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Seesaw is a platform that allows teachers to push out activities for learners to complete independently. The community library on Seesaw has a whole social emotional learning serious that takes learners by grade level through a serious of activities within each feeling. It is a great tool for learners to practice their social emotional skills independently and show what they have learned.

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Rethink is a website and whole SEL based curriculum that empowers students to make decisions and talk about how the lessons relate to their lives or the classroom. Rethink lesson are created based on SEL standards for the grade levels and each lesson has 3 components: lesson/ video, dive deeper, and individual practice. These lessons can be done whole group or pushed out individually to students through platforms like seesaw or clever. Second grade lessons examples are: "feelings detectives", "no one is you-er than you", and "spot our family values". The site is also home to many resources and lesson plans for teachers as well as incident tracking report spaces for students. It has been a wonderful asset to our school when leading restorative circles and being targeted with SEL instruction.

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Innovative Solutions for Healthier Schools | RethinkEd

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Combining technology and research to deliver industry leading solutions in SEL, mental health, professional development, and special education.

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I can incorporate SEL in my middle school social studies class by fostering a positive and inclusive classroom environment where students feel safe, respected, and valued. I can help students develop self-awareness by encouraging reflection on their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and by incorporating activities such as journaling, self-assessments, and mindfulness exercises to promote self-reflection and emotional understanding. I also like the idea of using historical events to illustrate responsible decision-making. Kids can analyze historical figures and scenarios, discussing the choices made and their consequences. Teachers can encourage students to reflect on what they would have done differently and consider the ethical implications.  I also think role playing and simulations can teach responsible decision-making. We can present students with dilemmas related to historical events and ask them to think critically, consider different perspectives, and make informed choices. - Monica Mejia

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This website below is great way to continue to learn about SEL and to access different ideas for your lesson plans. Creating activities that address the competencies in social emotional learning is important to successfully modulate student behavior. This site also highlights the 3 signature practices to help foster a positive environment for students.
What is Social-Emotional Learning? - SEL Curriculum (empoweringeducation.org)

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This is a great article explaining why every math classroom should include SEL Learning. The article provides links to various sites that provide detailed guidance and instruction, for example RevealMath, which is an informative site.

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When children learn and teachers teach, there is more that happens than just the transfer of content knowledge and information. Schools are dynamic and social environments in which both learners and teachers continuously interact, make decisions, and adapt to new circumstances. Developing the skills to successfully navigate school (and later, work and community) environments is a continuous and complex process that requires careful instruction and ongoing support for positive emotional, social, and behavioral skill development. A commonly used term for the development of these specific sets of skills is Social and Emotional Learning, or SEL.

5 Competencies of SEL

To support SEL in the classroom, it is important to first establish what this umbrella term encompasses. A commonly referenced framework developed by CASEL (2017) categorizes SEL skills across five major competencies.

Teachers can support the development of these competencies through stand-alone programs as well as through SEL integration into content-area instruction. It is critical that teachers are supported by their districts as they not only learn best practices for supporting SEL in their students but also explore and develop their own social, emotional, and behavioral capacities. For more on integrating SEL into instruction, see:

💡 Research Spotlight: Additional research on the economic benefits of SEL integration into education has demonstrated that the benefits of such integration outweigh the initial investment costs, with a reported 11:1 return for every dollar spent on SEL instruction (Dusenbury & Weissberg, 2017). Meta-analyses (analyses of multiple research studies) have shown that this high return on investment is due to the significant improvements in outcomes across several factors, ranging from academic achievement to reductions in bullying to improved workforce readiness (Durlak, et al., 2011; Taylor, Oberle, Durlak, & Weissberg, 2017).

Why is SEL important in mathematics?

SEL in math boosts math positivity. As children move from the elementary grades into the middle and high school years, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that their interest, attitudes, and confidence in mathematics remain high (Wigfield, et al., 2006). Attending to students' social and emotional learning, specifically in mathematics learning contexts, has been shown to help students improve their math self-efficacy and attitudes toward math (Jones, Jones, & Vermette, 2009). Jones et al. (2009) conveyed that when teachers create a socially and emotionally supportive learning environment, there is a positive impact on student attitudes, behaviors, and academic performance. An SEL-conducive climate makes space for students to work with a diverse group of individuals (DeLay et al., 2016; Jones et al., 2009) and allows time for reflection.

SEL improves math achievement. SEL interventions have also been shown to improve performance and achievement in mathematics (DeLay et al., 2016; Jones et al., 2009). DeLay and associates, for example, conducted a relationship-building intervention in which students participated in 21 total activities across topics such as diversity and inclusion, problem-solving, critical thinking, and peer relationships. This intervention supports social and emotional learning by strengthening more positive peer influences in the classroom, reinforcing prosocial problem-solving strategies, and encouraging the resolution of divergent views. Through this intervention, students were found to be a more socially skilled group, allowing for peers to have greater influence over their fellow students' mathematical performance improvement. Using teacher- rated report grades from the first quarter (the pre-test measure) and the fourth quarter (the post-test measure), the authors found that as students developed skills by working together with others of varying ability levels, academic advances occurred.

How can educators incorporate SEL into math instruction?

By implementing effective SEL interventions in daily activities, teachers allow children the opportunity to experience SEL competencies in different contexts (McClelland, Tominey, Schmitt, & Duncan, 2017). For example, mindfulness is one technique used in SEL training in which students practice focusing on their breathing and attentive listening skills to improve their executive functions (cognitive control abilities that organize, sequence, and regulate behaviors). Student participants in a mindfulness intervention - previously shown in adults to increase self-awareness, empathy, regulation of emotions, and other social and emotional skills - showed improvement in self-reported measures of well-being as well as in math performance (Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015).

The teacher should also be ready with questions to prompt student thought and discussion of both the mathematics and the social and emotional aspects of learning (Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin & The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2016). Jones et al. (2017) provide examples of ways in which social and emotional competency instruction can be incorporated into the classroom, such as discussions in pairs or small groups, writing, and drawing, as well as increasing problem-solving skills by introducing problems related to everyday life.

Many state and national standards make connections, both directly and indirectly, between mathematical practices and social and emotional learning competencies. As an example, the mathematical practice of making sense of problems and persevering in solving them is complemented by several of the SEL competencies. By asking students to be aware of their strengths and what they know ( self-awareness), to resist impulses and regulate their thoughts and behaviors ( self-management), and to manage their time and energy toward a goal while appraising their work ( self-management), students can improve their problem-solving strategies and be more successful when grappling with challenging problems.

What does SEL look like in action in a math curriculum?

Social and emotional learning objectives are integrated into every Reveal Mathlesson, embedding the following strategies and techniques to help teachers and students build their social and emotional competencies. For example, Math Is... Mindset prompts appear in the student and teacher materials, keeping social and emotional learning at the top of students' minds as they interact and discuss throughout the lesson.

Integrate - Social and emotional learning competencies are called out to support students as they build an understanding of concepts and proficiency with skills. For example, teachers are provided with questions that help guide discussions and support students' ability to justify their thinking. As another example, students are presented with exercises in which they are shown several ways fictional students solved a problem and asked to take on others' perspectives, explaining how problems can be solved in different ways.

Instruct - The teacher edition of Reveal Mathpresents opportunities for teachers to provide explicit guidance and instruction in SEL competencies. Reveal Mathprovides teachers with support to encourage students to understand their strengths, stay motivated, be persistent, and develop organizational thoughts and strategies.

Reflect - Students reflect on their learning and think metacognitively at key points in lessons. For example, students might be instructed to write about if they were feeling frustrated and how they overcame that frustration. Teachers can encourage students to think back on their learning and ask questions pertaining to how they feel about the topic and the knowledge they've obtained as part of the self-management SEL competency.

For more background on the importance of instructional routines, and more examples of routines in Reveal Math K-5, see the full Reveal Math K-5 Research Foundations.

About the Authors

Lanette Trowery, Ph.D. is the Senior Director of the McGraw Hill Learning Research and Strategy Team.

