George Lucas Educational Foundation

Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Find resources to help students manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, and make responsible decisions—creating the healthiest school culture possible.

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  • Using Explicit Instruction to Foster SEL

    Many students struggle to master crucial skills like resiliency and problem-solving. Here’s a four-step plan for teaching these skills.
    Nicole Greene
    640
  • The Role of SEL in Developing Reading Skills

    Building strong social and emotional learning skills can help set the stage for students to become better readers.
  • Creating Opportunities for Unstructured Play

    When schools make space for free play in a natural environment, students are left to their own devices to build, create, and problem-solve—and the benefits continue once they are back in the classroom.
    1.8k
  • An illustration concept of a child internalizing knowledge

    Why Ages 2-7 Matter So Much for Brain Development

    Rich experiences—from play to the arts and relationships—fundamentally shape a young child’s development.
    120.6k
  • How Puppets Can Help Kids Express Emotions

    Using simple strategies acted out by puppets, students learn social and emotional skills that help them calm themselves, identify their feelings, and connect with others.
    2.3k
  • Using Common Tech Tools to Support Social and Emotional Learning

    These innovative strategies can help students find a sense of calm and self-awareness in the classroom.
    218
  • Making Students Feel Safe

    A trauma-informed approach ensures that students feel safe, supported, and nurtured—to improve their chances of academic success. 
    129.4k
  • Classroom Management Built on Boundaries

    Guiding upper elementary students with boundaries rather than rules can make for a more harmonious classroom.
    1k
  • A side profile of a young woman. Part of her face is comprised of triangles that are breaking off of her face.

    When Students Are Traumatized, Teachers Are Too

    Trauma in students’ lives takes an emotional and physical toll on teachers as well. Experts weigh in on the best ways to cope.
    112.8k
  • 4 Ways Classroom Design Impacts Executive Functioning

    Effective classroom design can help elementary students develop skills like organization and task initiation.
    9.6k
  • Teacher and student high-fiving

    8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips

    New teachers—and experienced ones too—can find ideas here on how to stop disruptive behavior before it begins.
    68.5k
  • A Daily Support System for Students

    Students who need extra social and emotional support have a quick check-in with an adult at the start and end of each day.
    89.8k
  • The Power of Administrator-Led Morning Meetings

    Middle school leaders who hold morning meetings with students before the first bell give teachers a break and build relationships.
    1k
  • A dog lying patiently on the floor in a classroom between rows of chairs

    Bringing a Dog to School

    A veteran teacher and administrator makes the case for having a therapy dog in elementary school.
    62.5k
  • The Power of a Compliment

    A project that invites students to anonymously compliment their classmates and teachers has improved the culture at one high school.
    1k

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.
Edutopia® and Lucas Education Research™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries.