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A plug and play mental health support program for students, parents and teachers, this program helps youth understand what anxiety is and what it feels like. It also integrates mental health and educational specialists who break down all aspects of anxiety and provide practical tips on how to manage it.

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Angst is a film-based social emotional learning program, endorsed by educators, psychiatrists and mental health advocates, to raise awareness about anxiety

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Check out these conversation guides and tips to help engage in conversations about mental health.

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Seize the Awkward | Talk With A Friend About Mental Health

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Having a conversation about mental health might be uncomfortable, but it can make all the difference. Check out these tools - from conversation guides to tips -that can help you help those in need.

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Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies describe the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and capacities that children and young people can develop when the conditions are supportive to their healthy, whole development.
For more information about T-SEL, check out the webpage.

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The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning ( CASEL ) initially defined Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) more than 25 years ago. CASEL's SEL framework articulates a systemic approach in which adults intentionally focus on their own social and emotional growth in order to effectively support student skill development across key developmental settings through collaborative planning and improvement processes. CASEL's interconnected five core SEL competencies -self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making-and those key settings are seen in the "CASEL wheel" (Figure 1).

Figure 1. CASEL SEL Framework
Figure 1 Long Description
Source: ©2020 CASEL. Social and Emotional Learning Framework . All rights reserved.

In 2020, CASEL updated the definition of SEL to more centrally locate identity development, educational equity, and adult-student co-creation of learning environments in service of more just communities. In addition to the definition and competencies updates, CASEL, along with academic and practitioner partners, began to formulate an expression of their framework, drawing on scholarship from disciplines such as liberatory education, that describes ways in which SEL can be harnessed to advance social justice: Transformative SEL (T-SEL).

A 2021 research brief (PDF) issued by CASEL and the University of Michigan, states:

Transformative SEL was introduced as a way to integrate an explicit equity and social justice lens into the conceptualization and implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL). As Jagers, Rivas-Drake, and Williams (2019) (PDF) explain, it is a form of SEL aimed at interrupting the reproduction of inequitable educational environments by attending to issues of identity, agency, belonging, and related issues such as power, privilege, prejudice, discrimination, social justice, empowerment, and self-determination.

The California Department of Education (CDE) aims to support and advance the efforts of educators across California who are working to fully integrate systemic SEL and equity by building on the promise of T-SEL as a concept. To provide these supports, the CDE has articulated developmental indicators for CASEL's five core competencies:

The California T-SEL Competencies, developed for voluntary use, complement the California Transformative Social and Emotional Learning Conditions for Thriving. For additional background on the development of California's T-SEL and guidance on their purpose and use, please see the T-SEL Competencies and Conditions for Thriving web page. The T-SEL Readiness and Reflection Prompts can be used to support individual and collective implementation.

The CDE plans to refine these resources as we learn more regarding how they are being used across the state. Please consider sharing feedback regarding your experiences with the California T-SEL Competencies.

Last Reviewed: Wednesday, November 09, 2022

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California Transformative SEL Competencies - Social and Emotional Learning (CA Dept of Education)

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Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies describe the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and capacities that children and young people can develop when the conditions are supportive to their healthy, whole development.

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The Social Emotional Learning Statewide Group group is open to classroom teachers, grade level cohorts, content coordinators, and instructional leaders to exchange ideas and resources focused on topics related to this unique subject-area.

To become a member of the group, click on the 'Join Group' button.

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Social Emotional Learning Statewide Group

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Join this four-part workshop series on social and emotional learning to help you plan, sustain, and continuously improve systemic SEL implementation throughout your school community.

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SESSION 1: Establish a shared understanding of systemic SEL

Participants will engage in an interactive exploration of CASEL's framework for SEL, the four focus areas for systemic SEL implementation, and the 10 indicators of schoolwide SEL. From this shared understanding, participants will determine where they are starting from and we'll unpack immediate priority actions.

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SESSION 1: Establish a shared understanding of systemic SEL Participants will engage in an interactive exploration of CASEL's framework for SEL, the four focus areas for systemic SEL implementation, and the 10 indicators of schoolwide SEL. From this shared understanding, participants will determine where they are starting from and we'll unpack immediate priority actions.

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CDE From Surviving to Thriving Four Part Webinar Series

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CDE From Surviving to Thriving Four Part Webinar Series

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This FREE series is designed for families, educators, and all champions for kids and youth.

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We are pleased to partner with Dr. Michele Borba for a unique virtual learning engagement. Across four webinar sessions, Dr. Borba will guide participants through each chapter of her latest book, Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine. She will outline and provide applicable ideas to help students learn and grow based on the seven essential character traits that help children thrive, including the ability to nurture a caring heart, develop a strong mind, and cultivate a determined will.

This series is designed at no cost for all families, educators and champions for children and youth (that's YOU)! You are welcome to participate in any of the live sessions of your choice or view the sessions on your own as they will be recorded and available to registrants.

The first 1,000 California registrants will receive Dr. Borba's book Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine so register now!

June 2, 2021 10:00am-11:00am PST

Raising Confident, Resilient, Ready-for-Life Kids

Dr. Borba will discuss the introduction and chapter 1 of her book. She will examine how Thrivers are made not born and how they succeed because they focus on "who" not "what."

June 9, 2021 10:00am-11:00am PST

Building Social-Emotional Intelligence In Our Kids So They Have Empathy and Self-Control

Dr. Borba will discuss chapters 2 and 3 of her book. She will share strategies for raising Thrivers who think "we" not "me" and can put the brakes on impulses.

June 16, 2021 10:00am-11:00am PST

Enhancing Children's Integrity and Curiosity So They Are Open to People and Ideas and Follow Your Moral Code

Dr. Borba will discuss chapters 4 and 5 of her book. She will share strategies for raising Thrivers who have a strong moral code and are out-of-the-box thinkers.

June 23rd, 2021 10:00am-11:00am PST

Raising Children With Perseverance and Optimism in an Uncertain World

Dr. Borba will discuss chapters 6 and 7 of her book. She will share strategies for raising Thrivers who finish what they start and don't need gold stars to find the silver lining.

If you have any questions or require additional ADA accommodations, please email Jessica Bari, Program Assistant, at jbari@edcoe.org or Janelle a Mercado, Project Coordinator, at jmercado@edcoe.org by March 31st, 2021.

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From Surviving to Thriving! Summer Series - Supporting Inclusive Practices

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From Surviving to Thriving! Presented by Dr. Michele Borba We are pleased to partner with Dr. Michele Borba for a unique virtual learning engagement. Across four webinar sessions, Dr. Borba will guide participants through each chapter of her latest book, ...

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Wellness Together School Mental Health is excited to announce Mind Out Loud, a free online event for STUDENTS, in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and the California Department of Education.

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2021 Student Event

California Middle & High School Students (13+ years old) boldly discussing mental health, Mind Out Loud inspires students to live authentic lives

2021 Student Event

California Middle & High School Students (13+ years old) boldly discussing mental health, Mind Out Loud inspires students to live authentic lives Register & Attend for FREE

MEET
OUR GUESTS

Join Speakers Live

Talk with leading voices about student mental health.
Did you know you can ask questions? Submit your questions below for speakers to answer during the live Q&A.

Submit A Question

Shane Harper

American Actor, Singer & Songwriter

About
the event

Wellness Together School Mental Health is excited to announce Mind Out Loud, a free online event for STUDENTS, in partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and the California Department of Education.

Students join together for a three-day virtual experience to:

Connect with their peers across California

Hear from engaging speakers to be equipped with practical tools for wellness

Increase mental health awareness and advocacy for themselves and their friends

Learn about suicide prevention

Reduce stigma around mental health

Join the Movement

Hurry up!

