Knowing yourself
Students look at how their own emotions, values, and habits shape the choices they make at school, at home, and with friends. They name personal strengths and the spots where they still want to grow.
What does a student learn in
This is the year students take real ownership of how they handle stress, relationships, and big decisions. Students learn to name what they're feeling, manage pressure from school and friends, and stay on track toward goals they set for themselves. They practice listening to people whose lives look different from their own and working through conflict without blowing up the relationship. By spring, students can talk through a tough choice by weighing the trade-offs for themselves and the people around them.
- Self-awareness
- Managing stress
- 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 ways to handle pressure, slow down before reacting, and stay organized when life gets busy. They set goals that matter to them and break those goals into steps they can actually finish.
- 3
Understanding other people
Students work on seeing situations from someone else's point of view, including people whose background or experience is different from theirs. They learn where to turn for support at school, at home, and in the community.
- 4
Building healthy relationships
Students practice clear communication, teamwork, and working through disagreements without blowing things up. They get comfortable asking for help and offering it when a friend or classmate needs a hand.
- 5
Making thoughtful choices
Students weigh the short-term and long-term effects of a decision before they act, both online and in person. They think about how a choice lands on other people, not only on themselves.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 12.
Social Emotional Learning
Social Emotional Learning
- High School
The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts
Students examine their own emotions, thoughts, and values to understand why they act the way they do. They also take an honest look at what they're good at and where they struggle, building a clearer sense of who they are and what they want.
- High School
The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts
Students practice noticing when emotions or stress are pulling them off track, then use specific strategies to refocus and follow through on their goals.
- High School
The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others…
Students practice seeing situations from someone else's point of view, including people whose backgrounds differ from their own, and learn to identify the adults and community resources they can turn to when they need help.
- High School
The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships…
Students practice building real relationships: listening well, working through disagreements, and asking for or offering help. These skills apply across friendships, group projects, and any situation where getting along with different kinds of people matters.
- High School
The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior…
Students practice thinking through the real costs and benefits of a choice before making it, weighing how that decision affects themselves and the people around them.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts High School | Students examine their own emotions, thoughts, and values to understand why they act the way they do. They also take an honest look at what they're good at and where they struggle, building a clearer sense of who they are and what they want. | TX-SEL.1.9-12 |
| The abilities to manage emotions, thoughts High School | Students practice noticing when emotions or stress are pulling them off track, then use specific strategies to refocus and follow through on their goals. | TX-SEL.2.9-12 |
| The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others… High School | Students practice seeing situations from someone else's point of view, including people whose backgrounds differ from their own, and learn to identify the adults and community resources they can turn to when they need help. | TX-SEL.3.9-12 |
| The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships… High School | Students practice building real relationships: listening well, working through disagreements, and asking for or offering help. These skills apply across friendships, group projects, and any situation where getting along with different kinds of people matters. | TX-SEL.4.9-12 |
| The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior… High School | Students practice thinking through the real costs and benefits of a choice before making it, weighing how that decision affects themselves and the people around them. | TX-SEL.5.9-12 |
Common Questions
What does social emotional learning look like in high school?
Students learn to notice their own emotions, manage stress, see things from another person's point of view, and make thoughtful choices. The work gets more grown-up: handling pressure before a test, working through a disagreement with a friend, or deciding what to do at a party.
How can I help my teenager manage stress at home?
Ask what is on their plate this week and help them pick one thing to start. Short walks, a regular bedtime, and putting the phone in another room while studying do more than long talks. Name your own stress out loud sometimes so they see how adults handle it.
My teen shuts down when I ask about feelings. What should I do?
Stop asking head-on. Most teens open up sideways: in the car, while cooking, or late at night. Share a small thing from your own day and wait. Silence is fine. The goal is to be the person they come to, not the person who interviews them.
How do I sequence these skills across the year?
Start with self-awareness and stress management in the fall, when students are settling in and grades feel high-stakes. Move into perspective-taking and relationships through the winter. Save responsible decision-making for spring, when seniors are weighing real choices about work, college, and independence.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching at this age?
Impulse control and conflict resolution. Most students can describe what they should do in a calm conversation but freeze or lash out in the moment. Short role-plays and reflection after a real incident move the needle more than another lesson on the vocabulary.
Does this take time away from academics?
A few minutes of check-in or reflection often saves a class period later. Students who can manage frustration and ask for help finish more work, not less. Build it into transitions, warm-ups, and the way conflicts get handled rather than treating it as a separate subject.
How do I know my teen is ready for life after high school?
Watch for small signs of independence: setting an alarm, scheduling their own appointments, asking a teacher for help without prompting, walking away from a bad situation. Grades matter, but these habits are what hold up in a dorm room or a first job.
What does mastery look like by graduation?
Students can name what they are feeling, calm themselves down enough to think, hear someone they disagree with, and make a choice that considers other people. They do not do this perfectly. They do it often enough that adults trust them with real responsibility.