Why Social Emotional Learning:
In today’s classrooms, children need explicit teaching to develop critical social and emotional skills. If you’re noticing frequent misbehaviors or challenges in your students’ interactions, it’s a clear indication that these young learners are missing key social-emotional competencies. Addressing these skills is just as important as academics, and sometimes it’s necessary to carve out time specifically for this instruction. Without the foundation of emotional readiness, academic learning becomes a struggle. That’s where my social-emotional learning (SEL) resources come in. Whether you’re facing classroom conflicts, emotional outbursts, or students who struggle with focus, my comprehensive SEL curriculum offers structured, engaging lessons that blend seamlessly into your existing schedule. By incorporating read-alouds or morning meetings, you can turn these lessons into multi-purpose activities that enhance both emotional and academic growth.
The Caring Critters
I created the Caring Critters children’s book series and curriculum because I saw firsthand how important it was for children to develop social and emotional skills early on. Each character in the series, like Felipe the Feeling Frog, was inspired by my classroom experiences to help kids navigate emotions, problem-solving, and friendships in a relatable way.
Reviews show how engaging and effective the series is, with one parent saying, “This book was perfect for discussing feelings with my child!” It’s a practical, heartwarming tool for emotional growth.
Get Support with My FREE 5-Day SEL Challenge
A Social Emotional Year Long Plan
Social Emotional Learning BUNDLE
The Social-Emotional Learning Year-Long Curriculum Bundle has been carefully crafted to help students learn essential skills like impulse control, problem-solving, and kindness. With eleven detailed units covering a full year of SEL topics, this resource provides everything you need to make a significant impact. Teachers who have used these lessons report fewer behavioral disruptions and more engaged, emotionally aware students. Not only do these activities promote a peaceful classroom environment, but they also save you time by providing ready-to-use materials. If you’re overwhelmed with managing behaviors in your classroom, this bundle is designed to make social-emotional learning accessible and manageable, helping you support your students in becoming more confident, kind, and ready to learn.
This resource is absolutely amazing! My students are more engaged, and I have seen significant improvements in their emotional awareness and self-regulation skills. It saved me so much time with the detailed lesson plans and follow-up activities.
One summer I decided I needed more of a plan for my social and emotional lessons for the upcoming school year. I sat down and looked at a bunch of curriculums for SEL, but didn’t find any that were developmentally appropriate enough or teacher friendly enough. So, I made my own! I mapped out what struggles my students typically had each month and matched these needs to the important SEL topics found in CASEL’s 5 competency areas.
Here are my 11 key social-emotional learning activities focus areas:
1. Listening: Showing others we are listening and understanding the importance of active listening.
2. Feelings: Identifying feelings and regulating emotions.
3. Independence: Encouraging children to try things on their own.
4. Kindness: Promoting positive interactions and fostering strong relationships with friends.
5. Problem-Solving: Teaching children how to solve small problems independently and react appropriately to different problem sizes.
6. Persistence: Cultivating a positive, growth mindset and instilling the importance of not giving up in the face of challenges.
7. Thoughtful Choices: Encouraging expected choices and discussing their significance over unexpected choices.
8. Bossing My Body: Teaching self-regulation strategies to help children manage their behavior.
9. Cooperation: Guiding children on how to work and play harmoniously with others.
10. Respect: Defining respect, demonstrating ways to show it, and emphasizing its importance.
11. Empathy: Encouraging empathy by exploring its meaning, demonstrating empathetic behaviors, and highlighting its positive impacts.
The variety of activities kept my students interested all year long. The SEL lessons seamlessly integrate into our morning meetings and have made a noticeable difference in classroom behavior.
Listening
Independence
Feelings and Emotions
Kindness
Problem Solving
Persistence
Impulse Control and Self-Regulation
Making Good Choices
Cooperation
Respect
Empathy
Felipe the Feeling Frog Companion Curriculum
Social Emotional Learning – More Specific Problem Solving Curriculums
Each of my SEL products is designed to target specific challenges within your classroom community. If you’re struggling with partner work, the How to Be a Good Partner unit will help teach collaboration and communication. For addressing general misbehaviors or emotional challenges, the Classroom Management Strategies and Role-Play Prompts provide actionable solutions. If recess conflicts arise, the How to Play at Recess unit offers structured guidance on building friendships. And for students dealing with anxiety or ADHD, the Anxiety and ADHD Support resources offer tailored strategies to meet their unique needs.
More Social and Emotional Resources for Teachers
I know that each classroom and each group has unique social and emotional needs. In all of my years of teaching, I’d like to think I’ve seen it all, so I am here to offer tips and tricks for what worked for me.
I need help with…
- I need help with managing classroom misbehaviors: Learn strategies to address common behavioral challenges in a proactive and positive way.
- I need help teaching emotional-regulation: Practical tips for helping kids manage their emotions and develop impulse control.
- I need help teaching self-regulation: Practical tips for helping kids manage and develop impulse control.
- I need help with friendship and social skills: Activities and lessons to support building strong peer relationships.
- I need help fostering empathy and kindness: How to create a classroom culture of kindness and understanding.
- I need help with anxiety or emotional challenges: Support for students dealing with worries, using simple classroom strategies.
- I need help creating SEL lessons: Ready-made lessons and ideas for integrating SEL into your daily routine.
- I need help teaching problem-solving skills: How to teach students to think critically and resolve conflicts independently.
- I need help with turn-taking and sharing: Lessons and visuals for encouraging cooperative play and sharing.