Mind Out Loud Online Student Event will start in

WHY
JOIN US

#MyMOLStory

Our voices are our power and our stories bring us together.

LivingWorks Start

Access the FREE online training here.

Get Involved

Mind Out Loud Student Reps are passionate about mental health. Join the movement and stay connected all year long.

Schedule

Stay tuned as guests will continue to be announced

Student Training

In just 90 minutes online, LivingWorks Start teaches you to recognize when someone is thinking about suicide and connect them to help and support.
​When you sign up for LivingWorks Start training, you'll learn a powerful four-step model to keep someone safe from suicide, and you'll have a chance to practice it with impactful simulations. ​

Start the Training Now

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Students will join from all over the country for a three-day virtual experience to connect with peers, hear from well-known speakers, be equipped with practical tools on increasing awareness and advocacy for their friends, and reduce the stigma associated with mental health.

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A teacher's toolkit for High School.

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Mood Disorders

As a teacher, you're in a unique position to identify the signs early and help your students navigate their way to better mental health.

How to talk to a student

Wondering what to say when a student shares personal mental health concerns with you? This section will help you get started.

Your Community Resources

Check out this database of mental health resources located in your community.

Search Database

Working with families

This section will help you work with your school's staff to make the right connection with families so you can partner to find solutions.

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As a teacher, you're in a unique position to identify the signs early and help your students navigate their way to better mental health. Wondering what to say when a student shares personal mental health concerns with you? This section will help you get started.

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Supporting Student Mental Health: Resources to Prepare Educators

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Supporting Student Mental Health: Resources to Prepare Educators

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Practical Mental Health Literacy resources.

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Be Kind Online supports middle school students as they learn to be authentic and compassionate online. Students will be challenged to think about whether their online behaviors match their real-life personalities. Be Kind Online day, May 14, 2021

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Sign up today and get instant access to download all lesson plans and resources.

Make the Internet a safer and more welcome place.

Be Kind Online™ (BKO) is a program for middle school students brought to you by Beyond Differences. It includes an original Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, a national awareness day and student leadership training. Be Kind Online teaches students how to be activists that work to combat social isolation online. National Be Kind Online Day is a special event for students across the country, supported by lesson plans that focus on nurturing healthy relationships and behaviors online.

Be Kind Online consists of three components:

Original Curriculum

National Be Kind Online Day

Student Leadership Training

Join the campaign to end social isolation online. Sign your school up today!
Be Kind Online supports students as they learn to be authentic and compassionate online. Students will be challenged to think about whether their online behaviors match their real-life personalities. Our three Positive Prevention Initiatives - No One Eats Alone, Know Your Classmates and now Be Kind Online - aim to change the culture of middle school to one of acceptance and inclusion.

This program is provided free of charge. All of the resources needed come digitally online including curriculum, presentations, videos and worksheets.
Sign up today! #BeKindOnline

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Sign up today and get instant access to download all lesson plans and resources. Make the Internet a safer and more welcome place. Be Kind Online™ (BKO) is a program for middle school students brought to you by Beyond Differences. It includes an original Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, a national awareness day and student leadership training.

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Know Your Classmates promotes acceptance, respect and inclusion of all students by operating in two domains: on school campuses and in the broader public arena.

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KYC TEACHER GUIDE
Welcome to Know Your Classmates!
(If you haven't already signed up, please do so .)
Tap on the image of the teacher guide below to access all lesson plans, worksheets and presentations!

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Know Your Classmates Teacher Guide | Beyond Differences

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KYC TEACHER GUIDE Welcome to Know Your Classmates! (If you haven't already signed up, please do so .) Tap on the image of the teacher guide below to access all lesson plans, worksheets and presentations!

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This newsletter provides ideas and lessons to implement in K-12 classrooms. There are also practical ideas to use with adults.

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We read all incoming messages and will get to yours in the order it was received. We aim to respond to messages within one business day, but it may take up to 3 business days to respond depending on the request.

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Kernels are activities or strategies used by effective prevention programs that have been shown to effect specific behavior changes.

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Greater Good Science Center offers this brief, self-paced course for free. In this course, you will have the opportunity to experience SEL practices, learn more about the latest SEL research, and consider current opportunities and challenges in the field of SEL.

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The Basics of SEL Mini-Course - CALIFORNIA STATE EDUCATORS - Greater Good Science Center

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For educators who are new to social-emotional learning (SEL) or would like to brush-up on their content knowledge, we are offering this mini-course that covers the basics of SEL.

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With the Ten Percent Happier app, you’ll discover guided meditations and practical teachings you can carry anywhere.

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Ten Percent Happier: Mindfulness Meditation Courses with Dan Harris and Joseph Goldstein

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Meditation, demystified. In-depth courses on establishing healthy habits, stressing better, improving relationships, and more. Built for every level of meditation experience, from curious beginners and restless skeptics to years-long meditators * Start your 7-day free trial today *

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A free app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It includes strategies and tools to help tackle everyday anxiety. Available for iOS and android devices.

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VANCOUVER, April 22, 2019 // Anxiety Canada, a world leader delivering evidence-based mental health relief through digital channels, has released MindShift™ CBT for iOS and Android, free to download and use for all Canadians. It employs scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help users learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of their anxiety.

"There is nothing more pressing than ensuring young people receive all the supports they need when they need them, before their problems become severe," said Judy Darcy, B.C.'s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. "This app will help people with mild to moderate anxiety manage their symptoms daily, so they can take action and make lasting positive changes."

Now more than ever, Canadians are in desperate need of resources like MindShift CBT:

A recent poll of 1,500 Canadians found 41% of those surveyed identified themselves as "someone who struggles with anxiety".

A key finding from the McCreary Centre Society's 2018 B.C. Adolescent Health Survey was that "In 2018, 15% of students reported missing classes because of mental-health challenges and 14% said they were too anxious or depressed to participate in extracurricular activities."

Approximately 70% of serious mental health issues emerge before the age of 25 and research shows that if identified and addressed early, there's a much higher chance that many challenges won't be as severe.

MindShift™ CBT is the successor to Anxiety Canada's MindShift™ app originally released in 2012, which has been downloaded more than 700,000 times to date and is referred by mental health professionals worldwide. The new app has acquired more than 75,000 active users since its launch February 19, 2019.

A user-friendly self-help tool based on proven scientific strategies, MindShift™ CBT teaches about anxiety, helping users to engage in healthy thinking and to take action. Users check in each day to track their anxiety and work with tools in the app. It was developed in collaboration with Freshworks Studio, an award winning app developer headquartered in BC, with support from the BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the BC Ministry of Health.

***

Anxiety Canada (formerly AnxietyBC) has been serving Canadians for 20 years. Based in Vancouver, BC, our coaching tools, My Anxiety Plans (MAPs) and the MindShift CBT app are widely used nationally by counsellors, educators, individuals and families.

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New MindShift™ CBT App Gives Canadians Free Anxiety Relief - Anxiety Canada

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Anxiety Canada, a world leader delivering evidence-based mental health relief through digital channels, has released MindShift CBT for iOS and Android, free to download and use for all Canadians. It employs scientifically proven strategies based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help users learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of their anxiety.

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This site is committed to dedicated spaces and strategies to promote self-regulation. In the real world, we often do not have the luxury of a designated calming room, so we want to promote strategies and solutions to give us a moment to take a breath.

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When life gets overwhelming, take a break! ISD 728 has a commitment to dedicated spaces and strategies to promote self-regulation. In the real world, we often do not have the luxury of a designated calming room, so we want to promote strategies and solutions to give us a moment to take a breath.

