Social and Emotional Learning
The pandemic has shed light on theimportance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools, though educators have recognized its value in the classroom for years. In HMH’s6th annual Educator Confidence Report, published in 2020 in collaboration with YouGov, 77% of educators expressed concerns about students’ social and emotional well-being, and 94% agreed that students need more SEL support.
Nearly overnight in March 2020, as schools closed and turned to remote learning, the well-being of students beyond their academic success became a major concern for teachers and administrators—and it will continue to be viewed as such moving forward. Beyond the pandemic, factors such as the prevalence of social media and a widespread focus on mental health and classroom climate have made SEL a priority in many districts.
If you’re looking to implement anSEL curriculum, you can start with these social and emotional learning activities.
SEL Activities and Lesson Plans
The following SEL lesson plans for students in elementary school through high school include writing prompts, downloadable posters, worksheets, reading lists, and more. With these activities and social and emotional lessons, you can help students build the skills needed for success in and out of the classroom.
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5 Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Elementary School
Use these social-emotional learning activities to work toward improving school culture, addressing discipline problems, and building strong relationships.
Sara Buren
ShapedContributor -
5 Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Middle School
Teach your middle school students to become the best versions of themselves with these activities based on CASEL's five social-emotional learning core competencies.
Sara Buren
ShapedContributor -
5 Social-Emotional Learning Activities for High School Students
Help your students become independent and meaningful contributors to society with these high school SEL activities based on CASEL's core competencies.
Sara Buren
ShapedContributor -
5 Virtual SEL Activities for Remote Learning
Share these SEL remote activities with your students at home to help them develop SEL skills, like self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and responsible decision-making.
Zoe Del Mar
ShapedStaff -
Need a Timesaver? Try an Activity That Ties SEL to ELA
Integrate social-emotional learning into your English language arts curriculum with this literacy activity, where students read and study a text and practice important SEL competencies.
Janna Sakson
Shaped Contributor -
Classroom Community-Building Activities for Elementary Students
Ready to help your kiddos develop meaningful relationships and connect with their classmates? Try these classroom community-building activities for elementary students.
Brenda Iasevoli
ShapedExecutive Editor -
What’s on Your Mind? A Flexible SEL Freewrite
Help students in Grades 3–12 tap into what they're feeling with an informal writing activity.
Janna Sakson
Shaped Contributor -
Teaching Empathy: Activities for Middle Schoolers
Nothing builds a sense of community like collective empathy. Check out a few suggestions for middle school activities to practice and model empathy.
Zoe Del Mar
ShapedStaff -
4 World Kindness Day Activities to Teach Tolerance and SEL Skills
使用这些世界善良日活动和想法for the International Day for Tolerance to ensure that every day includes a little (or a lot of!) kindness in your school.
Christine Condon
ShapedEditor-in-Chief -
How to Boost Students’ SEL Skills Using Current Events
Fourth-grade teacher Perry Hollins shares tips for teaching current events through an SEL lens.
Perry Hollins
Fourth-Grade Teacher, Evanston/Skokie School District, Illinois
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Discover more greatsocial emotional-emotional learning resources for teachers.
Learn more aboutHMH Into Reading(Grades K–6)andHMH Into Literature(Grades 6–12), which have SEL lesson plans and support built into the curriculum.
The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.
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