Discover the importance of Social-Emotional Learning in the classroom and learn how to teach SEL lessons and strategies to foster skills such as self-awareness and empathy. Understand why weekly SEL lessons are essential for your student’s success. Five core competencies of SEL are explained!
Weekly Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom
SEL lessons help children learn and practice the skills they need to become successful humans (as well as successful students). I will introduce you to each category of SEL lessons in CASEL’s framework and explain why they’re so important to teach (hint: they’ll do more than make your classroom a happier place!).
Table of Contents
- Weekly Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom
- What are the 5 Categories of SEL?
- Social-Emotional Learning Resources
- More SEL Classroom Ideas
What are the five core competencies of SEL in CASEL’s framework?
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Relationship Skills
- Social Awareness & Respect
- Responsibility
Weekly SEL lessons matter because they help our students learn how to manage their emotions, connect, and take responsibility for their actions in a safe environment. Students will benefit from these social-emotional skills and activities now and in the future.
Wondering how to choose which SEL lessons to teach each week? My tip is to be an observer. Keep an eye out for what’s going on in your classroom, and take notes on the problems you’re noticing (both big and small). You can then use this information to design relevant SEL lessons with your goals in mind!
Start teaching your topic-specific strategy to your class during the morning meeting so everyone can share openly and feel respected and understood as soon as the day begins.
What are the 5 Categories of SEL?
Emotional Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is how we think about ourselves and who we are.
How a lack of self-awareness can show up in the classroom: A student might act out if they don’t know how to adequately express their feelings when they don’t understand the class material.
Which SEL lessons should be taught and why?
Teach pupils to recognize and express their feelings so they can learn that their different emotional states are expected. Help learners understand the emotions controlled by different parts of the brain – the human brain is a fascinating subject for all students, including K-2!
Key topics for teaching self-awareness:
- Emotions
- Self-esteem
- Honesty
- Identity
- Growth mindset
- Perseverance
- Mistakes
- The brain
Learners can learn to handle difficult situations calmly when they understand the correct emotional vocabulary and practice healthy emotional responses. Teach students to name and check in with their feelings and how a growth mindset includes making mistakes. Â
One idea is to set up a message mirror. Have students write encouraging messages for each other on sticky notes, then display them on a classroom mirror. When kids look at themselves in the mirror, they’ll take on all the positive messages from their classmates!
Self-Management
Self-management is about productively regulating emotions, thoughts, and actions so children can learn to stay calm and control their feelings.
How a lack of self-management can show up in the classroom: A student might become upset and not know how to calm down. Trying to ease the situation can take much time out of your day and distract other pupils.
Which SEL lessons should be taught and why?
Teach children to use positive self-talk and self-calming strategies so they can deal with intense emotions. Goal-setting also helps students feel motivated and can give them more courage to complete what they set out to do.
Key topics for teaching self-management:
- Calming/coping strategies
- Managing emotions
- Mindfulness
- Stress management
- Motivation
- Self-control
- Courage
- Goal-setting
When learners understand how to use relaxation techniques such as balloon breathing, they can learn to calm themselves and recognize that they can change their reactions to events. It’s also important to encourage “brain breaks” (especially in nature) to help pupils get ready for the next task.
If you want to incorporate self-management, try a “calm down kit.” A “calm down kit” is a hands-on way to learn self-control, self-regulation, and self-care. Fill a container with motivational items to help students soothe themselves, such as a journal, coloring book, and stress ball.
Relationship Skills
Relationship skills help children make and maintain positive connections with teachers and friendships with peers.
How a lack of relationship skills can show up in the classroom: A student might struggle to share or work well with others on the playground or during group work.
Which SEL lessons should be taught and why?
Teach students to understand and practice good communication and listening skills through role-play, how to solve problems together in group projects, and how to manage conflicts and disagreements through games calmly.
Key topics for teaching relationship skills:
- Communicating effectively
- Not interrupting
- Friendship
- Working with peers
- Sharing and taking turns
- Teamwork and cooperation
- Conflict resolution
- Leadership
When learners understand how to be good friends (through respectfully listening and sharing), the atmosphere of your classroom will improve, and you’ll see new friendships grow. The bigger picture is that you’ll teach students to spread kindness in a harsh world.