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BC2M activates and empowers you to join our fight to end stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. United, we will create and advance innovative approaches and partnerships to start conversations around mental illness, share resources, and tell stories so everyone can thrive in a stigma free world.

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At Bring Change to Mind, our mission is to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. We work with industry-leading scientists to make a real difference in the lives of teens and adults across the country.
Click below to learn more about our organization.

The Latest & Greatest

See our newest PSA, partnerships, and event updates right here.

We are partnering with the CW to launch a series of PSAs addressing the importance of mental health care for everyone. Stars from All American and All American: Homecoming remind us that we are not alone.

On October 9, 2023 we hosted Revels & Revelations 11 in New York City. This star-studded event featured entertainment, conversation, heartfelt moments and the bestowing of the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award to Ryan Reynolds.

Our High School Clubs are now in 38 states with over 12,000 participating students. In March, we hosted a student summit in New York City, the first of a series that will be held both virtually and in-person over the course of the year.

Help is Here

Get useful tools for yourself, your friends, or family members, curated by our staff, our Scientific Advisory Council, and our partners.

BC2M HS

Our nationwide high school program empowers students to take on the challenge of ending the stigma around mental illness together by creating a culture of peer support within their schools. Click below to learn more and apply to start your own club!

Featured Partner

We are proud to partner with Title Boxing Club, whose mission is to increase fitness and decrease stress through authentic boxing training, anytime, anywhere.

What We Do

School
Programs

We help amplify the voices of students across the country, through peer support and access to exclusive resources.

PSAs

Our award-winning campaigns have helped us get our mission in front of millions, and have featured everyone from A-List celebrities to real-life BC2M club members.

Research

Our team of mental health experts ensures we have the most accurate and up-to-date information for our resources, programs, and events.

Events

We partner with everyone from global brands to local businesses to create a stigma-free future, and hold an annual fundraiser to help us continue bringing our message to the masses.

It costs just $5 a year to support a BC2M youth advocate.

Make a contribution today!

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At Bring Change to Mind, our mission is to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. We work with industry-leading scientists to make a real difference in the lives of teens and adults across the country.Click below to learn more about our organization. See our newest PSA, partnerships, and event updates right here.

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This website highlights what stress is, what causes it, and ways to manage stress. Focus is on teenagers and adults.

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Feeling overwhelmed, anxious or stressed? Change to Chill offers free online mental health resources for teens designed to help them learn how to relax and integrate healthy habits into their lifestyle. Whether you’re a teen yourself, a mentor or a parent, explore our mindfulness guides and stress relief activities for teens to help yourself and others soothe their minds and Change to Chill.

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This free App includes a depression questionnaire, thought diary, and safety plan. It can be downloaded on iPhones and Android devices.

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Feeling sad or depressed? Lift your mood with free, evidence-based tools.

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MoodTools is a free, convenient, and easy-to-use smartphone app that provides six evidence-based tools to aid against clinical depression and negative moods on a large scale.

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A compilation of Apps for adults and children that promote SEL, self-care and mindfulness.

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Aloe Bud is a self-care companion. It provides a space to complete self-care activities, check in on your overall well-being and reflect. The app encourages writing to reduce overwhelming feelings.

Connections App, a smartphone app to help with recovery. Addiction Policy Forum partnered with CHESS Health to launch Connections. This is an app scientifically proven to support patients in recovery by reducing relapse and promoting pro-social engagement.

Daylio is a diary, journal and mood tracker. It helps you track and understand your habits better to become more productive.

Headspace features mini meditations, stress relief exercise, and sleepcasts.

Insight Timer is a smartphone app and online community for meditation. The app features guided meditations, music and talks posted by contributing experts.

KidsDoc was developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this app helps identify illnesses in children in 3 easy steps by selecting the most significant symptom, deciding a course of action, and following suggestions from a self-care guide to help. Available for purchase on Apple/Android devices.

MoodTools is designed to help combat depression and anxiety. It contains several different research-supported tools including a though diary, activities, safety plan, information, and videos.

MindShift, a free app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It includes strategies and tools to help tackle everyday anxiety.

Relax Melodies is a soothing app that makes sleep easy. This app features countless soundscapes, helps create bedtime routines and learn to meditate for sleep.

Smiling Mind is a tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life. This app provides daily mediation and mindfulness exercises.

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What is Brain Health? Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health presents a Ted Talk on reframing the term "mental disorders" to start understanding them as "brain disorders" here. Open Resource List " Cincinnati Children's Book List for Common Mental

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MindPeace Rooms™ are usually physical spaces available in a school to allow for students to decompress and practice social-emotional and resiliency skills.  While these spaces may be unavailable during this time, MindPeace wants to make sure that you and your family have resources available to promote this type of learning.

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A MindPeace Room™ is usually a physical space available in school allowing for students to decompress and practice social-emotional and resiliency skills. While these spaces may be unavailable, MindPeace wants to make sure that you and your family have resources available to promote this type of learning.

To get started, select the Virtual MindPeace Room™ below that best fits your needs and practice using the tools.

Be sure to visit our traditional MindPeace Room™ physical spaces.

Do you have comments or feedback about the Virtual MindPeace Room™? Take our survey.

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A MindPeace Room™ is usually a physical space available in school allowing for students to decompress and practice social-emotional and resiliency skills. While these spaces may be unavailable, MindPeace wants to make sure that you and your family have resources available to promote this type of learning.

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SEL for school counselors’ mental health.

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By Justina Schlund and Amanda Fitzgerald
Stress is nothing new to school counselors. But as they continue to shoulder the tremendous responsibility of helping young people heal from the momentous events of the past year and ongoing traumas, education leaders need to renew a focus on school counselors' well-being. Although nearly all educators are experiencing heightened stress and anxiety, school counselors are often the first ones called in to help address crises and traumatic experiences. As we look to support the mental health of educators, we must also remember the school "helpers" who are often asked to place the needs of students, families, and colleagues before their own.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical to maintaining the mental health and well-being of the school community. Over the last decade, we've seen schools and districts increasingly prioritize adult SEL by promoting self-care, supportive staff relationships, and opportunities for reflection and collaboration. This intentional focus combined with structures for additional mental health supports can bolster staff wellness, help prevent secondary trauma and compassion fatigue, and create supportive climates that allow school counselors to bring their full selves to work.

Below, we offer four strategies to promote school counselors' well-being and mental health.

Create agreements to connect, listen, and heal together.

We know that self-care is important for school counselors, but it's hard to prioritize if it's not reflected in the work climate and culture. Self-care should become part of the school culture rather than a responsibility for individual staff members to seek out on their own. Relationships are the foundation for supportive conditions that prioritize staff wellness and are built through connecting and listening to one another.

A good way to start establishing these conditions is by developing Staff Shared Agreements to talk about how staff interact with and listen to one another, as well as how to set realistic boundaries around work. For example, these agreements can help staff find ways to support and connect with one another virtually or in-person, define how they will model SEL when they communicate with students and families, create expectations around email and response times, or set up routines for reflecting on their own well-being.

Follow up on these agreements by carving out dedicated time and space for school counselors to come together with other school staff to build connections and engage in collective healing, through activities like staff circles or the three signature practices for adult SEL.

Check in on school counselors and normalize asking for support.

School counselors will have varied experiences and stressors during this time, and some may have additional mental health needs related to depression, anxiety, grief, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Create routines to check in regularly with school counselors and support staff, such as five-minute chats at the beginning of the day for staff to share how they're feeling and reflect on their needs. It can also be helpful to establish simple routines that let school counselors and educators ask for support from colleagues when they need a quick break. For example, a teacher tap-in/tap-out protocol might be adapted to allow school counselors to ask colleagues to hold off sending students to their offices for a few minutes when they need a moment to recenter.

