Teaching SEL Explicitly

Teachers can incorporate SEL learning measure and constructs directly into their lessons, and school leaders can coordinate team- and school-wide initiatives to teach SEL explicitly. Below are resources to help.

An estimated 35 million children across the US have experienced trauma, and many are in chronically traumatic situations such as neglect; physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; or the loss of family members to death, divorce, or abandonment. Natural reactions to these situations include fight-or-flight-or-freeze reactions. But at school these reactions can look like defiance, rudeness, unresponsiveness, or aggression. Below are resources for understanding trauma and strategies for faculty and staff to support these students and set them up for success.

Toolkit connecting SEL, Restorative Practice, and Trauma-Informed Practice

• Fix School Discipline: A Toolkit for Educators

Articles and Resources about Trauma-Informed Practice

• Schools promoting 'trauma-informed' teaching to reach troubled students
• How to Help a Traumatized Child in the Classroom
• How to Support Stressed-Out Teachers
• UCSF Brings HEARTS to Children Affected by Trauma

• Getting Along with Family (grades 2 & 3)

• Getting Along with Friends (grades 2 & 3)

• Uncomfortable Feelings (grades 2 & 3)

• Expressing Feelings in a Healthy Way (grade 3)

• Valuing Yourself and Others (grade 3)

• Dealing with Stress (grades 4 and 5)

• Troublesome Feelings (grades 4 and 5)

• SEL Resources and Tips