How to Teach SEL in the Classroom: Practical Ideas

Flashback to 2019. I was teaching a first grade class with really challenging behavior and academic holes. On top of it all, I was trying to balance going back to work after having my first baby. I had heard about the benefits of SEL in the classroom …but honestly, I was drowning! I could barely keep up with progress reports, daily planning, and behavior interventions. There was NO WAY that I could add another thing onto my plate. 

The rest is history…we entered the pandemic, I was burnt-out after a challenging year and took a reading specialist position at a new school, and social emotional learning faded to the back-burner. 

Long story short…I really missed the classroom, and I considered leaving education altogether because I was not happy in my position. A last minute third grade position opened up at my school, and I jumped on it! This was my last chance to find my passion again. 

When I started the year, I knew that I wanted to explore using SEL in the classroom, but I didn’t have time to teach an added SEL curriculum, so I got creative with how I weaved it into my day.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that incorporating SEL ideas into my day built the strongest classroom community that I have ever experienced. These students became my joy, my class family, my home-away-from-home…and I felt the passion return. There was a bigger purpose for walking through those doors everyday. 

And OH. EM. GEE!!! The academic success BLEW. MY. MIND!!! Highest state scores EVER!! I definitely attribute it to a strong classroom family. 

Teacher friend, I want you to experience what I have been able to enjoy by simply weaving social emotional learning into my daily practices. 

So let’s chat! 

Easy Social Emotional Learning Ideas 

I utilized my morning routine and end of the day routine to build in opportunities for SEL. 

My students usually complete a short task for morning routine. Not every day, but sometimes I would write one student name per sticky note and randomly distribute them among the desks. When the students sat down, they would write a compliment to the person whose name was written on their sticky note and then give it to them. It was a great way to start the day and build classroom community. 

I also took some time during my end of the day meeting to shout out and celebrate students. I would choose three students to celebrate for behavior, work-ethic, kindness, etc, and write them a note to present at end of the day meeting. You can find the student shout-outs notes here, and watch a TikTok for how this looks here. 

Teach SEL SKills Through Picture Books 

If you teach littles, incorporating social skills picture books into your day is really simple! For upper grades, I chose one per week to read during morning meeting. Picture books are a great way to teach social skills as students discuss and analyze how characters learn these skills. You can follow up by doing some role-playing with how this might look in the classroom. My very favorite social skills picture books are written by the author, Julia Cook. 

SEL Morning Meeting

My school adopted Conscious Discipline to promote SEL and positive behavior. I was really drawn to the Brain Smart Start and knew that I wanted to incorporate it somehow into my day. It made sense to create my morning meetings after this framework: 

1 – Activity to Unite: This is a quick and fun activity that gets your students up and moving with everyone doing the same thing. 

2 – Activity to Relax: This is the perfect follow up to the activity, because it requires a student friendly breathing exercise to calm everyone down and prepare to learn. 

3 – Activity to Connect: Here, I added different greetings for students to make eye-to-eye contact or classroom role plays using SEL skills

4 – Activity to Commit: This is the wrap up activity where we review classroom rules, make a kindness commitment, etc. (we review our commitments with our partners at the end of the day) 

These meetings lasted about 10 minutes, and they were honestly the catalyst that transformed my classroom community. 

Make sure to try a free week of back to school morning meeting slides, and if you love them as much as I do…get the 12 month SEL Morning Meeting Bundle to take the guess work out of planning these meetings. 

Social Emotional Regulation

Many of the students who walk through our doors do not have any idea how to regulate their behavior or emotions. One strategy that really helped my neediest student was a calm-down break. When he felt himself reaching his frustration or overwhelm point when it came to academics, focusing attention, or dealing with other students…he would ask for a calm-down break. He was allowed to have one per day. When he was finished taking his break, he would rejoin the class and you could just tell his brain was ready to learn again. Allowing this break prevented so many outbursts that led to office referrals and consequences. 

Our Calm Down Station walks students through 4 self-regulation exercises: 

• Breathe 
• Identify Emotions
• Calm Down Activity 
• Make a Plan (teacher supported) 

If you are interested in creating your own Calm Down Station, click here. 

Incorporating SEL in the classroom doesn’t have to be a major event or lesson. I think it actually makes the skills more transferable when you weave it into your daily routines. I hope one of these ideas will help you get started with SEL in your own classroom. Don’t wait to experience easier classroom management, more connected students, and more joy for YOU!! 

Set yourself up for success with a classroom management plan to get started!

Chat soon,