Lanette was in public education for more than 25 years, working as a university professor, site-based mathematics coach, elementary and middle school teacher, mathematics consultant, and a professional learning consultant, before coming to McGraw Hill in 2014. She earned her Master's and Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.

Lanette's team, Learning Research and Strategy, serves as the center of excellence for teaching and learning best practices. Her team conducts market, effectiveness, and efficacy research into products to provide insights and recommendations to product development. They collaborate across internal teams, external experts, and customers to establish guiding principles and frameworks to move from theory to practice.

Margaret Bowman is an Academic Designer in the Mathematics Department at McGraw Hill. Margaret earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Ashland University with a teaching license in Middle Grades Education, and her Master of Education from Tiffin University. She was a middle school Math and Language Arts teacher for six years before joining the middle school team at McGraw Hill in 2012, writing and designing print and digital curriculum.

Margaret is also a Research Associate in the Research Laboratory for Digital Learning at The Ohio State University. She is nearing completion of a PhD in Educational Studies with an emphasis in Learning Technologies. Her past research and journal publications have focused on teachers' value for using technology in the classroom and technology's impact on student learning. Her current research examines how students' use of technology can improve the value they have for mathematics and their expectations that they can succeed.

References

Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin & The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2016). Integrating social and emotional learning and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics: Describing an ideal classroom. Retrieved from https://www.insidemathematics.org/common-core- resources/mathematical-practice-standards/social-and-emotional-mathematics- learning.

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2017) Five Core Competencies of Social and Emotional Learning. Chicago, Author. Retrieved from http://www.casel.org/.

DeLay, D., Zhang, L., Hanish, L., Miller, C., Fabes, R., Martin, C., Kochel, K., & Updegraff, K. (2016). Peer influence on academic performance. Prevention Science, 17(8), 903-913.

Dusenbury, L., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Social emotional learning in elementary school: preparation for success. Education Digest, 83(1), 36.

Durlak, J., Weissberg, R., Dymnicki, A., Taylor, R. & Schellinger, K. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432.

Jones, J., Jones, K., & Vermette, P. (2009). Using social and emotional learning to foster academic achievement in secondary mathematics. American Secondary Education, 37(3), 4-9.

McClelland, M., Tominey, S., Schmitt, S., & Duncan, R. (2017). SEL interventions in early childhood. The Future of Children, 27(1), 33-47.

Schonert-Reichl, K., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52-66.

Taylor, R., Oberle, E., Durlak, J., & Weissberg, R. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions. Child Development, 88(4), 1156-1171.

Wigfield, A., Eccles, J., Schiefele, U., Roeser, R., & Davis-Kean, P. (2006). Development of achievement motivation. In N. Eisenberg, W. Damon, & R. M. Lernern (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development (6th ed., pp. 933-1002). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

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Why Every Math Classroom Should Include Social and Emotional Learning

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Social and emotional learning is important in mathematics because it boosts achievement and math positivity. Social and emotional learning should be integrated into math curriculum.

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Here is a tool that my school uses to assist our learners in identifying their emotions. There are many books in the series by Diane Alber and they assist learners in connecting their emotions to colors.I have found for my learners in my self-contained class associating a color to an emotion is helpful.

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This link is an example of a Mood Meter. The mood meter is a tool to help students regulate their emotions.  It allows the students to recognize & label, understand, express and regulate emotions. Its a great check in in the morning and throughout the day; it allows students to help regulate feelings and understand and express their feelings and behaviors.

https://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/services/community-and-schools-programs/center-for-emotional-intelligence/training/ruler/

This link is a great read about the RULER program and explains how this systematic approach to Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is an effective tool to understand and regulate emotional intelligence.

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How To Create and Use a Calm-Down Corner in Any Learning Environment (weareteachers.com)

One of my favorite parts of my classroom is my calm down corner. I don't have a lot of space or a complicated/fancy set up but it really does help those students who have a hard time dealing with their emotions and frustrations. It took me a long time to realize that it did not have to be Pinterest perfect for it to be useful to my students.

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Second-grader James is having a rough day. He overslept and was late to school, missing out on breakfast. His best friend is out sick today. At recess, he fell and skinned his knee, and other kids made fun of him for crying a little. Now, it's time for reading, his most challenging subject. After the third time he makes a mistake and is gently corrected by his teacher, Ms. Hernandez, he's simply had enough. He throws the book on the floor and shouts that everyone hates him, and he hates them too. Ms. Hernandez asks the rest of the reading group to read silently, then quietly leads James to the classroom calm-down corner.

Calm-down corners are a popular tool in classrooms these days and with good reason. Teachers recognize that kids, like adults, have a lot of feelings and emotions to process throughout the day. Sometimes, it's all too much, and the result can be bad behavior. A calm-down corner, sometimes known as a peace corner or even Antarctica (a place far away from everyone else), gives kids a place to recenter and refocus so they can join the learning again. Here's how to build and effectively use one in your classroom.
Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. Thank you for your support!
1. Create a safe and cozy space

The best calm-down corners feel a little separated from the rest of the classroom. If you have space, set yours up with a physical barrier of some kind. Low bookshelves work well since teachers can easily see over them, but kids still feel like they've got distance from everyone else.

Make your calm-down corner a space that feels safe and cozy, the kind of place where a kid can just relax for a few minutes. Throw pillows, floor cushions, and a stuffed animal or two can create just the peaceful atmosphere you're looking for.

If you don't have a lot of space in your classroom, think creatively. Give kids the illusion of separation by letting them turn their back to the rest of the classroom. Have them sit on the floor under a desk or table, and provide noise-canceling headphones so they can block out what's around them. The point is to find a space where kids can tune out the rest of the world for a few minutes and focus on processing their feelings.

2. Provide guides to calm down

Sending kids to a safe space is a good start, but they'll need help to calm down and refocus once they're there. If you have the wall space, hang posters and signs to guide them. This kit from Natalie Lynn Kindergarten has terrific resources for helping students identify how they're feeling and find ways to regain their calm.

No room for signs, or want the ability to take your calm tools with you? Try a binder instead. This one from Pre-K Printable Fun has a nice selection of exercises kids can use anywhere when they need to find a sense of peace.

Here's another option we really like: the Calm Down Cloud pack from Oriental Trading. The cheerful colors and truly helpful ideas are bound to be popular with students.

3. Offer calming books

There are so many amazing books focused on helping kids with social emotional learning . Add a few to your classroom library to use for read-alouds, and keep them in your calm-down corner for kids to look at when they need them most. Here are a few of our favorites.

Find Your Calm (Garcia/Pineda): The narrator in this book does a great job describing what anxiety can feel like ("My body feels like it's moving in every different direction. I'm overwhelmed.") It acknowledges those big feelings, and provides thoughtful suggestions for overcoming them.

When I Am Angry (Gordon): Anger is a powerful emotion. This rhyming book for young readers helps them understand that anger is natural, but we need to find safe ways to handle it.

Mindful Kids: 50 Mindfulness Activities: Not a book, but a set of 50 cards containing mindfulness and meditation activities. Kids can sort through to find one that works for them.

The Secret to Clara's Calm (Levitt/Bondy): Clara is cheerful and fun, popular with the other kids. But she also has a nasty temper when things go wrong. Fortunately, a bird named Brodhi is on hand to teach her the secret to finding her calm.

Little Monkey Calms Down (Dahl): This cute book is ideal for the pre-K set. Little Monkey is having a rough day, but he uses simple coping strategies to feel better again.

The Magic of Me: My Magical Choices (Cummings/Svoboda): This book reminds kids that they can make choices about their behavior, and gives helpful suggestions for making good ones.

4. Add fidget toys and other tools

Stock your calm-down corner with a few meaningful toys and tools. A pair of noise-canceling headphones will help overstimulated kids find a little quiet, while fidget toys are an ideal way to work off some nervous energy. Small puzzles or simple building toys give kids something concrete to focus on as they process emotions, and creative outlets like coloring books or handicrafts can be soothing too. Find all of our favorite options for your calm-down kit here.

