I sometimes forget that not everyone has been in hundreds of classrooms like I have. So when I hear someone say that “social-emotional learning doesn’t work,” I have to pause. Because the truth is—there’s a tremendous amount of research showing how SEL supports students’ mental health, builds resilience, and strengthens school communities.
CASEL has a fantastic website if you want to dig deeper, and our state of Washington launched SEL benchmarks in January of 2020, based on the CASEL framework. If your district has a structured curriculum, that’s wonderful—but SEL isn’t limited to a 20-minute lesson block once per week. It happens in the in-between moments, all throughout the day.
When you work with kids, you’re not just teaching reading, writing, and math. You’re teaching them how to recognize feelings, solve problems, and connect with others. That’s the heart of SEL—and it doesn’t require anything fancy to make a real impact.
One of my favorite moments this month came from a simple 10-minute activity at the start of class. A middle school science teacher pulled out a paper calendar and began talking about the month ahead. She acknowledged how students might be feeling more tired as the newness of the school year wore off and offered small ideas for finding joy in their days. She checked in about birthdays and important dates, helping kids connect to her and to each other. It was such a small thing—but it was also brilliant.
These are the moments that build regulation, community, and trust—one conversation at a time.
Do you have ways you embed SEL into your day? I’d love to hear what’s working for you in the comments below.