Support Social and Emotional Learning and Development
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2020). Especially in the current climate, PK-12 education leaders see SEL and other whole child approaches as vital to advance equity and improve student outcomes.
We have supported state, district, and school leaders across the country to incorporate SEL into daily classroom instruction, strengthen their conditions for teaching and learning, and incorporate SEL into their policies and practices.
Top Resources
SEL Online Learning Module: Creating a Well-Rounded Educational Learning Experience
This free online course from AIR was designed as an introduction to SEL for educators who endeavor to create a well-rounded educational experience. This four-hour course is designed for all educators to build shared language within the whole school community to set the stage for sustainable SEL.
SEL Self-Assessment
This tool allows teachers to reflect on their own social and emotional competencies and instructional practices. It includes self-assessment on 10 teaching practices that support SEL and five social and emotional competencies (self-awareness, self-management/emotional regulation, social awareness, relationship/social skills, and responsible decision making) and is aligned to the CASEL framework. As teachers strengthen their own social and emotional skills, their awareness and use of SEL practices deepens.
Webinar Series: Teaching and Leading with Trauma-Informed Care
Teachers and principals across the country are surprising students, caregivers, and their communities with innovative practices and thoughtful solutions to the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. The GTL Center collaborated with national partners and leading educators to produce a webinar series focused on the needs of educators during this unprecedented time. The webinars and accompanying resources take a trauma-informed approach to fostering resilience and well-being in students, teachers, and administrators.
Featured Projects
Tennessee Department of Education: Integrating Instructional Practices for Student Social and Personal Development
The GTL Center worked with TDOE from 2015 to 2019 to build the state's capacity to support educators in implementing social and emotional learning strategies and practices in their classrooms. GTL Center staff, in partnership with Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center (ARCC), provided collaborative support to co-author practical resources for Tennessee educators including a toolkit and online modules.
Building a Shared Vision and Actionable Districtwide Plan for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in Pasco County Schools
After the shooting tragedy in Parkland, Florida, educators in the Pasco County Schools selected SEL as a districtwide prevention strategy in order to elevate the importance of school safety and students’ mental health. AIR has partnered with Pasco County Schools in a multi-year engagement with the goal of creating a coherent and cohesive districtwide approach to embedding SEL into daily instruction.
GTL Center Social and Emotional Learning and Development Services
AIR’s deep bench of experts have extensive experience building, identifying, and applying the best evidence on SEL and other whole child approaches— including trauma-informed care, school climate, and conditions for learning—in K-12 education and other youth-serving settings.
Our SEL Solutions team works closely with state, district, and school leaders and staff to deepen adult SEL knowledge and skills and build capacity to incorporate SEL into policies and practices. We tailor our support to your context in service of safe, engaging, and equitable learning environments for all students.
In addition, AIR’s MTSS Center can support education leaders interested in integrating SEL and other whole child approaches into multi-tiered systems of support.
