Module Introduction
Explicit instruction of SEL skills is a key part of social, emotional, and academic development. According to Nick Yoder, CASEL’s former Director of Policy and Practice, “There are numerous evidence-based SEL programs that provide students with an opportunity to understand what those SEL competencies are. They also provide teachers with active instruction and authentic ways to engage students in developing those core competencies.” However, as we’ll learn in this module, it’s important to note that students’ varying developmental needs require different approaches to teaching SEL.
For K-12 schools interested in adopting a research-based SEL program, CASEL offers program guides for PreK, Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. For a more in-depth look at many of these programs, Navigating SEL From the Inside Out from Harvard’s EASEL Lab provides information about programmatic features and curricular content about 25 SEL programs.
For educators and schools interested in supplementing their current program or who are lacking resources to adopt a formal program, the SEL Kernels, also from the EASEL Lab, feature free, research-based, and easy-to-use lessons and activities for K-6. Developed by Harvard University’s Ecological Approaches to Social Emotional Learning (EASEL) Laboratory, kernels are specific activities or strategies that are commonly used by research-based programs to support the growth and development of social and emotional skills and competencies.
In this module, we will:
- Explore and discuss discrete SEL skills
- Review, discuss, and explore how to use the SEL Kernels from Harvard’s EASEL Lab in an elementary classroom
- Explore and discuss how to teach SEL to middle and high school students in a developmentally-appropriate way
Module Resources
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional development opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topic of "Teaching for SEAD".
Individual Exploration
Explicit SEL Instruction: What It Is and Why We Need It
Explicit instruction of SEL skills is a key part of social, emotional, and academic development and different approaches to teaching SEL are required depending on students’ developmental needs. What is common, however, are the five (5) SEL competencies. Let’s read CASEL’s definition of SEL (pg. 1).
Reflection
- What is a word or phrase that you really connect to? Why?
- If you visited an SEL-infused classroom, what would you see?
- At this point in your educator journey, how important do you think SEL is to support students’ growth?
Schoolwide SEL: Explicit SEL Instruction
Watch CASEL’s video Explicit SEL Instruction. Think about the ways your school is explicitly teaching SEL (if not applicable, skip this step.)
Reflection
- What are some explicit ways you and/or your colleagues are currently integrating SEL into your school?
- What ideas from the video would you like to try in your classroom or as a school?
- What is the role of SEL in my school community, based on the students and families we serve?
- If I were extremely successful with SEL implementation, what would I see my students/colleagues doing/feeling/thinking?
- How can I strengthen my SEL instruction? What resources would make it possible?
3.2 Take it Deeper Elementary Educators: SEL Kernels
Drawing from EASEL’s content analysis of 25 leading SEL programs, SEL Kernels have been categorized into the following constructs: cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, character, and mindset. Read more about each of these constructs. Here is a downloadable guide to help you learn more about kernels!
3.2 Take it Deeper Middle and High School Educators: Teaching SEL to Adolescence in a Developmentally-Appropriate Way
Learn more about how to create an effective and developmentally-appropriate SEL program for older students. Here is a downloadable guide!
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional development opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topic of "Teaching for SEAD".
Learn more about using SEL Kernels with Elementary Students.
Learn more about SEL programs for middle and high school students.
Group Facilitation
Before facilitating groups, spend time in individual exploration in order to experience and embody the learning. And if you haven’t yet explored our introduction to SEL in California, make sure you explore those resources, too.
When facilitating groups, use the following resources:
This toolkit includes additional resources, including classroom lessons and practices, staff meeting activities, videos, podcasts, articles, and professional development opportunities, as well as supporting materials for group facilitation on the topic of "Teaching for SEAD".
A revisable, turnkey powerpoint slide deck to use for professional learning sessions on the topic of "Teaching for SEAD".
A powerpoint slide deck with welcoming and closing activities to include in professional learning sessions.
Learn more about using SEL Kernels with Elementary Students.
Learn more about SEL programs for middle and high school students.
Additional Modules
Teaching for Social, Emotional, and Academic Development
- Module 3.1 Adult Readiness for SEL
- Module 3.2 Explicit SEL Instruction
- Module 3.3 Planning for Social-Emotional-Academic Development
- Module 3.4 Integrating SEL into Leading
Do you want to dive deeper into the science behind our GGIE practices? Enroll in one of our online courses for educators!
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