A balance bar with a heart on one side and brain on the otherside.

Introduction to Social Emotional Learning

Why should you do SEL?

Research shows that SEL improves students academic achievement, improves their prosocial behavior, and reduces depression and stress. Children with identified histories of trauma may be especially vulnerable to the impact of significant changes. Any type of stress that adults may be experiencing during this time of uncertainty will probably be mirrored in children so it is important we take care of ourselves, we’re showing them how they can take care of themselves, too. Adults are the best predictors of how our students and children are doing; they are watching and listening to us as the models for appropriate behavior and response.

The premise of our work revolves around the idea that emotional well-being and mental health support is an essential component of a positive school climate and it is a shared responsibility of every employee on a school campus or at the district office. Emotional recovery and well-being must be highlighted as a core component of professional development and overall school culture, and not embedded into a siloed component of academic instruction.

A pyramid divided into 4 sections. From top to the bottom are listed; intensive interventions, social emotinal teaching strategies, designing supportive environments, building positive relationships.

Who needs SEL?

Everyone needs SEL!

Tier 1: Culturally responsive supports for all students: Focus on building positive relationships, identifying emotions, and managing responses or actions; the goal is to prevent challenges from surfacing.

Tier 2: Targeted instruction for students who lack skills in particular areas: Example: Explicit instruction on perspective taking or reteaching and practicing self management strategies; for students who do not respond to Tier 1.

Tier 3 : Intended for high risk students who have not responded to Tier 1 or Tier 2. Explicit and intensive SEL instruction, reteaching, and significant amount of time to practice these skills in a safe place necessary.

When should you do SEL?

Social Emotional Learning is not a separate subject that can be taught at a certain time of the day or during a particular lesson. to be done throughout the day, and woven into all aspects of school.

Advisory/Morning Meetings: Advisory in secondary schools or morning meetings in the elementary schools provide an opportune time to introduce social-emotional learning and restorative practices. This is a great time to connect with students, check in on their needs, offer support, and continue to build relationships between youth and adults. We know that when students have one trusted adult in their lives it increases their resiliency skills and reduces potential risk factors.

Classroom community building: SEL can be interwoven into all classroom activities. Allow students to explore themes in content areas related to the core competencies, have students journal each day as a bell-ringer exercise, facilitate regular connections circles to build community in the classroom, and identify other ways to create strong connections.

Lunch/hallways/spatial: It is important to remember that SEL is not just done during morning meetings, advisory, or brain breaks in the classroom. Each competency can be developed for students in all spaces of the schools. Remember that we are all models for each other and through continued modeling in the cafeteria, playground, during passing period, in the library, and in all spaces of the school we can help students to develop the skills they need.