Calm-down jars are a popular tool, too. Kids will be mesmerized as they shake these jars and watch the colors mix, then magically separate again. Add a little glitter for an even better show! Learn how to make the jars here.

5. Take it digital

Virtual classrooms have become the new norm in a lot of places right now, so calm-down corners are going digital too! You can use these in an online school environment, or in a traditional classroom. The well-reviewed Digital Calm Down Corner from The Counseling Teacher Brandy has a mood check-in and a nice selection of calming videos and activities. It also pairs well with Google Classroom.

Mindfulness and meditation apps are really useful too. One of our favorites is Do Nothing For Two Minutes. Start the app, then spend two minutes doing nothing but listening to waves as you stare at the ocean. If you move the cursor, the time starts over again. Find more apps to combat anxiety and stress here.

The web is full of wonderful mindfulness and meditation videos for kids too. Keep a playlist handy on a tablet or in your Google Classroom tools for kids to view when they need a few minutes of calm.

6. Teach kids how to use the space

It's really important that a calm-down corner be a useful tool for kids, rather than something they view as a punishment or playtime. That means you'll need to spend some time introducing the space and helping students understand how to make it work for them. Work some social emotional learning lessons into your curriculum over the first few days of school, and then open the corner when you feel kids are ready to make good use of it.

Set rules for the corner. Will students need to ask you before going there, or can they simply take a few minutes there as needed? Unless you have a lot of space, limit the corner to one student at a time so it doesn't become a place to chat or play. A time limit is a good idea too; have a student set the timer for 5 minutes when they first enter the corner. At the end of 5 minutes, they should feel calm enough to return to class. If not, they can ask you for an extension.
Do you use a calm-down corner in your classroom? Share your tips and ask questions on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, 10 Ways to Help Students With Anxiety.

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How to Create and Use a Calm Down Corner in Any Learning Environment

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Provide a safe space for students to deal with emotions and refocus their attention. Here's how to create a meaningful calm down corner in your classroom.

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Some of the schools I work with use resources from Brain Power. There are lots of activities that teachers can use with students to help promote mindfulness. One school I work with has students do brain break exercises after lunch every day to center the students. Once students learn the routines, they actually have students leads the activities rather than the teachers. Some of the students' favorites are "Energy Ball" and "Body Tapping". The schools I work with are middle schools. I would've thought that middle schoolers felt "too cool" to do some of these activities, but once the practice is put in place, the students really own the practice and looking forward to doing and leading them.

https://www.brainpowerwellness.com/resources

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Online and Physical Resources | Brain Power Wellness

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Get access to our comprehensive and diverse collection of resources that include the following materials to support the use of Brain Breaks in the classroom.

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My school launched a community read of Wonder, had book circle discussions, and adopted the Choose Kind motto and program to embed SEL in middle school. The program runs during home base and is comprised of activities that address' SEL pillars of character education.

In addition to the home base roll out of the Choose Kind Program, activities across the curriculum happen throughout the school year. One special activity allows students and teachers, nominated for recognized acts of kindness, to enjoy a  bi-monthly breakfast celebration with the principal.

Below is a link to The Choose Kindness Program.

https://padlet.com/okomfoakua/my-brilliant-padlet-590ypq1elsmsdb93

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For Teachers

For Communities

For More Information

Shareable Images for Social Media

Download these quote cards and help spread the message to choose kind.

Print out the certificate and display it in your community.

Place the badge below (available in 2 sizes!) on your website or blog and link to ChooseKind.tumblr.com.

Stickers

Print this sticker on Avery 5163 shipping label sheets.

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Download these quote cards and help spread the message to choose kind. Print out the certificate and display it in your community. Place the badge below (available in 2 sizes!) on your website or blog and link to ChooseKind.tumblr.com. Stickers Print this sticker on Avery 5163 shipping label sheets.

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This resource gives information on cooperative learning as a strategy for increasing SEL and practical ways to incorporate cooperative learning in the classroom. It provides a concise but compelling justification for promoting SEL through cooperative learning along with other resources for SEL.

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Group work can feel like students splitting up work and completing the task in parallel. We all know there is so much opportunity for rich interactions in group work and a chance for students to learn to work well with others and collaborate. The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders found 10 key social emotional learning teaching strategies. One of those, Cooperative Learning, helps elevate typical group work and develop social emotional skills.

"Cooperative Learning refers to a specific instructional task in which teachers have students work together toward a collective goal. Teachers ask students to do more than group work; students are actively working with their peers around content in a meaningful way."

To transform group work into cooperative learning, you must have 5 elements in place:

1. Positive Interdependence

2. Individual Accountability

3. Face to Face Promotive Interaction

4. Interpersonal and Social Skills

5. Group Processing

Now those terms don't mean much to me and I'm sure you are thinking huh? Let's dive in and break it down into everyday terms and examples.

Cooperative Learning Strategies

Group Sink or Swim

This is Positive Interdependence. When the group has a goal and the group efforts will cause them to succeed or fail together. The each person's efforts benefit themselves AND everyone else in the group.
CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Give different parts to each student. Each person in the group possesses different knowledge, skills, or experience so that the group needs to engage to complete the work together.

Give students different roles in the group.

Tasks that require turn taking back and forth to complete or understand.

Student-led instruction. Students learn information and then have to teach their part to the other members of the group.

Increase task difficulty so no one can complete the task on their own.

Build in a plan B for when a student is struggling to meet their group responsiblities. Can the group help them without taking on their work?

Check out this quick video from Edutopia on assigning cooperative learning roles for groups.

Responsibility

Individual Accountability is about responsibility. While students have to work together as a group, they also need to be accountable for their own contributions to the group's success.
CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Use team and self evaluations.

Checks for understanding for everyone throughout the task or project.

Check-ins as the project or activity goes along to see how each member is performing.

Individual and group scores/grades.

Individual presentations or other demonstrations of learning in addition to a group product.

Face to Face Promotive Interaction is about real teamwork. Individuals encourage and support each other's efforts to meet the group's goal.
CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Groups create group norms to support positive interaction.

Students explain how to solve a problem to group members.

One group member discusses a concept with others.

A group member teaches classmates about a topic.

Students help each other connect present and past learning.

Students question the conclusions or ideas of other group members.

Students provide constructive feedback to their group members.

Some group work may be done individually, but group members provide feedback, challenge each other's conclusions, and teach and encourage one another.

Social Skills

Applying Interpersonal and Social Skills is, well self-explantory. Students help, support, encourage, and praise each other's efforts to learn.
CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Preteach social skills that will be necessary to work together as a group, such as decision making, conflict resolution, and effective communication.

Continue to teach these skills throughout the year and group projects will go better and better.

Add an SEL learning objective to your lesson plan to think through how you are going to integrate this into instruction.

Reflection

Group Processing is group discussion about how things are going. Group members should feel comfortable sharing concerns and applauding others in the group. They should discuss how they are progressing towards their goal and what is and isn't working well with the group.
CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Give time to reflect after a project, as a group and privately. This should include reflection about the project and the group.

Group members set goals to improve their group participation and work.

Celebrate accomplishments of the group and individuals.

Reflection Questions

The strategies above will help you create true cooperative learning out of group work, but it is essential to reflect and write down a plan that you can tweak throughout the year as your class develops.

Ask yourself the following questions from the SEL Coaching Toolkit :

How do you use cooperative learning in your classroom?

Is there a particular model or approach that you use?

Which elements do you use (group sink or swim, personal responsibility, team encouragement, social skills, group processing)?

How do you encourage students to collaborate with one another, particularly when they are having difficulty with classroom content?

How do you ensure that students have the appropriate social and emotional skills (e.g., communication, self-regulation) to successfully accomplish group tasks?

How do you help students provide and receive feedback from their peers?

Check out this Social and Emotional Learning Coaching Toolkit from American Institutes for Research for more detail about teaching practices that support Social Emotional Learning.

How will you make cooperative learning more effective in your classroom?

Comment below!

