Happy Together: 5 Research-Based SEL Tips for Teachers

After many months of remote teaching, going back to in-person instruction is like riding a bike. Right?

Actually, the social-emotional process of going back to school post-pandemic might be a bumpier transition than waking up your muscle memory on a bicycle.

The return will look and feel different for each educator. Some districts have already been back in person for months, while others are just starting to reopen their doors. 

But what’s true for everyone is that social-emotional learning (SEL) will be critical for educators and students following such a challenging year. Here are five research-based SEL tips for a smooth transition back to in-person instruction.

1. Extend Grace

Do you have students who often can’t seem to focus? Or who have angry outbursts?

Recovery from the collective trauma of the global pandemic will take different forms for each child. You may see an uptick in disruptive behavior, resulting from a combination of coronavirus exposure anxiety, grieving sick or lost loved ones, worsened financial situations, separation anxiety after spending so much time with family (especially for younger learners), and insecurity about academic setbacks.

In fact, educators familiar with trauma-informed teaching have known long before the pandemic that students often exhibit disruptive behavior because poverty and trauma have prevented their executive function skills, like self-regulation and working memory, from fully developing. These learners are precisely the ones whose families have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 

When you’re standing at the board in front of 30 students, your options may be limited, but you can make an impact by extending grace.

Try this:

• Respond to disruptive behavior with empathy. One researcher who spoke to EdSurge about the science of empathy wants teachers to know that empathy can improve students’ grades.
• Rather than simply punishing misbehavior, address its core causes. For example, teach de-escalation strategies, such as deep breathing exercises, which numerous studies have shown can relieve stress and anxiety. You can also implement an evidence-based brain training program like Fast ForWord that strengthens executive function skills.
   

2. Give Teens a Lifeline and Some Slack

Neurological research shows that adolescents are going through an intense growth period, cognitively and emotionally. They yearn for independence while still needing the safety and support of adults.

As classes ease back to in-person learning, some students may be struck all at once by the stress of fitting in, the fear of embarrassment, and pandemic-related stress. How can teachers meet them where they are emotionally, which will also help them succeed academically?

Offer students a lifeline and stay just far enough away to give them the agency to use it.

Try this:

• Let your students know that they can reach out to you by saying things like, “You seem a little stressed. You know, I’m always willing to listen,” or “I’m going to be at my desk after school until 4:00 if you want to talk.” These little “raindrops” assure students that they can come to you for support. Pediatric psychologist Vanessa Jensen calls this the “raindrop theory.” 

  

3. Encourage but Don’t Reassure

When your students are distressed, you might be tempted to say something like, “Everything will be fine,” or “There’s nothing to worry about.”

However, blanket reassurances like these can invalidate students’ feelings and even foster excessive reassurance-seeking, which is prevalent in cases of OCD and anxiety.

Teachers can better help students by being honest and encouraging, rather than reassuring. Be tactfully open about both the real risks of COVID-19 (and other threats they may fear) and mitigation strategies.

Help students learn to overcome their fears by using their own skills, rather than by relying on false assurances.

Try this:

• Teach students problem-solving skills that include identifying the problem (“What is happening?”), brainstorming ideas (“Recall past problems that you were able to solve. Could a similar solution work for this problem, too?”), and selecting a solution (“How will using this solution make you feel in the end?").

4. Create Community

How do you guarantee a good turnout at your party? Give your guests assignments: preparing a dish, bringing the speakers, or being someone’s ride.

By contributing to an event or community, people feel a stake in the outcome and are more likely to invest in long-term community building. 

Ask each student to bring a dish, so to speak, when it comes to building your classroom community. 

Elementary school teachers commonly involve students as community members by rotating them through class roles like line leader or student of the week. Older students need roles that are truly meaningful to them, such as discussion facilitator.

Try this:

• Invite your students to contribute their unique talents to the class community. For example, students who enjoy creating art can help decorate the classroom. Design group projects that give students the opportunity to lean on each other’s strengths, such as reading aloud, active listening, and creative writing. When struggling students feel safe, wanted, and invested in your classroom community, their social-emotional well-being will translate to academic confidence and achievement.

5. Practice Self-Compassion

Extend the same grace you offer your students to yourself. 

Although we’re starting to put remote teaching behind us, many teachers are still burned out. Self-care is often talked about, but it can be easier said than done.

Try this:

• Schedule time on your calendar for decompressing activities, like jogging or journaling. Hold that time sacred and don’t let anything interfere with it. Pair this strategy with a mindset shift, supported by research on the psychology of time management, including treating time as a limited resource like money.
• Make an “idea jar” of activities for open spots in your daily schedule. Having 15-minute activities at your fingertips will make self-compassion feel more doable. For example, you could include activities such as, “Write down 5 successes I’ve had today,” or write down affirmations to recite, like “I am strong! I am compassionate!”

SEL Is Timeless

These five research-backed SEL strategies are helpful any time, whether you’re about to go back to school or you've been back for a while. Your students will succeed as you forge stronger relationships with them, help them build SEL skills, and develop your own skills to better treat the whole child.