The CASEL 5 framework addresses five broad and interrelated areas of competence

• Responsible decision-making

• Self-awareness

• Self-management

• Social awareness

• Relationship skills.

Learn more about each of the skills and how to teach and apply them at various age levels below.

Responsible decision-making is the ability to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. This includes the capacity to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being.

• Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness

• Learning how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing information, data, and facts

• Identifying solutions for personal and social problems

• Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one’s actions

• Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside and outside of school

• Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being 

• Evaluating personal, interpersonal, community, and institutional impacts

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Self-awareness is the ability to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

• Integrating personal and social identities

• Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets

• Identifying one’s emotions

• Demonstrating honesty and integrity

• Linking feelings, values, and thoughts

• Examining prejudices and biases

• Experiencing self-efficacy

• Having a growth mindset

• Developing interests and a sense of purpose

Self-management is the ability to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. This includes the capacity to delay gratification, manage stress, and feel motivation and agency to accomplish personal and collective goals.

• Managing one’s emotions

• Identifying and using stress management strategies

• Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation

• Setting personal and collective goals

• Using planning and organizational skills

• Showing the courage to take initiative

• Demonstrating personal and collective agency

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Social awareness is the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts. This includes the capacity to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

• Taking others’ perspectives

• Recognizing strengths in others

• Demonstrating empathy and compassion

• Showing concern for the feelings of others

• Understanding and expressing gratitude

• Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones

• Recognizing situational demands and opportunities

• Understanding the influences of organizations and systems on behavior

Social Awareness is an integral part of RULER. The Mood Meter can be used with groups of students to help them recognize, understand, and label their own and each others' emotions. If teachers and students see that a particular student is experiencing an unpleasant emotion, the Classroom Charter can then be referenced to help that student move toward a more pleasant emotion if desired.

Relationship skills are the ability to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

• Communicating effectively

• Developing positive relationships

• Demonstrating cultural competency

• Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem solving

• Resolving conflicts constructively

• Resisting negative social pressure

• Showing leadership in groups

• Seeking or offering support and help when needed

• Standing up for the rights of others