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Cooperative Learning: A Powerful Way to Add SEL to the Classroom

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Group work can feel like students splitting up work and completing the task in parallel. We all know there is so much opportunity for rich interactions in group work and a chance for students to learn to work well with others and collaborate.

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I personally love Edutopia!! They are my go-to for classroom inspiration. This is a really quick and helpful article that gives 5 easy ways to include SEL in the classroom. The tools used really do make it easy to do!

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Middle school teachers can use common edtech tools to incorporate social and emotional learning strategies throughout the day.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a critical part of students' educational experience in my classroom. It's the process through which they learn how to manage their emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. As a teacher, it's my responsibility to ensure that students have the necessary skills to succeed in all areas of their lives, and SEL is a crucial component of this. When students feel safe, supported, and understood, they're more likely to engage in learning and to achieve their goals.

I incorporate SEL into our daily classroom routines and lesson plans by creating a positive and supportive classroom environment through technology integration and using mindfulness exercises. Here are some of my strategies.

Google Forms

Students enter the classroom and, using Google Forms, fill out a daily bell ringer, which contains a daily "How are you?" question. They select an emoji from the choices to express how they're feeling that day. I can quickly open up another tab to see individual student responses as well as those of the entire class, so that these daily emoji checks give me a quick temperature reading on how my students are doing individually as well as collectively.

Consulting the data, I can quickly decide if our class needs a moment of silence or a brain-break video or if students are ready to start. It's important to provide students with opportunities to articulate their emotions, and I've found that emojis work really well with middle school students. And those students who may be uncomfortable sharing their feelings with the entire class have the same opportunity to express their feelings if they choose to.

There's also an optional open-ended response that lets students tell me anything else if needed. Sometimes students will articulate that they're doing great or need additional support. This allows me to get to know my students on a deeper level and makes me cognizant of their mood for that day.

Templates can help my students gain coping skills, resilience, emotional awareness, and empathy. There are a few slide templates on Pear Deck that I use on a daily basis: Stress Check; What Is Filling Your Bucket?; Give a Thank You to Someone in Your Class; and A Moment of Silence. Students who may be uncomfortable saying out loud how they're feeling can answer these from the comfort of their screen.

It's also very important to provide a safe space for students to connect with me and let me know how I can better support them moving forward. For example, when students enter the classroom, we have a moment of silence to help them refocus in the event they're having a stressful day at school. Also, What Is Filling Your Bucket? helps students articulate what's going well for them and hopefully instills a sense of gratitude. In contrast, with this strategy students also can express what areas of their life may be draining for them and appropriately identify them rather than bottling up these emotions all day long.

Articulating gratitude to peers is another area that I want to help my students develop when it comes to their own SEL. Students can type a "Thank you" to someone in the class who has been a good friend, has helped them in one of their classes, or was nice. I've seen the faces of those who receive a compliment light up, and I find this practice particularly helpful. We do the gratitude tribute about once a week, so students have had some time to reflect and to participate. I usually integrate these templates after the warm-up, and they take about five minutes to complete.

Another one of my favorite edtech tools to integrate in my middle school classroom is Quizizz. I find it important to have multiple ways for my students to check in with me, as it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, I use the open-ended response as well as a recording feature response for students' daily check-ins. This is different from other digital options because it provides opportunities for students to talk to me and leave me a private audio or written message if they feel comfortable.

The two simple prompts I always use are How are you feeling today? and Is there anything else you want to share with me? These questions are great conversation starters and provide another opportunity for students to practice their own SEL skills in a tangible way.

Providing a space for students to talk to me helps them articulate their feelings out loud if they choose to. Through these submitted responses, I'm able to follow up if needed and better serve my students based on their feedback. If necessary, I can also refer them to our school or mental health counselor. These activities can be completed at the beginning or ending of the class.

I also use GoNoodle, which is a free website that provides educators with mindfulness and brain break videos. The mindfulness exercises are especially beneficial when we need a breather in the classroom. I can tell by the looks on students' faces when it's time for a reset. There are videos that range from yoga and deep-breathing exercises to silly dance videos. Depending on the need, I tailor the choice of video to the class and what may benefit us all collectively.

It's important to remember that some students thrive with movement exercises, and others may not feel as comfortable. I usually incorporate these videos halfway through a lesson or after recess for a reset. They're also a great idea when there's inclement weather. The videos can take anywhere from one to six minutes, depending on the selection.

For my morning meeting templates I use Lumio. The templates include the current date, the word of the day, an affirmation of the day, and a quick writing prompt. Completing these morning exercises helps build our classroom community. These activities usually take about five minutes, and we complete them at the beginning of our class. It's important to take time at the beginning of class to start off on the right foot. This sets the tone for the rest of the day, and if some students have had a rough morning, the routines help bring consistency.

After students have had time to respond, we share our responses as a class. This helps students to feel part of the class and begins building our empathy for others. It's also great practice for students to work on their active listening skills. I usually do these morning meeting activities on Monday, hoping to set the tone for the week on a positive note.

By prioritizing SEL in my classroom, I can help students develop the skills they need to thrive both academically and personally. It's my duty as an educator to ensure that my learners are prepared for success. Integrating technology into my middle school classroom can have a positive impact on my students' social and emotional learning.

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5 Quick Ways to Integrate SEL in the Classroom

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Middle school teachers can use common edtech tools to incorporate social and emotional learning strategies throughout the day. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a critical part of students' educational experience in my classroom. It's the process through which they learn how to manage their emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

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This is a good source for teachers looking to learn more about SEL

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Media and technology are central to how young people learn, socialize, and participate in the world. This makes it all the more important to consider how our student's digital lives can impact their social and emotional well-being. We've prepared this guide to help you navigate this world where digital citizenship and social and emotional learning are deeply intertwined.

Read on to find answers to teachers' most commonly asked questions about social and emotional learning (SEL) as well as information on how it connects to the digital lives of your students. To see our full collection of K-12 SEL activities visit our SEL in Digital Life Resource Center. And for some ideas and resources for quick implementation, see our Easy Ways to Connect SEL to Common Digital Dilemmas.
Use these links to jump to any section below:
What is social and emotional learning?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process that all individuals go through as they develop the intrapersonal and inter personal skills that will help them thrive -- in their own lives, as members of their communities, and in the world at large.

Why is social and emotional learning important?

Very simply, students need social and emotional learning skills to succeed in school and in life. Research has shown that school-wide implementations of SEL can lead to improved academic performance, decreased conflict between students, and can help students feel more invested in their school communities.

How can I teach SEL and digital citizenship to my students?

Our SEL in Digital Life Resource Center has everything you'll need to get started with social and emotional learning in the digital world. In the resource center, you'll find CASEL-aligned short activities, teaching guides, professional development resources, and family engagement materials.

Because engaging families and caregivers is such an essential piece of successful SEL implementation, we've included a set of conversation starters you can send to your students' grown-ups so that they can practice what they learned in school at home.

Are there learning standards for SEL?

The SEL framework developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is widely used by educators as a resource to help bring SEL to their classrooms and schools. Some states, such as Wisconsin, have drafted a statewide framework and guidance for teaching SEL. Unfortunately, as of yet, most states and the federal government haven't developed this kind of detailed guidance. Because of this, the implementation of social-emotional learning can vary widely across school sites.

All of the resources created by Common Sense Education, including our SEL in Digital Life activities, are aligned to the CASEL framework and five core competencies for social and emotional learning:

Self-Awareness

Self-Management

Responsible Decision-Making

Relationship Skills

Social Awareness

How does technology impact social and emotional learning?

Whether for learning or socializing, young people will undoubtedly face social and emotional challenges that are unique to using technology in their daily lives. For example, we can relate to how media use -- and often too much of it -- can have a direct impact on our emotional well-being. But the social and emotional challenges that students face when they use technology go beyond the individual.

For instance, communicating on digital platforms can make it more likely for people to be mean. And in a recent survey from Common Sense, the frequency with which young people reported encountering hateful content online was substantially higher today than it was in 2018. Unfortunately, the research also found that the young people most likely to encounter this kind of content are also those who are most likely to be the targets of online hate.

