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SEL and the High School Context
SEL and the High School Context
The majority of research on social emotional learning has focused primarily on elementary and middle schools. Meanwhile, less is known about what social emotional learning could look like in the high school context (Hamedani & Darling-Hammond, 2015).Yet social emotional learning is crucial for teenagers; the rapid changes that characterize adolescence provide an important opportunity to develop and practice social emotional skills that can guide them through challenges and help them build healthy habits for life (Lieber, Tissiere & Bialek, 2017).
3 Challenges in the High School Setting
3 Challenges in the High School Setting
Compared to elementary and middle schools, high schools offer three distinct challenges for implementing SEL approaches (Lieber, Tissiere & Bialek, 2017)
No Primary Instructor: Unlike in younger settings, there are multiple teachers delivering instruction.
Overlooked Connections: High school teachers may be less likely to recognize the links between SEL competencies and academic achievement
Lack of Time: SEL competencies compete with a compelling list of other competencies such as career readiness
The Importance of 'How' in High School SEL Instruction
The Importance of 'How' in High School SEL Instruction
Given these barriers, approaching SEL in high school settings will look different. While stand-alone lessons or a separate curriculum can provide value, it may be more important for educators to shift the way the teach their other subjects in order to incorporate and role-model SEL competencies in every class. This shift towards integration into all aspects of learning holds a promising potential for a deeper, more holistic impact (Lieber, Tissiere & Bialek, 2017).
Shifts in teaching toward the emphasis on caring relationships, high support and meaningful dialogue in the classroom may be the most important factors in role-modelling and the development of emotionally and socially intelligent teenagers.
Much of this requires building a safe container for students, which you can learn more about here.
One District's Story
One District's Story
See how the entire Washoe County School District is approaching social emotional learning in their high schools, which includes measuring students' SEL skills - not a simple task!
Incorporating SEL Into Lessons and Curriculum
Incorporating SEL Into Lessons and Curriculum
There are a great variety of ways to encourage social emotional learning from students in your everyday lessons. Here are a few ideas:
- Shared Agreements (Robert Woods Foundation, 2017)
Involve students in the goal-setting and agreements in the classroom and facilitate reminders and resolutions if the agreements have not been followed. See an example lesson plan from CASEL here.
2. Reflective Activities (Robert Woods Foundation, 2017)
2. Reflective Activities (Robert Woods Foundation, 2017)
Pose questions that encourage students to get curious about their feelings on the material and how it connects it to their own context and lives. This can be done through journalling, poetry, group discussions, etc. See a great list of reflection activity ideas from UMSL here.
3. Difficult Conversations (Younkers, 2017)
3. Difficult Conversations (Younkers, 2017)
As the educator, don't be afraid to have difficult conversations. Lean into the discomfort and role-model effective communication skills. Check out Teaching Tolerance's guide to difficult conversations here.
High School SEL and Technology
High School SEL and Technology
Technology can serve as a helpful catalyst to support and complement social emotional learning in the high school classroom in many ways. For example:
Online collaboration platforms like Google Classroom and Canvas can help facilitate reflection and discussion on topics while giving students more time to reflect and formulate their thoughts than in-person discussions generally allow.
Websites like the Global Oneness Project, which have mini documentaries and lesson plans, can help develop empathy and ignite discussion around identity, emotions and justice.
Apps like Mitra can help students reflect and track their emotions and values.
Looking for More Ideas?
Looking for More Ideas?
Check out these great resources to further your understanding of SEL for teenagers.
Overviews of SEL and High Schools
Overviews of SEL and High Schools
Comprehensive overview of social emotional learning in high school classrooms including its history, key competencies and effective strategies and focus for teachers and administrators
Explores how three urban high schools implemented social emotional learning on a school-wide level and the lessons that can be learned
Categorizes SEL programs into skill-focused promotion, academic integration, teaching practices and organizational reform and provides strategies for implementation
Further Resources to Support Implementation
Further Resources to Support Implementation
A teacher's lessons learned and nine recommendations to overcome resistance towards SEL approaches
Includes concrete ideas to open and close a class and facilitate sharing in ways that align with SEL principles
CASEL provides an abundance of ideas for activities suitable for a high school language arts class that align with the core SEL competencies
A comprehensive toolkit for educators with detailed activity outlines under headings such as 'Equipping Staff' and 'Creating the Learning Environment.' Activities are suitable for high school students. *Email is required to gain access.
References
Hamedani, M. G., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2015). Social emotional learning in high school: How three urban high schools engage, educate, and empower youth. References
Lieber, C. M., Tissiere, M., & Bialek, S. (2017). Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in High School Classrooms.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2017). Promoting Social and Emotional Learning in the Middle and High School Years.
Younkers, B. (2017). How to Get Secondary Students to Buy into Social and Emotional Learning. Medium.
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