Ensure school counselors are aware of-and know how to access- employee assistance programs and wellness benefits that may provide access to community mental health providers and resources. Also, creating a confidential referral process, such as a dedicated phone line that protects the privacy of employees, is important for staff who are at higher risk for significant stress or trauma. This may mean ensuring access to community mental health providers who can offer extra resources.

Use this extraordinary time to innovate and tap into school counselors' "why".

Reconnecting with what drives us to this work is an important way to motivate and ground ourselves, especially when experiencing stress and burnout. Although the past months have often been overwhelming, this difficult time has also offered opportunities to innovate and to reconnect with why the work that school counselors do is so important.

Give school counselors opportunities and space to reflect on and share what they've learned from their unique experiences. What new strategies have they found to confront inequities and build meaningful relationships with students and families? How might these insights improve communities and structures moving forward? How can school counselors and educators work together toward creating a school culture free from racism and bias?

Set up formal or informal conversations with teams or colleagues to share best practices, talk about successes and challenges, and identify innovative ways to design inclusive spaces. You might want to try using protocols, such as National School Reform Faculty's Futures Protocol, to harness a team's brainstorming energy for paths forward.

Develop a professional learning plan with school counselors focused on adult SEL.

Studies have found that educators with stronger social and emotional competencies are less likely to report burnout, have higher job satisfaction, and demonstrate higher levels of patience and empathy. As school counselors face work-related stress, adult SEL can have positive effects on their outlook.

A good starting point is self-reflection. When staff reflect on their own lifelong process for developing social and emotional competencies, they gain insight into their own strengths and areas for improvement.

One strategy to consider is to support school counselors in taking a self-care inventory and noting coping mechanisms they use in stressful times. Recording reflections in a self-care journal can allow for a healthy space to explore feelings, seek out positive strategies, and fine tune the areas for improvement.

Build on this self-assessment by creating a plan for how to strengthen areas of growth. This might include developing coping and emotional regulation strategies. It may also include deepening self-awareness about individual perspectives and biases, strengthening cultural competence as part of social awareness, and developing relationship-building skills.
Justina Schlund is the senior director of content and field learning at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Amanda Fitzgerald is the assistant deputy executive director of the American School Counselor Association.
As schools respond to the urgent mental health needs of all educators, we must also remember the needs of our school counselors. We hope these strategies continue to build on a culture of support and healing for every member of the school community.

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Who Helps the Helpers? SEL for School Counselors' Mental Health - ASCD Inservice

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By Justina Schlund and Amanda Fitzgerald Stress is nothing new to school counselors. But as they continue to shoulder the tremendous responsibility of helping young people heal from the momentous events of the past year and ongoing traumas, education leaders need to renew a focus on school counselors' well-being.

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This 10-day series provides resources, both free and for purchase, that can help you make space for yourself this year and create school environments where educators' and students' emotional needs are met.

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You can give your best only when you are at your best. This 10-day series provides you with free and for-purchase mental health resources for educators.

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Along with the short article, there is a brief, relevant video about being highly resilient now—which means practicing self-care.

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December 2020/January 2021 | Volume 78 | Number 4
Mental Health for Educators Pages 78-79

Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

We need to be highly resilient now-which means practicing self-care.

2020 is shaping up to be an annus horribilis. As educators, we've witnessed firsthand the triple punch of a global pandemic, racial injustice, and economic devastation. We have seen the suffering of students and their families, our communities, and our colleagues. The emotional, psychological, and economic toll on schools has been profound. Many schools (including the one where we work) opened the school year at a distance. Other schools are experiencing the uncertainty and-at times-distress that has become part and parcel of face-to-face learning during a pandemic.

We are a helping profession. Check in with yourself about why you chose to become a teacher or school leader and invariably it has something to do with a generosity of spirit. We care deeply about young people and our communities. It might be an occupational hazard, but in many cases educators have a tendency to minimize our own needs in the face of the great needs of our students.

Now more than ever, however, practicing self-care is crucial to being able to take care of others. Mental health professionals speak of two related but conflicting phenomena that can affect those in helping professions-compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. The first is the rewarding elements of the knowledge that what we do makes a positive difference in the lives of others. But compassion fatigue can occur when the traumas of others overwhelm us. This kind of fatigue leaves us feeling depleted physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

Allow us to share some everyday practices educators can use-individually and together-to build resiliency in our lives and regain the compassion satisfaction that speeds our forward movement.

Practice Self-Care, A Key to Resiliency

Resiliency is the counterweight to distress in our lives. And resiliency can always be strengthened. During times of disruption to our daily routines-something we're all experiencing now-it's essential to invest in your resiliency. The Committee for Children, an organization committed to transforming the social-emotional lives of children, has developed modules for educators for building their own resiliency. The project's introductory video, parts of which were filmed at our school, is featured below. It highlights how crises we're facing today have "chipped away at our resilience," as child psychologist Janine Jones puts it. "Emotions fester ... and [the situation] doesn't give you an opportunity to get resolution." (Many other groups also provide resources on educator resilience; this is just one example.)

Self-care is a critical part of the work of strengthening your resiliency. Each "microlearning" in these resiliency modules focuses on an aspect of evidence-based self-care practices. Self-care routines begin with the basics: managing your eating, increasing physical activity, and getting enough sleep. In case you're thinking, "I already do that," collect some data on yourself for a week. For instance, monitor whether you really get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, the amount the Sleep Foundation recommends for working-age adults.

"A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow," wrote Charlotte Brontë. The converse is true: practicing cognitive self-care makes it easier to engage in physical self-care, such as getting enough sleep. Being able to label one's strong emotions allows us to "name it and tame it" and move forward from an emotionally stressful moment. Additional protective activities include having meaningful conversations with people inside and outside your home each day, having morning and end-of-workday routines, socializing with colleagues, and engaging in nonwork activities you enjoy.

Self-compassion-granting ourselves the grace we routinely give others-is another practice worth cultivating. To settle your "ruffled mind," the Committee for Children recommends writing your own personal permission slip to say no to a committee assignment, take a break from your work, or cross something off your to-do list.

Empty the Cup

Francisco Escobedo, superintendent of Chula Vista Elementary School District in California, meets regularly with his senior leadership team to make decisions that impact the learning lives of nearly 30,000 students and the working lives of the district's 3,300 employees. Yet Escobedo begins every one of his cabinet meetings with a reminder that it is difficult to take care of others when your own "cup" is full, noting that you can't put anything more into a cup that's filled to the rim. He invites each cabinet member to "empty the cup" by talking for a few minutes about what they're bringing with them, personally or professionally, into the meeting. The opportunity to unburden oneself provides a supportive transition to centering on the work ahead.

Why not use this technique at the beginning of your professional learning community or grade-level or department meetings? It's not self-indulgent to take time to pose these questions to one another:

What's on your mind?

What's a recent challenge or success?

What are you thankful for?

What are you looking forward to?

In our experience, taking time to check in emotionally with one another for a few minutes actually increases the efficiency of a meeting. We get more accomplished-and prevent some of the "decision fatigue" that can set in as a meeting goes on.

Suggest More Help If Necessary

These practices aren't meant as a substitute for professional counseling and support. If you think anyone in your school community (or you) needs the assistance of a mental health professional, speak with someone who can refer them to the right resources. Encourage colleagues to take advantage of your Employee Assistance Program benefits and consult your district's services for ways in which teachers, students, and families can be supported.