These unique types of challenges highlight the importance of teaching digital citizenship and SEL in an integrated way.

What are the connections between digital citizenship and SEL?

It might be common for teachers and schools to teach only SEL or only digital citizenship, or to teach them both, but separately. But it's important to know that SEL and digital citizenship can be very impactful when taught together. While the two content areas aren't interchangeable, they can definitely complement one another other.

It's best to think of digital citizenship as a specific context where social and emotional learning can take place. Digital citizenship calls attention to the unique challenges that students encounter when navigating the digital world. At the same time, it highlights the unique sets of skills and dispositions that students can use to navigate these challenges in a safe and responsible way. And when students put digital citizenship into practice, they're effectively using social and emotional strategies to address the uniqueness of their digital lives.

Digital citizenship helps SEL be more effective by making SEL more responsive to the demands and opportunities that technology brings into student's lives.

What are examples of SEL skills and dispositions that are unique to digital life?

Technology's impact on students' social and emotional well-being can vary across age and levels of development. It's important to help your students learn the skills that are most important to them, whether it's understanding how devices affect their feelings or how social media impacts their friendships, just to name a few.

The table below outlines the K-12 SEL skills and dispositions covered in the Common Sense SEL in Digital Life activities. You can also click to open the table in a Google Doc.

What are some best practices for teaching SEL?

The best way to teach SEL is to implement a formal curriculum that also includes opportunities for family engagement. Unfortunately, many schools and districts across the country don't have a clear program for teaching SEL. This type of uneven implementation can have unintended consequences and exacerbate educational disparities, especially among students of color.

If there isn't a formal SEL curriculum or strategy at your school, you can still teach SEL! As you start, it's important to implement SEL strategies that follow a culturally responsive pedagogy. Our SEL in Digital Life activities are a great way to get started, but also keep the following tips in mind:

Be sure to define what an equity-centered approach to SEL looks like in your classroom or school community.

Collaborate with your colleagues to develop a joint understanding of how you're addressing students' social and emotional learning. This is particularly important when aligning on strategies for sensitive issues like conflict resolution and student discipline.

Establish a positive classroom culture early on by engaging students in conversations about how they want to feel when they're learning, playing, and working together.

Check in with students periodically to reflect on how well your classroom and community are working together toward achieving a positive classroom culture.

Use this movie guide to explore issues of SEL and identity.

How can I teach SEL in an equity-oriented way?

When teaching SEL it is important that your focus goes beyond classroom management and student discipline. Dena Simmons, a scholar and practitioner who specializes in SEL and equity, explains that social emotional learning interventions that focus squarely on these two areas can end up reinforcing "failure narratives". When unchecked, these negative narratives can feed educators' implicit biases and lead them to believe that some students, often students of color, need more SEL skills to regulate their behavior and emotions as compared to their peers. The impact of this cycle of negative narratives and implicit biases can be harmful and result in unequal disciplinary outcomes, or in students of color internalizing a negative self-image.

To learn more about how to make your approach to SEL more equity-centered, you can read more of Dr. Simmons's work on this topic. Our team has also curated a helpful list of the best social- and cultural-literacy resources from around the web, which could be useful as you develop an SEL implementation strategy.

How can my school align its digital citizenship and SEL strategies?

A set of policy recommendations drafted by the Committee for Children suggests it is important to align digital citizenship to ongoing SEL initiatives and to make clear how SEL strategies are foundational to how digital citizenship is taught to students.

How you align digital citizenship to SEL might look different depending on whether you are a teacher or an administrator:

If you're a teacher interested in addressing digital citizenship and SEL in your classroom, you can get started by using the resources in our SEL in Digital Life Resource Center. For a more in-depth implementation, you can use our free Digital Citizenship Curriculum where every K-12 lesson is aligned to CASEL's SEL framework.

If you're an administrator or curriculum specialist looking to develop an initiative that clearly connects SEL and digital citizenship, one of the most useful resources you'll find is the Online Safety & Social and Emotional Learning page maintained by Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction. Their team developed a useful infographic, as well as a curriculum crosswalk that outlines the connection between SEL and the state's information and technology literacy standards.

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Teachers' Essential Guide to Social and Emotional Learning in Digital Life | Common Sense Education

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Help your students develop the SEL skills they'll need to navigate the digital world.

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Restorative Circles are something new that my district began implementing last year. This is a great beginners guide for how to implement and conduct them within your school or classroom. Restorative circles truly foster a stronger classroom community, ultimately helping the members to feel more connected and understood. Over time, members gain a deeper trust in one another, and are able to take more risks in the classroom.

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At Women Wonder Writers, we implement restorative circles in our main social-emotional learning program, The Write of Your L!fe, as well as in our Youth Court program.

With trauma-trained instructors teaching in a safe cohort-based environment, The Write of Your L!fe primarily uses restorative circles as preventative measures that provide guidance and support to the students served. Over the course of 12 weeks, the students build trust with one another as they practice sharing and listening to their peers.

Women Wonder Writers also provides a variety of management services to support youth courts. These are collaborative results based peer-to-peer intervention/prevention programs designed to provide an alternative response to school suspension, or an alternative response to the juvenile justice system for first-time, non-violent, school-based offenses.

The primary goal of student courts is to bring parties together to address conflict through conversation, and restorative circles help to facilitate that conversation. They promote dialogue where all parties can speak as equals. Unlike conventional discipline strategies, restorative justice circles allow individuals to understand how their behavior affects others, while also being heard.

As the community youth determine the appropriate consequence for the respondent, holding the respondent accountable, they provide education and enrichment to the respondent to promote long-term behavioral change. And after the volunteers or students determining the consequences listen to the offender, they can have a clearer understanding of what and why something may have happened.

It's this kind of equity that helps students become aware of themselves, learn empathy and discover change is possible, and that support is there.

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What are Restorative Circles and How to Conduct Them

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At Women Wonder Writers, we implement restorative circles in our main social-emotional learning program, The Write of Your L!fe, as well as in our Youth Court program. With trauma-trained instructors teaching in a safe cohort-based environment, The Write of Your L!fe primarily uses restorative circles as preventative measures that provide guidance and support to the students served.

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Read alouds are a great way to incorporate SEL strategies to our students. I love to use them to spark discussions and allow students to make connections to different situations. I think it is so important for students to realize there are different emotions and ways to work through how we are feeling. Books will also provide students with strategies and tools they need to successfully problem-solve on different situations.

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No matter what age you teach, social-emotional learning is an essential part of your curriculum. Social skills books for kids are crucial in the classroom for supporting conversations about social-emotional issues. That's why we gathered 50 (yes, 50!) social skills books for kids, including lots of great recent ones you may not have seen yet, that you can share to help kids build empathy, talk about emotions, navigate tough experiences, and more.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

Books About Managing Fear and Anxiety and Taking Risks

1. Brave Every Day by Trudy Ludwig

Camila and Kai are both scared about their class's field trip to the aquarium, though they show it in different ways. It turns out that supporting each other helps them both.

Buy it: Brave Every Day on Amazon

2. A Case of the Zaps by Alex Boniello and April Lavalle

Robot Pi's class is planning a class trip to "where it all started, Olde Silicon Valley." (Ha!) It's supposed to be exciting, but Pi's worries quickly kick into "overdrive." The fun robot metaphors give kids helpful language for talking about anxious feelings. Bonus: We appreciate the incidental use of they/them pronouns for the main character!

Buy it: A Case of the Zaps on Amazon

3. The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore

Scary "Whatifs" follow Cora everywhere, and it only gets worse as she prepares for her big piano recital. Her outlook changes when Stella challenges her to turn her bad Whatifs into good ones.

Buy it: The Whatifs on Amazon

4. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. Also check out the sequel Jabari Tries to talk about perseverance!

Buy it: Jabari Jumps on Amazon

5. The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann

Ernestine is super excited to go camping for the first time with her aunt and cousin-until they reach the campsite, that is. Then everything feels scary, and she misses her dad.

