What is Social Awareness?

Social awareness is the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to understand social and ethical norms for behavior, and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports. Research suggests that students with strong social awareness adapt more easily to their environment, empathize with the perspectives of others, and engage in fewer disruptive classroom behaviors. This, in turn, creates a setting where students can focus on learning. Findings also suggest that students who demonstrate strong social awareness are able to engage in constructive communication with their peers and resolve conflicts when they arise. These students benefit from peer learning and know how to take advantage of social supports.

Learn More about Social Awareness

Below, you can download our Social Awareness Toolkit — a 90-minute professional development session designed for educators seeking research-based strategies to help their students build this particular competency.

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Why Download the Social Awareness Toolkit?

Our free toolkit provides educators with a variety of resources and strategies to support the development of students’ social awareness.

The toolkit includes:

  • More information on what social awareness is and why it matters;
  • A video in which students describe the importance of social awareness in their own lives;
  • A range of strategies teachers can integrate into their practice at all grade levels; and
  • A facilitators guide (including an abbreviated guide for a 45-minute session)
“We must resist thinking in siloed terms when it comes to social-emotional learning (SEL), academics, and equity. Rather, these elements of our work as educators and partners go hand in hand.”

HEAD & HEART,
TransformEd & ANet