Educators, we can get through this together. Your school and colleagues need you. Your students need you. And your family needs you. And you deserve the investment in yourself and your own resilience.

Endnotes

Essary, J. N., Barza, L., & Thurston, R. J. (2020). Secondary traumatic stress among educators. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 56(3), 116-121.

Sleep Foundation. (2020). How much sleep do we really need? https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

Mendes, E. (2003). Empty the cup before you fill it up: Relationship-building activities to promote effective learning environments. Mendes Training.

Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey are professors in the Department of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and teacher leaders at Health Sciences High and Middle College. They are ASCD authors, most recently of All Learning Is Social and Emotional (ASCD, 2019), and their work inspired ASCD's FIT Teaching® program.

KEYWORDS

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Regaining "Compassion Satisfaction" - Educational Leadership

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December 2020/January 2021 | Volume 78 | Number 4 Mental Health for Educators Pages 78-79 Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey We need to be highly resilient now-which means practicing self-care. 2020 is shaping up to be an annus horribilis. As educators, we've witnessed firsthand the triple punch of a global pandemic, racial injustice, and economic devastation.

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A short article about how educators can regain a sense of control during these tumultuous times.

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December 2020/January 2021 | Volume 78 | Number 4
Mental Health for Educators Pages 22-26

Phyllis L. Fagell

Nearly halfway through an unpredictable school year, educators may find the ambiguity of their working lives as distressing as the tangible losses they're experiencing because of the pandemic. In a 2016 study, researchers at University College London found that participants who were told they had a small chance of getting a painful electric shock felt more anxious than those who knew they would be shocked. And in a systematic literature review, sociologists in Germany found that job insecurity can exact as big a toll on mental health as unemployment (Kim & von dem Knesebeck, 2015). Perhaps not surprisingly, a new study published in JAMA revealed that the prevalence of depression symptoms in U.S. adults has tripled since the pandemic began (Ettman et al., 2020).

Educators, in particular, are struggling to maintain an even keel. "We can take guidelines and operationalize a plan, but the greatest variable is [that we are all] human"-unpredictable by nature, says Sarah Sirgo, director of learning, achievement, and administration for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. As schools return to hybrid or in-person instruction, for instance, districts can mandate that students wear masks, but they can't guarantee perfect compliance. And while leaders can implement safety precautions, they can't eliminate all danger or predict how individual teachers will cope with the stress and fear. "One of the biggest challenges is how different people will respond and react to the unknown," adds Jae Lee, principal of Carderock Elementary School in Montgomery County.

As a school counselor, I am aware that everyone from parents to educators to children is feeling the stress of uncertainty. Many parents worry that their child has regressed, withdrawn, or disengaged from school. Educators have rapidly acquired new instructional delivery methods, and some are balancing both in-person and remote instruction. Even teachers with decades of experience feel like they're back in year one, and educators across the country are on the receiving end of a steady stream of demoralizing criticism. Meanwhile, emotions are contagious, and children are absorbing all the ambient anxiety.

Amid all this, how can we regain a sense of control? Based on my research and experience, I have identified six ways that educators can cope and be a reassuring source of strength for students when the only constant right now is change and uncertainty.

1. Reframe your personal narrative.

"The linear life is dead," says Bruce Feiler, author of Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age (Penguin Press, 2020). His data show that people go through three to five "lifequakes," massive life changes with aftershocks that can last five years or more. Everyone hits bumps in the road, he explained to me, but this is the first time the entire planet is experiencing a lifequake simultaneously.

Given the current pandemic, it's easy to sink into pessimism, question others' judgment, or focus on what we've lost, but it's far more productive to alter our mindset and recognize that peaks can't exist without valleys. When we let go of preconceived ideas about what life should look like, we have an easier time self-regulating our emotions.

Rewrite the narrative, casting yourself as the hero-as someone who discovers their strength because of the pandemic. As you frame your story internally, focus on the skills you're acquiring, such as flexibility and self-compassion. Boosting resilience may represent the upside to the pandemic, Feiler points out. "I believe-as scary and sad as it is-we're going to make a lot of calluses and forge a lot of transition-management skills."

2. Prune and preserve relationships.

In times of stress, we have fewer reserves. Uncertainty feeds anxiety, fear, and anger-emotions that hinder the ability to read social cues and adopt someone else's perspective. We are also more susceptible to others' negativity. To sustain stamina, curate your social network. Limit interactions with friends and colleagues who drain or deplete you and protect relationships with the people you've come to trust and who are engaged in this crisis with you.

This can be challenging in times of stress, when people are not at their peak and may be more easily provoked. Following a series of negative interactions with frustrated parents, for example, a trusted administrator may exhibit less patience with a teacher. To limit misunderstandings, know your own triggers, whether that's ruminating about an outcome you can't alter, spending hours with someone who complains incessantly, skipping your morning run, or "doomscrolling" through grim newsfeeds.

Recognize that social distancing can also heighten sensitivity. "One of the reasons why this is hard for everyone-hard for me-is that before, we were getting all this positive energy from daily interactions and reaffirming relationships," notes Lee. He recently had to reassure a staff member who called him and said, "Hey, Jae, I want to make sure you're not mad at me."

Even when educators are physically together, it's harder to accurately interpret someone's tone through a mask. We need facial expressions to decipher emotions in ordinary times, let alone in the middle of a pandemic. "Our nervous systems get activated when we feel threatened, and we can't access our prefrontal capacity as well," explains psychologist Tina Bryson, coauthor of The Whole-Brain Child (Bantam, 2012). Before you react with a strong emotion, take a deep breath and consider whether you're likely to elicit the desired outcome. Lashing out in anger or placing blame tends to be divisive and counterproductive. As the pandemic has illustrated, we're stronger when we work together.

"I hope we all can show a little grace and resist the inclination to be swept up in alarm," notes Sirgo. As one of the officials leading the design and recovery work in her district-as well as a working parent-she knows that everyone is experiencing angst and frustration. "When I think about extending grace, the following things come to mind," she told me. We must

seek to understand and ask questions before reaching conclusions; assume positive intention and the supposition that people are trying to make things work and giving it their best; use language and messages, particularly in email, to communicate in ways that are clear and kind; and be deliberate about recognizing our own stress and anxiety and not placing that on others with frustration and short-tempered reactions.

3. Build community and foster collegiality.

Kingswood College, a K-12 school in Victoria, Australia, is several months ahead (pandemic-wise) of schools in the United States. The school made an initial shift to remote learning, then transitioned to socially distanced, face-to-face instruction, and then-when COVID-19 infection rates began to rise again-returned to distance learning. Adam Somes, head of Kingswood's middle school, told me that staff members continue to take the disruptions in stride, a "rare feat" he attributes to "communication, connection, and community."

Administrators at his school are transparent and honest and have a "we can do this" attitude, he explains. They consistently underscore the importance of optimism, resilience, and being nimble. The entire community-staff and their families, students, and caregivers-participates in online wellness activities such as fitness bingo. The leadership team also reaches out weekly to each staff member to check on their welfare.

Bellview Elementary School in Pensacola, Florida, is taking a similarly intentional approach this year. The school's staff recently turned over by 30 percent, in part because of challenges specific to COVID-19, says Nathan Maynard, coauthor of Hacking School Discipline (Times 10 Publications, 2019). Maynard has been working with Bellview's principal to improve school culture during the pandemic, he told me over the phone, by incorporating more relationship-building strategies among colleagues. For example, he says, "Staff are doing virtual and in-person check-in circles to support each other, to integrate new staff, and to proactively address any issues that might arise."

