This process helps schools create an environment that supports students in developing the academic, social, and emotional competencies that they need to navigate the world.
The SEL team serves as a model for positive practices that promote healthy relationships among adults, students, and families. It’s highly beneficial to build a strong team dynamic and positive working relationship by developing group norms and team routines.
Define Team Member Roles and Responsibilities
To ensure meetings are productive, it’s a good idea to define team roles and responsibilities, and strive to share work equitably.
Adopt an Evidence-Based Program for SEL
Evidence-based SEL programs are grounded in research and principles of child and adolescent development, and scientifically evaluated and shown to produce positive student outcomes.
Integration of SEL and Academics
Social and emotional competencies serve as a foundation for achieving academic goals, while academic instruction also provides a ripe opportunity for teaching and practicing SEL.
Social and emotional learning is essential to every child’s education.
Focus Area 1b: Continuous Improvement Connections
The core tool used in this guide is the Schoolwide SEL Implementation Rubric. The rubric provides an overview of a systemic approach to schoolwide SEL, and teams can review it to get a sense of what SEL looks like when it is coordinated across classrooms, the school, homes, and the community.
Private: Professional Learning Plan
As the SEL team works to develop a schoolwide professional learning plan, staff can choose to take it one step further and develop their own personalized professional learning plan to support the school’s SEL goals.
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.
Just as it’s important to model SEL for students in the classroom, it’s also important for adults to consistently model social-emotional competencies with each other.