Equity: “Every student has access to the resources and educational rigor they need at the right moment in their education regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, family background, or family income (Council of Chief State School Officers)." Striving for equity means examining biases and interrupting inequitable practices to create inclusive, multicultural school environments that reveal and cultivate the interests and talents of children, youth, and adults from diverse backgrounds.
Set goals and action steps to promote SEL for students
The core of SEL implementation is promoting students’ social and emotional learning throughout the school day and in partnership with families and communities. Because student learning is influenced by their interactions across many relationships and environments, promoting student SEL requires thoughtful coordination of strategies across the settings where students live and learn.
Monitoring and reflecting on your progress toward Schoolwide SEL is an important part of quality implementation. Here are three tools that can help.
The CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL provides an intentional and collaborative implementation process. Find out where to begin.
Expand adult learning through structures such as professional learning communities and mentoring opportunities.
Connect and Collaborate With Students
Professional learning communities provide an important opportunity to integrate SEL into existing practices, work collaboratively on the goals of schoolwide SEL, and cultivate their own social and emotional competencies.
Align schoolwide systems, policies, programs, and practices to promote SEL for students.
Explicit SEL instruction refers to consistent opportunities for students to cultivate, practice, and reflect on social and emotional competencies in ways that are developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive.
SEL is a powerful lever for creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy communities that support all individuals in reaching their fullest potential.
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.
Model SEL with Students and Families
When staff model social and emotional competencies in their interactions with students and families, they intentionally embody SEL and set the stage for trusting relationships that catalyze learning and partnership.