Schools can also use a "tap in/tap out" system like the one at Fall-Hamilton Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee (Berger, 2018). The principal there adopted the approach to encourage teachers to call on their peers when they need to take a short break or step back from a tense situation. Instead of losing their cool, they can leave the classroom and take a breath while a designated colleague steps in. Educators in virtual environments could design a similar system: They could partner with a teacher who has a different schedule and exchange phone numbers and links to one another's virtual classes.

4. Be specific when naming emotions.

When we're able to label emotions with specificity, we can take steps to manage them. If you simply feel overwhelmed, you might get stuck. But if you know that you're exhausted from worrying all night, or that you're resentful that you're too busy helping others to find time to exercise, you can work to prioritize better sleep and self-care habits.

Once you've pinpointed the feeling or concern, ask yourself, "Does worrying about this help me or get in my way?" Make an effort to extinguish defeatist self-talk. If you're telling yourself "I'm miserable," try reframing that as "I'm sad now." If you're thinking "This is too much for me," try saying, "I can handle tough stuff."

There are four types of grief, and nearly everyone is experiencing two or three of them right now, says psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair, author of The Big Disconnect (Harper, 2014). In a recent conversation, she explained to me that there is ambiguous grief, "which is free-floating-the loss of summer, the pervasive sense that we've lost so much." The opposite of ambiguous grief is acute grief. "That could be not being able to pay rent or a partner getting furloughed." A third type is anticipatory grief. "What will school be like? How many hours will I be expected to be in a Zoom classroom? How will I manage distance learning with my own children? Will I get in trouble or lose my job if kids don't show up?"

Many individuals are also experiencing moral outrage grief -the fourth type-which is a sadness for what's happening in the country and the world right now. As she explains, "You ask people, "How are you?" and there's this hesitancy [in their response]."

Educators can't vanquish such grief, but as with any emotion, they can "name it to tame it." In other words, they can develop a game plan, whether they reach out to a friend, take a mental health day, or see a therapist.

5. Exercise agency.

It's easy to feel powerless in the face of a pandemic, so focus on what you can do to improve your situation. That could mean reaching out to human resources to inquire about leave or child-care options, contacting an employee assistance program about teletherapy resources, incorporating movement or relaxation practices into your day, or signing up for school or district-sponsored professional development or psychoeducational programs. For example, Christina Connolly, the Montgomery County district's director of psychological services, recently worked with colleagues to create "Waymaking," a set of videos for staff and families covering everything from stress management to the impact of racism on mental health.

If you're working in a school building, you can take steps to mitigate risk, such as wearing a mask and washing your hands. "It's important to remember that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via the respiratory tract and largely through lengthy person-to-person interactions," says Tim Lahey, infectious diseases physician and professor of medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center. "That means you can rank teacher-student interactions along a gradient of risk. A quick pat on the shoulder or tousle of the hair by a teacher standing briefly by the student's side is extremely low risk," he told me, while "interacting face-to-face or close-up for longer periods of time raises the ante."

You can also strive to establish healthy boundaries, such as setting personal policies around when your workday begins and ends, when you turn off the computer, and when you stop returning emails.

6. If you can't fix it, aim for acceptance.

There are many facets of the pandemic that are out of everyone's control. You can't unilaterally determine whether your school-or your child's school-operates virtually or in person. You can't guarantee you'll reach every student, and you can't eradicate tough emotions. In fact, you might feel worse if you try to push your pain away. As Carl Jung famously said, "What you resist persists."

Acceptance doesn't mean that you like the current reality; it just means you stop fighting it. It can take awhile to reach this point, but if you stop trying to fix things you can't change, you can then devote your energy to coping with disappointment and unmet expectations. You might even be able to identify a silver lining-or at least some shades of gray. For instance, virtual learning has given principals an opportunity to focus more on instruction, Sirgo says. "Think about the things that can often be distractions that principals no longer have to do-office referrals, lunch and recess, sub coverage, in-person evening events," she explains. As her district moved through the initial stages of planning a return, "principals found ways to look at the fall diagnostic data, talk with teachers about what they were seeing instructionally, and lead more directed conversations with staff about student learning and well-being."

If acceptance is too lofty a goal, try projecting into the distant future. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley found that when people can imagine how they'll interpret an upsetting event many years later, they experience less anxiety, sadness, hurt, and anger (Bruehlman-Senecal & Ayduk, 2015). This type of "temporal distancing" can help educators internalize the idea that distressing experiences aren't permanent. You don't want to make rash, long-term decisions because of your passing negative emotions.

Weary But Unwavering

It's not easy to accept uncertainty with patience, let alone tranquility, and it may be difficult to remember why you chose this profession in the midst of so much turmoil, change, insecurity, and self-doubt. And yet, while educators didn't choose to work with children through a screen or from a distance, they are choosing to work tirelessly to reassure, connect, help, and teach. "I'd be lying if I said I am not weary right now," says Tara Christie Kinsey, head of The Hewitt School in New York City. "But when I consider why and for whom I do what I do, I remember what a blessing it is to be an educator, what an honor it is to serve, and what an opportunity we have to shape our world for the better. One child at a time."

References

Berger, T. (2018, February 5). An inside look at trauma-informed practices. Edutopia.

Bruehlman-Senecal, E., & Ayduk, O. (2015). This too shall pass: Temporal distance and the regulation of emotional distress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(2), 356-375.

Ettman, C. K., Abdalla, S. M., Cohen, G. H., Sampson, L., Vivier, P. M., & Galea, S. (2020). Prevalence of depression symptoms in U.S. adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 3(9).

Kim, T. J., & von dem Knesebeck, O. (2015). Is an insecure job better for health than having no job at all? A systematic review of studies investigating the health-related risks of both job insecurity and unemployment. BMC Public Health, 15, 985.

University College London. (2016, March 29). Uncertainty can cause more stress than inevitable pain: Knowing that there is a small chance of getting a painful electric shock can lead to significantly more stress than knowing that you will definitely be shocked. ScienceDaily.

Endnote

Watch the Montgomery County district's "Waymaking" video series at https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/shriver-counseling/mental-health-supports.

Phyllis L. Fagell ( https://phyllisfagell.com/) is the school counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., and a therapist at the Chrysalis Group. She is the author of Middle School Matters (Hachette Books, 2019) and a regular columnist for the AMLE Magazine and Kappan. Follow her on Twitter.

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December 2020/January 2021 | Volume 78 | Number 4 Mental Health for Educators Pages 22-26 Phyllis L. Fagell Nearly halfway through an unpredictable school year, educators may find the ambiguity of their working lives as distressing as the tangible losses they're experiencing because of the pandemic.

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A comprehensive list of links for parents and educators, kids, and teens.

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SEL Resources for Parents, Educators & School Communities Related to COVID-19, including links for adult self-care, diversity, equity and inclusion, parenting, and school communities.

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As the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread, schools around the world are rapidly pivoting to support children's health and well-being. As districts shift to online learning, parents, educators and school leaders are searching for ways to continue prioritizing children's social and emotional development at home.

Our team at Inside SEL has put together an initial list of resources, blog posts and guides to help cope during this volatile and difficult time. Our intention is to continue to add to the list as we come across more relevant content.

We encourage readers of this post to share your most helpful resources here so we can expand our shared knowledge and support as many individuals as possible.
*Reintegrating Students to In-Person Learning with SEL* Adult Self-Care Tips: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Parenting Resources: Resources for School Communities: Other/Miscellaneous:
For a more expansive listing of resources related to various topics within the field social and emotional learning, visit our SEL Resources page.

