What is SEL?

Social–emotional learning, or SEL, is an educational method that aims to foster social and emotional skills within school curricula. SEL emphasizes the importance of preparing students to become knowledgeable, responsible, and caring members of society when they reach adulthood.

Decatur Public Schools utilizes the 7 Mindsets curriculum throughout our schools to drive student well-being and achievement, healthy school cultures, and educator happiness and retention. The 7 Mindsets program positively impacts school climate by addressing social and emotional issues and facilitating character development.

The 7 Mindsets are based on a research effort that began with the simple question: What do the world’s happiest and most successful people have in common? The research revealed that the answer wasn’t related to gender, ethnicity, or where they lived in the world. It had nothing to do with being raised in a loving home or a broken one, their socioeconomic status, or how far they went in school. In fact, it turns out that the commonalities of happiness and success are based on a set of seven mental habits foundational to an enriched life. These 7 Mindsets are: