Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Unlock the power of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in your classroom with resources from the SCRED SEL website. Designed to support teachers at every grade level, this site offers a wide range of tools, strategies, and curricula-like Be Good People reviewed here -to help students develop critical life skills such as self-awareness, empathy, and responsible decision-making. Whether you're just beginning your SEL journey or looking to deepen your practice, this website provides everything you need to create a supportive, emotionally intelligent classroom that promotes academic and social student success. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): child development (24), emotions (49), empathy (34), social and emotional learning (103)

Empower your classroom with the Be Good People curriculum, a comprehensive social-emotional learning (SEL) resource designed to foster positive relationships, empathy, and responsible decision-making. Perfect for educators aiming to create a supportive and inclusive environment, this curriculum offers practical, easy-to-implement lessons that build students' emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
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tag(s): child development (24), emotions (49), empathy (34), social and emotional learning (103)

Engage and enhance students' civic and social-emotional learning (SEL) using simulations by iThrive Sim. The simulations are for high school students in social studies, history, and humanities classes. The digital simulations are designed to support student-driven learning, and the storyline is determined by the actions students take together. The page includes links to three learning scenarios where teachers can preview the game. Registration with a school email address is required to play. The resources on this site are designed for high school students.

tag(s): collaboration (93), flipped learning (9), game based learning (205), Online Learning (36), simulations (19), social and emotional learning (103)

This lesson provides resources for guiding middle-school students in learning about the role of social media in their lives, especially the effect of social media on relationships. The lesson plan takes approximately forty-five minutes to complete; however, an alternative suggestion shares a fifteen-minute quick activity. Resources provided include a slide presentation, video, student handouts, and family take-home information. Also available is the correlation to Common Core ELA, CASEL, AASL, and ISTE Standards. You will need to sign in to access this free lesson and resources.

tag(s): digital citizenship (85), social and emotional learning (103), social media (48)

Overcoming Obstacles free curriculum shares hundreds of lessons based upon a foundation of thirty life skills. Skills include effective communication, making informed decisions, setting goals, respecting one another, and more. Find content organized into four grade bands, beginning with kindergarten through second grade and finishing with high school. Each printable lesson starts with a plan that includes goals, objectives, and a materials list. In addition to specific lesson instructions, each activity includes additional extensions to practice and reinforce skills taught. All information is available without registration; however, registering on the site allows you to customize lessons before downloading and saving. In addition, student activity sheets are available for download in 25 languages.

tag(s): communication (129), conflict resolution (9), OER (43), problem solving (233), social and emotional learning (103)

Encourage positive attitudes toward learning with this anchor chart that highlights five positive characteristics using the acronym of ZEARN. The seven-page download includes one page with information about the chart and six additional pages for display. Although described as a tool for encouraging positive math attitudes, this chart works well for any subject or content area.

tag(s): character education (80), social and emotional learning (103)

WellCheq is a digital application that provides a daily wellness check-in for students. Students log in each day and answer two questions - how are you feeling today, and how are you doing overall? This information is then immediately available to the teacher or counselor. WellCheq tracks both individual and class data over the short and long term. Students reporting a three (out of five) or lower are identified with an email to the teacher and go on the Students of Concern page. Students log in through the student portal to provide responses and access suggested resources. There is a link for students to ask for help using the "Cheq on me" button. Create and use a teacher account to add and manage classrooms and access reports. Reports include daily information, students of concern, as well as longitudinal class and student reports.

tag(s): emotions (49), identity (29), social and emotional learning (103), Teacher Utilities (198)

Along is an online tool for providing digital check-ins and reflection activities with students using audio, video, or text. Share a question with some or all students to encourage making connections and check in on student wellness. Students select an option to share their responses, and the teacher views reflections within the Along dashboard. Follow up with students as desired to continue the conversation or to make personal connections with all students. Use the tips and content provided by Along to select research-based questions designed to help students build life skills and confidence. Teachers with students under 13 years of age will need to send home a letter of consent, which Along has provided in Spanish and English and for print or to email. There is also a code of conduct which all students must agree to. To find this information and the forms - from the home page scroll down to and click Code of Conduct from the bottom menu.

tag(s): classroom management (120), communication (129), social and emotional learning (103), Teacher Utilities (198)

Morningside Center provides resources for K-12 educators that encourage social responsibility and help develop social and emotional skills. The site was created following 9/11 to help teachers address sensitive issues that arose in the aftermath of the tragedy. Select the Classroom Resources section to find and filter TeachableMoments lessons. Sort by topic area, subject, and grade level or search by keyword. Each lesson includes instructions and background information as well as links to supporting material. The site is constantly updated with lessons relating to current events. Many activities include links to YouTube videos, if your district blocks YouTube; the videos may not be viewable.

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Although tragic and difficult world events are challenging to discuss, it is important to understand that they are on students' minds as they come into the classroom. This article provides specific questions and discussion formats that help support students during difficult times and fosters a sense of community. The five basic questions offer students opportunities to share their feelings and reflect upon ways to address similar problems in the world and their community.

tag(s): differentiation (84), disasters (37), social and emotional learning (103)

This middle school and high school curriculum challenges students to think about issues and concerns faced in their communities and beyond, then develop campaigns to overcome the obstacles found. Based upon Common Core Standards, the program includes over 70 lessons that begin engaging students through developing an understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lessons don't have to take place in the order offered; select lessons that fit the goals chosen for you and your students.

tag(s): civil rights (209), social and emotional learning (103), women (151)

The Start Empathy Toolkit provides a roadmap and materials for teaching empathy to students in all grades. The 85-page downloadable PDF guide focuses on three steps to learning - Prepare, Engage, and Reflect & Act. Lessons included in the toolkit have suggested time, directions, appropriate grade levels, and materials needed.

tag(s): emotions (49), racism (79), social and emotional learning (103)

SpeakUp! is a non-profit organization that provides resources to support teens in their social emotional learning (SEL) while developing positive relationships with adults. Their programs' focus is on encouraging teens to have supportive conversations that help teens deal with any issues. Register for upcoming programs or learn how to become a SpeakUp! school. Be sure to check out the link to the site's resources that includes helpful guides with contact information for help with many different topics, including suicide, drug abuse, bullying, and more.

tag(s): bullying (48), cyberbullying (40), diseases (66), drugs and alcohol (28), eating disorders (6), sexuality (15), social and emotional learning (103), social media (48)

Understand the three different forms of empathy and teach students how to respond appropriately using the information shared in this article. As the author describes the different forms of empathy (cognitive, emotional, and compassionate), she also suggests activities broken into different grade levels using resources found on Everfi, reviewed here.

tag(s): character education (80), emotions (49), social and emotional learning (103)

This article uses age and developmental stages as guidelines for sharing ideas on approaching difficult topics with children. Without using specific issues, the author gives general guidelines for acknowledging children's feelings and methods for reassuring them that everything will be O.K. In addition to the general guidelines, this article also includes specific tips for addressing sexual harassment and social media for tweens and teens.

tag(s): emotions (49), parents (57), preK (270), social and emotional learning (103)

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) provides support and tools that include high-quality information for social and emotional learning. The guide shared on this page provides a framework for evaluating social and emotional programs for preschool and elementary programs, and middle and high school. Open the PDF link to view or print the guide. The guide includes an in-depth discussion of the methods used to rate programs, along with charts with ratings and information on the effectiveness of the programs. To get started download the Quick Guide toward the bottom of the page.

tag(s): professional development (385), social and emotional learning (103)

Be Fearless Be Kind is an empathy toolkit (PDF) developed to help kids become "change-makers" through fostering not only empathy, but leadership, creative problem solving, and teamwork. You'll first find a definition of empathy and why it is important. Then comes the nitty-gritty to use in the classroom: videos, projects, lesson plans, and activities. Some categories include Build the Foundation, Identify Feelings, Self-Regulation, Practice Perspective-Taking, Self-Awareness, Use Problem-Solving Procedures, and several more. All have many ideass for you to use with your students.

tag(s): bullying (48), conflict resolution (9), emotions (49), empathy (34), problem solving (233), school violence (10), social and emotional learning (103), social skills (22)

EVERFI provides free digital curricula in real-world skills through interactive, game-based lessons. Topics include Financial Education, Health and Wellness, Workforce Readiness, STEM and History career readiness, and many more. Select any topic to view the courses offered with a summary and grade-level suggestions. Each unit is correlated to Common Core Standards and includes features such as videos, games, digital lessons, and teacher guides. Use the teacher dashboard to create classes and enroll students after completing the free registration information. Once registered, use the site's features to assign topics that are available for both online and offline learning.

tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), financial literacy (94), game based learning (205), literacy (121), mental health (48), social and emotional learning (103), STEM (298), Teacher Utilities (198)

Classroomscreen is a background utility for use with interactive whiteboards or projector screens. Choose from Product (top menu) or from the middle of the screen to add 5 widgets including Engage students, Control the clock, Give instruction, Save your time, and Games for learners. Drag items to place them on the screen as desired. You can use Classroomsceen without signing up, but will get more features, for free, if you create and account. There is also a premium version, but this review is only for the free versions.
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tag(s): classroom management (120), emotions (49), functions (52), iwb (31), multilingual (77), social and emotional learning (103), Teacher Utilities (198), time (91)

Coaching Boys Into Men is a prevention program for athletic coaches to teach young men healthy relationship skills and that violence doesn't equal strength. Tools include several downloads such as posters and step by step lessons to integrate into weekly training sessions. Be sure to click Tools on the top menu to find several "kits" for coaches.

tag(s): bullying (48), character education (80), difficult conversations (57), mental health (48), mentoring (6), school violence (10), social and emotional learning (103), social skills (22), sports (82)