There is no clearly defined approach to the teaching of social and emotional competencies. Rather, there are a set of possible skills that teachers can draw upon to build the competencies in their classroom.

The ideal approach draws on the every day situations in the classroom where a teacher can use anecdotes and issues to highlight the particular use of the competencies.

It is also necessary for the teacher to systematically teach skills such as self-control, assertiveness, listening, etc., so that students can draw on them when required.

There is no doubt that the teaching of social and emotional competencies requires patience and perseverance. Time spent on developing understanding of others’ feelings can seem fruitless when a child is cruel to someone. Like other syllabus content, these skills need revising and consolidation over time.