Teaching SEL skills provides students with tools for adapting to a new way of learning and for coping with the stress of uncertainty and change. These OSEL-endorsed curricula and programs linked below can be used by teachers and counselors to support students to meet the ISBE Social and Emotional Learning Standards:
Use the Performance Descriptors for ideas about how to integrate social emotional learning and skills practice into your lessons. The key at the bottom of the table explains which columns correspond with the grade level(s) you teach.
Selecting a Curriculum or Program
Teachers that were implementing SEL skill instruction through a formal curriculum (e.g.Second Step, PATHS, Sanford Harmony, etc.) are encouraged to continue to use this material to provide weekly SEL lessons, homebound materials, and extra activities through Google Classroom and resources/packets shared with parents).
For schools that were not implementing a weekly, specific curriculum, teachers may choose from any of the resources linked on this page.
To better sustain implementation and create continuity across grades once school resumes, it is best that teachers collectively agree on what SEL curriculum the school should adopt while schools are closed.
Teachers and school leaders can consult with OSEL Network/SEL Specialists for help in selecting a curriculum or program that fits specific school and student needs.
This guide was created by the CPS Office of Social Emotional Learning to present several specific ways that teachers can incorporate SEL into their daily lessons and activities. You will find affirmation of the many things you already do to strengthen students’ social and emotional skills, as well as new ideas about how to emphasize and reinforce the application of skills during everyday situations and interactions.
Calm Classroom is a simple and accessible way to integrate mindfulness into the classroom or home culture. Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to our present moment experience. The daily practice of mindful breathing, stretching, focusing and relaxation exercises cultivates a greater sense of self-awareness, mental focus and emotional resilience within educational spaces.
EVERFI provides free digital lessons to teach learners how to cultivate healthy relationships, avoid harmful social situations, and build compassionate communities. Everfi all courses one-pager
Free webinars focused on remote learning tips and best practices for teachers and administrators. everfi.com/k-12/upcoming-events/
For teachers to assign courses to students -get.everfi.com/cps/teacher/
Second Step is research-based, teacher-informed, and classroom-tested curriculum to promote the social-emotional development, safety, and well-being of children from Early Learning through Grade 8. In addition, Second Step has developed resources to help teachers, students and families to navigate school closure and other COVID-19 challenges that are included below.
Detailed Guidance for Kindergarten-8th grade
Please note: we understand that staff may not have access to their Second Step kit. Many of the recommendations in this PDF don’t require the physical Second Step kit, like art projects, Brain Builder activities, and sing-alongs.
PATHS recommends reviewing the following Feelings Lessons with students:
PK/K: Lessons 11 (Scared or Afraid), 35 (Worried)
Grade 1: Lessons 17 (Scared or Afraid, Safe), 20 (Calm/Relaxed, Worried)
Grade 2: Lessons 13 (Scared or Afraid, Safe), 16 (Calm/Relaxed, Worried)
Grade 3: Lesson 12 (Calm/Relaxed, Tense)
Grade 4: Lesson 9 (Calm/Relaxed, Tense)
Grade 5/6: Lessons 4 (Ways to Calm Down), 5 (Calm/Relaxed, Tense), and 6 (Ways to Cope With Stress).
Resources:
Sanford Harmony is a Pre-K-6 grade social emotional learning (SEL) program that promotes positive peer relations among students through lessons and activities that encourage communication, collaboration, mutual respect, and healthy relationships.
Sanford Inspire: No-cost, on demand professional learning resources for educators.
Curated lessons from the OSEL Advisory Framework focused on social-emotional learning, college/career preparation, community building, high school support, development of positive academic mindsets and behaviors, and goal setting. SEL pedagogy for delivery and backward design lesson development model (i.e. project-based, inquiry-based, interactive, student voice, cooperative groups, etc.)
Committee for Children and Sesame Street have partnered to create a collection of resources for young children facing significant challenges. These materials, aimed at building children’s resilience, may be useful for educators and families.
These resources in social and emotional development encourage children to develop positive peer and adult interactions and to manage self-expression and inner feelings. Activities include favorite PBIS characters such as Daniel Tiger, Super Why, and Caillou to teach lessons on confronting our fears, working together as a team, and welcoming a new member to a family.
School-Connect creates and distributes School-Connect: Optimizing the High School Experience, a program for boosting students' social, emotional and academic skills.
Lessons focused on social-emotional learning, college/career preparation, community building, high school support, development of positive academic mindsets and behaviors, and goal setting. SEL pedagogy for delivery and backward design lesson development model (i.e. project-based, inquiry-based, interactive, student voice, cooperative groups, etc.)
Committee for Children Recommendations: Kindergarten-2nd Grade
EverFi’s Recommendations for Elementary, Middle, and High School
Newsela SEL Collection: includes over 12,000 articles for students in grades 2-12 at 5 different reading levels. There's even a Social and Emotional Learning collection and Remote Learning Activity Guide for SEL, most appropriate for your upper grade level students. There's also free professional development available with their Remote Teaching Toolkit.
Overcoming Obstacles: Free, downloadable SEL curricula for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students.
Facing History and Ourselves has developed a free lesson plan: Protect Yourself and Stand Against Racism to engage students in learning about they can be “Upstanders” amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Mylemarks LLC -Here you can find dozens of FREE therapy worksheets and resources created exclusively for kids and teens! Mylemarks provides interactive social-emotional tools to enhance your sessions and keep your clients engaged in the therapy process. (Updated 8/4/2020)
Multimedia Supports for Emotional Wellness -These resource can be utilize for children, teens and adults on tele-health (anxiety, emotions, social skills, bibliotherapy, mindfulness, and more)