Try the peaceful problem-solving approach in your classroom. Conflict resolution and peaceful problem-solving start with teaching students how to analyze conflicts so they can effectively identify the problem and the cause. They’ll then learn to empathize and understand why taking ownership and being willing to make amends is essential. A great way to do this is through role-play and role reversal.
Social Awareness & Respect
Social awareness and respect are about understanding others, accepting and empathizing with alternate viewpoints, and celebrating everyone’s differences.
How a lack of social awareness and respect can show up in the classroom: A student might struggle to connect with a character in a story who is different from them. Or, they might not understand why a friend acted a certain way.
Which SEL lessons should be taught and why?
Teach students to consider other people’s emotions and perspectives so they can learn to be respectful of others and help everyone feel included.
Key topics for teaching social awareness and respect:
- Respect
- Appreciating differences
- Honesty
- Empathy
- Compassion
- Gratitude
- Inclusivity
When learners understand how to show compassion and empathy through social-emotional learning in your classroom, you’ll create a more open-minded space where students from all backgrounds feel safe and supported.
To be understood, respect must be experienced, so encourage role-playing with different scenarios. Build a tower and remove and add blocks to create a powerful visual of breaking and developing trust.
Here’s one way to teach gratitude and make it a routine. Incorporate gratitude into your classroom meetings and help students form positive habits by asking them to share an occasion when they felt grateful. A “thankful jar” encourages students to express gratitude to others – you could read these out loud so everyone benefits!
Responsibility
Responsibility is about making caring and constructive choices and thinking about the consequences of our actions.
How a lack of responsibility can show up in the classroom: A student might struggle to accept their role in a conflict and point at another student’s actions instead of owning theirs.
Which SEL lessons should be taught and why?
Teach learners about responsibility by leading a discussion on the meaning and what it might look and sound like in real life. Students can then start connecting to their responsibilities at home and school.
Key topics for teaching responsibility:
- Open-mindedness
- Decision-making
- Creating independence
- Roles in the classroom
- Critical thinking
- Taking responsibility
- Not blame-shifting
When students understand that everyone has responsibilities and needs accountability for their actions, they’ll become more considerate and independent. Learners will also start moving away from playing “the blame game” – you can help teach this concept with Julia Cook’s story, But It’s Not My Fault. Kids will enjoy the humor while learning about being responsible!
How to develop responsibility in the classroom: By creating routines and classroom tasks, students will learn to be responsible for ensuring their jobs get done while earning your trust. Classroom jobs could include sharpening pencils at the end of the day or turning off the lights when everyone leaves.
Final Thoughts on Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom
The social-emotional skills outlined in CASEL’s framework are vital for helping students grow and flourish so they can learn to create healthy relationships, manage their emotions, and become responsible now and into adulthood. These skills encourage independence and lead to more positive and productive classrooms.
K-2 is the perfect time to start (and keep) building on these vital social-emotional skills. Doing so transforms your students’ lives and helps them succeed academically and emotionally by reducing emotional and mental health issues and promoting positive social behavior in class.
Social-Emotional Learning Resources
Are you looking for an ENTIRE YEAR’S worth of lessons for social-emotional learning in the classroom?
I know how overwhelming it can feel to add social-emotional learning to your classroom on top of your already full-to-bursting curriculum. That’s why I’ve created high-quality, easy-to-prep resources you can easily build into your teaching schedule.
Proud to be Primary’s 40-week K-2 curriculum helps you teach your students the essential social-emotional skills they need to become happy, kind individuals. With TONS of research-based SEL lessons for elementary pupils, detailed lesson plans, and hundreds of social-emotional skills activities with editable templates, you’ll spend less time planning and more time improving students’ lives.
Join 10,000 other happy teachers and check out Proud to be Primary’s SEL curriculum for K-2 and 3-5 today!
Explore the K-2 SEL Curriculum
Explore the 3-5 SEL Curriculum
Free Lesson Ideas for SEL
Are you feeling stuck coming up with fun SEL lessons?
Dig into a handy, editable list of engaging SEL lessons and topics (following CASEL’s renowned framework) to create a positive, respectful classroom.
Start planning your SEL lessons TODAY! Click the image below to download your handy SEL lesson idea list.
More SEL Classroom Ideas
Social-Emotional Learning Activities
social, emotional learning lessons planning guide
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