Social Emotional Learning Lessons that Build Community

Back to school season is the time to focus on building classroom community. We all want our students to feel like a family. We want each one to feel safe, valued, and important. A great way to accomplish this is through social-emotional learning. 

What is Social Emotional Learning?

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) refers to teaching that builds interpersonal and emotional skills. Through SEL lessons, students learn to regulate emotions, be better friends, and understand their feelings. SEL has become increasingly important as demands on students have increased. Additionally, as technology has removed some of the natural socializing that students do in school, teaching topics like empathy, listening, and more are important.

How Can I Use Social Emotional Learning to Build Community?

Building a positive classroom community requires consistent and explicit lessons at the beginning of the year! Kindergarteners do not naturally know how to be good listeners. In fact, they may not have practice with waiting their turn or helping someone who gets hurt. Their home lives and personal experiences shape how they respond to these situations. Take the time to teach students exactly what they should do when a person is speaking, or why it is important to share. These lessons create a culture of patience and kindness in your classroom. They will benefit your students all year long!

Tips for Effective SEL Teaching

Social Emotional Learning lessons should not only happen at the beginning of the year. In fact, students benefit from a regular conversation about their feelings, and how to respond to social situations. These discussions can continue to happen during a morning meeting, or other time, all year long. It’s also great to work in these discussions in real-time. Use your SEL language to coach students through tricky social situations.

You can get started today with SEL discussions in your classroom! Grab my ‘Meet the Crew’ posters for building character. As students build their own character, they will in turn show more patience and empathy to each other. In turn, your classroom community will improve right along with each students’ character!

Grab your posters HERE. Happy teaching!