Integrating SEL Into All Learning

As educators, we often hear the term "social emotional learning" everywhere- conversation with peers, professional development, teacher training. You name it, we've heard it. Personally, I have been a huge advocate for SEL since before I heard the terminology, however, I realized quickly when I had my first classroom that it was very easy to be left behind.

Although all educators are large advocates for SEL, I began to see how it became part of a scheduling block as opposed to a part of daily practice. I love a reflective morning meeting or breathing brain-break as much as the next person, however, it became clear that we may accidentally be teaching students to separate their own personal understanding from their academic experience. I became determined to integrate social emotional learning into all aspects of our day. Instead of treating it like an add-on to our day, I have taken the concepts I've learned from my colleagues and transformed them into non-negotiable parts of daily learning. Here are some of the ways I have been able to achieve this:

1. Decoding Emotions Within Text

In our literacy blocks, we don't just focus on phonics and fluency; we focus on perspective-taking. During small-group reading instruction, I’ve shifted our focus from "what" happened to "how" the characters are navigating their world. We use these moments to build empathy, asking students to relate a character’s struggle to their own lives. By connecting literacy pedagogy with emotional analysis, students learn that reading is a tool for understanding both the world and themselves, while also secretly strengthening comprehension skills.

2. Encouraging Student Struggle for a Growth Mindset

In Kindergarten, math naturally may be one of the most frustrating or anxiety-inducing subjects of learning for many students. Instead of focusing solely on the correct answer, we spend much of our learning focusing on trail and error the process. For all concepts, students are introduces to a variety of manipulatives and strategies to both allow students to feel "stuck" and teach them to use critical thinking to get themselves out of these situations. This transforms a moment of frustration into an opportunity for growth mindset and peer collaboration. This teaches students that being okay with not knowing something yet, is an incredibly important academic and life skill.

3. Allowing the Teacher to Fail

I am 100% certain that if you asked all my students if I was a "perfect learner," almost all of them would answer no. Although this may be controversial to some, this is the exact answer I am seeking. One of my favorite classroom strategies is to fail in front of my students and allow them to be the ones to correct me. I may be phonetically spelling a word and intentionally mess up, showcase the trial and error process, and even act a bit frustrated. This allows students to not only take agency over their learning, but witness a role model figure in a situation they may find themselves in. It allows me to not only directly model how to handle frustration, but also how to handle criticism and correction from peers. It makes the learning experience more relatable for my students, therefore allowing them to better trust me and also themselves and their own ability.

Utilizing these SEL methods in my classroom has allowed me to cultivate a community of trust, regulation, and understanding. I have been lucky enough to witness my students grow a better understanding of themselves and, therefore, a stronger commitment to their academic goals. SEL strategies are an integral part of the primary learning process, and I hope to continue growing my understanding and application of these in my classroom.