Buy it: The Camping Trip on Amazon

6. Anita and the Dragons by Hannah Carmona

Fear of "dragons" almost overcomes Anita as she and her family prepare to emigrate from their home in the Dominican Republic. Her brother reminds her, "They aren't real dragons. They're just planes in the sky."

Buy it: Anita and the Dragons on Amazon

7. The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken

Zoom meets Beautiful Oops! in this book about the creative process and the way in which "mistakes" can blossom into inspiration.

Buy it: The Book of Mistakes on Amazon

8. Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka

Learning to ride a bike is one of the most important milestones of childhood, and this book captures the emotional ups and downs of the experience.

Buy it: Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle on Amazon

9. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can't draw-she's no artist.

Buy it: The Dot on Amazon

Books About Friendship

10. Rulers of the Playground by Joseph Kuefler

One morning, Jonah decided to become ruler of the playground. Everyone agreed to obey his rules to play in King Jonah's kingdom ... everyone except for Lennox, because she wanted to rule the playground too.

Buy it: Rulers of the Playground on Amazon

11. A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey

Henry, who has autism, eagerly wants a new friend. But many of his classmates aren't quite the perfect fit he imagines. Then he builds blocks with Katie, and their tower is just right.

Buy it: A Friend for Henry on Amazon

12. Daisy by Jessixa Bagley

Teasing makes Daisy feel terrible. She spends much of her time alone, collecting treasures-until she realizes someone else is adding to her treasure shelf.

Buy it: Daisy on Amazon

13. The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party ... until a new kid comes to class.

Buy it: The Invisible Boy on Amazon

14. Ways To Make Friends by Jairo Buitrago

Friendship books are some of the most important social skills books for kids to have in the classroom. Toad works hard to make new friends. He tries lots of different strategies, including some unusual ones. We like that his experiences let kids know that sometimes making friends can feel hard or tiring, and that's OK!

Buy it: Ways To Make Friends on Amazon

Books About Identity

15. What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns by Katherine Locke

This is one of our favorite social skills books for kids for supporting developmentally appropriate conversations about pronoun choices. Let kids know they have options for the words that feel right-and that it's important to respect others' choices too.

Buy it: What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns on Amazon

16. Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty

We love all the Questioneers books to use as engaging class read-alouds, but this one is especially awesome for talking about strengths, challenges, and finding your own way to shine. Aaron Slater has a tough time writing a story to share in class, until he lets his love of art lead the way.

Buy it: Aaron Slater, Illustrator on Amazon

17. Like by Annie Barrows and Leo Espinosa

This quirky ode to human connection is a fun way to launch conversations about similarities and differences. How are humans like mushrooms, excavators, and hyenas? We love social skills books for kids that get classrooms talking and wondering together!

Buy it: Like on Amazon

18. Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy's grandma says they don't have room for "want," just "need," when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that is much too small.

Buy it: Those Shoes on Amazon

19. Home Is In Between by Mitali Perkins

If you're looking for social skills books for kids related to code-switching-navigating multiple cultures-Shanti is a positive role model for students. When she and her family move to the United States from India, the worlds inside her home and in the larger community feel very different.

Buy it: Home Is In Between on Amazon

20. My Very Own Space by Pippa Goodhart and Rebecca Crane

A little rabbit is trying to read his book in peace, but there's so much going on around him! Maybe he needs some space just for himself. ...

Buy it: My Very Own Space on Amazon

21. My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart

This child's family is sure his shadow is blue, but it's not-it's pink. And the shadow loves dresses and dancing, and it definitely wants to be seen as it really is.

Buy it: My Shadow Is Pink on Amazon

22. Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

This young girl is intensely proud of her "eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea." She also loves that her sister, mother, and grandmother all share the same special feature.

Buy it: Eyes That Kiss in the Corners on Amazon

Books About Overcoming Challenges

23. I Love Strawberries! by Shannon Anderson

Jolie desperately wants to grow strawberry plants in the family garden, but her parents aren't on board. She takes on the challenges of convincing them she's responsible enough, earning money to buy plants, and caring for the plants once she plants them. This is a good one for talking about how achieving a goal can include lots of different challenges along the way.

Buy It: I Love Strawberries! on Amazon

24. The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned To Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and Oge Mora

Mary Walker was born a slave and persevered through challenges her entire life. At age 114, she finally fulfilled her lifelong dream of learning to read. She's an inspiration for us all.

Buy it: The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned To Read on Amazon

25. Argyle Fox by Marie Letourneau

Argyle Fox, with his signature style, wants to play outside on a springtime day, but the wind is wreaking havoc with his fun and games. As soon as he builds a card tower, climbs into a giant spider web, or takes up his pirate sword, here comes the wind: Woosh!

Buy it: Argyle Fox on Amazon

26. Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah's inspiring true story is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people-but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams.

Buy it: Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah on Amazon

27. Life by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel

There are so many wonderful things about life, both in good times and in times of struggle.

Buy it: Life on Amazon

Books About Kindness

28. A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty

Add this to your social skills books for kids to encourage kindness in the classroom. Simple text and sweet illustrations show a diverse class spreading kindness from one person to another in lots of doable ways.

Buy it: A Small Kindness on Amazon

29. John's Turn by Mac Barnett

When it's John's turn to perform at the school assembly, he's nervous, but his love for dancing gives him confidence. His classmates cheer him on. This is a one of our new favorite social skills books for kids to talk about encouraging others and giving each person their "turn" to shine.

Buy it: John's Turn on Amazon

30. When We Are Kind / Nihá'ádaahwiinít'íigo by Monique Gray Smith

This bilingual English and Diné book uses art inspired by Navaho culture to show how simple kindnesses have a lasting impact. It would be lovely inspiration for a kindness-themed class book or bulletin board.

Buy it: When We Are Kind / Nihá'ádaahwiinít'íigo on Amazon

31. The Smile Shop by Satoshi Kitamura

Disappointment washes over a small boy when he drops the money he's saved down the drain. A stranger in a photography studio chooses to make an unexpectedly kind gesture.

Buy it: The Smile Shop on Amazon

32. Pass It On by Sophy Henn

When you see something terrific, smile a smile and pass it on! If you chance upon a chuckle, hee hee hee and pass it on. Should you spot a thing of wonder, jump for joy and pass it on!

Buy it: Pass It On on Amazon

Books About Grief

Equal parts affirming and hopeful, if you need social skills books for kids to help cope with a friend moving, this is the one. Daniela can't believe Evelyn won't live across the street anymore. But focusing on cherished memories and keeping in touch helps her manage.

Buy it: Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away on Amazon

34. The Circles in the Sky by Karl James Mountford

This folktale stars Fox, who wonders about a dead bird in the forest. This book gives classrooms an inclusive and gentle way to talk about death.

Buy it: The Circles in the Sky on Amazon

35. Rosa's Song by Helena Ku Rhee

Jae misses his village in South Korea but finds comfort with his new friend Rosa, who lives in his building. Then Rosa and her family have to move suddenly. This reassuring story is helpful for talking about coping with surprise disappointments.

Buy it: Rosa's Song on Amazon

36. Dadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Ruchi Mhasane

A boy and his grandfather connect through painting. When the grandfather dies, the boy can't face his art for a long time. Finally, painting again helps him heal.

Buy it: Dadji's Paintbrush on Amazon

Books About Feelings

37. Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman

An energetic group of young friends has big plans for the day-until big, hard feelings get in the way. It'll take talking about it and being flexible to get the day back on track.

Buy it: Big Feelings on Amazon

38. I Am Okay To Feel by Karamo Brown and Jason "Rachel" Brown

A boy and his dad walk and talk about their feelings. We love how positive and relatable this book is for kids. Well-researched back matter gives adults lots of tools for talking with children about emotions too.

Buy it: I Am Okay To Fee l on Amazon

39. Great Big Feelings series by Hallee Adelman

These are invaluable social skills books that normalize big emotions for kids. Each book shares a relatable experience from a kid's perspective and ends with a positive coping strategy. These are also great examples of personal narrative writing (with details about feelings!).

