Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

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BRIEF SUMMARY

“Social and Emotional Learning is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

KEY POINTS

  • According to a 2011 meta-analysis of 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students, those who participated in evidence-based SEL programs showed an 11% point gain in academic achievement.
  • Studies show decreased dropout rates, school and classroom behavior issues, drug use, teen pregnancy, mental health problems, and criminal behavior.
  • A review of six SEL interventions in evidence-based SEL programs showed that for every dollar invested there was an economic return of 11 dollars.

SHARED WISDOM

  • Q: Do you have a social-emotional curriculum recommendation?
    • A: I use Too Good for Drugs and Peaceable Place for K-5. It is scripted, discusses communication, I feel statements and skits.
    • A: Character Strong is pretty amazing! I’d highly recommend it.
    • A: We use Second Step at the middle school level. It’s super easy!
    • A: I really like Too Good For Drugs! It sounds really limited but actually covers a lot of important topics and doesn’t really spend too much time talking about drugs. And it is relatively inexpensive.
    • A: I agree with the CharacterStrong and the Too Good For Drugs – both are excellent!
    • A: I have used Second Step for 2 years now with 5-8 and hoping to integrate for K-4 next year. It is scripted and has worksheets if you want them plus supporting activities for MS levels. All curriculum is now digital which is great and any subscription allows access for all 9 grades. Very easy AND the content is good.
  • Virtual Social-Emotional Learning Resources

    • If you go to Teachers Pay Teachers website there is store of digital platforms coming out for School Counselors. I also follow a lot of School Counselors on Instagram that have great ideas.
    • You can also find lessons on Nearpod. If your district has an account, it’s an amazing resource for SEL needs, too
    • Kuder has put together for At-Home Learning Resources. You will find great tools on the page for Social Emotional Learning and also Anti-Racism & Equity resources for use with Elementary, Middle & High School and College level students.
    • I recently purchased a workbook that is full of great ideas.  I ordered it on Amazon.  50 Social & Emotional Learning Mini Lesson Student Packets for Upper Grade Levels.
    • Our middle school uses a curriculum from 5 Star Life both pre- and post-quarantine. Here’s the link: https://www.fivestarlife.org/covid-19-programming; 5 Star is a non-profit organization based out of Northern Indiana (Elkhart).
  • SEL apps
    • Stop, breath, think by My Life is a free app for breathing and guided mindfulness meditations.
    • Penzu is a good site/app for journaling online. I believe she would have to set up an account online first before using the app. “Calm” is a good app and can be used for free to start, when learning meditation or breathing exercises. I’ve also had students say they’ve searched YouTube for guided meditation or breathing exercises, to start learning the process.
  • SEL curriculum and universal screeners (from Counselor Talk, February 2020)
    • Second Step curriculum K-8. Taught by teachers and counselors. Very easy to use. Simple. Training available online. Updates available online. (Enlace)
    • Our district uses the Second Step curriculum and the DESSA-mini universal screener. We piloted both programs last year, so we are kind of still getting the hang of things. But our school is making strides in implementing the curriculum (pretty much weekly) in our homeroom classrooms. And we are finally getting to a point where we have all of our DESSA student ratings…now our SEL team will start matching interventions with students identified as needing SEL support. (Monroe County School Corporation)
  • Making social-emotional learning more relevant for adolescents (article)
  • Social and emotional learning activities (from Counselor Talk, March 2019)
    • We started this year going into library times for 20/25 minutes for our 5th and 6th graders on topics of Organization, Emotional Regulation, Responsibility, Cooperation. We developed the lessons ourselves based on a survey given to teachers as to what they wanted us to talk to students about and then we sent letters home to parents as a school/ home connection. It was a lot of work, but the feedback has been good.
    • PAX has a training for teachers and teaches students how to self-regulate.
    • The Zones of Regulation curriculum —  with 4th and 5th graders — should be available through Amazon or Social Thinking.
    • The new DOE SEL toolkits — LOTS of lessons…100 lessons for educational neuroscience, and dozens of others.
    • Conscious Discipline — as philosophy for self regulation building wide (elementary).  It took 3 years to implement and began with a book study for all staff.  This has brought positive changes in the building.
    • Feeling Buddies — In addition, counselor provides K-2 lessons on self regulation and using the safe place.
    • Go Strengths online program — There is a weekly group of targeted students for grades k-6.
    • Morning meetings are being implemented in some elementary schools — teachers indicate that they are making a big difference.
    • High school — self-regulation is addressed on a case by case basis.
    • Small mindfulness based groups — taught by a local counseling agency to some students.
    • You can use CASEL competencies. They have a whole SEL website but the competencies are kid friendly and easy to follow and you can choose different ones every month.
    • The Five Star Life program will save you tons of time and is absolutely transformative for the schools I know who use it. The student empowering, peer led nature of it is appreciated by teaching staff as well. I have CC’d their Exec Dir Seth Maust if you want more info. Also, check out the new Title IV program $ as they provide a minimum of $10K towards these type programs.
    • We utilize Botvin Life Skills for 3rd-8th grade and that covers all but 2 of the competencies (they cover the standard CASEL competencies but not the 2 individual to Indiana).  I’m finding that lots of programs that schools are using have SEL built in, it is not always called SEL, but the core is the same.

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This post was created by QRST ContentManager on January 25, 2019.