Knowing yourself
Students look at their own emotions, values, and habits, and how those shape the choices they make. They name personal strengths and the spots where they still have growing to do.
What does a student learn in
This is the year social and emotional skills get tested in adult-sized situations. Students learn to name what they feel, manage stress, and stay on track when school, work, and friendships pile up at once. They practice seeing things from another person's view, working through conflicts, and asking for help before a problem grows. By spring, students can talk through a hard choice by weighing what it costs them and how it affects the people around them.
- Self-awareness
- Stress management
- Healthy relationships
- Conflict resolution
- Responsible decisions
- Empathy
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Managing stress and goals
Students practice handling pressure from school, work, and home. They set goals, plan the steps to reach them, and find ways to stay organized when life gets busy.
- 3
Understanding other people
Students work on seeing situations through someone else's eyes, including people from different backgrounds. They also learn where to turn for help at school, at home, and in the community.
- 4
Healthy relationships
Students practice the skills that keep friendships, group projects, and family life running. That means speaking up clearly, listening, working with others, and working through disagreements without making them worse.
- 5
Making thoughtful choices
Students think through real decisions about behavior, friendships, and risk. They weigh what could happen next for themselves and for the people around them before they act.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 9.
Social Emotional Learning
Social Emotional Learning
- High School
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts
Students learn to notice their own emotions and recognize how those feelings shape the choices they make. They also take an honest look at what they're good at and where they struggle, building a clearer sense of who they are.
- High School
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts
Students practice controlling reactions under pressure, staying focused on long-term goals, and organizing their time and tasks. These skills help students handle stress, resist impulsive choices, and follow through on what they set out to do.
- High School
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…
Students practice seeing situations from other people's points of view, including people whose backgrounds differ from their own. They also learn to spot the adults and resources around them at school, at home, and in their community who can help.
- High School
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…
Students practice the everyday skills that keep relationships working: listening well, working through disagreements, and asking for or offering help. These habits apply with classmates, teammates, and people who see the world differently than they do.
- High School
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…
Students practice weighing the real costs and benefits of a choice before acting, including how that choice affects other people. The focus is on decisions that are honest, thoughtful, and fair across different situations.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts High School | Students learn to notice their own emotions and recognize how those feelings shape the choices they make. They also take an honest look at what they're good at and where they struggle, building a clearer sense of who they are. | PA-SEL.1.9-12 |
| The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts High School | Students practice controlling reactions under pressure, staying focused on long-term goals, and organizing their time and tasks. These skills help students handle stress, resist impulsive choices, and follow through on what they set out to do. | PA-SEL.2.9-12 |
| The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… High School | Students practice seeing situations from other people's points of view, including people whose backgrounds differ from their own. They also learn to spot the adults and resources around them at school, at home, and in their community who can help. | PA-SEL.3.9-12 |
| The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… High School | Students practice the everyday skills that keep relationships working: listening well, working through disagreements, and asking for or offering help. These habits apply with classmates, teammates, and people who see the world differently than they do. | PA-SEL.4.9-12 |
| The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… High School | Students practice weighing the real costs and benefits of a choice before acting, including how that choice affects other people. The focus is on decisions that are honest, thoughtful, and fair across different situations. | PA-SEL.5.9-12 |
Common Questions
What does social emotional learning look like in high school?
Students work on knowing themselves, managing stress, understanding other people, building healthy relationships, and making thoughtful decisions. The work shows up in how students handle a hard test, a group project, a conflict with a friend, or a choice about what to do on a Friday night.
How can parents support this at home?
Talk about real situations as they come up. Ask what students were feeling, what they tried, and what they might do next time. Five minutes in the car after a hard day often does more than a long lecture.
My teen shuts down when stressed. What helps?
Name the stress without trying to fix it right away. A short walk, a glass of water, or ten minutes alone can lower the temperature. Once students are calmer, ask what one small next step feels doable, like starting the first problem or sending one email.
How do parents help with conflicts between friends?
Listen first and resist the urge to call the other parent. Ask what students want the friendship to look like, then talk through what they could say. Practicing the actual words out loud, even once, makes the real conversation easier.
How should teachers sequence this across the year?
Start with self-awareness and self-management, since students need those before group work goes well. Move into perspective-taking and relationship skills as the class settles, then put more weight on decision-making in the second half of the year, when stakes like college, jobs, and licenses get real.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Stress management and conflict resolution. Students often know the ideas in the abstract but freeze in the moment. Short, repeated practice with realistic scenarios works better than one big unit.
How do teachers build this into a packed schedule?
Tie it to what is already happening. A two-minute check-in before a test, a quick reflection after a group task, or a short debrief after a hard class discussion counts. The goal is steady practice, not a separate class period.
How do teachers know students are ready for life after high school?
Look for students who can name what they are feeling, ask for help without prompting, disagree without blowing up, and think through consequences before acting. Those habits matter more than any single assignment and show up in how students handle the last few months of senior year.