We know that as a teacher or educator, you care deeply about your students and
their classroom experience. You want them to enjoy their time at school and to look
forward to learning. You also want them to grow into strong, empathetic adults, and as
their teacher, you have a unique opportunity to help them do so.

Incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into your classroom is one of the
best things you can do to create a positive learning environment and ensure your
students’ success, both now and in the future. Countless studies have shown the
benefits of SEL on children’s development. From decreases in school dropout rates and
instances of bullying, to improvements in academic achievement and long-term
well-being, the benefits of SEL are undeniable.

But, knowing how to incorporate SEL into your classroom can be a challenge,
and trust us when we say, we get it. As an educator, you already have so much to
balance. Between teaching the curriculum, balancing differing student needs, and
monitoring behavior, it often feels like your plate is full enough.

However, incorporating SEL into your classroom doesn’t have to be hard. In this
blog, we’ll break down 4 easy steps you can take to incorporate SEL into your
classroom, helping foster a calm, welcoming classroom environment and helping your
students grow into resilient, kind people.

Incorporate Weekly Topics

We want our students to develop into open-minded, considerate individuals, but
in our rapidly changing world, it sometimes seems as though there are just too many
topics to address. This is why following a Weekly Topic model can be an effective
choice for educators.

Try setting aside a bit of class time each week to discuss a specific topic. For
example, one week you might choose to focus on body positivity, while the next week
you might focus on healthy relationships, and the next week focus on disability. Here at
MindSparks Kids, we offer dozens of videos and worksheets on all the tough topics.
Simply choose your topic for the week, and then utilize our resources to structure your
discussion.

Following a Weekly Topic model like this can help take some of the stress off
your shoulders. Rather than trying to cover all these big topics at once, you can

move through them slowly, and can even adapt your Weekly Topics to the interests

and needs of your specific students.

Encourage Group Discussions

One of the main aims of SEL is helping kids learn how to foster positive, healthy
relationships with others, as well as develop empathy and tolerance for differing beliefs.
This means that effective SEL should not be done in isolation but instead, should
encourage interaction and discussion with others.

During your Weekly Topic time, try encouraging group discussion and interaction
as much as possible. You can use SEL resources, such as our videos, as a jumping off
point. For example, if your Weekly Topic is body positivity, you might begin by showing
our video related to Body Image or Fatphobia. Then, students can break off into small
groups to discuss what they learned from the video and complete the related handout,
before coming back together as a class to debrief and share their reflections and
insights.

This practice not only offers a more structured approach for these discussions,
but also encourages your students to listen to and consider their peers’ perspectives.
This helps promote a culture of empathy and respect in the classroom and, the more
comfortable students become with discussing tough topics in a respectful way, the more
likely it will be that they develop into thoughtful, considerate adults.

Morning Check-In Meetings

Establishing a Morning Check-In Meeting is one of the simplest steps you can
take as an educator to create a welcoming, safe space for students. In this Meeting, try
going around the room and asking students to share how they’re feeling that day. Is
there anything they’re looking forward to? Is there anything bothering them? What
emotions are they experiencing that day?

You can even ask them to share a reflection on that week’s Weekly Topic, and
any insights they’ve had on the topic throughout the week.

Self-awareness and the ability to check in on how you’re feeling is an important
element of SEL. Unfortunately, not all students are given the time or opportunity to
check in with their emotions and share how they’re feeling at home. By adding a brief
Morning Check-In Meeting to your daily classroom routine, you can ensure your
students are given that time and a safe space to do so. Not only will this help your

students develop the ability to identify and describe what they’re feeling, but it will also
help create a more empathetic environment, as students become more aware of and in
tune with the feelings and needs of their peers.

5 Minute Calm Moments

Another routine you can implement in your classroom is regular 5 Minute Calm
Moments. More and more students are struggling with anxiety, and this can have a big
impact on the spirit of your classroom. Giving students regular time to regulate their
emotions, refocus their minds, and take some mindful breaths is one of the easiest
ways to promote a calming classroom environment and lessen feelings of anxiety.

Here at MindSparks Kids, our 5 Minute Calm videos are some of our favorites!
Whether it’s our 5 Minute Calm “Space” Moment or our 5 Minute Calm “Yoga Bear”
Moment, these simple, quick videos can be surprisingly effective at helping lessen
anxiety in the classroom. Try adding a 5 Minute Calm Moment after meal breaks or
recess, and you’ll see the benefits in no time. From better focus to increased emotional
regulation, these 5 minutes can drastically change the energy in the classroom.

As you can see, incorporating SEL into your classroom doesn’t have to be
difficult. By following these 4 simple steps, you can effectively incorporate SEL and
watch as your students become increasingly empathetic and calm.

Try MindSpark Kids FREE for 7 days!

At MindSpark Kids, we help parents, caregivers, educators, and mental health professionals teach children how to develop necessary life skills. Why? Because socially and emotionally intelligent children grow up to be healthy, happy adults.

MindSpark Kids is an online membership with a database of social and emotional learning videos and worksheets to help children understand their emotions, make good decisions, and think critically.