Published by Nick Woolf

Social-emotional learning practitioner and researcher with interests in implementation science, family engagement, educational technologies, SEL, and education policy. View all posts by Nick Woolf

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SEL Resources for Parents, Educators & School Communities Related to COVID-19

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Our team at Inside SEL has put together an initial list of resources, blog posts and guides to help cope during this volatile and difficult time. Our intention is to continue to add to the list as we come across more relevant content.

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Guidance and resources for educators, educational leaders, and families/guardians in kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) schools, to provide social and emotional supports during distance learning.

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Relationships matter. When educators and students practice physical distancing, it does not mean that they must lose social and school connections. During the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, it is critically important to place adult and student wellness first and foremost to establish a positive, safe, and supportive learning environment.

Leading with social and emotional learning (SEL) is essential not only because children need social and emotional support as they, like the adults around them, navigate the unprecedented challenges of alternative learning contexts, but because SEL helps students access academic content through building essential self-management skills, resilience, and connections. To learn more about the fundamentals of SEL, visit the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning website . To learn more about the California Department of Education's (CDE's) SEL Guiding Principles (PDF) and 2018 Guide to SEL Resources (PDF) , visit the CDE's SEL web page.

The resources that follow provide a range of SEL options for educators, administrators and other school leaders, and families/guardians to utilize as they support their students-and themselves-during this time of learning remotely. Please note that while this page refers to many specific resources to support local educational agencies (LEAs) in developing, improving, and extending instruction through their distance learning capabilities, individual LEAs are responsible for assessing the appropriateness of any specific resource prior to implementation.

WestEd's Center to Improve SEL and School Safety
View the slides, handouts, and webinar (recording available May 29), Strategies for Districts to Support Self-Care for Educators During the COVID-19 Pandemic, to learn about supporting teachers experiencing primary and secondary trauma.

Webinar 1: Supporting Social Emotional Learning Throughout Your Systems
This August 6, 2020 presentation (PDF) focused on SEL supports for those in leadership positions throughout the education system.

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, October 6, 2020

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Social and Emotional Support in Distance Learning

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Relationships matter. When educators and students practice physical distancing, it does not mean that they must lose social and school connections. During the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) response, it is critically important to place adult and student wellness first and foremost to establish a positive, safe, and supportive learning environment.

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A collection of toolkits designed specifically to respond to COVID-19. Each includes downloadable resources that are easy to use and share with others. We hope that you'll find them helpful and useful.

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Hosted by Madame Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, this special podcast series offers listeners hands-on advice, tools and strategies to foster well-being. Featuring thought-provoking and informative conversations between mental health experts, advocates and celebrities to help empower people of all ages with tools to help support their well-being and the well-being of their community.

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Hosted by Madame Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, this special podcast series offers listeners hands-on advice, tools and strategies to foster well-being. Featuring thought-provoking and informative conversations between mental health experts, advocates and celebrities to help empower people of all ages with tools to help support their well-being and the well-being of their community.

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Headspace offers free access to all K-12 teachers, school administrators, and supporting staff in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Helping you be kind to yourself and your health, and guide your students and their parents through this difficult time.

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Improving the health and happiness of the world, one educator at a time.

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Explore these resources for stories, strategies, texts, and approaches for creating more accepting learning environments.

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Resources on Race, Equity and SEL Explore these resources for stories, strategies, texts, and approaches for creating more accepting learning environments. https://youtu.be/1JVN2qWSJF4 Articles 3 Skills to Discuss Racism with Social Emotional Learning Lorea Martinez, PhD Dena Simmons: Without Context, Social-Emotional Learning Can Backfire Mary Jo Madda Four Ways Teachers Can Reduce Implicit Bias Jill Suttie How [...]

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Tackling Social Isolation in Middle School 

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Tackling Social Isolation in Middle School 

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This short article provides practical activities and resources for educators to implement with their students.

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Tips, links, reflections, and mindfulness practices to help you cope with the common challenges faced by educators and other helping professionals.

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Self-Care Resources for Educators and Other Helping Professionals — Mindful Teachers

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Tips, links, reflections, and mindfulness practices to help you cope with the common challenges faced by educators and other helping professionals.

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This tool outlines an activity to support adults in self-care.

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Educators work hard to bring their best selves to the classroom every day while they juggle individual student needs, set ambitious goals, and often work long hours. Many teachers also face escalating job demands with few resources and, at times, work with students who face complex trauma, behavioral difficulties, and learning challenges. These stressors combine to make teaching one of the most stressful occupations in the U.S. (Gallup, 2014).

Teacher stress has been found to affect teachers' health and well-being, job satisfaction, turnover, and even student outcomes (Greenberg, Brown, & Abenavoli, 2016). For this reason, it's essential that educators take time to prevent burnout, promote health, and protect themselves from the negative effects of stress.

Activity: Self-Care Give One/Get Eight
Activity courtesy of Chicago Public Schools
By sharing and considering new self-care strategies, participants will practice social and emotional skills of relationship building and self-awareness. Once the activity concludes, participants will have nine self-care ideas to choose from and can commit to using one or more strategies as part of a self-care plan.

Pass out the handout and give participants a moment to write their favorite self-care activity in one of the boxes in the grid. Explain that if they don't currently have a self-care practice they rely on, they can write something they would like to do to practice self-care.

Ask participants to stand and move around the room, introducing themselves to partners as necessary and sharing their self-care practice. Each time they get an idea from a partner, they should write it down on their grid until all nine boxes are filled.

Once participants have several ideas to choose from, ask them to commit to using one or more of these strategies this week and report back to your peers on how it's going.

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Educators work hard to bring their best selves to the classroom every day while they juggle individual student needs, set ambitious goals, and often work long hours. Many teachers also face escalating job demands with few resources and, at times, work with students who face complex trauma, behavioral difficulties, and learning challenges.

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Living Works Start -- Suicide Prevention Training for Staff

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Living Works Start -- Suicide Prevention Training for Staff

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Each county office of education has licenses to distribute to local educational agencies.  If you are interested in accessing this online training for your 7th-12th grade staff, please let us know at your earliest convenience. We will send you the URL link and county-specific Registration Code.

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CASEL's Updated SEL Definition and Frameworks

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CASEL's Updated SEL Definition and Frameworks

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Learn more about CASEL's updated definition of SEL and it's competences.

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A special Each Mind Matters webinar on supporting people with children during this time of heightened stress. Learn more about the impacts of trauma and its implications for children and communities, as well as stress responses and tactics to mitigate them.

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Supporting Self-Care for People With Children Webinar

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A webinar on supporting people with children during this time of heightened stress, the impacts of trauma and its implications for children and communities, as well as stress responses and tactics to mitigate them.

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Scheduled in February each year, register now to receive information about how your district/school can get involved.

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No One Eats Alone Teacher Guide | Beyond Differences

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© 2021 Beyond Differences | All Rights Reserved | Beyond Differences, "No One Eats Alone" and all associated logos and designs are trademarks of Beyond Differences.

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This free webinar offers the “El Rotafolio” presentation based on the statewide suicide prevention campaign: Know the Signs,  for the Spanish speaking community.

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Information and Resources to Promote Healing

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Survivor of Suicide Loss Brochure.Eversion.

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National Center for School Mental Health

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National Center for School Mental Health

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Website provides research, resources and webinars related to high-quality, sustainable school mental health systems

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Welcome to the NCSMH:

The mission of the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) is to strengthen policies and programs in school mental health to improve learning and promote success for America's youth. From its inception in 1995, the Center's leadership and interdisciplinary staff has promoted the importance of providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and families directly in schools and communities.