Buy it: Way Past Afraid and Way Past Sad on Amazon

40. Cranky Right Now by Julie Berry

"I'm cranky right now and I have my reasons," says this main character. Bad moods happen to all of us. Get kids talking about how to sit with grouchy feelings and let them pass.

Buy it: Cranky Right Now on Amazon

41. The Shadow Elephant by Nadine Robert

Elephant feels really down. All his friends keep trying to distract him, but it turns out what he really needs is a friend to be with him and his hard feelings until they fade away. This is one of our new favorite social skills books for kids with a message that it's OK to just sit with difficult emotions.

Buy it: The Shadow Elephant on Amazon

Books About Honesty

42. Lying Up a Storm by Julia Cook

A storm is brewing ... whenever Levi doesn't like the truth, he kinda sorta makes up other stuff to say.

Buy it: Lying Up a Storm on Amazon

43. Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin

Ruthie loves little things-the smaller, the better. So when she finds a teeny tiny camera on the school playground one afternoon, she can hardly believe her luck. She wants to keep the camera in the worst way, but there's one little problem: It isn't hers.

Buy it: Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie on Amazon

44. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

The bear's hat is gone, and he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no.

Buy it: I Want My Hat Back on Amazon

Books About Self-Control

45. Stop and Smell the Cookies by Gibson Frazier

If you're looking for a new social skills book for kids that tackles managing impulsivity in a positive and empathetic way, you need this one! Dash Gordon has big ideas, good intentions ... and a hard time reining himself in. When he's feeling down about having a tough day, his mom helps him learn a mindful breathing routine that really helps.

Buy it: Stop and Smell the Cookies on Amazon

46. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Lilly loves everything about school, especially her cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse and its treasures to school and can't wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions.

Buy it: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse on Amazon

47. My Mouth Is a Volcano! by Julia Cook

All of Louis's thoughts are very important to him. In fact, his thoughts are so important to him that when he has something to say, his words begin to wiggle, and then they do the jiggle, then his tongue pushes all of his important words up against his teeth, and he erupts, or interrupts others.

Buy it: My Mouth Is a Volcano! by Julia Cook

47. You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown

Today is the day the exuberant Lucy is going to make a new friend! But she finds it's harder than she had thought-she accidentally ruins the giraffe's breakfast and is much too big for the frogs' pond.

Buy it: You Will Be My Friend! on Amazon

48. Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale

Clark is a shark with zing, bang, and BOOM. He zooms into school, crashes through the classroom, and is rowdy at recess.

Buy it: Clark the Shark on Amazon

Books About Resiliency

49. Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae

Gerald the tall giraffe would love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can't dance ... or can they?

Buy it: Giraffes Can't Dance on Amazon

50. Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña

Milo feels like a "shook-up soda" as he takes the subway to visit his mom, who is incarcerated. He copes with his feelings by imagining the lives of his fellow passengers-and imagines the time when his family will be together again.

Buy it: Milo Imagines the World on Amazon

Use this four-step process when reading these social skills books for kids to reinforce the skills featured:

1. Describe: Talk with your students, and have them talk with one another, about what they think the main point of the story was. What social skills did the story define? How do you know? Why are these skills important? Can you make a connection to the story from your own life? Make a poster together, or have students write or draw in their journals about these social skills.

2. Demonstrate: Have a few students act out what the social skills look and feel like. Role playing different ways students can demonstrate these skills will help reinforce the behavior.

3. Practice: Plan activities where each child has to take a turn to practice the featured social skills.

4. Promote: Promote, support, and encourage children as they initiate and engage in behavior that demonstrates these social skills. Catch them being kind, flexible, honest, confident, and more!

Looking for more social skills books for kids? Don't miss:

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50 Children's Books for Teaching Social Skills

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This diverse collection of social skills books for kids helps launch classroom conversations about identity, perseverance, grief, and more.

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This link includes resources that are perfect for young learners in Pre-K to 1st grade. Each topic includes a Daniel Tiger Video, a catchy strategy song, a classroom activity, and a family letter to build a home-school connection available in both English and Spanish. Through these activities student will have a model of how to deal with emotions, for example, and develop social emotional skills such as self-control. Although I have not used this in the classroom myself, I plan to do so.

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"Life's Little Lessons" is a collection of fun and flexible resources designed for early childhood care providers, based on the hit PBS KIDS show, DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD. Using Fred Rogers' landmark social-emotional learning curriculum and a series of catchy "strategy songs," the show - and this digital resource - helps young children manage emotions and develop key social and emotional skills while exploring, growing, singing and creating with Daniel Tiger and his pre-school friends.

Daniel Tiger's Life's Little Lessons uses the PBS KIDS model of watch (watching video), play (playing games), explore (engaging in group activities), and share (communicating with families), giving parents and educators the opportunity to work together to put children on the road to success. By watching the included video clips, exploring the topics through conversations and activities, and sharing information and ideas with families, you can help the children in your care develop strategies that they can use every day to grow "inside."

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"Life's Little Lessons" is a collection of fun and flexible resources designed for early childhood care providers, based on the hit PBS KIDS show, DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD.

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I was researching SEL for high school teachers/students. This website had a list of activities, I looked around on the website and they offer a lot of blogs, webinars, etc. on a variety of topics.
Here is what I found under the SEL search: https://www.classcraft.com/resources?topics=sel

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Most high school students know the importance of developing good skills in Math, Reading and Writing. But there's one more skill that often takes a back seat in the high school curriculum: social and emotional learning, or SEL.

It's a concept that's been used in education since the 1990s. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), SEL helps students of all ages to do better in school by applying five core competencies:

Self-awareness: students learn how to recognize their emotions and how they affect their behavior

Self-management: teaches students how to control their thoughts, emotions and actions and set realistic goals

Social awareness: demonstrates the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and try to understand how people in different backgrounds and cultures see things

Relationship skills: teaches students how to build and maintain healthy relationships with people from diverse backgrounds

Making responsible decisions: students can choose how to act or respond to a situation based on learned behaviors such as ethics, safety and the well-being of others

While the responsibilities that come with social and emotional learning may seem like common sense to many high school students, others may struggle. It's not an easy fix. And in some ways, today's obsession with social media makes it more difficult for children to move forward.

For example, in 2016, Microsoft created an artificial intelligence chatbot on Twitter that was designed to analyze social media sites and the corresponding posts and comments. Unfortunately, this chabot became a monster when it started to gather peoples' behavior on the various sites and duplicated hostility in its own posted tweets. In the end, it took IT experts about 16 hours to deactivate and eliminate the chatbot and its account.

12 top social and emotional learning activities for your high school students

While there are plenty of SEL qualities that high school students can use to be more successful, here are some SEL lessons that any educator can integrate into their high school curriculum:

1. Review current events

Your students might think you're just making small talk, but reviewing current events that display proper SEL behavior or show signs of poor behavior is a good start. During the discussion, you could point out how things could have fared better if the behavior had been managed more appropriately. Students will begin to understand how poor decisions can lead to an instant downfall, so managing emotion is the key. Once students realize the consequences of improper behavior and how it affects the future, they will make their choices more carefully.

2. Greet your students

Do you greet each of your students by name as they enter your classroom? Try it! Once it becomes a daily habit, you might be surprised to learn that your students are repeating this practice with their peers and other adults! Greeting one another in a welcoming and civil manner is just a small step in bringing back humanity.

3. Journal writing

Students are less likely to share their thoughts in a one-on-one discussion or a small group. But, they will open up in journal writing. There's something very liberating about putting thoughts on paper that one would never say in front of their peers.

Journal writing can be used for reviewing numerous SEL skills. It just depends on the writing prompt at the moment. For example, asking high school students to write about moments where they wish they would have shown empathy and compassion to others could make them change their behavior next time around.

4. Setting goals on paper

There's something magical that happens once goals are written down on paper. It becomes a daily reminder that in both the short and long-term, the student is working toward accomplishing a bigger task. While the present day may not be all sunshine and rainbows, stepping back and allowing students to see the big picture and an attainable goal should act as a motivating factor. An educator or guidance counselor can help students determine how to achieve these goals if necessary.

