, in terms of teaching practices. 

 

Spark Notes: PBL and SEL

There are many definitions for these two terms, but for the sake of brevity we will use the following definitions: 

Project-based Learning:

  • It is grounded in standards
  • It incorporates best practices of assessment for learning
  • It’s authentic
  • It includes 21st century skills

Read more about what PBL is HERE. 

Social Emotional Learning: 

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): “SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions” 

Read more about SEL HERE. 

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Developing Competencies

Within PBL there are many opportunities to develop students’ Social and Emotional Competencies. Through group work such as collaborative brainstorms, discussion protocols or project feedback critique sessions, students are given opportunities to flex their SEL muscles. Project benchmarks serve as important guardrails within project work to ensure that content and skills, such as collaboration, are being explicitly scaffolded and assessed. 

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Community Setting for Learning 

PBL contextualizes learning in the larger community, which is a key settings that supports students’ social, emotional, and academic development. Students interact with the community in PBL in the following ways:

  • Designing a project to address a community issue (from local to global community)
  • Sharing student learning through community exhibitions
  • Inviting in experts or end-users to help with project work
  • Engaging in field-work out in the community to inform project work 

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By mapping PBL practices onto these SEL competencies and key settings it is my hope that teachers can find a way to view these 2 initiatives, not as competing but rather as complimentary.  

 

Oh and I just love this protocol for reflecting on SEL implementation- you may consider using it as part of your next PBL Reflection and Refinement process 😉