News and Resources:

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National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH)

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The mission of the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) is to strengthen policies and programs in school mental health to improve learning and promote success for America's youth. From its inception in 1995, the Center's leadership and interdisciplinary staff has promoted the importance of providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and families directly in schools and communities.

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A structure and sample questions for one-on-one chats to begin to build connections with students

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 Free resources, articles, and webinars fore ducators and families from Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

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 Free resources, articles, and webinars fore ducators and families from Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

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The RULER Tools

RULER skill development relies on four core tools, which are introduced to all stakeholders in the school community-school leaders, teachers, staff, students, and families.

Charter: Builds and sustains positive emotional climates by creating agreed-upon norms for how people want to feel and how they can help each other to experience those feelings.

Mood Meter: Enhances self- and social awareness and supports the development of a nuanced emotion vocabulary and a range of strategies for regulating emotion.

Meta-Moment: Provides a process for responding to emotional situations with strategies that align with one's best self and that support healthy relationships and personal well-being.

Blueprint: Supports the development of empathy and conflict resolution skills by serving as a guide for reflecting on conflict and restoring affected communities.

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RULER is an approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) that teaches emotional intelligence to people of all ages, with...

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Confidential and affordable mental health services for California educators and their families 

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Confidential and affordable mental health services for California educators and their families 

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Educators shape the learning and development of students across the state. HearYou.org provides confidential, affordable, and timely access to mental health services to ensure California educators are supported every step of the way.

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Educators shape the learning and development of students across the state. HearYou.org provides confidential, affordable, and timely access to mental health services to ensure California educators are supported every step of the way.

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Well-Being Toolkit for Children, Educators and Parents

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Well-Being Toolkit for Children, Educators and Parents

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Well-Being Toolkit for Children, Educators and Parents

While research regarding mindfulness practices for children is still at an early stage, initial results point to potential benefits in children's ability for self-regulation. Developing an ability to focus attention is an essential skill that can aid in kids' relationships, school, sports, music and other areas of life.

This well-being toolkit is intended for educators, parents and caregivers of children. We have included tips, audio and video practices, our Kindness Curriculum and more resources for you.

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Center for Healthy Minds Well-Being Toolkit for Children, Educators and Parents - Center for Healthy Minds

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Well-Being Toolkit for Children, Educators and Parents While research regarding mindfulness practices for children is still at an early stage, initial results point to potential benefits in children's ability for self-regulation. Developing an ability to focus attention is an essential skill that can aid in kids' relationships, school, sports, music and other areas of life.

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Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening School - CASEL

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As educators across the country prepared to welcome students and adults back to school in Fall 2020, they faced the layered impact of school closures, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial inequities exacerbated by the pandemic and amplified by the nationwide mobilization for racial justice.

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Navigate the complex field of social and emotional learning

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Navigate the complex field of social and emotional learning

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Researchers, educators, employers, and parents agree that social and emotional learning (SEL) and non-academic skills matter for success in school and life, but it can be difficult to decide which skills to focus on - let alone how best to promote and measure them. Learn More.

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Navigate the complex field of social and emotional learning.

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Easily access resources as systems move forward with local SEL priorities

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Easily access resources as systems move forward with local SEL priorities

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T-SEL Competencies and Conditions for Thriving

These guidance tools, developed for voluntary use, aim to build on and respond to the call from California's diverse stakeholders to embed equity-focused Transformative Social and Emotional Learning (T-SEL) in every learning and teaching context across the education system.

Social and Emotional Support During Distance Learning

Visit the California Department of Education (CDE) Social and Emotional Support During Distance Learning web page for resources for educators, educational leaders, and families/guardians in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) schools, to provide social and emotional supports during distance learning.

Social and Emotional Learning Basics

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) reflects the critical role of positive relationships and emotional connections in the learning process and helps students develop a range of skills they need for school and life. SEL skills include the ability to:

set and achieve positive goals

feel and show empathy for others

establish and maintain positive relationships

make responsible decisions

understand and manage emotions

All of these skills are necessary-both for educators and students-to function well in the classroom, in the community, and in college and careers.

While many teachers instinctively know that SEL is important, historically schools have been primarily focused on teaching academic content such as reading, math, science, and history, and less intentional about supporting the social and emotional skills that are so important to learning and life success.

There is a growing body of research proving that SEL is fundamental to academic success, and must be woven into the work of every teacher in every classroom and every after school and summer learning program, if we truly want to prepare all our students for college and careers.

The CDE is committed to helping educators learn more about SEL and how to make this a part of every child's school experience. To support this work, the CDE has joined the Collaborating States Initiative a group of states that share information, best practices, and promising tools and ideas in the interest of building strong SEL in schools across their states. The Collaborating States Initiative is hosted by the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning .

The CDE has convened a group of experts from different sectors of the education system to advise on the best ways to support SEL implementation. The following are products this team has developed:

Advance Social and Emotional Learning Campaign

In 2020, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond launched the Advance SEL in California Campaign. The initiative gathered large-scale input through a forum called WikiWisdom , a virtual resource where educators, school leaders, and families can collaborate, interact with peers, and share best SEL practices to support students dealing with the impact of the Coronovirus (COVID-19) pandemic and over the long term. In total, the project engaged nearly 800 diverse California education stakeholders to gather perspectives on SEL practices, needs, and goals.

The project culminated with a report on the status of SEL in California, with recommendations for how teachers, school leaders, and families across the state can address the social and emotional needs of students, both in response to COVID-19 and over the long term. The findings in this report are grounded in what we heard from nearly 2,000 educators, students, parents, and other stakeholders throughout this project. The resounding message we heard was that SEL is more important than ever-and racial equity must be part of those SEL conversations.

For both the executive summary and the final report, visit the Education First website .

General Resources

To better understand the role of SEL in schools, the resources listed below are a good starting place. This list will be updated as relevant information is gathered and reviewed:

Support

If you need support in your school, district, or county in better understanding SEL or if you need implementation tools or technical assistance, the following are some resources to consider:

Register for Updates

If you would like to receive updates from the California Department of Education about California's SEL efforts, please sign up for our listserv.

To subscribe to the SEL Planning listserv, send a "blank" message to join-sel-planning@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

To unsubscribe from the SEL Planning listserv, send a "blank" message to unsubscribe-sel-planning@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

To view archived SEL newsletters, visit the California Educators Together SEL Newsletter Archive collection web page .

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, May 23, 2023

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Guidance and resources for supporting social and emotional learning.

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CASEL’s District Resource Center supports systemic SEL implementation.

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CASEL’s District Resource Center supports systemic SEL implementation.

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Continuous improvement drives high-quality implementation and helps districts reach their goals. Throughout implementation, a structured process for continuous improvement allows districts to make informed decisions and stay on the path to success. This includes collecting, reflecting on, and sharing actionable data.

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How It Works | CASEL District Resource Center

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Continuous improvement drives high-quality implementation and helps districts reach their goals. Throughout implementation, a structured process for continuous improvement allows districts to make informed decisions and stay on the path to success. This includes collecting, reflecting on, and sharing actionable data.

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A framework with actionable recommendations to help school leadership teams plan for the SEL needs of all students and adults during the upcoming transition into summer and the beginning of the new school year.

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A framework with actionable recommendations to help school leadership teams plan for the SEL needs of all students and adults during the upcoming transition into summer and the beginning of the new school year.

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A resource list of supports for educators to address the mental health needs of students

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A resource list of supports for educators to address the mental health needs of students

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Thank You - Explore Your Virtual Learning Resources | Panorama Education

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Routinely check-in with students to see how they are feeling, how digital learning is going, what they are planning to do during the day, and who they need support from. Customize the provided Google Form to send your "temperature checks."