5 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Must Reads

A roundup of some of the latest and greatest SEL resources

1. NEA: Social-Emotional Learning Should Be Priority During COVID-19 Crisis

“It’s a daunting reality, no question, but the worst thing we can do for our teachers, students, and families is de-prioritize SEL during the pandemic,” [Christina Cipriano, Director of Research at YCEI] explains. “It is next-to-impossible to expect teaching and learning to occur in a crisis without attending to our emotions.”

2. EdSurge: SEL Skills Are More Vital Than Ever. Here’s How to Choose the Right Tools.

“The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has changed the educational landscape into an entirely different space — one that we find ourselves only marginally prepared to educate children in, and a space where social-emotional skills are more important than ever.”

3. Forbes: The Mental Health Resources That Teachers Need

“To keep both teachers and students engaged, many U.S. districts are investing in social and emotional learning as a way to strengthen the teacher-student connection. This helps teachers feel fulfilled even as they navigate the challenges of Covid-19, so they can continue to draw on the mental health benefits of finding purpose at work.”

4. The Wallace Foundation: Supports for Social and Emotional Learning in American Schools and Classrooms: Findings from the American Teacher Panel (download PDF)

“Most Teachers Expressed Confidence in Their Ability to Improve Students’ Social and Emotional Competencies, but They Also Perceived Barriers”

About 90 percent of elementary and secondary teachers agreed that promoting SEL would improve students’ academic achievement Percentages of Teachers Who Agreed with Statements About Self-Efficacy and Responsibility for SEL

5. CASEL: SEL in the News webpage

And a great resource to bookmark comes from the SEL leaders at CASEL. On their site, they list some recent resources in the social and emotional learning space: https://casel.org/sel-in-the-news/.

Breaking News! Classroom Champions in The Hechinger Report

A profile of Classroom Champions in Hechinger Report featured our co-founder, CEO and Olympic gold medalist Steve Mesler, long-time CC teacher Jennifer Reguth from Indiana, and Andrew Kurka who is a Paralympic medalist. The story outlines their experiences and how social and emotional learning is more important than ever. Here’s an excerpt:

“Social and emotional learning, or SEL, emphasizes soft skills such as self-awareness, self-management, communication, social awareness, and decision-making. While social and emotional learning has become a buzzword of sorts in education circles, low-income and rural schools often face barriers to bringing in and trying innovative models due to lack of opportunity or funding.

That was one of the reasons U.S. Olympic gold medalist Steve Mesler co-founded Classroom Champions with his sister Leigh Parise, a senior research associate at MDRC, a nonprofit education and social policy research organization. When Mesler toured the country visiting classrooms and businesses during his time as an athlete with Team USA, he talked to students about fitness and goals, and to adults about leadership, persevering, and overcoming obstacles.

“I always felt like, why are we talking to our kids differently than we were talking to adults? Let’s give kids the credit that they can understand these concepts,” Mesler said.

Do you want a champion in your classroom? Give the Gift of a Champion this holiday season! You can gift your child’s teacher (or yourself!) a yearlong subscription to Classroom Champions’ SEL Foundations Curriculum for just $15 ($149 value) because of scholarships available. The gift that keeps on giving! Check it out as a last-minute gift!