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In this heartwarming story about overcoming feelings of fear, a small fish decides to investigate some of the deep, dark waters of the ocean. He becomes engulfed in the darkness, and overwhelming feelings of fear and uncertainty come over him as he tries to navigate the vast waters. He continues searching, for even the smallest illumination of light, teaching us that we can find strength within us, that we are capable of overcoming challenging moments, and that, if we look hard enough, light can be found, even in the darkest of places.

Discussion Questions:

1. When the little fish is surrounded by the dark vastness of the ocean, how do you think he feels?

2. As he swims through the dark waters, what do you think is represented by the spark of light that he encounters?

3. What lesson do you think the little fish experienced from encountering the dark and the light?

4. When we are experiencing challenging times, how do you think we might find our own "spark"?

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This story follows the journey of Ferdinand the bull. He isn't like most bulls, though - he'd rather smell the flowers than fight. When men come to pick the toughest bulls to fight, Ferdinand gets stung by a bee and runs frantically across the field. Mistaking him for a ferocious, fighting bull, Ferdinand is chosen as a fighter. What will happen when he gets into the ring? Will he stay true to himself?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why did Ferdinand's mother want him to play with the other bulls?

2. What happens when Ferdinand enters the ring and why?

3. What lesson do you think we can learn from this story?

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It can be difficult to find free resources for SEL, especially if your school doesn't have a system already in place! This is an obstacle that I've had trouble traversing: my school does not have a PBIS/behavior support system, and with the extreme budget constraints we've experienced, affording one is currently not an option. However, Edutopia offers several articles, tools, and implementation strategies on the classroom level, allowing you to take SEL into your own hands.

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Find resources to help students manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions—creating the healthiest school culture possible.

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Positive Action is another great FREE resource! They provide ideas for implementation, sample lesson plans, strategies on implementing SEL into the curriculum, and more! Again, if your school doesn't have an SEL program already in place, it can be difficult to attempt this on your own, especially considering how much teachers already have on their plates. This resource provides ideas on weaving SEL into the general curriculum, making it quick and habitual - like morning meetings!

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200+ FREE Social-Emotional Learning Resources [A Complete List]

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Bring back the meaningful teacher-student bond in the classroom! Reintegrate social-emotional learning in class with these fun and FREE SEL resources!

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YouCubed is an amazing resource focused solely around growth mindset! Dr. Jo Boaler is a professor at Stanford University and has created an entire site dedicated to promoting growth mindset. While she does focus on mathematics, her ideas can be adapted for lessons in any subject! The site has videos addressing the science behind neuroplasticity, journals for students, activities, and more! I have integrated some of her videos and activities into my ELA lessons with phenomenal success!

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas. Another 40% have a "growth mindset" - they believe that they can learn anything and that their intelligence can grow. The other 20% waver between the two mindsets.

Students with a fixed mindset are those who are more likely to give up easily, whereas students with a growth mindset are those who keep going even when work is hard, and who are persistent. The two mindsets are associated with different achievement pathways as the papers on this page show. It is possible to change mindsets - my student online class which can be accessed under courses - has been shown to shift students' mindsets from fixed to growth and cause higher mathematics achievement. There are a range of resources on this page - a poster of math norms, a strategizer card with lots of teaching ideas, a short video to boost students' mindset, and some interesting short papers.

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas.

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This site is hosted by the St. Croix River District in Minnesota, and has a wealth of SEL free resources! They have printables for the classroom, calming strategies, and even apps that can be downloaded (for free!) to help students identify their emotions. This Calming Strategies Toolbox has the potential to be a game-changer in your classroom!

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Life Skills - Calming Strategies Toolbox

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Wellbeing and Resilience Click a button below to explore the Calming Strategies Toolbox! This is a collection of strategies that can help people of any age to handle stressful, upset emotions in a healthy way. An orange burst means that a strategy tends to work well even in high-stress situations

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This resource from HMH offers a variety of breathing techniques you can easily incorporate into your daily classroom routine! I love that they offer so many techniques, as what works for one student may not for another. Students can pick out a technique that works for them and incorporate them into real-life situations!

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How to Bring Deep Breathing and Meditation to the Classroom

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Learn the benefits of breathing exercises for students, and explore 17 breathing activities to incorporate in the classroom.

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PERMA+ Bingo is a fun way to integrate SEL into the everyday curriculum! PERMA+ stands for Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Mattering, Accomplishment, & +Health. You can introduce the Bingo cards by introducing each topic. Then, throughout the day, students complete activities, trying to get five in a row! This makes SEL fun and low-stress.

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This is an amazing FULL SEL lesson plan, and even lists adaptations depending on targeted grade level! It connects to Common Core standards and centers around empathy. Through a choice of two readings, students analyze the "why" behind others' actions; they learn the importance of empathy, get a chance to role play, and even sing a song!

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The lesson plans wouldn't be complete without addressing Disney's movie, "Inside Out!" This lesson plan is wonderful, as it offers a more in-depth plan if intending to watch the entire movie, along with a shortened plan to discuss specific scenes. Either way, this is an amazing resource as it includes characters that students already know and love, while allowing them to explore their own emotions!

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Inside Out and SEL_ A Movie Guide and Lesson Plan for Your Classroom for SML

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I feel that SEL is an integral component of education and should be woven throughout the curriculum. As a special education teacher, I have seen the immense effects behaviors can have on students. Many students simply don't have the tools in their strategy box to handle such big emotions. Emotions affect us all, whether or not we have a disability. When these emotions arise and affect our ability to learn, we may just need a technique; a voice to advocate for ourselves, which is why I firmly believe in the power of SEL.

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If a student is displaying challenging behaviors, doesn't feel safe at home, has experienced trauma, or struggles with emotions, it is nearly impossible for them to absorb any material being taught. Students spend an immense amount of time at school, and we as teachers need to remember the influence that we have. While situations may not be fixable, the way that we respond to them can be. SEL doesn't have to be taught with a curriculum; it can be infused through our words and actions. Some academic lessons may leave students, but the impact that we have on them doesn't have to.

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There are various approaches to teaching SEL, but I feel that it starts with a whole-school approach. My school unfortunately doesn't have a PBIS/behavior support program, but SEL truly doesn't need a curriculum. As a special education teacher, I take a whole-group approach to SEL with morning meetings or check-ins, lunch bunches, reflective writing, etc. Just like MTSS, you can take a tiered approach, providing some students with more direct lessons like social stories, breathing techniques, and mindfulness strategies while others may need a morning check-in or an emotion meter. Whether tailoring SEL to specific students' needs or simply fostering a classroom environment of empathy and kindness, SEL is fluid.

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I absolutely have questions regarding SEL. In searching for resources, I wanted to be sure that I focused on free resources, as many that I came across were not. As I mentioned earlier, my school does not have an SEL/PBIS program, and I am also aware of the financial burden that comes with its implementation. Because of this, I want to know more about SEL standards, and particularly, how different states approach them. I came across several states that offered free SEL resources, programs, or even professional development for teachers in their state; I could not find anything comparable for Arizona. Another question I have is how are they funded? Could a district receive a grant to implement a behavioral support program? Lastly, are there any free SEL professional development opportunities available to teachers in Arizona?