It is no surprise that in recent years there has been increased attention on the mental health of our students. As schools prepare for another year, it is important to take note of how you can better help your students, families, and staff.
Why implement Social Emotional Learning in the classroom?
Research has shown that SEL promotes self awareness, academic achievement, and positive behavior not only in the classroom but also out of the classroom. Many teachers have implemented some form of SEL in the classroom in recent years.
93% of teachers believe SEL has a place in the classroom and for good reason. SEL helps students thrive but also helps create a more cohesive classroom environment through: fewer disciplinary action, increased academic performance, reduction in classroom disruption and open communication. What the research shows
Why use an SEL curriculum such as “My Best Me”?
Implementing an SEL curriculum like “My Best Me” ensures best practice for best results. Not only that, a good curriculum comes with good teacher support which helps take the stress out of planning and execution. A curriculum takes the guesswork out.
How to choose the best curriculum for your school:
- Consider the age: Many SEL curriculums are written for a certain age group. For example, the “My Best Me” curriculum is written for students as young as preschool age, all the way up to highschool. Other curriculum may be written just for high school age or elementary age students.
- Does it meet your budget constraints? Of course each curriculum has a cost attached to it and these costs must be taken into consideration when deciding which curriculum is best.
- Does the curriculum come with support or training? It is important that teachers are supported when implementing new curriculum. Through training and teachers’ resources. “My Best Me” comes with not only teacher training but also provides teachers with everything they need to implement the lesson in their classroom.
- Does the SEL curriculum focus on what is pertinent to your school district and your families? Every SEL program is unique and focuses on different topics. “My Best Me” for example focuses on: Identity, Health, Community, Environment and Economics.
- Does the program implement evidence based social emotional learning?