5. Share success stories

Students who are currently struggling may give up after years of constant difficulties. However, hearing how others facing similar circumstances have succeeded may just give them the push they need. Here are a few examples:

Elvis Presley flunked music in high school.

Sylvester Stallone was down to his last dollar and had to sell his dog until he wrote the movie Rocky and gave himself the main role.

Mark Twain struggled throughout life, including watching his brother die and seeing three of his four children dying before they reached adulthood.

Albert Einstein was never really thought of as a bright student and had difficulty finding work as an adult.

True stories like these can help students manage their emotions during a rough patch.

6. Write a short biography about another student

Your students probably think every other classmate's life is simple compared with theirs. (And we know many adults who make this mistake, too!) Allow your students to see the light by putting them in pairs and asking them to write a short biography about each other. Get creative with the pairing! You might be able to create lifelong friendships!

7. Give each student a mentor

Let's face it. We could all use a mentor in our lives. Whether we need help to fix our car, wash clothes, balance a budget or deal with other issues that need problem solving. High school students are no different. Maybe they need a mentor's help to manage their emotions, get better grades, make friends, or any other SEL issues. These mentors could be a classroom peer or even a responsible adult from the community.

8. Use literature

There are countless novels in which characters make poor decisions and, in turn, create their own nightmares. If students are able to read about these types of circumstances, they might be able to see the similarities in their own lives and decisions.

9. Create SEL artwork

Self-doubt is something almost all high school students are facing and many talented students feel safer expressing themselves through their art instead of words. Try introducing an art project about positivity and optimism. You could see improved behavior!

10. New ways of seeing the world

We often struggle because we can't put ourselves in the other person's shoes. Your students have to learn to see issues from many angles. Take a story from the newspaper or even a fictional tale and view the problem from both the protagonist's and antagonist's point of view.

11. Use a quote of the day

You'll find plenty of motivational quotes online. Find some that deal with SEL problems and talk about them at the beginning of each class. Start a morning meeting and ask the students what these quotes mean to them. Some of their answers could be quite eye-opening.

12. Create office hours for SEL issues

Make sure your students know that your door is always open to discuss SEL matters in private. They might just take the opportunity to open up about some of their problems. Even if only one or two students take advantage of this service, it's worth it.

Skills that will last

There are days you might wonder if you're really making a difference in your students' lives. The truth is, you probably are, but few students will actually admit it. Teaching students can be a thankless job some days when the failures seem to outnumber the successes. However, by providing SEL activities and strategies to encourage your students, you can be assured that the positive skills they are learning will last a lifetime.

Decreasing disciplines: A school's success story

How did East Paulding Middle School reduce discipline referrals by 85%? Learn how.

Learn how

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12 SEL activities for high school students - Classcraft Blog

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Most high school students know the importance of developing good skills in Math, Reading and Writing. But there's one more skill that often takes a back seat in the high school curriculum: social and emotional learning, or SEL. It's a concept that's been used in education since the 1990s.

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English /Spanish SEL activities and information for teachers and parents.

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https://www.edugoodies.com/sel
Edugoodies is a resource site created by Shelby County School. It has exceptional English and Spanish resources to promote self management. The information is clear and parent friendly (not overwhelming for working parents and teachers). I look forward to printing some of these PDFs and sharing them with some of my parents during our November Parent Teacher Conferences. There is a fun family BINGO game to promote self care and a guide to EASY at home stress relieving crafts.

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This is a great activity to use with elementary students as a coping strategy during any stress or anxiety that may occur throughout their day. 

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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/q-tip-quit-taking-personally-donna-zajonc-mcc

One of the superintendents at my school spoke at convocation about the phrase "q-tip" or "quit taking it personal". I think this is a great reminder for teachers to remember that when our students behave unexpectedly, we cannot take it personal. If we do, it creates a huge burden on our shoulders and can create stress and anxiety in the workplace. So this is a great SEL tip for all educators to "q-tip"!

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In my English 11 ENL class we focus a whole unit on SEL while reading the book "Speak". One of the assignments is to analyze the characters behaviors and create an action plan to help her. This assignment is done in groups once they have analyzed the characters behaviors. The actions plan includes:
Step 1: Create the Framework

Step 2: Evaluate Organizations

Step 3: Create a Cohesive Action Plan
This lesson will get students comfortable discussing emotions and how to respond to their own emotions in a collaborative setting.

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https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-rOaBhA9EiwAUkLV4upoAmDt1RgGhAGLMl9pV3sNgPaUJqGYcGf2NON8zDFLFsDKtskyURoCYt0QAvD_BwE
This is a link to the Responsive Classroom approach that we use in my district. I got trained in it and there are great books and PDs that teach about SEL practices.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo0zW6kLPq2Ns_51AaZN0lQ/videos
This Youtube channel has many great videos that teach about SEL that can be used in lessons with your students.

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Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It is comprised of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers.

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Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It is comprised of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers.

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This list and the link below provide an extensive list of topics for discussion during RESTORATIVE CIRCLES. Restorative circles are especially effective in developing relationship skills within the classroom and increasing our students' self-awareness and self-management, and the topics within this list are specifically geared toward these SEL components. The topics within this list are not only for use with students, but there are also questions and topics designed for parents and teachers too. The section labeled, "Responding to Issues," specifically addresses emotionally and socially challenging instances that may occur in the school environment (and life in general), and is an excellent tool for exploring and increasing students' self-management skills.

http://www.restorativeresources.org/uploads/5/6/1/4/56143033/circle_packet_with_planning_guide.docx

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https://blog.shapeamerica.org/2019/11/how-to-integrate-social-and-emotional-learning-in-pe/
This link provides several ways to integrate SEL in P.E. to improve classroom climate. This aligns with SHAPE America National Standards as well as CASEL core competencies and related skills.

https://ce.fresno.edu/news/social-and-emotional-learning-sel-and-physical-education/

This link explains how SEL provides students a more well-rounded education that takes them beyond academics and into learning skills that can help them throughout life. This is a great resource for teachers and coaches who want to provide the best for their students, combining SEL and physical education can help them achieve that goal.

-Ryan McKean

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Coleen Skartsiaris- Classroom Management-SEL Coping Skills

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Coleen Skartsiaris- Classroom Management-SEL Coping Skills

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I've attached Breathing Boards as a resource that we use daily in my 1st/2nd grade ICT classroom for our students who struggle to cope. They are put in a safe place in our classroom in a bin along with other SEL resources like positive self-talk posters, yoga poses and feel good pictures to promote positive coping skills for when we struggle socially and emotionally.

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https://selspace.ca/modules/self-social-awareness/self-social-awareness-read-alouds-resources/
This link provides many different books and resources to teach students about SEL in the classroom.

https://www.teachthought.com/learning/best-sel-resources/
This a a resource for teachers looking to apply SEL in the classroom.

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Social Emotional Learning read alouds related to Self and Social Awareness. Many have the YouTube links to videos where the book is read.

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Attached is the website for the RULER program that my school district uses to integrate SEL into our classrooms. https://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/services/community-and-schools-programs/center-for-emotional-intelligence/

Here is another resource that provides many ways that teachers can use SEL in the classroom! :) https://www.dyknow.com/blog/10-social-emotional-learning-resources-for-educators/

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The RULER Institute for District Leaders is a unique opportunity for superintendents, SEL directors, and other district-level administrators to enhance their own emotional intelligence and to learn how to create system-wide structures to infuse SEL.

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The RULER Institute for District Leaders is a unique opportunity for superintendents, SEL directors, and other district-level administrators to enhance their own emotional intelligence and to learn how to create system-wide structures to infuse SEL.

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https://www.teachforamerica.org/one-day/top-issues/how-to-incorporate-social-emotional-learning-in-your-classroom :
A great guide on how to start a SEL classroom. This is great to share with our colleagues/ friends who want together started and need some help!

https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/sel-at-home-parent-resources-activities : Great resource to send home to families.